I have been told that the couplet by which he declared his own ear to be moft gratified was this:

Lo, where Mæotis fleeps, and hardly flows

The freezing Tanais through a waste of snows.

But the reafon of this preference I cannot difcover. It is remarked by Watts, that there is fcarcely a happy combination of words, or a phrafe poetically elegant in the English language, which Pope has not inferted into his verfion of Homer. How he obtained poffeffion of fo many beauties of fpeech, it were defirable to know. That he gleaned from authors, obscure as well as eminent, what he thought brilliant or useful, and preferved it all in a regular collection, is not unlikely. When, in his laft years, Hall's Satires were fhewn him, he wished that he had feen them fooner.

New fentiments and new images others may produce; but to attempt any further improvement of verfification will be dangerous. Art and diligence have now done their beft, and what fhall be added will be the effort of tedious toil and needlefs curiofity.

After all this, it is furely fuperfluous to answer the question that has once been asked, Whether Pope was a poet; otherwise than by asking in return, If Pope be not a poet, where is poetry to be found? To circumfcribe poetry by a definition will only fhew the narrownefs of the definer, though a definition which fhall exclude Pope will not easily be made, Let us look round upon the prefent time, and back upon the past; let us enquire to whom the voice of mankind has decreed the wreath of poetry; let their productions be examined, and their claims ftated, and the pretenfions of Pope will be no more difputed. Had he given the

world

world only his version, the name of poet must have been allowed him: if the writer of the Iliad were to clafs his fucceffors, he would affign a very high place to his tranflator, without requiring any other evidence of Genius.

The following Letter, of which the original is in the hands of Lord Hardwicke, was communicated to me by the kindness of Mr. Jodrell.

"To Mr. BRIDGES, at the Bishop of London's at Fulham.

"SIR,

"The favour of your Letter, with your Remarks, can never be enough acknowledged; and the speed, with which you discharged fo troublesome a task, doubles the obligation.

"I must own, you have pleased me very much by the commendations fo ill beftowed upon me; but, I affure you, much more by the franknefs of your cenfure, which I ought to take the more kindly of the two, as it is more advantageous to a fcribbler to be improved in his judgment than to be foothed in his vanity. The greater part of thofe deviations from the Greek, which you have obferved, I was led into by Chapman and Hobbes; who are (it) feems) as much celebrated for their knowledge of the original, as they are decryed for the badnefs of their tranflations. Chapman pretends to have restored the genuine fenfe of the author, from the mistakes of all former explainers, in feveral hundred places: and the Cambridge editors of the large Homer, in Greek and Latin, attributed fo much to Hobbes, that they confefs they have corrected the old Latin interpretation

very often by his verfion. For my part, I generally took the author's meaning to be as you have explained it; yet their authority, joined to the knowledge of my own imperfectnefs in the language, over-ruled me. However, Sir, you may be confident I think you in the right, because you happen to be of my opinion: (for men (let them fay what they will) never approve any other's fenfe, but as it fquares with their own.) But you have made me much more proud of, and positive in my judgement, fince it is ftrengthened by yours. I think your criticisms, which regard the expreffion, very juft, and shall make my profit of them; to give you fome proof that I am in earnest, I will alter three verfes on your bare objection, though I have Mr. Dryden's example for each of them. And this, I hope, you will account no fmall piece of obedience, from one, who values the authority of one true poet above that of twenty criticks or commentators. But though I speak thus of commentators, I will continue to read carefully all I can procure, to make up, that way, for my own want of critical understanding in the original beauties of Homer. Though the greatest of them are certainly thofe of the Invention and Design, which are not at all confined to the language: for the distinguishing excellences of Homer are (by the confent of the best criticks of all nations) first in the manners, (which include all the fpeeches, as being no other than the representations of each perfon's manners by his words): and then in that rapture and fire, which carries you away with him, with that wonderful force, that no man who has a true poetical spirit is mafter of himself, while he reads him. Homer makes you inteFefted and concerned before you are aware, all at once; whereas Virgil does it by foft degrees. This, I be

liève, is what a tranflator of Homer ought principally to imitate; and it is very hard for any tranflator to come up to it, because the chief reason why all tranflations fall fhort of their originals is, that the very constraint they are obliged to renders them heavy and difpirited.

"The great beauty of Homer's language, as I take it, confifts in that noble fimplicity which runs through all his works; (and yet his diction, contrary to what one would imagine consistent with fimplicity, is at the fame time very copious). I don't know how I have run into this pedantry in a Letter, but I find I have faid too much, as well as fpoken too inconfiderately; what farther thoughts I have upon this fubject, I fhall be glad to communicate to you (for my own improvement) when we meet; which is a happiness I very earnestly defire, as I do likewise fome opportunity of proving how much I think myself obliged to your friendship, and how truly I am, Sir,

Your most faithful, humble fervant,

A. POPE."

The Criticifm upon Pope's Epitaphs, which was printed in The Vifitor, is placed here, being too minute and particular to be inferted in the Life.

EVERY Art is beft taught by example. Nothing contributes more to the cultivation of propriety than remarks on the works of those who have most excelled. I fhall therefore endeavour, at this vifit, to entertain the young ftudents in poetry with an examination of Pope's Epitaphs.

6

То

To define an epitaph is useless; every one knows that it is an inscription on a tomb. An epitaph, therefore, implies no particular character of writing, but may be compofed in verfe or profe. It is indeed commonly panegyrical; because we are feldom distinguished with a stone but by our friends; but it has no rule to restrain or mollify it, except this, that it ought not to be longer than common beholders may be expected to have leisure and patience to perufe.

I.

On CHARLES Earl of DORSET, in the Church of Wythyham in Suffex.

Dorset, the grace of courts, the Mufe's pride,
Patron of arts, and judge of nature, dy'd.
The fcourge of pride, though fanctify'd or great
Of fops in learning, and of knaves in state;
Yet foft in nature, though fevere his lay,
His anger moral, and his wifdom gay.
Bleft fatyrift who touch'd the mean fo true,
As fhow'd, Vice had his hate and pity too.
Bleft courtier! who could king and country please,
Yet facred kept his friendship, and his ease.
Bleft peer! his great forefather's every grace
Reflecting, and reflected on his race;

Where other Buckhurfts, other Dorfets fhine,
And patriots ftill, or poets, deck the line.

The firft diftich of this epitaph contains a kind of information which few would want,

whom the tomb was erected, dicd.

that the man, for

There are indeed

fome qualities worthy of praise ascribed to the dead, but none that were likely to exempt him from the lot of man, or incline us much to wonder that he fhould die. What is meant by judge of nature, is not eafy to

fay.