Next year he published fome felect poems of his friend Dr. Parnell, with a very elegant Dedication to the Earl of Oxford; who; after all his ftruggles and dangers, then lived in retirement, ftill under the frown of a victorious faction, who could take no pleasure in hearing his praife.

He gave the fame year (1721) an edition of Shakespeare. His name was now of fo much authority, that Tonfon thought himself entitled, by annexing it, to demand a fubfcription of fix guineas for Shakespeare's plays in fix quarto volumes; nor did his expectation much deceive him; for of seven hundred and fifty which he printed, he dispersed

a great number at the price proposed. H 2

The

The reputation of that edition indeed funk afterwards fo low, that one hundred and forty copies were fold at fixteen fhillings each.

On this undertaking, to which Pope was induced by a reward of two hundred and feventeen pounds twelve fhillings, he feems never to have reflected afterwards without vexation; for Theobald, a man of heavy diligence, with very flender powers, firit, in a book called Shakefpeare Reftored, and then in a formal edition, detected his deficiencies with all the infolence of victory; and, as he was now high enough to be feared and hated, Theobald had from others all the help that could be fupplied, by the defire of humbling a haughty character.

From

From this time Pope became an enemy to editors, collaters, commentators, and verbal criticks; and hoped to perfuade the world, that he mifcarried in this undertaking only by having a miad too great for fuch minute employment.

Pope in his edition undoubtedly did many things wrong, and left many things undone; but let him not be defrauded of his due praife. He was the firft that knew, at leaft the first that told, by what helps the text might be improved. If he infpected the early editions negligently, he taught others to be more accurate. In his Preface he. expanded, with great fkill and elegance, the character which had been given of Shakespeare by Dryden; and he drew:

the publick attention upon his works, which, though often mentioned, had been little read.

Soon after the appearance of the Iliad, refolving not to let the general kindness cool, he published propofals for a tranflation of the Odyfey, in five volumes, for five guineas. He was willing, however, now to have affociates in his labour, being either weary with toiling upon another's thoughts, or having heard, as Ruffhead relates, that Fenton and Broome had already begun the work, and liking better to have them confederates than rivals.

In the patent, inftead of faying that he had tranflated the Offey, as he had faid of the Iliad, he fays that he had: under

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undertaken a translation; and in the propofals the fubfcription is faid to be not folely for his own ufe, but for that of two of his friends who have affifted hini in this work.

In 1723, while he was engaged in this new verfion, he appeared before the Lords at the memorable trial of Bifhop Atterbury, with whom he had lived in great familiarity, and frequent correfpondence. Atterbury had honeftly recommended to him the study of the popifh controverfy, in hope of his converfion; to which Pope answered in a manner that cannot much recommend his principles, or his judgement. In questions and projects of learning, they agreed better. He was called at the trial to give an account.