How pleafing ATTERBURY's fofter hour! How NOTES. VER. 80. STANHOPE's noble Flame,] Who confeffed to old Whifton, that, in his opinion, it was almost impoffible for a Minifter of State to be an honeft man. WARTON. VER. 82. How pleafing ATTERBURY's] Pleafing indeed it muft have been, whether we confider his learning, his eloquence, his tafte, his tender domeftic feelings as a Father, his kindness as a Friend. Atterbury is held up, as factious, ambitious, &c. That he was attached to the Houfe of Stuart, and afterwards entered into the schemes with the party, there can be no doubt; but I think it hard to attribute this to disappointed ambition, from not attaining the ecclefiaftical eminence he afpired to. Might he not have been actuated folely by confcience, and a sense of what he thought his duty? His firmnefs of conduct, his manly tendernefs, his accomplishments, and his fufferings throw a kind of beautiful luftre on his character, whatever might have been his political creed, or conduct. His letter on his banishment, where he fays, "Some natural tears he dropped, but wiped them foon;" who can read without being affected to tears? I cannot help faying, when I think of his "fofter hour;" "Ambition should be made of ferner fuff" "Gentle Knave, good night; When we confider what has been esteemed the harsher and more violent part of his character, we feel an additional tenderness, at the idea of kindneffes, friendship, paternal feelings, &c. We are interested, as when in Julius Cæfar we fee Brutus, whofe ftern character we had been almoft afraid to approach, taking the inftrument, from the boy's hand, and, in the midst of his haraffed and bitter feelings, faying, not do thee fo much wrong to wake thee !" JULIUS CESAR. I will add Coxe's account of his Education, &c. "Francis Atterbury was born at Middleton near Newport Pagnell, in Buckinghamshire, 1662. He was educated at Weftminster, and elected ftudent of Chrift Church Oxford. He was distinguished at an early age for tafte and claffical attainments. On taking orders, he acquired high reputation, for his talents in preaching, and fupporting, against Hoadley and Wake, the doctrines of the high Church. "He How can I PULT'NEY, CHESTERFIELD forget, 85 ARGYLL, NOTES. "He was first patronized by Sir Jonathan Trelawny, Bishop of Exeter; appointed by the Tory administration of Queen Anne, Dean of Christ Church; and in 1713, at the recommendation of the Earl of Oxford, advanced to the Bifhoprick of Rochetter, and Deanery of Westminster. "He was inimical always to the fucceffion of the Hanover line. On the acceffion of George the First, he received evident marks of coldnefs from the new Sovereign. He afpired to the highett honours of the Church, and would have fucceeded under Queen Anne; but, on her death, his uniform oppofition to the Government of his new Sovereign, precluded him from all expectation of preferment." VER. 83. How fhin'd the Soul,] Among thefe, Atterbury was his chief intimate. The turbulent and imperious temper of this haughty prelate was long felt and remembered in the college over which he prefided. It was with difficulty Queen Anne was perfuaded to make him a bishop; which she did at laft, on the repeated importunities of Lord Harcourt; who preffed the Queen to do it, because truly fhe had before difappointed him, in not placing Sacheverell on the bench. After her decease, Atterbury vehemently urged his friends to proclaim the Pretender; and on their refufal, upbraided them for their timidity with many oaths; for he was accustomed to swear, on any strong provocation. In a Collection of Letters, lately published by Mr. Duncombe, it is affirmed, on the authority of Elijah Fenton, that Atterbury, fpeaking of Pope, faid, there was, Mens curva in corpore curvo. This fentiment feems utterly inconfiftent with the warm friendfhip fuppofed to fubfift between these celebrated men. But Dr. Herring, in the 2d vol. of this collection, p. 104. fays, " If At. terbury was not worse used than any honest man in the world ever was, there were ftrong contradictions between his public and pri vate character." WARTON. VER. 84. PULT'NFY, CHESTERFIELD] I have heard a lady of exquifite wit and judgment, fay of these two celebrated men, "The latter was always ftriving to be witty, and the former could not help being fo." The ARGYLL, the State's whole Thunder born to wield, And shake alike the Senate and the Field: Or WYNDHAM, just to Freedom and the Throne, Names, which I long have lov'd, nor lov'd in vain, 91 And if yet higher the proud Lift fhould end, Yet NOTES. The two lines on Argyle are faid to have been added, on the Duke's declaring in the Houfe of Lords, on occafion of fome of Pope's fatires, that if any man dared to use his uame in an invective, he would run him through the body, and throw himself on the mercy of his Peers, who, he trufted, would weigh the pro vocation. Bolingbroke's Letter to Wyndham is one of the most curious of his works, and it gave a deadly and incurable blow to the folly and madness of Jacobitism. WARTON. VER. 84. CHESTERFIELD forget,] His character was much funk by the publication of the loofe and libertine Letters to his Son. WARTON. VER. 88. WYNDHAM,] Sir William Wyndham, Chancellor of the Exchequer under Queen Anne, made early a confiderable figure; but fince a much greater, both by his ability and eloquence, joined with the utmoft judgment and temper. POPE. VER. 88. Or WYNDHAM, just to] In former Editions, Or WYNDHAM arm'd for Freedom WARTON. VER. 88. Freedom and the Throne.] We must always remember that the facred appellation of Patriot, is always adopted by difappointment, but it seems almoft ludicrous that it should be fo perpetually in the mouth of the high Tory Party, such as Bolingbroke, &c. VER. 92. And if yet higher, &c.] He was at that time honoured with the esteem and favour of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. WARBURTON. Yet think not, Friendship only prompts my lays; I follow Virtue; where fhe fhines, I praife: Point fhe to Prieft or Elder, Whig or Tory, 95 1 Or round a Quaker's Beaver caft a Glory. Din'd with the MAN of Ross, or my LORD MAY'R. NOTES. Frederic Prince of Wales; who poffeffed many of what the King of Pruffia called, ces qualités fociables qui s'allient fi rare. ment avec la morgue et la grandeur des Souveraines WARTON. VER. 93. Still let me fay! No Follower, but a Friend] i, e. Unrelated to their parties, and attached only to their perfons. WARBURTON. VER. 99 the MAN of Ross,] Kirle, the celebrated Man of Rofs, was educated at Baliol College Oxford, where there is a curious Tankard, infcribed with his name, which he left as a prefent to the College; it is often fhewn as a curiofity, in confequence of the fplendor given to his name, by Pope's numbers. The Tankard flands about 10 inches high from the ground, being fupported by three legs, in the shape of Lions. The handle is formed by the figure of a Dolphin, and the cover, lifted up by a figure of an Hedge hog, which was Kirle's Crest. Upon the cover of the Tankard, the arms of Baliol College. In the centre, the Arms of the Donor, above which are the words "Poculum Charitatis :" and underneath, the following Infcription: "Ex dono Jhannis Kirle de Roffe, in Agro Herefordienfi et hujus Collegii Sono Commenfalis." The date of the year, in which the gift was made, is, contrary to the usual form, omitted. VER. 99. my LORD MAYʼR.] Sir John Barnard, Lord Mayor' in the year of the Poem, 1738. A citizen eminent for his virtue, public fpirit, and great talents in Parliament. An excellent Man, Magiftrate, and Senator. In the year 1747, the City of London, in memory of his many and fignal fervices to his Country, erected a statue to him. But his image had been placed long before in the heart of every good Man. WARBURTON. Some, in their choice of Friends (nay, look not grave) 100 Have ftill a fecret Bias to a Knave: To find an honest man I beat about, And love him, court him, praise him, in or out. P. Not fo fierce; Find 115 105 NOTES. VER. 102. To find an honest man, &c.] In this fearch, in which he was very fincere, it would have been well if he had not fometimes trufled to the reports of others, who had lefs penetration, but more paffions to gratify. WARBURTON. VER. 112. Enough for half the Greatest] Dr. Warton asks, whether this is not too high language? He might well ask. Pope puts me in mind here, of what we read of the beautiful, but fearful ferpent, in a rich African landfcape, that lifts his head above the tall grafs, as if he thought himself the lord of the Earth. VER. 116 What RICHLIU wanted,] A curious and uncommon fact is mentioned by the learned Abbé Longuerue, Part ii. P. 5. That Cardinal Richlieu had, from time to time, fits of in fanity 3 |