ufed to ride a-hunting in a tye-wig. He was fond, and perhaps vain, of amufing himself with poetry and criticism; and fometimes fent his performances to Pope, who did not forbear fuch remarks as were now-and-then unwelcome. Pope, in his turn, put the juvenile verfion of Statius into his hands for correction.

Their correfpondence afforded the publick its first knowledge of Pope's Epiftolary Powers; for his Letters were given by Cromwel to one Mrs. Thomas, and the many years afterwards fold them to Curll, who inferted them in a volume of his Mifcellanies.

Walsh, a name yet preferved among the minor poets, was one of his first encouragers. His regard was gained

by

by the Paftorals, and from him Pope received the counfel by which he feems to have regulated his ftudies. Walsh advised him to correctness, which, as he told him, the English poets had hitherto neglected, and which therefore was left to him as a bafis of fame; and, being delighted with rural poems, recommended to him to write a paftoral comedy, like those which are read fo eagerly in Italy; a defign which Pope probably did not approve, as he did not follow it.

Pope had now declared himself a poet; and, thinking himself entitled to poetical converfation, began at feventeen to frequent Will's, a coffee-houfe on the north fide of Ruffel-ftreet in Coventgarden,

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garden, where the wits of that time used to affemble, and where Dryden had, when he lived, been accustomed to prefide..

During this period of his life he was indefatigably diligent, and infatiably curious; wanting health for violent and money for expenfive pleafures, and having certainly excited in himfelf very ftrong defires of intellectual eminence, he fpent much of his time over his books; but he read only to store his mind with facts and images, feizing all that his authors prefented with undiftinguishing voracity, and with an appetite for knowledge too eager to be nice. In a mind like his, however, all the faculties were at once involuntarily.

Improving. Judgement is forced upon us by experience. He that reads many books must compare one opinion or one ftyle with another, and when he compares muft neceffarily diftinguish, reject, and prefer. But the account given by himself of his ftudies was, that from fourteen to twenty he read only for amusement, from twenty to twenty-feven for improvement and inftruction; that in the first part of this time he defired only to know, and in the fecond he endeavoured to judge.

The Paftorals, which had been for fome time handed about among poets and criticks, were at laft printed (1709) in Tonfon's Mifcellany, in a volume which

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which began with the Paftorals of Phi lips, and ended with thofe of Pope.

The fame year was written the Elay on Criticifm; a work which difplays fuch extent of comprehenfion, fuch nicety of diftinction, fuch acquaintance with mankind, and fuch knowledge both of ancient and modern learning, as are not often attained by the matureft age and longeft experience. It was published about two years afterwards, and being praised by Addifon in the Spectator with fufficient liberality, met with fo much favour as enraged Dennis, "who," he fays, "found himfelf attacked, with"out any manner of provocation on his

fide, and attacked in his perfon, in"stead of his writings, by one who was "wholly