Cibber, according to his engagement, repaid the Dunciad with another pamphlet, which, Pope faid, would be as good as a dofe of hartfhorn to him; but his tongue and his heart were at variance. I have heard Mr. Richardfon relate, that he attended his father on a visit, when one of Cibber's pamphlets came into the hands of Pope, who faid, These things are my diverfion. They fat by him while he perused it, and saw his features writhen with anguish; and young Richardfon faid to his father, when they returned, that he hoped to be preferved from fuch diverfion as had been that day the lot of Pope.

From this time, finding his diseases more oppreffive, and his vital powers gradually declining, he no longer ftrained his faculties with any original compofition, nor propofed any other employment for his remaining life than the revifal and correction of his former works; in which he received advice and affiftance from Warburton, whom he appears to have trusted and honoured in the highest degree.

He

He laid afide his Epick Poem, perhaps without much lofs to mankind; for his hero was Brutus the Trojan, who, according to a ridiculous fiction, established a colony in Britain. The fubject therefore was of the fabulous age; the actors were a race upon whom imagination has been exhausted, and attention wearied, and to whom the mind will not easily be recalled, when it is invited in blank verfe, which Pope had adopted with great imprudence, and, I think, without due confideration of the nature of our language. The sketch is, at least in part, preserved by Ruffhead; by which it appears, that Pope was thoughtless enough to model the names of his heroes with difcordant terminations not known in the fame age,

He lingered through the next year; but perceived himself, as he expreffes it, going down the hill. He had for at leaft five years been afflicted with an asthma, and other diforders, which his phyficians were unable to relieve. Towards the end of his life he confulted Dr. Thomfon, a man who had, by large promises, and free cenfures of the com

mon practice of phyfick, forced himself up into fudden reputation. Thomson declared his diftemper to be a dropfy, and evacuated part of the water by tincture of jalap; but confessed that his belly did not fubfide. Thomfon had many enemies, and Pope was perfuaded to difmifs him.

While he was yet capable of amusement and converfation, as he was one day fitting in the air with Lord Bolingbroke and Lord Marchmont, he faw his favourite Martha Blount at the bottom of the terrace, and afked Lord Bolingbroke to go and hand her up. Bolingbroke, not liking his errand, croffed his legs, and fat ftill; but Lord Marchmont, who was younger and lefs captious, waited on the Lady; who, when he came to her, asked, What, is he not dead yet? She is faid to have neglected him, with fhameful unkindness, in the latter time of his decay'; yet, of the little which he had to leave, she had a very great part. Their acquaintance began early; the life of each was pictured on the other's mind; their converfation therefore was endearing, for when they met, there was an immediate coalition

of

of congenial notions. Perhaps he confidered her unwillingness to approach the chamber of fickness as female weakness, or human frailty; perhaps he was confcious to himself of peevishness and impatience, or, though he was offended by her inattention, might yet confider her merit as overbalancing her fault; and, if he had fuffered his heart to be alienated from her, he could have found nothing that might fill her place; he could have only shrunk within himself; it was too late to transfer his confidence or fondness.

In May 1744, his death was approaching*; on the fixth, he was all day delirious, which he mentioned four days afterwards as a sufficient humiliation of the vanity of man; he afterwards complained of feeing things as through a curtain, and in false colours; and one day, in the prefence of Dodfley, asked what arm it was that came out from the wall. He said that his greatest inconvenience was inability to think.

Bolingbroke fometimes wept over him in this state of helpless decay; and being told

* Spence.

by Spence, that Pope, at the intermiffion of his deliriousness, was always faying fomething kind either of his prefent or absent friends, and that his humanity feemed to have furvived his understanding, answered, It has fo. And added, I never in my life knew a man that had fo tender a heart for his particular friends, or more general friendship for mankind. At another time he faid, I have known Pope these thirty years, and value myself more in his friendship than his grief then suppreffed his voice.

Pope expreffed undoubting confidence of a future state. Being asked by his friend Mr, Hooke, a papift, whether he would not die like his father and mother, and whether a priest should not be called, he answered, I do not think it effential, but it will be very right; and I thank you for putting me in mind of it.

In the morning, after the priest had given him the last facraments, he faid,

There is "nothing that is meritorious but virtue and friendship, and indeed friendship itself is

"only a part of virtue."

He