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THE life and writings of POPE, " the great Poet of Reason," and "the Prince of Rhyme,” have exhaufted the copioufnefs of Ruffhead, and received every poffible illuftration from the candid and well informed criticism of Spence, the elegant and claffical tafte of Dr. Warton, and the acute precifion of Dr. Johnson.

The facts flated, in the prefent account, are chiefly taken from the narratives of Ruffhead, and Dr. Johnson, whose copiousness and accuracy leave little to be corrected or supplied.

Ruffhead's information was collected from original manufcrip's, communicated by Warburton, and Dr. Johnfon's intelligence from Spence's MS. collections, communicated by the Duke of New

castle.

Alexander Pope was born in London, May 22, 1688. His father, Alexander Pope, was a linen-' draper in the Strand, of a good family in Oxfordshire, and a distant relation of the Earl of Downe. His mother, Editha Turner, was the daughter of William Turner, Efq. of York. She had three brothers, one of whom was killed, another died in the fervice of Charles I. and the eldest, on the discomfiture of the royalifts, going abroad, and becoming a general officer in Spain, left her what remained of the family eftate, after fequeftrations and forfeiture. Both parents were Papists.

About the time of the Revolution, his father quitted his trade, and retired to Binfield in Windfor Foreft, worth about 20,000l. which he put into a cheft, and spent as he wanted it; for, being a Papist, he could not purchase land, and he made a point of confcience not to lend it to the new government; fo that when Pope came to the inheritance, great part of the money was expended. He was, from his birth, of a very delicate conftitution, but is faid to have shown remarkable gentleness and sweetness of disposition. His voice, when he was young, was so pleasing, that he was called in fondnefs "the little nightingale."

He was taught to read very early by an aunt, and when he was feven or eight years old, difcovered an eager defire for information and improvement. He first learned to write by copying printed books, which he executed with great neatness and accuracy; though his ordinary hand was not elegant.

At eight years old he was placed in Hampshire, under Taverner, a Romish priest, who taught him the Greek and Latin rudiments together. He met with " Ogilby's Homer," and "Sandys's Ovid," which he read with a delight that showed the bent of his genius. Ogilby's afliftance he never repaid with any praife; but of Sandys he declared in his notes to the Iliad, that English poetry owed much of its beauty to his tranflations.

He was fent from Taverner, under whom his proficiency was confiderable, to a private school at Twyford near Winchester, where he continued a year; from this school he was fent to another at Hyde Park Corner, being then about ten years of age.

In the two laft fchools he confidered himself as having made very little progrefs, of which he was fo fenfible, that among his earlieft pieces, there is a fatire on his mafter at Twyford; yet, under thofe mafters, he tranflated more than a fourth part of "Ovid's Metamorphofes."

While he was at the school at Hyde Park Corner, he was frequently carried to the play house, and was fo captivated with the drama, that he turned the chief tranfactions of the "Iliad" into a kind of play, composed of a number of speeches from Ogilby's tranflation, conected with verses of his own.

He prevailed upon his school-fellows to take part in this play, and upon his master's gardener, to at the part of Ajax.

At twelve years old, he was called by his father to Binfield, and there he had for a few months the affiftance of one Deane, another prieft, of whom he learned only to conftrue a little of " Tully's OfEces," which, after having tranflated" Ovid," he might certainly do without great advances in learning.

Hitherto, then, he must have known little more than what he learned during one year under Taverner; and from this time, till twenty, he became his own preceptor; and gained what other knowledge he had by reading the claffics, efpecially the poets, to whom he applied with great afliquity and delight. a ij

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His primary and principal purpose was to be a poet, with which his father accidentally concurred, by proposing subjects, and obliging him to correct his performance, by many revisals, after which, when he was fatisfied, he would fay, "These are good rhymes."

In perufing the English poets he foon diftinguished the verfification of Dryden, which he confidered as the model to be studied, and was impreffed with fuch veneration for his inftructor, that he perfuaded a friend to conduct him to a coffee-house which Dryden frequented, and pleased himself with having seen him.

"Who does not wish that Dryden could have known the value of the homage that was paid him, and foreseen the greatness of his young admirer ?"

The earliest of his productions is the Ode on Solitude, written when he was twelve, in which there is nothing remarkable.

His time was now wholly spent in reading and writing.

He foon learned to read Homer in the

original, as he himself records in one of his imitations of Horace.

Bred up at home, full early I begun

To read in Greek the wrath of Peleus' fon.

As he read the claffics, he amused himself with tranflating them; and at fourteen made a verfion of the first book of the Thebaid of Statius, which, with fome revifion, he afterwards published. He tranflated likewife the Epifle of Sappho to Phaon, and Dryope and Pomona, from Ovid, which he afterwards printed.

He was also tempted, by “Dryden's Fables," to try his skill in reviving and imitating Chaucer's January and May, and the Prologue of the Wife of Bath, which he put into modern English.

He fometimes imitated the English poets, and professed to have written about this time, the poem upon Silence, in imitation of Rochester's "Nothing." He had now formed his versification, affifted by the rich melody of Dryden; and the fmoothness of his numbers furpaffed his original.)

When he was fifteen, having made a confiderable progrefs in the learned languages, he went to London to learn the French and Italian, which, by diligent application, he foon acquired.

He then returned to Binfield, and delighted himself with his own poetry. He wrote a comedy, a tragedy, Alcander an epic poem in four books, with panegyrics on all the princes of Europe; and, as he confeffes, "thought himself the greatest genius that ever was."

The fubject of the comedy is not known, but the tragedy was founded on the legend of St. Genevieve. Most of his puerile productions were afterwards deftroyed. The epic poem was burnt by the perfuafion of Atterbury. Some of its extravagancies are produced in the Art of Sinking in poetry, figned Anonymous.

About this time, it is related, that he tranflated Tully on Old Age; and that, befides his books of poetry and criticism, he read " Temple's Effays," and "Locke on Human Understanding.” Books were not the only means through which he acquired information. He early procured the acquaintance of men of talents and literature, and improved himself by conversation.

At fixteen, he acquired the friendship of Sir William Trumball, a statesman of fixty, who had been in the highest offices at home and abroad.

From that age, the life of Pope, as an author, may be properly computed. He now wrote his Paftorals, which were for some time handed about among poets, and critics, and at last printed in Tonfon's "Mifcellany," 1709, in the fame volume with the " Paftorals" of Philips.

He had by this time become acquainted with Garth, Steele, Gay, Addison, Congreve, Granville, Halifax, Somers, Walsh, Wycherly, Cromwell, and other wits. He loft the friendship of Wycherly, by correcting his þad poetry, and of Cromwell, by correcting his bad taste.

Their correfpondence afforded the public its first knowledge of Pope's epiftolary powers; for his letters were given by Cromwell to Mrs. Thomas, and the, many years afterwards, fold them to Curll, who inferted them in a volume of his mifcellanies.

Walsh was one of his firft encouragers. He received an advice from him, which feems to have regulated his ftudies. Walsh advised him to correctness, hitherto neglected by the English poets, and therefore an untrodden path to fame.

He had now declared himself a poet, and thinking himself entitled to poetical conversation, began at feventeen to frequent Will's Coffee-house, where the wits of that time used to affemble. Soon after the Paflorals, appeared the Effay on Criticim, which procured him, as it deferved,

as

very high character. It was praised by Addison, attacked by Dennis, and commented by Warburton, who has discovered in it fuch order and connection as was not perceived by Addison, nor, is faid, intended by the author. It has been tranflated into French by Hamilton, by Robotham, and by Refnel. It has also been tranflated into Latin verse by several writers; particularly by Smart, and Dr. Kirkpatrick, the author of a poem called "The Sea-Piece," which, though it is little known, bas many very fine paffages.

About the fame time, he wrote the Ode for St. Cecilia's' Day, which he undertook at the defire of Steele.

In the "Spectator" was published the Messiab, which he first submitted to the perufal of Steele, and corrected in compliance with his criticism.

The Elegy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady, was probably written about the time when his Elay on Criticifm was published. Who the lady was, has not been afcertained. According to Ruff. head, she was a woman of high rank and large fortune, the ward of an uncle; fhe was in love with a young gentleman of an inferior condition. The uncle disapproved of her attachment, and proposed another person as a match. Finding she was determined to abide by her own choice, he fent her abroad. Deprived of every opportunity of converfing or correfponding with her lover, the became defperate, and procured a fword, which the directed to her heart.

In the "Gentleman's Magazine," vol. li. p. 314, it is afferted, that the lady's name was Withinbury; that he was in love with Pope, and would have married him; that her guardian, though the was deformed in her person, looked upon fuch a match as beneath her, and fent her to a convent, where she put an end to her life. How far this account is true, cannot be known. Pope certainly, from the Elegy, and the concluding lines of the Eleifa, appears to have been very deeply affected by her fate. Dr. Johnson has cenfured her conduct with unreasonable severity. Hafty and culpable she was undoubtedly; but it ought to be confidered, that no perfon ever has, or can be happy against violent inclinations, with conftancy to a forced partner for life. To thofe on whom love has made a deep impreffion, nothing but its object can give happiness or peace of mind; confiderations, indeed, that weigh little with the family pride of parents. It is evident that an indulgence of paffion may be attended with happiness, but that the disappointment of it cannot.

In 1712, he produced The Dying Chriflian to bis Soul, in imitation of the verses of Adrian, and the fragment of Sappho, by the advice of Steele. It strongly resembles an ode of Flatman, of whom he was probably a reader, as he certainly was of Crafhaw, Carew, Quarles, and Herbert.

He contributed to the Spectator, Nos. 404, 408, and 409, and some other papers.

In 1712, he published The Rape of the Lock, in its prefent form. It was occafioned by a frolic of gallantry, in which Lord Petre cut off a lock of Mrs. Arabella Fermor's hair. This trifling cause produced a serious quarrel between the two families. Mr. Caryll, Secretary to King James's Queen, and author of the comedy of "Sir Solomon Single," and of several translations in "Dryden's Mifcellanies," folicited Pope to endeavour a reconciliation, by a ludicrous poem. The first sketch was written in less than a fortnight, and published in 1711, in two cantos, without his name. It was received fo well, that he enlarged it by the addition of the machinery of the Sylphs, and extended it into five cantos. At its first appearance, Addison declared it was " merum fal," a delicious little thing, and gave him no encouragement to retouch it. This was imputed to jealousy in Addison, but contains no proof that he was actuated by any bad paffion. Pope fortunately did not follow Addifon's advice; his attempt was justified by fuccess.

When the Guardian was begun, he contributed the paper concerning the little club, under the name of Dick Diflich, a letter figned Gnatho, a description of the Gardens of Alcinous, and a very fevere ironical criticism on " Philips's Paftorals," in which he pretends to praise Philips, but with great art takes the fuperiority to himself.

About this time, he published The Temple of Fame, written two years before; which, as Steele obferves, has a thousand beauties.

In 1713, he published Windfor Foreft, of which part was written at fixteen, and the latter was added afterwards. It is dedicated to Lansdowne, who was then high in reputation and influence among the Tories.

When the tragedy of “ Cato” made its appearance, he introduced it by a folemn and fublime profegue; and when Dennis published his "Remarks," undertook, not indeed to vindicate, but to

revenge Addison by A Narrative of the Madness of John Dennis. Addifon expressed no approbation of the ridicule of Pope against Dennis, and perhaps did not think he deferved much by his officiousness. Two other pamphlets, published about this time against Edmund Curll, a bookfeller, who lived by the publication and fale of productions on which refpectable men of the profeffion would have no intereft, are afcribed to Pope, and printed in " Pope and Swift's Mifcellanies." Curll was concerned in many libellous pieces, both against individuals and the state; but it cannot be denied that English literature owes him confiderable obligations.

About this time, he wrote the Epifle from Eloisa to Abelard; in consequence, as Savage told Dr. Johnson, of his perufal of Prior's "Nutbrown Maid," which it not only excells, but every compofition of the fame kind.

He had a strong inclination to unite the Art of Painting with that of Poetry, and put himself under the tuition of Jervas, to whom, about this time, he addreffed an encomiaftic Epifle, with "Dryden's tranflation of Frefuoy."

A picture of Betterton, copied by Pope from Kneller, was in the poffeffion of the late Earl of Mansfield, and is faid to be ftill at Caenwood.

After Betterton's death, he published, under his name, a verfion into modern English, of Chaucer's prologues, and one of his tales, which were believed by Fenton to have been the performance of Pope himself.

In 1713, when he was in his twenty-fifth year, he circulated propofals for publishing his tranflation of the Iliad, with notes, by fubfcription, in 6 vols. 4to, for fix guineas.

The proposals were very favourably received; and the leading men, political and literary, of both parties, were bufy to recommend his undertaking, and to promote his intereft; but the Tories, in general, encouraged the fubfcription much more than the Whigs.

His contract with Lintot the bookfeller was very advantageous. It was agreed that he should receive 2001. for the copy-right of each volume, and that Lintot fhould fupply the copies to be delivered to fubfcribers, or prefented to friends, at his own expence.

The fubfcribers were five hundred and feventy-five. The copies for which fubfcriptions were given, were fix hundred and fifty-four; but only fix hundred and fixty were printed. For those copies Pope had nothing to pay; he therefore received, including the two hundred pounds a volume, five thoufand three hundred and twenty pounds four fhillings, without deduction.

At first he found himself embarraffed with difficulties, which retarded his progrefs; but practice increafed his facility of verfification, and in a fhort time he reprefents himself as difpatching regularly fifty lines a-day.

It is not very likely, as Dr. Johnfon obferves, that he overflowed with Greek; but Latin tranf lations were always at hand, and from them he could obtain his author's fenfe with fufficient certainty. He had the poctical translation of Eobanus Heffus, the French Homers of La Valterie, and Dacier, and the English of Chapman, Hobbes, and Ogilby. With Chapman he had very frequent confultations; and perhaps never tranflated any paffage till he had read his verfion, which, indeed, he has been fometimes fufpected of using instead of the original.

Broome, in the preface to his "Poems," declares himfelf the commentator, " in part upon the Iliad;" and it appears from Fenton's letter, preferved in the Mufeum, that Broome was at first engaged in confulting Euftathius, of whofe work there was then no Latin verfion; but that after a time, he defifted. Another Cambridge man was then employed, who foon grew weary of the work; and a third, that was recommended by Thirlby, is now difcovered to have been Jortin, a man fince well known to the learned world, who complained that Pope having accepted and approved his performance, never teftified any curiofity to fee him. Broome then offered his fervice a fecond time, and was probably accepted, as they had afterwards a clofer correspondence.

Parnell contributed the Life of Homer which Pope found fo harfh, that he took great pains in correcting it; and by his own diligence, with fuch help as kindness or money could procure him, in somewhat more than five years, he completed the English Iliad, with notes, which is allowed to be the best version of poetry that ever was written; and its publication must, therefore, be onfidered as one of the great events in the annals of learning. Halifax expected the dedication of his