relate to Martha Blount, for he was not "condemned whole years in absence to deplore ;"—and, therefore, they could be addressed only to Lady Mary; and "he best shall speak them who shall feel them most,” was a direct allufion to his own ardent but hopeless paffion. Many paffages of that celebrated Poem were transcribed, I have no doubt, from his own bosom ; and the conflict which it exhibits of contending paffions, are almost as lively depicted in his own letter to her. He continues-" Though I am never to fee you again, may you live to pleasure other eyes, and improve other minds than mine."-Again" It is ferioufly true, that I have not, fince your laft letter, the leaft inclination to fee Italy, though before I received it, I longed for your fummons thither: but it is foolish to tell you this ;-did I fay foolish? it is a thousand times worfe; it is in vain!" He now appears evidently hurt by fome of her obfervations concerning his friendship; for he fays, farcaftically,"You touch me very fenfibly, in faying you think fo well of my friendship! in that you do me too much honour! Would to God you would, even at this diftance, allow me to correct this period according to the real truth of my heart. I am foolish again, and methinks I am imitating, in my ravings, the dreams of splenetic enthusiasts and folitaires, who fall in love with faints, and fancy themselves in favour of angels and spirits, whom they can never fee or touch."

Surely fuch language cannot be mistaken. When he expreffed a defire to vifit Italy, it was evidently more for the fake of meeting her than for that of studying pictures, or from a wifh to fee distant countries. Lady Mary remained with her husband at Conftantinople from the year 1716 to 1718. During this time he endeavoured to unite the art of Painting, under the tuition of Jervas, with that of Poetry. In the mean time, the improving his house and grounds at Twickenham, and the cultivation of a larger and more illuftrious fet of friends, tended to make the period of abfence lefs irksome. Bolingbroke, to whom he had been introduced by Swift, was in exile. Atterbury*, who was made Bishop of Rochester in 1713, enjoyed his confidence. He correfponded with Edward Blount, who was now abroad; and, though his heart was wandering as far as the Hellefpont, he was not deficient in attentions and marks of particular kindnefs to his fifters: Gay, who looked up to him, and was indeed exacly the character to tally with his temper,

* Maty fays, in his correfpondence of Lord Chesterfield, that Atterbury, at an interview with Bolingbroke, offered to proclaim the Pretender in his lawn fleeves at Charing-Crofs, after the death of the Queen. I have the fame anecdote on the authority of an eminent nobleman, now no more, who bore the highest offices of the State in this country. Bolingbroke confidered the attempt as madness,

temper, was his most intimate affociate :-of whom it might truly be said,

"His care was never to offend,

"And every creature was his friend.”

He had a great veneration for Pope; was filent or talkative, just as his friend was inclined; he also was a man of wit and talents, though he never prefumed to think himself equal to Pope. It was no wonder, therefore, he was agreeable.

But very different was the character of Atterbury; and Pope's acquaintance with him began under aufpices the most unfavourable to friendship; with a converfation on religion. Atterbury was hoftile to the Hanoverian fucceffion, but he was attached in the greatest degree, as an enlightened man and well-informed divine, to the Proteftant faith. Notwithstanding Pope's frequent boaft of his dif dain of flattery, he had a different behaviour to those who were in high ftations and those who were not; but, at the fame time, it must be mentioned, to his immortal honour, that in their dif grace, or exile, he never altered his conduct, as his attentions to Oxford, Bolingbroke, and Atterbury, prove.

Whatever was the difference of their religious creed, a subject on which Pope was deaf to all the Bishop's arguments, and all the friend's entreaties; yet there were certain tenets in politics which might involun

tarily have drawn the cords of intimacy and confidence clofer. Add to this, Atterbury was an eloquent writer, a refined scholar, and a pleafing poet, both in English and Latin *.

This period was perhaps the happiest æra of Pope's career he was furrounded by illuftrious friends; poffeffed of fortune fufficient to enable him to receive, with polished hofpitality, those whom he selected and loved, in a new and not inelegant manfion of his own defign, furrounded by land, on which he might employ his taste and skill in rural decoration, which, next to poetry, was his favourite purfuit f.

· See his beautiful translation of Horace's Ode

66

Quam tu Melpomene," &c.

The

† A short account of the present appearance of this celebrated villa may not be unacceptable.

Two wings have been added to the manfion by Sir William Stanhope, who purchased it after the death of Pope; and four acres were likewife purchased, to increase the extent of the pleasure ground. They are connected by a paffage, of the fame appear. ance as the original grotto, with an infcription, recording rather Sir William's vanity than Pope's tafte. The original grotto extends under the houfe, into the gardens behind, paffing alfo under the turnpike road. The extent is about fixty feet: two compartments are excavated in the front part, looking towards the river, which is feen from one end of the whole length of paffage, to the other. The round looking-glafs remains in the centre of the arch. I do not fee the leaft appearance of robbery or mutilation. One of the compartments has the name of Borlace compofed in fpar, as the whole recefs was furnished from his collec In this recefs was the fmall running water: this is heard no longer; and the "fleeping nymph" is fucceeded by an infantine

tion.

figure,

The funshine of these enjoyments was now, for a while, fuddenly clouded, by the death of his father, 1717, in the feventy-fifth year of his age; who furvived the removal from the Foreft only two years, but who lived to experience the greatest happiness an aged parent can receive, in witnefling the fame and profperity of a fon, whofe natural infirmities had led him to forebode a far different fate.

He died, with the feelings fo beautifully and pathetically defcribed by Dr. Morel:

figure, who, I was informed, was no other than "Mofes in the bull-rufhes." The other recefs oppofite is adorned with buits of Milton, Pope, &c. Both recefles are diminutive.

The willow planted by Pope, on the fmall lawn in front of the house, which flopes to the river, is gone; part of the naked trunk only remains, about three feet high, on which are cut three or four fteps. One fmall willow, from the parent trunk, itill flourishes near its fide.

Cuttings, it is faid, from this tree, were fent by Sir William Stanhope into various parts of Europe, and in particular to the Emprefs of Ruffia, in 1789.

The trees are so much grown, that little of Pope's original defign can be traced; but not much perhaps is loft. The villa has feen a variety of owners, from the nobleman to the cit, and is now in poffeffion of Lady Brifcoe.

Very little has been added, except by Sir William Stanhope, and as little taken away: nine acres are kept "levell'd with the scythe,” with eternal ferpentine walks, interfperfed with, here and there, an urn, and fome fine cedars.

By cutting down half the trees, and feeding the lawn and pleafure-ground with fheep, the place would be more profitable, more natural, and infinitely more beautiful.

"Tears