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fixed his refidence in the neighbourhood of Binfield. Pope, not yet fixteen, was introduced to the statesman of fixty, and fo distinguished himself, that their interviews ended in friendship and correspondence. Pope was, through his whole life, ambitious of fplendid acquaintance, and he feems to have wanted neither diligence nor fuccefs in attracting. the notice of the great; for from his first entrance into the world, and his entrance was very early, he was admitted to familiarity with those whose rank or ftation made them most confpicuous.

From the age of fixteen the life of Pope, as an au244 thor, may be properly computed. He now wrote his paftorals, which were fhewn to the Poets and Criticks of that time; as they well deferved, they were read with admiration, and many praises were bestowed upon them and upon the Preface, which is both elegant and learned in a high degree; they were, however, not published till five years afterwards.

Cowley, Milton, and Pope, are diftinguished among the English Poets by the early exertion of their powers; but the works of Cowley alone were published in his childhood, and therefore of him only can it be certain that his puerile performances received no improvement from his maturer ftudies.

At this time began his acquaintance with Wycherley, a man who feems to have had among his contemporaries his full share of reputation, to have been efteemed without virtue, and careffed without good-humour. Pope was proud of his notice; Wycherley wrote verses in his praise, which he was charged by Dennis with writing to himself, and they agreed for a while to flatter one another. It is pleasant to remark how foor

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Pope

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Pope learned the cant of an author, and began to treat. criticks with contempt, though he had yet fuffered nothing from them.

But the fondness of Wycherley was too violent to laft. His esteem of Pope was fuch, that he submitted fome poems to his revision; and when Pope, perhaps proud of fuch confidence, was fufficiently bold in his criticisms, and liberal in his alterations, the old fcribbler was angry to see his pages defaced, and felt more pain from the detection than content from the amendment of his faults. They parted; but Pope always confidered him with kindness, and visited him a little time before he died.

Another of his early correfpondents was Mr. Cromwell, of whom I have learned nothing particular but that he used to ride a hunting in a tye-wig. He was fond, and perhaps vain, of amufing himself with poetry and criticism; and fometimes fent his performances to Pope, who did not forbear fuch remarks as were now-and-then unwelcome. Pope, in his turn, put the juvenile verfion of Statius into his hands for

correction.

Their correfpondence afforded the publick its first knowledge of Pope's Epiftolary Powers; for his Letters were given by Cromwell to one Mrs. Thomas, and the many years afterwards fold them to Curll, who inferted them in a volume of his Mifcellanies.

Walsh, a name yet preferved among the minor poets, was one of his firft encouragers. His regard was gained by the Paftorals, and from him Pope received the council by which he feems to have regulated his ftudies. Walth advised him to correctness, which, as he told him, the English poets had hitherto neglected,

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and which therefore was left to him as a bafis of fame; and, being delighted with rural poems, recommended to him to write a paftoral comedy, like thofe which are read fo eagerly in Italy; a defign which Pope probably did not approve, as he did not follow it.

Pope had now declared himself a poet; and think- 31 ing himself entitled to poetical conversation, began at feventeen, to frequent Will's, a coffee-house on the north fide of Ruffel-ftreet in Covent-garden, where the wits of that time used to affemble, and where Dryden had, when he lived, been accustomed to prefide.

During this period of his life he was indefatigably diligent, and infatiably curious; wanting health for violent, and money for expenfive pleasures, and having certainly excited in himself very strong defires of intellectual eminence, he spent much of his time over his books; but he read only to ftore his mind with facts and images, feizing all that his authors presented with undistinguishing voracity, and with an appetite for knowledge too eager to be nice. In a mind like his, however, all the faculties were at once involuntarily improving. Judgement is forced upon us by experience. He that reads many books must compare one opinion or one style with another; and when he compares, muft neceffarily diftinguish, reject, and prefer. But the account given by himself of his ftudies was, that from fourteen to twenty he read only for amusement, from twenty to twenty-feven for improvement and instruction; that in the first part of this time he desired only to know, and in the fecond he endeavoured to judge.

The

The Paftorals, which had been for fome time handed about among poets and criticks, were at laft printed (1709) in Tofon's Miscellany, in a volume which began with the Paftorals of Philips, and ended with thofe of Pope.

The fame year was written the Essay on Criticism; a work which displays fuch extent of comprehenfion, fuch nicety of diftinction, fuch acquaintance with mankind, and such knowledge both of ancient and modern learning, as are not often attained by the matureft age and longeft experience. It was published about two years afterwards; and being praised by Addifon in the Spectator with fufficient liberality, met with fo much favour as enraged Dennis, "who," he fays,' "found himself attacked, without any manner of pro"vocation on his fide, and attacked in his perfon,

inftead of his writings, by one who was wholly a ftranger 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 clandeftine manner, "with the utmost falfehood and calumny, but found "that all this was done by a little affected hypocrite, "who had nothing in his mouth at the same time buţ "truth, candour, friendship, good-nature, humanity, "and magnanimity."

How the attack was clandeftine is not eafily perceived, nor how his perfon is depreciated; but he feems to have known fomething of Pope's character, in whom may be difcovered an appetite to talk too frequently of his own virtues.

The pamphlet is fuch as rage might be expected to dictate. He fuppofes himself to be asked two quef

tions; whether the Effay will fucceed, and who or what is the author.

Its fuccefs he admits to be fecured by the falfe opi37 nions then prevalent; the author he concludes to be young and raw.

"First, because he difcovers a fufficiency beyond "his little ability, and hath rafhly undertaken a task "infinitely above his force. Secondly, while this lit"tle 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 others, "is a pedantick flave to authority and opinion. “Thirdly, he hath, like school-boys, 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 mischief is greater than his power. He has, however, juftly criticised some paffages, in these lines :

There are whom heaven has blefs'd with ftore of wit,
Yet want as much again to manage it;

For wit and judgement ever are at ftrife

it is apparent that wit has two meanings, and that what is wanted, though called wit, is truly judgement. 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 numbers are here! "Would not one swear that this youngster had espoused "fome antiquated Mufe, who had fued out a divorce "on account of impotence from fome fuperannuated "finner; and, having been p-xed by her former

"spouse,

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