in it has been differently determined: It is certain he never valued himself upon that performance, nor was it a task in the leaft adapted to his genius; for it feldom happens that a man of lively parts can undergo the fervile drudgery of collecting paffages, in which more industry and labour are necessary than perfons of quick penetration generally have to bestow. It has been the opinion of fome critics, that Mr. Pope's talents were not adapted for the drama, otherwife we cannot well account for his neglecting the most gainful way of writing which poetry affords, efpecially as his reputation was fo high, that without much ceremony or mortification, he might have had any piece of his brought upon the ftage. Mr. Pope was attentive to his own intereft, and if he had not either been confcious of his inability in that province, or too timid to wish the popular approbation, he would certainly have attempted the drama. Neither was he esteemed a very competent judge of what plays were proper or improper for reprefentation. He wrote feveral letters to the manager of Drury-Lane Theatre, in favour of Thomfon's Agamemnon, which notwithstanding his approbation, Thomson's friends were obliged to mutulate and fhorten; and after all it proved a heavy play. Though it was generally allowed to have been one of the beft acted plays that had appeared for fome years. not. He was certainly concerned in the Comedy, which was published in Mr. Gay's name, called Three Hours after Marriage, as well as Dr. ArbuthThis illuftrious triumvirate, though men of the most various parts, and extenfive understanding, yet were not able it seems to please the people, tho' the principal parts were fupported by the best actors in that way on the stage. Dr.Arbuthnot and Mr Pope were no doubt folicitous to conceal their concern in it; but by a letter which Gay wrote to Pope, pub lished Tifhed in Ayre's Memoirs, it appears evident (if Ayre's authority may be depended on) that they both affifted in the compofition. DEAR POPE, Too late I fee, and confefs myself miftaken in ⚫ relation to the Comedy; yet I do not think, had 'I followed your advice, and only introduced the mummy, that the abfence of the crocodile had 'faved it. I can't help laughing myfelf (though the vulgar do not confider it was defigned to look ridiculous) to think how the poor monfter and mummy were dafhed at their reception, and when the cry was loudest, I thought that if the thing ⚫ had been written by another, I fhould have deemed ⚫ the town in some measure mistaken; and as to your apprehenfion that this may do us future injury, do not think of it; the Dr. has a more valuable name than can be hurt by any thing of this nature; and your's is doubly fafe. I will, if any fhame there be, take it all to myfelf, and indeed I ought, the motion being first • mine, and never heartily approved by you.' Of all our poet's writings none were read with more general approbation than his Ethic Epiftles, or multiplied into more editions. Mr. Pope who was a perfect œconomift, fecured to himself the profits arifing from his own works; he was never fubjected to neceffity, and therefore was not to be impofed upon by the art or fraud of publishers. But now approaches the period in which as he himself expreffed it, he stood in need of the generous tear he paid, Poets themselves muft fall like those they fung, Mr. Pope who had been always fubjected to a variety of bodily infirmities, finding his ftrength give way, began to think that his days, which had been prolonged paft his expectation, were drawing towards a conclufion. However, he visited the Hot-Wells at Briftol, where for fome time there were fmall hopes of his recovery; but making too free with purges he grew worse, and feemed defirous to draw nearer home. A dropfy in the breast at laft put a period to his life, at the age of 56, on the 30th of May 1744, at his house at Twickenham, where he was interred in the fame grave with his father and mother. Mr. Pope's behaviour in his laft illness has been variously reprefented to the world: Some have affirmed that it was timid and peevish; that having been fixed in no particular fyftem of faith, his mind was wavering, and his temper broken and disturb'd. Others have afferted that he was all cheerfulness and refignation to the divine will: Which of thefe opinions is true we cannot now determine; but if the former, it must be regretted, that he, who had taught philofophy to others, fhould himself be deftitute of its affiftance in the moft critical moments of his life. The bulk of his fortune he bequeath'd to Mrs. Blount, with whom he lived in the ftrictest friendfhip, and for whom he is faid to have entertained the warmest affection. His works, which are in the hands of every person of true taste, and will last as long as our language will be understood, render unneceffary all further remarks on his writings. He was equally admired for the dignity and fubli. mity of his moral and philofophical works, the vivacity of his fatirical, the clearness and propriety of his didactic, the richness and variety of his defcriptive, and the elegance of all, added to an harmony of verfification and correctnefs of fentiment and language, unknown to our former poets, and and of which he has fet an example which will be an example or a reproach to his fucceffors. His profe-ftile is as perfect in its kind as his poetic, and has all the beauties proper for it, joined to an uncommon force and perfpicuity. Under the profeffion of the Roman-Catholic religion, to which he adhered to the last, he maintained all the moderation and charity becoming the most thorough and confiftent Proteftant. His conversation was natural, eafy and agreeable, without any affectation of displaying his wit, or obtruding his own judgment, even upon subjects of which he was fo eminently a mafter. The moral character of our author, as it did nɔt efcape the lafh of his calumniators in his life; fo have there been attempts fince his death to diminish his reputation. Lord Bolingbroke, whom Mr. Pope efteemed to almoft an enthufiaftic degree of admiration, was the first to make this attack. Not many years ago, the public were entertained with this controverfy immediately upon the publication of his lordship's Letters on the Spirit of Patriotism, and the Idea of a Patriot King. Different opinions have been offered, fome to extenuate the fault of Mr. Pope, for printing and mutilating these letters without his lordship's knowledge; others to blame him for it as the highest breach of friendship, and the greatest mark of difhonour. It would exceed our proposed bounds to enter into the merits of this controverfy; the reader, no doubt, will find it amply difcuffed in that account of the life of this great author, which Mr. Warburton has promised the public. This great man is allowed to have been one of the first rank amongst the poets of our nation, and to acknowledge the fuperiority of none but Shakespear, Milton, and Dryden. With the two former, it is unnatural to compare him, as their province in writing is fo very different. Pope has never attempted M 4 the the drama, nor published an Epic Poem, in which thefe two diftinguished genius's have fo wonderfully fucceeded. Though Pope's genius was great, it was yet of fo different a caft from Shakespear's, and Milton's, that no comparison can be juftly formed. But if this may be faid of the former two, it will by no means hold with refpect to the la ter, for between him and Dryden, there is a great fimilarity of writing, and a very striking coincidence of genius. It will not perhaps be unpleafing to our readers, if we pursue this comparison, and endeavour to discover to whom the fuperiority. is jully to be attributed, and to which of them poetry owes the highest obligations. ; When Dryden came into the world, he found poetry in a very imperfect state its numbers were unpolished; its cadences rough, and there was nothing of harmony or mellifluence to give it a graceful of flow. In this harsh, unmufical fituation, Dryden found it (for the refinements of Waller were but puerile and unfubftantial) he polished the rough diamond, he taught it to fhine, and connected beauty, elegance, and ftrength, in all his poetical compofuions. Though Dryden thus polished our English numbers, and thus harmonized verfification, it cannot be faid, that he carried his art to perfection. Much was yet left undone; his lines with ail their fmoothnefs were often rambling, and expletives were frequently introduced to compleat his measures. It was apparent therefore that an additional harmony might ftill be given to our numbers, and that cadences were yet capable of a more mufical modulation. To effect this purpose Mr. Fope arofe, who with an ear elegantly delicate, and the advantage of the fineft genius, fo har monized the English numbers, as to make them compleatly mufical. His numbers are likewife fo minutely correct, that it would be difficult to conceive how any of his lines can be altered to |