The works of Alexander Pope, esq. with notes and illustrations by himself and others. To which are added a new life of the author, an estimate of his poetical character and writings, and occasional remarks
Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744
41923) B = ‘ — ' } “ ; A ‘ J ‘ > x 2 , a ——— = iv gm 7 ae : , J ' é r > a as i 7 4 1 =” ten : * ; i ; a = > v “8 re cS he - "i aes ’ ieee ee ~ THE WORKS OF ALEXANDER POPE, ESQ. - ~ yA) KT ¢ s s ‘ Si PRCA. . \ , a « - pe: » = 8 R = } ~ - . : s po i— N RS N? aN ‘ x3 Sy x \ = Py { S ae . » te * 2, Ne AY = » aw " XS S : x SS hj NX sae ‘ ak = C iif A SS xe aa <1 at i © ‘a3 ant ~ ; THE WORKS ALEXANDER POPE, ESQ. WITH NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY HIMSELF AND OTHERS. TO WHICH ARE ADDED, A NEW LIFE OF THE AUTHOR, AN ESTIMATE OF HIS POETICAL CHARACTER AND WRITINGS, AND OCCASIONAL REMARKS, BY WILLIAM ROSCOE, ESQ. IN TEN VOLUMES. ee VOL, I. LONDON: PRINTED FOR C. AND J. RIVINGTON; T. CADELL; LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN 5 J. CUTHELL; J. NUNN; J. AND W. T. CLARKE ; © JEFFERY AND SON; J. AND A. ARCH}; R. H. EVANS; JOHN RICHARDSON; J. M. RICHARDSON 5 J.MAWMAN; R.SCHOLEY ; J.BOOKER 3; J. BOHN} S.BAGSTER; Js BOOTH ; BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY; HARDING, LEPARD, AND TRIPHOOK;3 G. AND W. B. WHITTAKER; R. SAUNDERS}; J. DUNCAN; E. EDWARDS 3 KINGS- BURY, PARBURY, AND ALLEN}; G. MACKIE; HURST, ROBINSON, AND CO.; GOSSLING AND EGLEY; J.SETCHELL}; J. BAIN; AND C. WICKSTEAD; AND DEIGHTON AND SONS, CAMBRIDGE; AND A BLACK, AND J. FAIRBAIRN, EDINBURGH. igre ae 1824, rower ii i & f ‘ oa ( [ HISTORICAL \ MEDICAL * NET yo FTO TENOR OTT rE Twente Cr eee J: M‘Creery, Tooks Court, Chancery Lane, London. PREFACE. It has been so often repeated that the life of a literary man is unproductive of incident, that we seem disposed to credit it; but al- though this may soothe the indolence or allay the apprehensions of a biographer, it is by no means borne out by the fact. ‘The professors of literature have always been too ready to pay their homage to the world, and to assent to the idea that nothing is deserving of no- tice but the affairs of states, and the great events and transactions of public life; but it is not for these that we look in the history of aman of genius. We havea different object in view, and his life is as full of interest and information in that after which we inquire, as that of a soldier in his battles, or a poli- tician in his schemes. In human affairs, every thing is permanent in proportion as it is connected with intellect ; and whilst the common events of life weary by repe- tition, and the memory of them perishes through neglect, the productions of the mind VOL. I. b 1V PREFACE. preserve their lustre, and even shine brighter from age to age. Under such circumstances, nothing that relates to a favourite author or his writings can be indifferent to us. Though he be dead, he yet speaketh ; his influence is with us, and around us; we feel him breathing in his works; and our minds are formed, and our characters modified, by a master-spirit that survives alike the attacks of envy, and the efforts of time. On this account, it is not surprising that a great degree of earnestness has always been displayed as to the lives and characters of those, who, by their writings, have attracted a high degree of public approbation; and this earnestness has been manifested in a peculiar manner respecting PopE. In fact, there is scarcely a circumstance or an incident relat- ing to him, from the time of his birth to that of his death, that has not been the subject of examination and doubt, and frequently of keen and angry controversy. His family origin—his person, his temper, and disposi- tion—his talents and acquirements—his sin- cerity in his friendships—his religious belief and moral conduct—and above all, the cha- racter and merit of his writings, have given risé to disputes which seem rather to increase PREFACE. Vv than diminish with time; and whilst they occupy the public attention in a manner scarcely inferior to the events of the passing day, have occasionally been carried to an extreme of contention and animosity, not ex- ceeded by any of those in which the author himself was in his lifetime engaged. Although the life of Pope has frequently been professedly written, yet it may be as- serted, without much hazard of contradiction, that this has never been done in a manner adequate to its importance, or with a due attention to the peculiarities of his character, and to the various circumstances in which he was placed. Of these attempts, some are of. too brief and cursory a nature to admit of any thing like a sufficient inquiry into sub- jects of a difficult and controverted kind. Even in those more extensive works. which are devoted to this object, a very limited por- tion is occupied in impartial and diligent inquiries into the events of his life; the far greater part being employed in criticisms on ' his writings, or in extracting, for the use and instruction of the uninformed, such passages from his works as the biographer most admires. This mode of composition is scarcely dealing fairly with the reader. If we wish to know b 2 al PREFACE. the merits of an author, we can have recourse to his works; but in his life we expect to find a faithful representation of his character, manners, and endowments, of the situations in which he was placed, and the circumstan- ces under which his works were produced, of the friends with whom he associated, the controversies im which he was engaged, and whatever else may tend to gratify that natu-. ral curiosity which we entertain respecting a person to whom we feel so deeply indebted, or which may throw a collateral light on his’ works. The first attempt for this purpose which has occurred to my notice, appeared in a small piece of about seventy pages, in octavo, - published in the same year in which Pope died, intitled, The Life of Alexander Pope, Esq., with remarks on his works ; to which ts added his Last Will. Printed for Weaver Bickerton, in the Temple Exchange-passage, in _ Fleet-street, 1744.—One of those hasty effu- _ sions that usually follow the loss of a per- son of eminence, which serve only to excite and to disappoint the public curiosity; as it contains not a single fact before unknown, and scarcely a-single remark epeeng of attention. PREFACE. vil Soon afterwards a publication on a larger scale made its appearance, intitled, Memoirs — of the Life and Writings of Alewander Pope, Esq., with critical observations, by Wilham Ayre, Esq., in 2 vols. octavo. ‘This work was publish- ed for the author in 1745, the year after the death of Pope, and is inscribed to his surviv- ing friends, Lords Bolingbroke, Burlington, Marchmont, and Bathurst. Of the author very little is known; yet it is probable that he was acquainted with Pope; as in the poem of Gay, commemorating Pope’s sup- posed return from Greece, on the finishing his translation of the Iliad, we find amongst his friends who come to welcome him, the name of Ayrs. ‘The work itself displays no great share either of talent or of industry, being chiefly made up of extracts from Pope, and various other writers, many of whom have little or no connexion with him, and of trans- lations by the author, from the Italian poets, with whom he appears to have had some acquaintance. There are however some anecdotes related, and some observations oc- casionally introduced, which are deserving of attention; and as it exhibjts in general, a candid and impartial spirit, it will be occa- sionally referred to in the ensuing narrative. De Vill PREFACE. In the same year a pamphlet appeared, _intitled, Remarks on ’Squire Ayre’s Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Pope, in a letter to Mr. Edmund Curll, bookseller, with authentic Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the said E.C. Printed for M. Cooper, Paternoster- Row, 1745, octavo: the writer of which sub- scribes his initials at the close, J. H. The purpose of these remarks is to ‘shew, that there is no such person as William Ayre, Esq. and that the Memoirs were really written by Curll, who had assumed the name of Ayre on this occasion, as he had before that of Eger- ton, in his Memoirs of Mrs. Oldfield. It is not easy to discover, nor is it worth while to inquire further as to the object of this writer; who, whilst he attacks Curll, inserts a copy of scurrilous verses on Pope, and whilst he criticises the work of Ayre, writes worse, if possible, than Ayre himself. In the year 1759, a small volume in duo- decimo was published, called, The Life of Alexander Pope, Esq., with a view of ‘his writ- ings, and many curious anecdotes of his noble patrons, as well as of his cotemporary wits, friends, and foes, by W. H. Dilworth. This is little more than an abridgment of, or selec- tion from, the volumes of Ayre, and contains PREFACE, 1X not a single incident or remark which throws any additional light on the subject. These feeble attempts to give to the public the circumstances attending the life of Pope, were followed by a more decisive effort. The first general collection of the writings of Pope was published in 1751, by Dr. Warbur- ton, bishop of Gloucester, who in his pre-_ face to the first edition (in a passage omitted in the subsequent ones) thus announces his intention of giving a life of Pope. “The -author’s life deserves a just volume, and the editor intends to give it. For to have been one of the first poets in the world is but his second praise. He was in a higher class; he was one of the noblest works of God; he was an honest man; a man who alone pos- sessed more real virtue, than, in very corrupt times needing a satirist like him, will some- times fall to the share of multitudes. In this history of his life will be contained a large account of his writings, a critique on the nature, force, and extent of his genius, exemplified from these writings, and a vin- dication of his moral character, exemplified by his more distinguished virtues; his filial piety, his disinterested friendship, his reve- rence for the constitution of his country, his ».« PREFACE. love and admiration of virtue, and (what was the necessary effect) his hatred and contempt of vice, his extensive charity to the indigent, his warm benevolence to mankind, his su- preme veneration of the Deity, and above all, his sincere belief in revelation. Nor shall his faults be concealed; it is not for the interest of his virtues that they should; nor indeed could they be concealed if we were so mind- ed; for they shine through his virtues, no man being more adupe to the specious ap- pearances of virtue in others. In a word, I mean not to be his panegyrist but his his- torian; and may I, when envy and calumny take the same advantage of my absence (for while I live I will freely trust it to my life to confute them) may I find a friend as careful of my honest fame, as I have been of his!” Whether Warburton had in this prospectus held out more than he found himself able to accomplish, or whether his ecclesiastical and episcopal duties engrossed in his later years the whole of his attention and time, certain it is that these promises were never performed by him, at least not under his own name; but in the year 1769, whilst he was yet living,. a Life of Pope was published by Owen. Ruff- head, Esq., a gentleman of the bar, and per- PREFACE. Xi haps more generally known as the editor of The Statutes at Large; avowedly with the assistance of “ original manuscripts,’ com- municated to him by Warburton, from which, as he informs us, his history was “ chiefly compiled.” Of this work, which bears deci- ded marks of the frequent interference and _ style of Warburton, more than three-fourths are occupied with criticisms, extracts, and eu- logies of the writings of Pope, as already published. The remainder, containing a very imperfect and desultory account of his life, is accompanied with notes and discussions, in which the name and merits of Dr. War- burton are frequently introduced in the most favourable terms. Upon the whole, this vo- lume, although the most authentic account hitherto published, by no means fulfils the expectations excited, or the promises so os- tentatiously held out. The life of Pope by Dr. Johnson, has been considered as one of the best of that series, which, unfortunately for the memory of our ‘national poets, and the character of our na- tional poetry, he was induced to undertake. Throughout the whole of those lives there appears an assumption of superiority in the biographer over the subjects of his labours, X11 PREFACE. which diminishes the idea of their talents, and leaves an unfavourable impression on their moral character. It could only be from the representations of Johnson, that so amiable a man as Cowper could thus close his re- marks on reading the Lives of the British Poets.* “After all, it is a melancholy obser- vation, which it is impossible not to make, after having run through this series of poet- ical lives, that where there were such shining talents, there should be so little virtue. These luminaries of our country seem to have been kindled into a brighter blaze than others, only that their spots might be more noticed; so much can nature do for our intellectual part, and so little for our moral. What vanity, what petulance in Pope! how painfully sensible of censure, and yet how restless in provocation! ‘lo what mean artifices could ADDISON stoop, in hopes of injuring the reputation of his friend! Sav- AGE, how sordidly vicious! and the more condemned for the pains that are taken to palliate his vices! offensive as they ap- pear through a veil, how would they disgust without one. What a. sycophant to. the * See Cowper’s Letters lately published by the Rev. J. Johnson. PREFACE, Xi public taste was DrypEN! sinning against his feelings, lewd in his writings, though chaste in his conversation. I know not but one might search these eight volumes with a candle, as the prophet says, to find a MAN, and not find ONE, unless, perhaps, ARBUTHNOT were he.” Can this have been said in the country ~ of SPENSER, of SHAKSPEARE, of SIDNEY, and of MILTON? of DoNnNE, of CorRBET, of HALL, of MarveEL, and of CowLey? of Roscom- MON, of GarTH, of CONGREVE, of PARNELLE, of Rowe, and of Gay? of THomson, of Lyt- TELTON, and of YouNnG? of SHENSTONE, -of AKENSIDE, of CoLuins, of GOLDSMITH, of Mason, and of Gray? “ Unspotted names! and memorable long, If there be force in virtue or in song !” The lustre of which, as well as of many others that might be adduced, can never be obscured, either by the most morbid malig- nity, or by the darkest fanaticism. Of the unfavourable and degrading ten- dency of the biographical writings of Johnson, _ his Life of Pope exhibits too many instances. Brief yet decisive, superficial yet sententi- ous, he seems neither to know, nor to be very anxious to inquire into the various circum- stances which have given rise to so much con- XIV PREFACE. troversy ; and whilst he is too indolent to in- vestigate the truth of the numerous imputa- tions that have been cast on the moral cha- racter of Pope, unjustly attributes to his phi- losophical doctrines the most unfounded and dangerous consequences. Those subjects re- specting Pope which seem to have attracted his more particular inquiry, are such as relate to his personal defects and infirmities, the weakness of his constitution, and the irritabi- lity of his temper. Whoever wishes to be acquainted with these, need resort to no other source. We may there be informed of the economy of his dressing-room, to the minut- — est particulars; and of his “petty peculiari- ties,” as communicated by a female domestic of the Earl of Oxford, “ who knew him per- _ haps after the middle of life,” and shal! doubt- less be gratified to find (what it will be diffi- cult to meet with elsewhere), “that the in-— dulgence and accommodation which his sick- ness required, had taught him all the unpleas- ing and unsocial qualities of a valetudinary. man.” It must also be observed, that the work of Johnson, like those before adverted to, is in a great part occupied in criticisms on the poetry of Pope, in which it is scarcely necessary to observe, that amongst much un- PREFACE. XV just and illiberal censure, there are many ju- dicious and excellent remarks, expressed in the peculiar and forcible style of the author. Johnson has not, however, adhered to his own maxim, where he says, “ the purpose of a writer is to be read; and the criticism that would destroy the power of pleasing must be ‘blown aside.” How is this to be reconciled with his harsh, and perhaps cavilling critique on the Essay on Man, on the Elegy to the Memory of an unfortunate Lady, and on the Epitaphs ? | The Life of Pope, prefixed to the edition of his works, by Dr. Warton, in 1797, neither is, nor affects to be, any extraordinary effort of biographical industry. It is indeed chiefly founded on that of Johnson ; enlarging ona few minuter literary subjects, which more particularly attracted the Doctor’s notice. Unfortunately for Pope, Dr. Warton entered upon his task of editor with certain precon- ceived opinions of the poetical character of his author, which he had already brought be-- fore the public in his well known and enter- taining Essay on the Genius and Writings of Pope ; in which he has endeavoured to erect a standard of poetic excellence, by which it would appear that Pope was entitled to XV1_ PREFACE. take his station only in a secondary rank of poets; and this idea he has continually kept in view, and endeavoured to enforce and expand throughout the whole of his editorial labours; which consist in a great degree of his Essay, apportioned into notes, and may be considered as calculated rather to esta- blish and confirm his own opinions, than as illustrating and recommending the writings of Pope. _ For this, as well as for other causes, Dr. War- ton has been severely animadverted upon by a powerful writer,* whose high admiration of the character of Pope has induced him solemn- ly to impeach his editor before his country for having admitted pieces offensive to decency and good morals, which have either been falsely attributed to Pope, or excluded by him from the authentic editions of his works—a charge which I am sorry to observe it would have been difficult for the learned editor to repel. It now only remains to advert to the Life of Pope by Mr. Bowles, prefixed to his edi- tion of the works of that author, published in 1800. ‘That we are not to expect much no- velty from this attempt, may be inferred from * The Author of the Pursuits of Literature. PREFACE. XVI the declaration of the biographer, that “as the life of this distinguished poet has been al- ready written, by persons so eminent for lite- rary talents and critical acumen as Johnson and Warton, all further attempts to illustrate the incidents of his fortune, or the character of his mind, must appear superfluous.” He also observes, that “ charity might seem to suggest, that when so many years have passed since the grave closed over his virtues and his infirmities, that we should now “ No farther seek his merits to disclose, Nor draw his frailties from their dread abode !” ~ Under these impressions it might have been expected that Mr. Bowles would either not have engaged in the undertaking, or that if he had devoted himself to it, he would have been cautious not to offend against his own precepts. Yet if we were implicitly to receive our impressions of the character of Pope from the representations of Mr. Bowles, we should be compelled to admit that the highest en- dowments of genius may be united, not only with failings and weaknesses that obscure their lustre, but with vices and propensities for which no intellectual accomplishments can compensate. These imputations on the moral character of Pope, have been accom- XVII - PREFACE. panied by an apparent disposition on the part of Mr. Bowles to detract also from his estima- tion as a poet; and that, not merely by en- forcing the opinions of Warton, but by at- tempting to establish new rules of criticism, by which the poetical productions of Pope are tried, and found wanting in the higher characteristics of poetry. It is not to be sup- posed that an attack of this kind, on the me- mory and works of a writer who has long been considered as an honour to his age and country, and that attack sanctioned under the sacred duty of an editor, would be suffer- ed to pass without animadversion. Accord- ingly the insults on departed genius have been felt by the living, and the vindication of the fame of Pope has proceeded from those quar- ters where it was most to be expected; from those who have maintained, amidst the aber- rations of public taste, the true principles of poetic composition, and exemplified in their own imperishable productions the sentiments they have advanced.* The defence of the-: * See Mr. Campbell’s critical observations on the poeti- cal character of Pope, in his Specimens of  Strictures on the Life and Writ- ings of Pope. <A very able defence of Pope may also be found in “ A Letter to the Rev. W. L. Bowles, in reply to PREFACE. X1X moral as well as the poetical character of Pope has also been undertaken: by. several writers of distinguished ability, who have com- bated the opinions and refuted the charges of Mr.. Bowles, in a manner ‘that must carry conviction to every impartial mind.* By such efforts, the attacks upon the memory of the great poet. have been successfully: re- pelled, and Pope yet stands before his coun- trymen, not only as a proper object of literary inquiry and consideration, but as intitled, by his moral and social endowments, to rank with the best and wisest men that this coun- ny has produced. ; In adverting to the sources from ei we may be supposed ‘to ‘derive’ information re- specting the life and character of an author, we must naturally resort to his own works. Of his abilities and genius these are decisive ; of his social and moral character they afford his Letter to Mhoree Gampbell, Esq. and to his two me ters to the Right Hon. Lord Byron, containing a Vindica- tion of their Defence of the poetical Character ai pope, &e. ‘By Martin M‘Dermot.. Lond. 1822.” * See a Review of Spence’s ‘Anecdotes of Men and Books, in thé Quarterly Review, vol. xxiii. p.400; and thellaté Mri Octavia Gilchtist’s First, Second, and Third Letters to the Rev. W. L. Bowles, published in 1820 and 1821. The early death of Mr. Gilchrist must be consider- ed as an irreparable loss to British literature. ° you. I. e XX PREFACE. strong indications on which. to form a correct opinion. In this point of view the writings of Pope would almost furnish his history. Not only are we continually presented with the picture of his mind, under the different lights and circumstances in which it is placed; not only are we informed of his sentiments and feelings, whenever an opportunity is afforded for the display of them, but almost all the in- cidents of his life are touched upon in such a manner, as to enable us to form to ourselves a complete idea of his genius, temper, and character. It would not indeed be too much to assert, that this representation of himself in his works, was one of the chief objects which he perpetually kept in view. “ Many of them,” says he, in speaking of himself and his letters in the preface to his correspon- dence, “ having been written on the most try- ing occurrences, and in all the openness. of friendship, are a proof what were his real sen- timents as they flowed warm from the heart, and fresh from the occasion. Had he sat down with a design to draw his own picture, he could not have done it so truly ; for who- ever sits for it (whether to himself or another), will inevitably find the features more com- posed than his appear in these letters.” PREFACE. XXl It is therefore to the writings of Pope, and particularly to his correspondence with his friends, that we are to look, if we wish to be- come acquainted with the individual in the most important transactions and the most de- liberate and serious concerns of his life. At the same time we must not forget to make due allowance for those feelings of partiality and of self-attachment which are inseparable from every human being, and which will not only appear in his writings, but will some- times give to them a grace and an interest which they could not derive from any other source. it must however be observed, that the most eminent of Pope’s biographers has not only omitted to avail himself of this immense fund of information, but has objected to the letters of Pope being considered as the real indica- tion of his sentiments, or as intitled to the credit of the reader. Dr. Johnson, indeed, admits, that “if an estimate of Pope’s social qualities were to be made from his letters, an " opinion toofavourable cannot easily be formed; that they exhibit a perpetual and unclouded effulgence of general benevolence and_parti- cular fondness, and that there is nothing but liberality, gratitude, constancy, and tender- c2 XXIl PREFACE. ness.”’ He also observes, that ‘it has been se long said, as to be generally believed, that the true characters of men may be found in their. letters, and that he who writes to his friend lays his heart open to him ;” “ but,” he adds,. ‘the truth is, that such were the friend- ships. of the golden age, and are now the friendships only of children. Very few can boast of hearts which they dare lay open even to themselves, and of which, by whatever ac- cident exposed, they do not shun a distinct and continued view ; and certainly what we hide from ourselves we do not shew to our friends.” _ Are we then to believe that affection and sincerity are banished from the earth ? or are only. to be found in the friendships of chil- dren? And are we to discard those memorials which have handed down to us that which is most worthy of preservation in the greatest, the wisest, and the best. of our predecessors, the very form and pressure of their minds ? Happily, to his own objections, Johnson has himself furnished a reply. “ ‘To charge those favourable representations,” says he, “ which men give of their own minds, with the guilt of hypocritical falsehood, would shew more seve- rity than knowledge. ‘The writer commonly PREFACE. XX111 believes himself.” And on another occasion he has observed, that “ in a man’s letters his soul lies naked ; they are only the mirror of his breast ; whatever passes within him is _shewn undisguised in its natural process; no- thing is inverted, nothing distorted; systems appear in their elements, actions are disco- _vered in their motives.” An opinion which seems to be carried to as great an extreme one way as that before advanced is the other. ) | Another authentic source to which we may resort for information, is found in the letters of many of the contemporaries and friends of Pope, which are inserted not only in his own works, but in various other collections. | It is true, this evidence must also be received with caution, on account of the partiality of friendship; -but it must at the same time be acknowledged, that this partiality is sel- dom obtained without being deserved. political and literary history of their own. times, but are intimately known to posterity ; and whose writings, whilst they serve to elu- cidate the character of their friend, throw no inconsiderable light upon their own. To these original sources of information we may, in the third place, add the various nar- ratives and anecdotes handed down from his own times to the present, and to which impor- tant additions have recently been made. Of these, by far the most valuable are the anec- dotes of Pope, by the Rev. Joseph Spence,— a work which introduces us to the Poet in his most confidential and familiar hours, and en- ables us to estimate his character, disposition, and acquirements, and to review the judg- ment he had formed of the excellences and defects of other authors. Spence was an ami- able and excellent man, and im 1728, was ap- pointed professor of poetry, at Oxford. His acquaintance with Pope commenced in the preceding year, and the unassuming mildness and candour of his disposition, seem to have induced the Poet to unbosom himself to him on subjects of taste and literature, at greater extent, and with more confidence than to any other of his associates. For the authenticity of these gdvactes PREFACE. XKV independent of their internal evidence, the following account (which has been given to the public by Mr. Singer, the editor of the most complete edition), is conclusive :— “ The original copy of Spence’s Anecdotes, with all the other papers of Mr. Spence, re- mained in the hands of Dr. Lowth,* and were by him, some time previous to his decease, given to the late Mr. Forster, (his private se- cretary) from whose representatives they have been obtained, and will form the materials of this publication.” These manuscripts were purchased by Mr. Carpenter the bookseller, from the nephew of Mr. Forster, but now belong to Mr. Singer, to whom I am indebt- ed for this particular mformation respecting them. | It must, however, be observed, that not- withstanding the information afforded by these and other sources for the life of Pope, there are many parts of it which have long been, and perhaps will still remain, subjects of a controversial nature; and that however de- . sirous his biographer might now be, of laying _ before the public a plain and impartial narra- tive, he will probably find himself impeded by innumerable obstacles, thrown in the way * One of the executors of Mr. Spence. XXV1 PREFACE. by his predecessors, which, in order to do jus- tice to the subject, it will be absolutely ne- cessary for him to examine, and if improperly placed there, to remove. — If, in the perform- ance of this indispensable duty, he should be under the necessity of controverting the opi- nions, or rejecting the conclusions of others, he will only exercise the same privilege which they have themselves exercised before him ; and will, at all events, endeavour to keep within those bounds of ‘civility and literary courtesy, which are due to those against whom he can have no personal feeling, and conse- quently no motives either of resentment or disrespect. In the present edition of the works of Pope, it has been thought advisable to adhere. prin- cipally to that of Warburton, in preference to those that have since been published; such edition having in a great degree been pre- pared and corrected by the author himself, who furnished many of the notes; and the commentaries and remarks of Warburton, as far as completed in the lifetime of Pope, hav- ing received his decided approbation. | At the same time, the estimation in which the literary character, and the labours of Dr. Warton are deservedly held, is such, that PREFACE. XXVH it would be unjust to deprive the present edi- tion of the advantages which it. must derive from his acknowledged erudition, talents, and taste. Ihave; therefore, endeavoured to unite as far as’ practicable, his various and exten- sive notes and observations in the same edi- tion with those of Warburton, with the omis- ‘sion, however, of such of those of Warton, as appeared to have no immediate relation to the writings of. Pope. : That the annotations and remarks of Mr. Boirlas in his edition, should not all be in- cluded in the present work, will not be thou ght surprising by any person who feels himself in- terested in the character and writings of Pope. Such of them as tend to illustrate the subject, — or exhibit a candid and impartial spirit of criticism, are, however, retained. But there is one class of notes to which little indulgence has been extended, from whatever quarter they proceed. These are such as pretend to point.out the beauties and the faults, accord- ing as they appear to the judgment of the critic.. Swift has observed, that “it is the frequent error of those, men, otherwise very commendable for their labours, to make ex- cursions beyond their talent and their office, by pretending to point out the beauties and XXVIll PREFACE. the faults; which is no part of their trade, which they always fail in, which the world never expected from them, nor gave them any thanks for endeavouring at :’—and Pope has himself remarked, in the preface to his works, that ‘a bad author deserves upon the whole, better usage than a bad critic; for a, writer’s endeavour, for the most part, 1s to please his readers, and he fails merely through the misfortune of an ill judgment; but such a critic’s is to put them out of humour; a de- sign he could never go upon without both that and an ill temper.”’ In performing the difficult task which has devolved upon the present editor, of determin- ing what pieces ought to be admitted into this edition, as constituting “ THE Works oF Popr,” he has endeavoured to keep in view what he conceives to be the chief duty of an editor; viz. to execute an office which the author can no longer perform for himself, in the same manner as he would have per- formed it, if living; admitting nothing that he would himself have rejected, and reject- ing nothing that he would have admitted ;— not, however, disregarding the additional con- siderations suggested by the change which has taken place (so greatly for the better,) in the PREFACE. XX1X sentiments and manners of the present times, and by which it is probable that the author himself would have been equally influenced. On the whole, he has reason to believe, that the differences which would have arisen be- tween the author and himself on this head, would have been very trivial, if any; and that the great variation in this respect will appear between the two last editions of Dr. Warton and Mr. Bowles, and the present. The arrangement of the Letters has been attended with unexpected trouble, as will ap- pear from the preliminary explanations given at the head of some of the series. Important additions have also been made, not only va- luable in themselves, but as they illustrate the correspondence before published. To the criticisms and remarks of his prede- cessors, the present editor has not found oc- casion to make any considerable additions. His own observations have chiefly been con- fined to the estimate of the poetical character of the author, and the preliminary notes to the principal poems, in which, as well as in’ the few remarks:on the text, it has been his object, rather to correct the errors, and obviate the unfounded censures of former commentators, than to increase the great VOL. I. At XXX ‘PREFACE. number of notes, by any additions of his own. It must not however, be supposed, that in thus presuming to point out the mistakes of his predecessors, the Editor is insensible to his own hability to error; a liability which has been much increased by the distance of his residence from ‘Town, and the consequent want of that opportunity of obtaining instant information on any literary subject, which the metropolis alone can afford. He can however truly say, that his best endeavours have not been wanting to render this edition as correct as possible; although, he is fully conscious that he must in many instances rely on the indulgence of his readers for a favour- able construction of those inaccuracies, from which no literary work is wholly exempt. For any additional information which’ the editor has been enabled to communicate, by the use of original letters and papers, and con- — sequently for any novelty which the present edition may be found to possess, he has made his particular acknowledgments, wherever such documents are introduced ; and to such of his friends as have contributed to the com- pletion of his labours, by furnishing him with early editions, and scarce publications, he avails himself of this opportunity to testify his gratitude and return his thanks. : XXX1 ARRANGEMENT OF THE PRESENT EDITION. VOL. I. LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. VOL. II. EARLY POEMS AND TRANSLATIONS. VOL. IIL. MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. VOL. IV. THE DUNCIAD. VOL. V. ESSAY ON MAN, AND MORAL EPISTLES. VOL. VI. SATIRES. VOL. VIL. PROSE WRITINGS. VOL. VIII. IX. X. CORRESPONDENCE. > bins »). arpa oe, Oh es ie * THE LIFE OF ALEXANDER POPE, ESQ. aus 4 J Sd oe ol oe - <a: Lanne <> % 7 a 1 Fg CHAP. I. 1688——_1709. POPE’s family descent—Character of his Farurr—His birth and constitution—His education—Leaves school to reside with his father at Binfield, in Windsor Forest— ObE To SouitupE— Verses TO THE AUTHOR OF A Porm INTITLED SuccEessio— Obtains a sight of Dryden, and remarks thereon—Writes Dramatic Pieces and an Epie Poem— Translations from the Latin Authors— Reads the English prose writers — Writes his Pastorats— Visits London—Educates himself, and consequences thereof—. Unfavourable effect of study on his health—His suscepti- ble and affectionate disposition—His irritable temper and talents for satire—Forms an acquaintance with Sir Wiiiiam TrumButp— With Mr. WycuerLey—Cyriti- cizes Wycherley's Poems—Mr. WatsH—Imitations oF Eneuish Ports—January anD May—Tue Wire or Batu—Visits London and frequents Will’s Coffee-house — Acquaintance and correspondence with Mr. Crom- WELL— Writes his Essay on Criticism—Publishes his Pastorals and other Pieces in Tonson’s Miscellanies, and remarks thereon. Sr. , VOL. I. B Ti i ee ih sas aT ci Sap io ae ' ASE aes va \eati=n ae a ese vas". s ort Perron Ly Pe en ae ter Slater <a Ee Renee ashe aS oe Ses aay anny Me 3 scrbctalt : ea ae moti ALARA) iad ene = ie ree umiay gee ok wR LE - et Sheer ey ve er ane: | a prgaigaiion hues creme eahee lea Pi do Nigat ta x eats pea a 5 ck 3 yi i. (| ae eh } ites Sy syeittivad nee bas ae its ee shiedivigst Mae stoi Sele ea ontehek Pie spaces grg on! bi Senet i. Ree ida Cee ek Y A aaa ae Rar aia ae mt oe : A is é vs . ai - aT » oS RR cre rty anh aa ee pe te oe a on * | Ue iV fell. cen ae a tht wee as a = a.) } ae AS Pd NAS 2 THE LIFE OF POPE. CHAP. I. Tur family of Pope has only been distinctly traced to the grandfather of the poet, a clergyman of the Church of England, settled in Hampshire.** He had two sons, the younger of whom, Alexander, being intended for a mercantile life, was sent to reside with a family at Lisbon, where he became a convert to the Roman Catholic faith. On his return he engaged in business, and married Editha, one of the daughters of William Turner, Esq. of York. Of this marriage Pope was the only offspring. Before her union with Pope’s father, his mother had been married to a Mr. Rackett, by whom she had a son named Charles. The wife of this half brother of Pope, was the sister Rackett, so fre- quently mentioned by him, and who with her sons became possessed of the chief part of his property, as residuary devisees in his will.t The advantages of birth are seldom despised * From the information of Mr. Pottinger, a relation of. Pope, to Dr. Bolton, late Dean of Carlisle: v. Warton’s edition of Pope, vol. iv. p. 53. + A sister of Pope’s mother married Samuel Cooper, the cele- Bo. 4 _ LIFE OF POPE. [cHAP. I. 