With fuch faculties, and fuch difpofitions, he excelled every other writer in poetical prudence; he wrote in fuch a manner as might expofe him to few hazards. He used almost always the fame fabric of verfe; and, indeed, by thofe few effays which he made of any other, he did not enlarge his reputation. Of this, uniformity the certain confequence was readiness, and dexterity. By perpetual practice,, language had in his mind a fyftematical arrangement; having always the fame ufe for words, he had words fo felected and combined as to be ready at his call, This increase of facility he confeffed himself to have perceived in the progrefs of his tranflation.

But what was yet of more importance, his effufions were always voluntary, and his fubjects chofen by himfelf. His independence fecured him from drudging at a tafk, and labouring upon a barren topick; he never exchanged praife for money, nor opened a fhop of condolence or congratulation. His poems, therefore, were fcarce ever temporary. He fuffered coronations and royal marriages to pafs without a fong, and derived no opportunities from recent events, nor any popularity from the accidental difpofition of his readers. He was never reduced to the neceffity of soliciting the fun to fhine upon a birth-day, of calling the Graves and Virtues to a wedding, or of faying what multitudes have faid before him. When he could produce nothing new, he was at liberty to be filent.

His publications were for the fame reafon never hatty. He is faid to have fent nothing to the prefs till it had lain two years under his inspection; it is at leaft certain, that he ventured nothing without nice examination. He fuffered the tumult of imagination

to

to fubfide, and the novelties of invention to grow familiar. He knew that the mind is always enamoured of its own productions, and did not truft his first fondnefs. He confulted his friends, and liftened with great willingness to criticism; and, what was of more importance, he confulted himself, and let nothing pass against his own judgement.

He profeffed to have learned his poetry from Dryden, whom, whenever an opportunity was prefented, he praised through his whole life with unvaried liberality; and perhaps his character may receive fome illuftration, if he be compared with his mafter.

Integrity of understanding and nicety of difcernment were not allotted in a lefs proportion to Dryden than to Pope. The rectitude of Dryden's mind was fufficiently fhewn by the difmiffion of his poetical prejudices, and the rejection of unnatural thoughts and rugged numbers. But Dryden never defired to apply all the judgement that he had. He wrote, and pro- feffed to write, merely for the people; and when he pleafed others, he contented himself. He spent no time in ftruggles to roufe latent powers; he never attempted to make that better which was already good, nor often to mend what he muft have known to be faulty. He wrote, as he tells us, with very little confideration; when occafion or neceffity called upon him, he poured out what the prefent moment happened to fupply, and, when once it had paffed the prefs, ejected it from his mind; for when he had no pecuniary intereft, he had no further folicitude.

Pope was not content to fatisfy; he defired to excel, and therefore always endeavoured to do his best: he did not court the candour, but dared the judge

ment

ment of his reader, and, expecting no indulgence from others, he fhewed none to himself. He examined lines and words with minute and punctilious obfervation, and retouched every part with indefatigable diligence till he had left nothing to be forgiven.

For this reafon he kept his pieces very long in his hands, while he confidered and reconfidered them. The only poems which can be fuppofed to have been written with fuch regard to the times as might haften their publication, were the two fatires of Thirty-eight; of which Dodfley told me, that they were brought to him by the author, that they might be fairly copied. "Almoft eyery line," he faid, "was then written twice over; I gave him a clean tranfcript, "which he fent fome time afterwards to me for the prefs, with almost every line written twice over a "fecond time."

His declaration, that his care for his works ceafed at their publication, was not strictly true. His parental attention never abandoned them; what he found amifs in the first edition, he filently corrected in those that followed. He appears to have revifed the Iliad, and freed it from fome of its imperfections; and the Efar on Criticim received many improvements after its firit appearance. It will feldom be found that he altered without adding clearnefs, elegance, or vigour. Pope had perhaps the judgement of Dryden; but Dryden certainly wanted the diligence of Pope.

In acquired knowledge, the fuperiority must be allow ed to Dryden, whofe education was more fcholaftick, and who before he became an author had been allowed more time for ftudy, with better means of information. His mind has a larger range, and he collects his images

and

and illuftrations from a more extenfive circumference of fcience. Dryden knew more of man in his generalnature, and Pope in his local manners. The notions of Dryden were formed by comprehensive speculation ;' and thofe of Pope by minute attention. There is more dignity in the knowledge of Dryden, and more certainty in that of Pope.

Poetry was not the fole praife of either; for both excelled likewife in profe; but Pope did not borrow his profe from his predeceffor. The ftyle of Dryden is capricious and varied; that of Pope is cautious and uniform; Dryden obeys the motions of his own mind; Pope conftrains his mind to his own rules of compofition. Dryden is fometimes vehement and rapid; Pope is always fmooth, uniform, and gentle. Dryden's page is a natural field, rifing into inequalities, and diverfified by the varied exuberance of abundant vegetation; Pope's is a velvet lawn, fhaven by the scythe, and levelled by the roller.

Of genius, that power which conftitutes a poet; that quality without which judgement is cold, and knowledge is inert; that energy which collects, combines, amplifies, and animates; the fuperiority muft, with fome hesitation, be allowed to Dryden. It is not to be inferred that of this poetical vigour Pope had only a little, because Dryden had more; for every other writer fince Milton muft give place to Pope; and even of Dryden it must be faid, that, if he has brighter paragraphs, he has not better poems. Dryden's performances were always hafty, either excited by fome external occafion, or extorted by domeftick neceffity; he compofed without confideration, and published without correction. What his mind could

fupply

fupply at call, or gather in one excurfion, was all that he fought, and all that he gave. The dilatory caution of Pope enabled him to condenfe his fentiments, to multiply his images, and to accumulate all that study might produce, or chance might fupply. If the flights of Dryden therefore are higher, Pope continues longer on the wing. If of Dryden's fire the blaze is brighter, of Pope's the heat is more regular and conftant. Dryden often furpaffes expectation, and Pope never falls below it. Dryden is read with frequent aftonishment, and Pope with perpetual delight.

This parallel will, I hope, when it is well confidered, be found just; and if the reader should suspect me, as I fufpect myfelf, of fome partial fondness for the memory of Dryden, let him not too haftily condemn me; for meditation and enquiry may, perhaps, fhew him the reasonableness of my determination.

THE Works of Pope are now to be diftinctly examined, not fo much with attention to flight faults or petty beauties, as to the general character and effect of each performance.

It seems natural for a young poet to initiate himself by Paftorals, which, not profeffing to imitate real life, require no experience, and, exhibiting only the fimple operation of unmingled paffions, admit no fubtle reasoning or deep enquiry. Pope's paftorals are not however compofed but with clofe thought; they have reference to the times of the day, the feasons of the year, and the periods of human life. The last, that which turns the attention upon age and death, was the author's favourite. To tell of difappointinent and mifery, to thicken the darkness of futurity, and

perplex