tions; whether the Effay will fucceed, and who or what is the author.

Its fuccefs he admits to be fecured by the falfe opinions then prevalent; the author he concludes to be young and raw.

"First, because he difcovers a fufficiency beyond "his little ability, and hath rafhly undertaken a task

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infinitely above his force. Secondly, while this lit"tle author ftruts, and affects the dictatorian air, he 'plainly fhews, that at the fame time he is under the "rod; and while he pretends to give law to others, "is a pedantick flave to authority and opinion.

Thirdly, he hath, like fchool-boys, borrowed both "from living and dead. Fourthly, he knows not his "own mind, and frequently contradicts himself. "Fifthly, he is almoft perpetually in the wrong."

All thefe pofitions he attempts to prove by quotations and remarks; but his defire to do mifchief is greater than his power. He has, however, juftly criticifed fome paffages, in thefe lines :

There are whom heaven has blefs'd with store of wit,
Yet want as much again to manage it;

For wit and judgement ever are at strifeit is apparent that wit has two meanings, and that what is wanted, though called wit, is truly judgement. So far Dennis is undoubtedly right; but, not content with argument, he will have a little mirth, and triumphs over the first couplet in terms too elegant to be forgotten. "By the way, what rare numbers are here! "Would not one fwear that this youngster had efpoufed "fome antiquated Mufe, who had fued out a divorce "on account of impotence from fome fuperannuated “finner; and, having been p-xed by her former

spouse,

fpoufe, has got the gout in her decrepit age, which "makes her hobble fo damnably." This was the man who would reform a nation finking into barbarity.

In another place Pope himfelf allowed that Dennis had detected one of thofe blunders which are called bulls. The first edition had this line:

What is this wit

Where wanted, fcorn'd; and envied where acquir'd? "How," fays the critick, " can wit be fcorn'd where it "is not? Is not this a figure frequently employed in "Hibernian land? The perfon that wants this wit " may indeed be fcorned, but the fcorn fhews the ho"nour which the contemner has for wit." Of this remark Pope made the proper ufe, by correcting the paffage.

I have preferved, I think, all that is reafonable in Dennis's criticism; it remains that juftice be done to his delicacy." For his acquaintance (fays Dennis) he "names Mr. Walsh, who had by no means the qualifi"cation which this author reckons abfolutely neceffary "to a critick, it being very certain that he was, like "this Effayer, a very indifferent poet; he loved to be "well-dreffed; and I remember a little young gentle"man whom Mr. Walth ufed to take into his company, "as a double foil to his perfon and capacity.-Enquire "between Suningbill and Oakingkam for a young, fhort, "fquab gentleman, the very bow of the God of Love, "and tell me whether he be a proper author to make "perfonal reflections-He may extol the antients, "but he has reafon to thank the gods that he was born "a modern; for had he been born of Grecian parents, "and his father confequently had by law had the ab"folute difpofal of him, his life had Leen no longer

..than

" than that of one of his poems, the life of half a day. "Let the person of a gentleman of his parts be ne"ver fo contemptible, his inward man is ten times "more ridiculous; it being impoffible that his out"ward form, though it be that of downright monkey, "fhould differ so much from human shape, as his unthinking immaterial part does from human under86 'ftanding." Thus began the hoftility between Pope and Dennis, which, though it was fufpended for a fhort time, never was appeafed. Pope feems, at firft, to have attacked him wantonly; but though he always profeffed to despise him, he discovers, by mentioning him very often, that he felt his force or his venom.

Of this Effay Pope declared that he did not expect the fale to be quick, because not one gentleman in fixty, even of liberal education, could understand it. The gentlemen, and the education of that time, feem to have been of a lower character than they are of this. He mentioned a thoufand copies as a numerous impreffion.

Dennis was not his only cenfurer; the zealous papists thought the monks treated with too much contempt, and Erafmus too ftudioufly praised; but to these objections he had not much regard.

The Essay has been tranflated into French by Hamilton, author of the Comte de Grammont, whofe verfion was never printed, by Robotham, fecretary to the King for Hanover, and by Refnel; and commented by Dr. Warburton, who has difcovered in it fuch order and connection as was not perceived by Addison, nor, as is said, intended by the author.

Almost every poem, confifting of precepts, is fo far arbitrary and immethodical, that many of the paragraphs may change places with no apparent inconveni

ence;

ence; for of two or more pofitions, depending upon fome remote and general principle, there is feldom any cogent reason why one fhould precede the other. But for the order in which they ftand, whatever it be, a little ingenuity may eafily give a reafon. It is poffible, fays Hooker, that by long circumduction, from any one truth all truth may be inferred. Of all homogeneous truths, at least of all truths refpecting the fame general end, in whatevér feries they may be produced, a concatenation by intermediate ideas may be formed, fuch as, when it is unce fhewn, fhall appear natural; but if this order be reverfed, another mode of connection equally fpecious may be found or made. Ariftotle is praised for naming Fortitude firft of the cardinal virtues, as that without which no other virtue can steadily be practifed; but he might, with equal propriety, have placed Prudence and Justice before it, fince without Prudence Fortitude is mad; without Justice, it is mischievous.

As the end of method is perfpicuity, that feries is fufficiently regular that avoids obfcurity; and where there is no obfcurity, it will not be difficult to difcover method.

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

It is reasonable to infer, from his Letters, that the verfes on the Unfortunate Lady were written about the time when his Efay was published. The Lady's name and adventures I have fought with fruitless enquiry.

I can therefore tell no more than I have learned from Mr. Ruffhead, who writes with the confidence of one who could trust his information. She was a woman of eminent

eminent rank and large fortune, the ward of an unkle, who, having given her a proper education, expected like other guardians that the should make at least an equal match; and fuch he proposed to her, but found it rejected in favour of a young gentleman of inferior

condition.

Having discovered the correfpondence between the two lovers, and finding the young lady determined to abide by her own choice, he fuppofed that feparation might do what can rarely be done by arguments, and fent her into a foreign country, where she was obliged to converfe only with those from whom her unkle had nothing to fear.

Her lover took care to repeat his vows; but his letters were intercepted and carried to her guardian, who directed her to be watched with ftill greater vigilance; till of this restraint fhe grew fo impatient, that the bribed a woman-fervant to procure her a fword, which the directed to her heart.

From this account, given with evident intention to raise the Lady's character, it does not appear that the had any claim to praife, nor much to compaffion. She seems to have been impatient, violent, and ungovernable. Her unkle's power could not have lafted long; the hour of liberty and choice would have come in time. But her defires were too hot for delay, and the liked felf-murder better than fufpence.

Nor is it discovered that the unkle, whoever he was, is with much juftice delivered to pofterity as a falfe Guardian; he feems to have done only that for which a guardian is appointed; he endeavoured to direct his niece till she should be able to dierêt herfelf. Poetry has not often been worfe employed than in dignifying the amorous fury of a raving girl.