engage her affection, after a little time forced her abroad, where he was received with a ceremony due to her quality, but reftricted from the converfation of every one but the fpies of this fevere guardian, fo that it was impoffible for her lover even to have a letter delivered into her hands. She languifhed in this place a confiderable time, bore an infinite deal of sickness, and was overwhelmed with the profoundest forrow. Nature being wearied out with continual diftrefs, and being driven at laft to defpair, the unfortunate lady, as Mr. Pope justly calls her, put an end to her own life, having bribed a maid fervant to procure her a fword. She was found upon the ground weltering in her blood. The feverity of the laws of the place, where this fair unfortunate perifhed, denied her Chriftian burial, and he was interred without folemnity, or even any attendants to perform the last offices of the dead, except fome young people of the neighbourhood, who faw her put into common ground, and ftrewed the grave with flowers.

The Poet, in the Elegy, takes occafion to mingle, with the tears of forrow, juft reproaches upon her cruel uncle, who drove her to this viclation.

But thou, falfe guardian of a charge too good,
Thou bafe betrayer of a brother's blood!
Sec on thofe ruby lips the trembling breath,
Thofe cheeks now fading at the blast of death;

Lifeless the breath which warm'd the world before,

And thofe love-darting eyes muit roll no more.

The conclufion of this elegy is irrefiftibly affecting.

So peaceful refts, without a fione, a name,
Which once had beauty, titles, wealth, and fame:
How lov'd, how honour'd or ce, avails thee not,
To whom related, or by whom begot;

A heap of dat alone remains of thee;
'Tis all thou art, and all the proud fhall be!

No poem of our Author's more defervedly obtained him reputation than his Effay on Criticism. Mr. Addifon, in his Spectator, No. 253, has celebrated it with fuch profufe terms of admiration, that it is really

aftonishing

aftonishing to find the fame man endeavouring afterwards to diminish that fame he had contributed to raife fo high.

"The Art of Criticism," fays he, " which was "published fome months ago, is a mafterpiece in its "kind. The obfervations follow one another, like "those in Horace's Art of Poetry, without that me"thodical regularity which would have been requifite “ in a prose writer. They are fome of them uncom"mon, but fuch as the reader muft affent to when he "fees them explained with that elegance and perspi"cuity with which they are delivered. As for those "which are the most known, and the most received, "they are placed in fo beautiful a light, and illuftra"ted with fuch apt allufions, that they have in them "all the graces of novelty, and make the reader, who "was before acquainted with them, ftill more convin"ced of their truth and folidity. And here give me "leave to mention what Monfieur Boileau has fo well "enlarged upon in the Preface to his Works, that wit "and fine writing do not confift so much in advancing things that are new, as in giving things that are "known an agreeable turn. It is impoffible for us, who "live in the latter ages of the world, to make obfer"vations in criticifi, morality, or any art and fei"ence which have not been touched upon by others. "We have little elfe left us but to reprefent the com“mon sense of mankind in more strong, more beautiful, or more uncommon lights. If a reader exa"mines Horace's Art of Poetry, he will find but few precepts in it which he may not meet with in Arif"totle, and which were not commonly known by all "the poets of the Auguftan age. His way of expref"fing and applying them, not his invention of them, "is what we are chiefly to admire.

"Longinus, in his Reflections, has given us the "fame kind of fublime which he obferves in the feve"ral paffages which occafioned them. I cannot but "take

"take notice that our English Author has, after the "fame manner, exemplified feveral of his precepts in "the very precepts themselves." He then produces fome inftances of a particular kind of beauty in the numbers, and concludes with faying, "That we have "three poems in our tongue of the fame nature, and "each a masterpiece in its kind; the Effay on Tranf"lated Verfe, the Effay on the Art of Poetry, and the "Effay on Criticifm."

รว

Addison and Pope were now at the head of poetry and criticism; and both in fuch a state of elevation, that, like the two rivals in the Roman ftate, one could no longer bear an equal, nor the other a fuperior. Of the gradual abatement of kindnefs between friends, the beginning is often fcarcely difcernible by themfelves, and the process is continued by petty provocations, and incivilities fometimes peevishly returned, and fometimes contemptuously neglected, which would escape all attention but that of pride, and drop from any memory but that of refentment. That the quarrel of these two wits should be minutely deduced is not to be expected; however, we fhall mention fuch circumftances as are the most material.

The author of Mift's Journal pofitively afferts, "that Mr. Addison raised Pope from obfcurity, ob"tained him the acquaintance and friendship of the "whole body of our nobility, and transferred his powerful influence with thofe great men to this "rifing bard, who frequently levied, by that means, ❝ unusual contributions on the public,'

When this charge of ingratitude and dishonour was published against Mr. Pope, to acquit himself of it, he called upon any nobleman whofe friendship, or any one gentleman whofe fubfcription, Mr. Additon had procured to our Author, to stand forth and declare it, that truth might appear. But the whole libel was proved a malicious ftory by many perfons of diftin&tion, who, feveral years before Mr. Addifon's deceafe, approved

I

thofe

thofe verfes denominated a libel, but which were, it is faid, a friendly rebuke, fent privately in our Author's own hand, to Mr. Addifon himself, and never made public till by Curl, in his Mifcellanies, 12mo, 1727. The lines, indeed, are elegantly fatirical, and, in the opinion of many unprejudiced judges, who had opportunities of knowing the character of Mr. Addifon, are no ill representation of him, Speaking of the poetical triflers of the times, who had declared against him, he makes a fudden tranfition to Addison.

Peace to all fuch! But were there one whofe fires
True genius kindles, and fair fame infpires,
Bleft with each talent and each art to please,
And born to write, converfe, and live with ease;
Should fuch a man, too fond to rule alone,
Bear, like the 1 urk, no rival near the throne,
View him with fcornful, yet with jealous eyes,
And hate for arts that caus'd him felf to rife;
Damn with faint praife, affent with civil leer,
And, without fneering, others teach to fneers
Willing to wound, and yet afraid to ftrike,
Just hint a fault, and hesitate diflike;
Alike referv'd to blame or to commend,
A tim'rous foe, and a fufpicious friend;
Dreading e'en fools; by flatterers befieg'd;
And fo obliging, that he ne'er oblig'd.
Like Cato give his little fenate laws,
And fit attentive to his own applaufe;
While wits and Templars ev'ry fentence raife,
And wonder with a foolish face of praise.

Who but muft laugh, if fuch a man there be!
Who would not weep, if Atticus were he!

Some readers may think these lines fevere, but the treatment he received from Mr. Addison was more than fufficient to justify them, which will

appear when we particularize an interview between theie two poetical antagonists, procured by the warm folicitations of Sir Richard Steele, who was present at it, as well as Mr. Gray.

Mr. Jervas being one day in company with Mr. Addison, the converfatión turned upon Mr. Pope, for whom Addison, at that time, expreffed the highest regard, and affured Mr. Jervas that he would make use, not only of his intereft, but of his art likewife, to do Mr. Pope fervice. He then faid, he did not mean his art of poetry, but his art at Court; and protefted, notVOL. I. 1

with

withstanding many infinuations were fpread, that it fhould not be his fault if there was not the best understanding and intelligence between them. He obíerved, that Dr. Swift might have carried him too far among the enemy during the animofity, but now all was fate, and Mr. Pope, in his opinion, was escaped. When Mr. Jervas communicated this converfation to Mr. Pope, he made this reply: "The friendly office you "endeavour to do between Mr. Addifon and me de"ferves acknowledgments on my part. You thorough"ly know my regard to his character, and my readinefs to teftify it by all ways in my power; you alsɔ thoroughly knew the meannefs of that proceeding of Mr. Phillips, to make a man I fo highly value fufpect my difpofition towards him. But as, after "all, Mr. Addifon must be judge in what regards him"felf, and as he has feemed not to be a very just one "to me, fo I must own to you I expect nothing but "civility from him, how much foever I wish for his "friendship; and, as for any offers of real kindnefs

re

or fervice, which it is in his power to do me, I should "be ashamed to receive them from a man who has no "better opinion of my morals than to think me a party "man; nor of my temper, than to believe me capable "of maligning or envying another's reputation as a "poet. In a word, Mr. Addifon is fure of my re

pect at all times, and of my real friendship, when"ever he fhall think fit to know me for what I am."

Some years after this converfation, at the deûre of Sir Richard Steele, they met. At first, a very cold civility, and nothing elfe, appeared on either fide; for Mr. Addison had a natural referve and gloom at the beginning of an evening, which, by converfation and a glafs, brightened into an eafy chearfulness.

Sir Richard Steele, who was a moft focial benevolent man, begged of him to fulfil his promife, in dropping all animofity against Mr. Pope. Mr. Pope then defired to be made fenfible how he had offended, and obferved,

that