than Pope's furmise and affertion; and a candid perfon will confider what credit is due, when the teftimony is against a person, in all other points of moft exemplary character, to fuch proof as Pope fums up his accufation with." Tickel himself, who is a fair man, has fince, in a manner, as good as, owned it to me!”—Pope's own words to Spence, on which he feems to reft the certainty of the fact. But what was mentioned many years fince the death of the perfon accufed, what Tickel, “in a manner,' as good as, "own'd," surely is not entitled to much credit. But be this as it may, the beauty of this Poem, both in verfification and imagery, is in its kind unrivalled, dignified, melodious, and poetical. It is to be lamented, that, like the Effay on Criticism, it contains any ftroke of ill-nature. VADIUS here is introduced with the fame effect, as APPIUS in the Effay. Nothing can fo strongly evince Pope's turn to Satire. |