140 HISTORY OF HARTING. 



a second journey to Lady Holt. Dec. 21. "I cannot 

 express how thoroughly I am penetrated by the sharp- 

 ness. I feel nothing alive but my heart and head : 

 and my spirits, like those in a thermometer, mount 

 and fall thro' my thin delicate contexture just as the 

 temper of air is more benign or inclement. In this 

 sad condition I am forced to take volatile drops every 

 day : a custom I have so long continued that my 

 doctor tells me I must not long expect support from 

 them, and adds that unless I use certain prescriptions, 

 my tenement will not last long above ground. But 

 I shall not prop it, rotten as it is, with his rotten fulci- 

 ments. If it falls, as the honest Hibernian said of the 

 house, I care not, I am only a lodger." Pope was then 

 forty-eight years of age. In 1714 he was more suc- 

 cessful in his attempt to get a holiday at Harting. 

 " Nov. 19, 1714. As soon as I can collect all the objec- 

 tions of the two or three noble judges, I shall fly to 

 Lady Holt as a proper place to review and correct the 

 whole for the last time. I fully purpose to be with you 

 at the beginning of December, and to stay till Christ- 

 mas." Mr. Elwin notes, "Pope paid this visit to Caryll ;" 

 and that they returned together appears from Caryll's 

 account book at Lady Holt. " Dec. 22. I went this day 

 with Mr. Pope to Whiteknights ; we lay at Odiham." 



In 1715, Pope and Gay seem to have come to Lady 

 Holt together ; and before their arrival they wrote the 

 following joint note to their hosts : 



" Mr. Pope and I (Gay) have thoughts of doing 

 ourselves the honour of making you a visit to Sussex 

 as soon as he has ended this year's labours with the 

 bookseller : where I promise myself the greatest plea- 

 sure and satisfaction. May the gout be favorable to 

 you, that we may walk together in the park; Mr. Pope 

 will make his conditions, before he will venture into 

 y r - company, that you shall not allow him any of your 

 conversation in the morning. He is obliged to pay 

 this self-denial in complaisance to his subscribers. 

 For my part, who do not deal in heroes or ravished 



