Were others angry: I excus'd them too; Just writes to make his barrenness appear, 175 180 And strains, from hard-bound brains, eight lines a year; He, who still wanting, tho' he lives on theft, Steals much, fpends little, yet has nothing left: NOTES. On Milton's verfe, did Milton comment? - Know, A weak officious Friend becomes a Foe, While he but fought his Author's fame to further, 184 And VER. 180. a Perfian tale] Amb. Philips translated a Book called the Perfian Tales, a book full of fancy and imagination. POPE. Philips, certainly not a very animated or first-rate writer, yet appears not to deserve quite so much contempt, if we look at his first and fifth paftoral, his epiftle from Copenhagen, his ode on the Death of Earl Cowper, his translations of the two first Olympic odes of Pindar, the two odes of Sappho, and, above all, his pleafing tragedy of the Diftrefs'd Mother. The fecret grounds of Philip's malignity to Pope, are faid to be the ridicule and laughter he met with from all the Hanover Club, of which he was fecretary, for mistaking the incomparable ironical paper in the Guardian, No. 40. which was written by Pope, for a serious criticism on pastoral poetry. WARTON. Philips, it is faid in Cibber's letter, hung up a rod at Button's, which he faid was for Pope, who on that account left the fociety. And He, who now to fenfe, now nonfenfe leaning, All these, my modest Satire bade translate, And own'd that nine fuch Poets made a Tate. 190 How NOTES, VER. 189. All thefe, my modeft Satire bade tranflate,] See their works, in the Translations of claffical books by several hands. POPE. VER. 190. And own'd that nine fuch Poets] Before this piece was published, Dr. Young had addreffed two Epiftles to our Author, in the year 1730, concerning the Authors of the age; in which are many paffages that bear a great resemblance to many of Pope's; though Pope has heightened, improved, and condenfed the hints, images, and fentiments of Young. Shall we not cenfure all the motley train, Rich, poor, male, female, young, old, gay, or fad, WARTON. VER. 190. a Tate] There is great humour in this idea. Tate was poet laureat, and translated or rather paraphrased the Pfalms in conjunction with Brady. How did they fume, and stamp, and roar, and chafe! And swear, not ADDISON himself was safe. Peace to all fuch! but were there One whofe fires True Genius kindles, and fair Fame inspires; NOTES. Bleft VER. 192. And fwear, not ADDISON himself was fafe.] This is an artful preparative for the following tranfition; and finely obviates what might be thought unfavourable of the feverity of the fatire, by those who were ftrangers to the provocation. WARBURTON. VER. 192. ADDISON was fafe.] This character of Addison has been confidered as Pope's master piece, in "hoc dicendi genere." It is certainly most fuccefsfully laboured; but how far it was a likeness, is with me very doubtful. VER. 193 but were there One whofe fires, &c.] Our Poet's friendship with Mr. Addifon began in the year 1713. It was cultivated, on both fides, with all the marks of mutual esteem and affection, and a constant intercourse of good offices. Mr. Addifon was always commending moderation; warned his friend against a blind attachment to party; and blamed Steele for his indiscreet zeal. The translation of the Iliad being now on foot, he recom. mended it to the public, and joined with the Tories in pushing the subscription; but at the fame time advised Mr. Pope not to be content with the applause of one half of the nation. On the other hand, Mr. Pope made his friend's intereft his own, see note on Ver. 215. 1 Ep. B. ii. of Hor.) and, when Dennis fo brutally attacked the Tragedy of Cato, he wrote the piece called A narrative of his madness. Thus things continued till Mr. Pope's growing reputation, and fuperior genius in Poetry, gave umbrage to his friend's falfe delicacy and then it was he encouraged Philips and others (fee his Let *This ftatement of Warburton's is neither candid nor true : it is very eafy to fay, "Pope's growing reputation gave umbrage to Addifon; that Addifon encouraged Philips, &c. in their clamours; that his jealoufy at last broke out." But all this is directly contrary to the general tenor of Addifon's life and character, and if I should make it appear, as I truft I fhall, that part is untrue, we ought furely to give little credit to the reft, Bleft with each talent and each art to please, And born to write, converse, and live with ease : NOTES. 195 View Letters) in their clamours against him as a Tory and Jacobite, who had assisted in writing the Examiners; and, under an affected care for the Government, would have hid, even from himself, the true grounds of his difguft. But his jealoufy foon broke out, and discovered itself, firft to Mr. Pope, and, not long after, to all the world. The Rape of the Lock had been written in a very hafty manner, and printed in a collection of Mifcellanies. The fuccefs it met with encouraged the Author to revife and enlarge it, and give it a more important air; which was done by advancing it into a mock-epic poem. In order to this it was to have its Machinery; which, by the happiest invention, he took from the Roficrucian System. Full of this noble conception, he communicated his fcheme to Mr. Addifon; who, he imagined, would have been equally delighted with the improvement. On the contrary, he had the mortification to see his friend receive it coldly; and even to advise him against any alteration; for that the poem, in its original ftate, was a delicious little thing, and, as he expreffed it, merum fal. Mr. Pope was fhocked for his friend; and then first began to open his eyes to his Character. Soon after this, a translation of the first book of the Iliad appeared under the name of Mr. Tickell; which coming out at a critical juncture, when Mr. Pope was in the midft of his engagements on the fame fubject, and by a creature of Mr. Addison's, made him suspect this to be another shaft from the fame quiver: And after a diligent enquiry, and laying many odd circumftances together, he was fully convinced that it was not only published with Mr. Addison's participation, but was indeed his own performance. And Sir R. Steele, in the ninth Edition of the Drummer (which Tickell had omitted to infert amongst Addison's Works) in a long epiftle to Congreve, affirms very intelligibly, that Addison, and not Tickell, was the tranflator of the first book of the Iliad, to which the latter had fet his name. Mr. Pope, in his first refentment of this ufage, was refolved to expose this new View him with fcornful, yet with jealous eyes, NOTES. 200 Damn new Verfion in a fevere critique upon it. I have now by me the Copy he had marked for this purpofe; in which he has claffed the feveral faults in tranflation, language, and numbers, under their proper heads. But the growing fplendor of his own works fo eclipfed the faint efforts of this oppofition, that he trusted to its own weakness and malignity for the justice due unto it. About this time, Mr. Addifon's fon-in-law, the E. of Warwick, told Mr. Pope, that it was in vain to think of being well with his Father, who was naturally a jealous man; that Mr Pope's talents in poetry had hurt him; and to fuch a degree, that he had underhand encouraged Gildon to write a thing about Wycherley; in which he had fcurrilously abused Mr. Pope and his family; and for this fervice he had given Gildon ten guineas, after the pamphlet was printed. The very next day, Mr. Pope, in great heat, wrote Mr. Addison a Letter, wherein he told him, he was no ftranger to his behaviour; which, however, he fhould not imitate: But that what he thought faulty in him, he would tell him fairly to his face; and what deferved praise he would not deny him to the world: and, as a proof of this difpofition towards him, he had fent him the inclosed; which was the CHARACTER, first published separately, and afterwards inferted in this place of the Epift. to Dr. Arbuthnot. This plain dealing had no ill effect. Mr. Addifon treated Mr. Pope with civility, and, as Mr. Pope be lieved, with juftice, from this time to his death; which happened about three years after. It appears, from a collection of Swift's Letters lately publifhed, that Mr. Addifon, when party was at its height, ufed Swift much better than he had ufed Pope, on that account, # though It is faid that "Addifon ufed Swift much better than he ufed Pope." Addifon's conduct to Swift was generous and noble They were of different parties: Addifon was required to give up his acquaintance, but he conftantly refufed; he treated him with refpect and kindnefs, though, by fo doing, he difobliged Lord Sunderland. |