1 Peace to all fuch! but were there One whofe fires True Genius kindles, and fair Fame inspires; NOTES. But were there One whose fires &c.) VER. 193. Our Poet's friendship with Mr. Addifon began in the year 1713. It was cultivated, on both fides, with all the marks of mutual esteem and affection, and conftant intercourse of good offices. Mr. Addifon was always commending moderation, warned his friend against a blind attachment to party, and blamed Steele for his indifcreet zeal. The tranflation of the Iliad being now on foot, he recommended it to the public, and joined with the Tories in pushing the fubfeription; but at the fame time advised Mr. Pope not to be content with the applaufe of one half of the nation. On the other hand, Mr. Pope made his friend's Intereft his own (fee note on v. 215. I Ep. B. ii. of Hor,) and, when Dennis fo brutally attacked the Tragedy of Care, he wrote the piece called A narrative of his madness. 1 Thus things continued till Mr. Pope's growing reputation, and Tuperior genius in Poetry, gave umbrage to his friend's falfe deliсасу : and then it was he encouraged Philips and others (fee his Letters) in their clamours against him as a Tory and Jacobite, who had affifted in writing the Examiners; and, under an affected care for the government, would have hid, even from himfelf, the true grounds of his difguft. But his jealoufy foon broke out, and difcovered itself, firft to Mr. Pope, and, not long after, to all the world. The Rape of the Lock had been written in a very hafty manner, and printed in a collection of Miscellanies. The fuccefs it met with encouraged the Author to revife and enlarge it, and give it a more important air, which was done by advancing it into a mock-epic Poem. In order to this it was to have its Machinery; which, by the happiest invention, he took from the Referufian System. Full of this noble conception, he communicated it to Mr. Addifon, who he imagined would have been equaily delighted with the improvement. On the contrary, he had the mortification to have his friend receive it coldly; and more, to advife him against any alteration; for that the poem in its original ftate was a delicious little thing, and, as he expreffed it, merum fal. Mr. Pope was fhocked for his friend; and then firft began to open his eyes to his Character. Bleft with each talent and each art to please, 195 NOTES. Soon after this, a tranflation of the first book of the Iliad appeared, under the name of Mr. Tickell which coming out at a critical jun&ture, when Mr. Pope was in the midft of his engagements on the fame fubject, and by a creature of Mr. Addifon's, made him fufpe&t this to be another fhaft from the 'ame quiver: And after a diligent enquiry, and laying many odd circumstances together, he was fully "convinced that it was not only published with Mr. Addison's participation, but was indeed his own performance. Mr. Pope, in his first refentment of his ufage, was refolved to expofe this new Verfion in a fevere critique upon it. I have now by me the Copy he had marked for this purpose; in which he has claffed the feveral faults in tranflation, language, and numbers, under their proper heads. But the growing splendor of his own work fo eclipfed the faint efforts of this oppofition, that he trusted to its own weakness and malignity for the juftice due to it. About this time, Mr. Addifon's fon-in-law, the E. of Warwick, told Mr. Pope, that it was in vain to think of being well with his Father who was naturally a jealous man; that Mr. Pope's fuperior talents in poetry had hurt him, and to fuch a degree, that he had underhand encouraged Gildon to write a thing about Wycherley, in which he had fcurrilously abused Mr. Pope and his family; and for this service he had given. Gildon ten guineas, after the pamphlet was printed. The very next day Mr. Pope, in a great heat, wrote Mr. Addison a Letter, where in he told him, he was no stranger to his behaviour; which, however, he should not imitate: But that what he thought faulty in him, he would tell him fairly to his face; and what deferved praife he would not deny him to the world: and, as a proof of this difpofition towards him, hẹ had fent him the inclofed, which was the Character, first published separately, and afterwards inferted in this place of the Epift. to Dr. Arbuthnot. This plain dealing had no ill effect. Mr. Addifon treated Mr. Pope with civility, and, as Mr. Pope believed, with iuftice, from this time to his death, which happened about three years after. B $ Should fuch a man, too fond to rule alione, VARIATIONS. After v. 208. in MS. Who, if two wits on rival themes conteft, Approves of each, but likes the worft the beft. 200 205 210 Alluding to Mr. P.'s, and Tickell's Tranflation of the first Book of the Iliad. NOTES. Ibid. But were there one whose fires, c.) The ftrokes in this Character are highly finifhed. Atterbury fo well understood the force of them, that in one of his letters to Mr. Pope he says, ,,Since you now know where your ftrength lies, I hope you ,,will not fuffer that talent to lie unemployed." and, by that means, brought fatiric Poetry to its perfection. He did not; VER. 208. And so obliging, that he ne'er oblig'd;) He was one of thofe obliging perfons who are the humble Servants of all Mankind. Mr. Pope therefore did wifely, he foon returned his fhare in him to the common stock. And wonder with a foolish face of praise 216 What tho' my Name ftood rubric on the walls, Or plaifter'd pofts, with claps, in capitals? Or smocking forth, a hundred hawkers load, On wings of winds came flying all abroad? NOTES. VER. 212. And wonder with a foclifh face of praise-) When men, out of flattery, extol what they are conscious they do not understand, as is fometimes the cafe of men of education, the fear of praising in the wrong place is likely enough to give a foolish turn to the air of ar. embarraffed countenance. VER. 213. Who but must laugh, if such a man there be?) While a Character is unapplied, all the various parts of it will be confidered together; and if the affemblage of them be as incoherent as in this before us, it cannot fail of being the object of a malignant pleasantry. VER. 214. Who would not weep, if ATTICUS were he! ) But when we come to know it belongs to Atticus', i. e. to one whofe more obvious qualities had before gained our love or efteem; then friendship, in fpite of ridicule, will make a feparation our old impreffions get the better of our new, or, at least, fuffer themselves to be no further impaired than by the admission of a mixture of pity and concern. Ibid. ATTICUS) It was a great falfhood, which, fome of the Libels reported, that this Character was written after the Gentleman's death; which fee refuted in the Teftimonies prefixed to the Dunciad. But the occafion of writing it was fuch as he would not make public out of regard to his memory and all that could further be done was to omit the name, in the Edition of his Works. VER. 216. claps, in capitals?) The bills of Quack-Doctors and Quack Bookfellers being usually pafted together on the fame pofts. VER. 218. On wings of winds came flying all abroad?) Hopkins, in the civrh Pfalm. P. 221 I fought no homage frọn, the Race that write ; But fick of fops, and poetry, and prate, 225 230 Proud as Apollo on his forked hill, 235 Who firft his judginent afk'd, and then a place : VARIATIONS. After v. 234. in the MS. To Bards reciting he vouchfaf'd a nod, And fnuff'd their incenfe like a gracious god. NOTES VER. 236. a true Pindar food without a head) Ridicules the affectation of Antiquaries, who frequently exhibit the headlefs Trunks and Terms of Statues, for Plato, Homer, Pindar, &c. Vide Fulv. Urfin. c. P. |