on the sarcasm of king William. Hay, in his Effay on Deformity, obferves of himself, that he was the only deformed member of the House of Commons, that consists of 558 perfons, yet had not that objected to him by his constituents: neither was he probably affronted on that account, in the House or out of it. The late Lord Temple could, through contempt or magnanimity, laugh at the ridicule of the libellers on the aukward

nefs of his figure. dignity on his feat,

He had confeffedly more than when he walkedgrace not in every step. If there is any thing, faid that good Englishman and great statesman, in the House of Peers, in my person, that can be of service to the fcribblers on the other fide, and get them a dinner, they are heartily welcome to it. The supposed inadvertent imputation of Atterbury, of a crooked mind in a crooked body, could not be intended to reach the ears of Pope, nor descend to mark his character to the prefent age. What is dropped in the heat of talk, or even in momentary dislike, ought not to be remembered or reported.

He

Pope can hardly be faid ever to have been a child, though he was all his life re-. quiring the help neceffary for one. We never have heard of his rattle nor his hobbyhorfe. But then we know but little of him till he was about ten years old. Undoubtedly he was put to read and to write as early as the infirmities of his infancy permitted. was able to understand and to tranflate from Ovid and Statius, as foon as he could be well supposed to construe those authors. Voltaire, that univerfal genius, wrote verses from twelve to eighty-four, as obferves that animated traveller Sherlock, L'Enclos left him a legacy for the prematurity of his poetry. He refembled (I am not sure that Voltaire does not somewhere apply this allufion) those trees that bear bloffoms and fruit at the fame

time. His vein began to run as early, and flowed longer than any of the poetical tribe; though his rapid imagination (in the language of our great lexicographer), like the Peruvian torrent, when it brings down gold, mingled it with fand.

Pope

[9]

Pope wrote verfes, fuch as are even ftill worth reading, as foon as Voltaire.

66

"He

lifp'd in numbers, for the numbers came." So did Cowley. Dodfley gave Mr. Spence fome poems of Pope of earlier compofition than his pleasing Ode on Solitude, and many transcriptions, in the poet's typographical handwriting. His budding years, his love of reading, his paffion for poetry, indulged and commended by his father, kept him at school, or under the parental roof at Binfield. Whilft he was under tuition at Hydepark-Corner, he grew enamoured of Ogilby's Homer, on account of the story and the fplendid engravings; and he warmed his fancy by going often to the playhouse, and acting a part in a play he had got up. He compofed, while at his father's, an epic poem, called Alcander, which he threw int the fire (with a tragedy and a comedy," ac cording to Ruffhead) on the advice of Bishop Atterbury.

pa

The first we hear of him is under the tronage of Sir William Trumbul, who had been Secretary of State to king William,

and

and lived in his neighbourhood. His pastorals, compofed at the age of fixteen, were his gentleman usher to introduce him to the acquaintance of the first men in the kingdom.

This fpecies of compofition, in which he equalled or furpaffed every body elfe, was the last of his puerilities. To this melodious defcription of love, the feafons, and of fictitious manners, tranfcribed from his poetical predeceffors, he was indebted for his firft fame.

As it was precurfory of his higher attempts, and perhaps neceffary to them, what he has performed is not to be disrespected nor overlooked. Me quoque dicunt vatem paftores, fed non ego credulus illis. Sicily, according to that agreeable traveller Brydone, is as capable of bucolic poetry, as in the time of Theocritus, who was a native of Syracufe. But, furely, the occupation of the cowherds, of the hufbandmen, and the vinedreffers, though you annex the sweetness of the Hyblean bees, and the melody of the birds in the fulness of fong, will not compleat the image of perfect happiness; much less

of

of the imaginary golden age, which, if it could have existence any where, would be destructive of the active faculties of mankind, as Lord Kaims pronounces very justly in his, Sketches of Human Nature. For the horrors of Mount Etna will poffefs the imagination, and the danger from robbers and affaffins incline us to think a paftoral life, even in that region, not a very fecure or happy

one.

Pope was now a man, amongst men. A boy keping company with men, will foon become a man himself. By the concurring advice and encouragement of his patrons, and all who knew him, he was preparing to fing the wrath of Peleus' fon. He was brought where he might fee the world, and the world might fee him. He was yet fo green in years, that Ambrofe Philips, a paftoral poet as well as himself, brought a birchen rod, for his correction, to Button's. He certainly had as little rubbish about him, as any man of his years, to use an expreffion of Sir Robert Walpole, on Mr. Legge. Having no profeffion to follow, he determined to com

mence