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Next year he published fome felect poems of his friend Dr. Parnell, with a very elegant Dedication to the Earl of Oxford; who, after all his ftruggles and dangers, then lived in retirement, ftill under the frown of a victorious faction, who could take no pleasure in hearing his praife.

He gave the fame year (1721) an edition of ShakeSpeare. His name was now of fo much authority, that Tonfon thought himself entitled, by annexing it, to demand a fubfcription of fix guineas for Shakespeare's plays in fix quarto volumes; nor did his expectation much deceive him; for of feven hundred and fifty which he printed, he difperfed a great number at the price propofed. The reputation of that edition indeed funk afterwards fo low, that one hundred and forty copies were fold at fixteen fhillings each.

On this undertaking, to which Pope was induced by a reward of two hundred and feventeen pounds twelve fhillings, he feems never to have reflected afterwards without vexation; for Theobald, a man of heavy diligence, with very flender powers, firft, in a book called Shakespeare Reftored, and then in a formal edition, detected his deficiencies with all the infolence of victory; and, as he was now high enough to be feared and hated, Theobald had from others all the help that could be fupplied, by the defire of humbling a haughty character.

From this time Pope became an enemy to editors, collaters, commentators, and verbal criticks; and hoped to perfuade the world, that he miscarried in this undertaking only by having a mind too great for fuch minute employment.

Pope

Pope in his edition undoubtedly did many things wrong, and left many things undone; but let him not be defrauded of his due praife. He was the first that knew, at least the first that told, by what helps the text might be improved. If he inspected the early editions negligently, he taught others to be more accurate. In his Preface he expanded with great skill and elegance the character which had been given of Shakespeare by Dryden; and he drew the publick attention upon his works, which, though often mentioned, had been little read.

Soon after the appearance of the Iliad, refolving not to let the general kindnefs cool, he published proposals for a tranflation of the Odyssey, in five volumes, for five guineas. He was willing, however, now to have affociates in his labour, being either weary with toiling upon another's thoughts, or having heard, as Ruffhead relates, that Fenton and Broome had already begun the work, and liking better to have them confederates than rivals.

In the patent, inftead of faying that he had tranflated the Odyfey, as he had faid of the Iliad, he fays that he had undertaken a tranflation: and in the proposals the fubfcription is faid to be not folely for his own use, but for that of two of his friends who have affifted him in this work.

In 1723, while he was engaged in this new version, he appeared before the Lords at the memorable trial of Bishop Atterbury, with whom he had lived in great familiarity, and frequent correfpondence. Atterbury had honestly recommended to him the ftudy of the popish controverfy, in hope of his converfion; to which Pope answered in a manner that cannot much

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recommend his principles, or his judgement. In queftions and projects of learning, they agreed better. He was called at the trial to give an account of Atterbury's domestick life, and private employment, that it might appear how little time he had left for plots. Pope had but few words to utter, and in those few he made feveral blunders.

His Letters to Atterbury exprefs the utmost esteem, tendernefs, and gratitude: perhaps, fays he, it is not only in this world that I may have caufe to remember the Bishop of Rochefter. At their laft interview in the

Tower, Atterbury prefented him with a Bible.

Of the Odyfey Pope tranflated only twelve books; the reft were the work of Broome and Fenton: the notes were written wholly by Broome, who was not over-liberally rewarded. The Publick was carefully kept ignorant of the feveral shares; and an account was fubjoined at the conclufion, which is now known not to be true.

The first copy of Pope's books, with thofe of Fenton, are to be seen in the Museum. The parts of Pope are less interlined than the Iliad; and the latter books of the Iliad lefs than the former. He grew dexterous by practice, and every fheet enabled him to write the next with more facility. The books of Fenton have very few alterations by the hand of Pope. Thofe of Broome have not been found; but Pope complained, as it is reported, that he had much trouble in correcting them.

His contract with Lintot was the fame as for the Iliad, except that only one hundred pounds were to be paid him for each volume. The number of subscribers was five hundred and feventy-four, and of copies eight VOL. IV. hundred

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hundred and nineteen; fo that his profit, when he had paid his affiftants, was ftill very confiderable. The work was finifhed in 1725; and from that time he refolved to make no more translations,

The fale did not anfwer Lintot's expectation; and he then pretended to discover something of fraud in Pope, and commenced or threatened a fuit in Chancery.

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On the English Odyffey a criticifm was published by Spence, at that time Prelector of Poetry at Oxford; a man whose learning was not very great, and whose mind was not very powerful. His criticism, however, was commonly juft; what he thought, he thought rightly; and his remarks were recommended by his coolness and candour. In him Pope had the first experience of a critick without malevolence, who thought it as much his duty to display beauties as expofe faults; who cenfured with refpect, and praised with alacrity.

With this criticism Pope was fo little offended, that he fought the acquaintance of the writer, who lived with him from that time in great familiarity, attended him in his last hours, and compiled memorials of his converfation. The regard of Pope recommended him to the great and powerful, and he obtained very valuable preferments in the Church.

Not long after, Pope was returning home from a vifit in a friend's coach, which, in paffing a bridge, was overturned into the water; the windows were closed, and being unable to force them open, he was in danger of immediate death, when the poftilion fnatched him out by breaking the glafs, of which the fragments cut two of his fingers in fuch a manner, that he lost their ufe.

Voltaire,

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Voltaire, who was then in England, fent him a Letter of Confolation. He had been entertained by Pope at his table, where he talked with fo much groffness that Mrs. Pope was driven from the room. Pope discovered, by a trick, that he was a fpy for the Court, and never confidered him as a man worthy of confidence.

He foon afterwards (1727) joined with Swift, who was then in England, to publifh three volumes of Mifcellanies, in which amongst other things he inferted the Memoirs of a Parish Clerk, in ridicule of Burnet's importance in his own Hiftory, and a Debate upon Black and White Horfes, written in all the formalities of a legal process by the affiftance, as is faid, of Mr. Fortefcue, afterwards Mafter of the Rolls. Before thefe Mifcellanies is a preface figned by Swift and Pope, but apparently written by Pope; in which he makes a ridiculous and romantick complaint of the robberies committed upon authors by the clandeftine feizure and fale of their papers. He tells, in tragick ftrains, how the cabinets of the Sick and the closets of the Dead have been broke open and ranfacked; as if thofe violences were often committed for papers of uncertain and accidental value, which are rarely provoked by real treasures; as if epigrams and effays were in danger where gold and diamonds are fafe. A cat, hunted for his musk, is, according to Pope's account, but the emblem of a wit winded by bookfellers.

His complaint, however, received fome atteftation; for the fame year the Letters written by him to Mr. Cromwell, in his youth, were fold by Mrs. Thomas to Curll, who printed them.

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