fuch acquaintance with mankind, and fuch knowledge both of ancient and modern learning, as are not often attained by the maturest age and longest experience. It was published about two years afterwards, and being praised by Addison in the Spectator with sufficient liberality, met with so much favour as enraged Dennis, "who," he says, "found "himself attacked, without any manner of

provocation on his fide, and attacked in his "perfon, instead of his writings, by one who was wholly a stranger to him, at a time "when all the world knew he was perfecuted

by fortune; and not only faw that this was attempted in a clandestine manner, with "the utmost falfehood and calumny, but "found that all this was done by a little af"fected hypocrite, who had nothing in his "mouth at the fame time but truth, can"dour, friendship, good-nature, humanity, "and magnanimity."

How the attack was clandeftine is not eafily perceived, nor how his person is depreciated; but he seems to have known fomething of Pope's character, in whom may be discovered

an

an appetite to talk too frequently of his own virtues.

The pamphlet is such as rage might be expected to dictate. He fuppofes himself to be asked two queftions; whether the Effay will fucceed, and who or what is the author.

Its fuccefs he admits to be fecured by the falfe opinions then prevalent; the author he concludes to be young and raw.

"First, because he discovers a fufficiency

beyond his little ability, and hath rafhly "undertaken a task infinitely above his force.

Secondly, while this little author ftruts, "and affects the dictatorian air, he plainly "fhews that at the fame time he is under the "rod; and while he pretends to give law to

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others, is a pedantick flave to authority and opinion. Thirdly, he hath, like schoolboys, borrowed both from living and dead. "Fourthly, he knows not his own mind, and "frequently contradicts himself. Fifthly, he "is almost perpetually in the wrong."

All these pofitions he attempts to prove by. quotations and remarks; but his defire to do mifchief

mischief is greater than his power. He has, however, justly criticised fome paffages, in thefe lines,

There are whom heaven has blefs'd with ftore of wit,

Yet want as much again to manage it;
For wit and judgment ever are at ftrife→

it is apparent that wit has two meanings, and that what is wanted, though called wit, is truly judgment. So far Dennis is undoubtedly right; but, not content with argument, he will have a little mirth, and triumphs over the first couplet in terms too elegant to be forgotten. "By the way, what rare num"bers are here! Would not one fwear that

this youngster had espoused some antiquated "Mufe, who had fued out a divorce on ac

count of impotence from fome fuperan"nuated finner; and, having been p-xed

by her former spouse, has got the gout in "her decrepit age, which makes her hobble "fo damnably." This was the man who would reform a nation sinking into barbarity.

In another place Pope himself allowed that Dennis had detected one of those blunders

VOL. IV.

C

which

which are called bulls. The first edition had

this line:

What is this wit

Where wanted, fcorn'd; and envied where acquir'd?

How," fays the critick, "can wit be scorn'd " where it is not? Is not this a figure fre"quently employed in Hibernian land? The

perfon that wants this wit may indeed bet "fcorned, but the fcorn fhews the honour "which the contemner has for wit." Of this remark Pope made the proper ufe, by correcting the paffage.

I have preferved, I think, all that is reafonable in Dennis's criticism; it remains that juftice be done to his delicacy. "For his ac

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quaintance (fays Dennis) he names Mr. Walsh, who had by no means the qualifi"cation which this author reckons abfolutely

neceffary to a critick, it being very certain "that he was, like this Efiayer, a very indif"ferent poct; he loved to be well-dreffed; " and I remember a little young gentleman "whom Mr. Walsh ufed to take into his

66

company, as a double foil to his perfon and capacity.

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capacity.--Enquire between Sunninghilland Oakingham for a young, fhort, fquab gentleman, the very bow of the God of Love, "and tell me whether he be a proper author "to make perfonal reflections?—He may. "extol the antients, but he has reafon to "thank the gods that he was born a modern

;

for had he been born of Grecian parents, "and his father confequently had by law had "the abfolute difpofal of him, his life had "been no longer than that of one of his poems, the life of half a day.-Let the person of a gentleman of his parts be ne

ver fo contemptible, his inward man is ten "times more ridiculous; it being impoffible "that his outward form, though it be that "of downright monkey, should differ fo "much from human shape, as his unthink"ing immaterial part does from human un"derstanding." Thus began the hostility between Pope and Dennis, which, though it was fufpended for a fhort time, never was appeased. Pope feems, at firft, to have attacked him wantonly; but though he always profeffed to defpife him, he discovers, by inentioning him very often, that he felt his force or his venom.