To Binfield Pope was called by his father when he was about twelve years old; and there he had for a few monthsthe affiftance of one Deane, another prieft, of whom he learned only to conftrue a little of Tully's Offices. How Mr. Deane could fpend, with a boy who had tranflated fo much of Ovid, fome months over a small part of Tully's Offices, it is now vain to enquire..

Of a youth fo fuccefsfully employed, and fo confpicuously improved, a minute account must be naturally defired; but curiofity must be contented with confufed, imperfect, and fometimes improbable intelligence. Pope, finding little advantage from external help, refolved thenceforward to direct himself, and at

twelve formed a plan of ftudy which he completed with little other incitement than the defire of excellence.

His primary and principal purpose was to be a poet, with which his father accidentally concurred, by propofing fubjects, and obliging him to correct his performances by many revifals; after which the old gentleman, when he was fatisfied, would say these are good rhymes.

In his perufal of the English poets he foon diftinguifhed the verfification of Dryden, which he confidered as the model to be ftudied, and was impreffed with fuch veneration for his inftructer, that he perfuaded fome friends to take him to the coffee-houfe which Dryden

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frequented, and pleafed himself with having feen him.

Dryden died May 1, 1701, fome: days before Pope was twelve; fo early muft he therefore have felt the power of harmony, and the zeal of genius. Who does not wish that Dryden could have known the value of the homage that was paid him, and forefeen the greatness of his young admirer?

The earliest of Pope's productions is his Ode on Solitude, written before he was twelve, in which there is nothing more than other forward boys have attained, aud which is not equal to Cowley's performances at the fame age. His time was now fpent wholly in reading and writing.

As he read the

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the third was made a general officer in Spain, from whom the fifter inherited what fequeftrations and forfeitures had left in the family.

This, and this only, is told by Pope; who is more willing, as I have heard obferved, to fhew what his father was not, than what he was. It is allowed that he grew rich by trade; but whether in a fhop or on the Exchange has never been discovered. Both parents were papists.

Pope was from his birth of a conftitution tender and delicate; but is faid to have fhewn remarkable gentleness and sweetness of difpofition. The 'weaknefs of his body continued through his life, but the mildness of his mind perhaps ended with his childhood. His

voice, when he was young, was fo pleafing, that he was called in fondness the little Nightingale.

Being not fent early to fchool, he was taught to read by an aunt; and when he was feven or eight years old became a lover of books. He first learned to write by imitating printed books; a fpecies of penmanship in which he retained great excellence through his whole life, though his ordinary hand was not elegant.

When he was about eight, he was placed in Hampshire under Tayerner, a Romish priest, who, by a method very rarely practifed, taught him the Greek and Latin rudiments together. He was now first regularly initiated in poetry by