A
LETTER
to
Sir
ROBERT
WALPOLE
.
By
the
late
HENRY
FIELDING
,
Esq
;
SIR
,
WHILE
at
the
helm
of
state
you
ride
,
Our
nation's
envy
and
its
pride
;
While
foreign
courts
with
wonder
gaze
,
And
justly
all
your
counsels
praise
,
Which
,
in
contempt
of
faction's
force
,
Steer
,
tho'
oppos'd
,
a
steady
course
,
Wou'd
you
not
wonder
,
Sir
,
to
view
Your
bard
a
greater
man
than
you
?
And
yet
the
sequel
proves
it
true
.
You
know
,
Sir
,
certain
ancient
fellows
Philosophers
,
and
others
tell
us
,
That
no
alliance
e'er
between
Greatness
and
happiness
is
seen
;
If
so
,
may
heaven
still
deny
To
you
,
to
be
as
great
as
I
.
Besides
,
we
're
taught
,
it
does
behove
us
,
To
think
those
greater
who
're
above
us
:
Another
instance
of
my
glory
,
Who
live
above
you
twice
two
story
,
And
from
my
garret
can
look
down
,
As
from
an
hill
,
on
half
the
town
.
Greatness
by
poets
still
is
painted
,
With
many
followers
acquainted
:
This
too
does
in
my
favour
speak
,
Your
levée
is
but
twice
a
week
,
From
mine
I
can
exclude
but
one
day
;
My
door
is
quiet
on
a
Sunday
.
The
distance
too
at
which
they
bow
,
Does
my
superior
greatness
shew
.
Familiar
you
to
admiration
,
May
be
approach'd
by
all
the
nation
,
While
I
,
like
Great
Mogul
in
Indo
,
Am
never
seen
but
at
a
window
.
The
family
that
dines
the
latest
,
Is
in
our
street
esteem'd
the
greatest
,
But
greater
him
we
surely
call
,
Who
hardly
deigns
to
dine
at
all
.
If
with
my
greatness
you
're
offended
,
The
fault
is
easily
amended
:
You
have
it
,
Sir
,
within
your
power
To
take
your
humble
servant
lower
.