to be expected; however, we shall mention such cir cumstances as are the most material.

The author of Mist's Journal positively asserts, "that Mr. Addison raised Pope from obscurity, ob"tained him the acquaintance and friendship of "the whole body of our nobility, and transferred his "powerful influence with those great men to this "rising bard, who frequently levied, by that means, ❝ unusual contributions on the public."

When this charge of ingratitude and dishonour was published against Mr. Pope, to acquit himself of it, he called upon any nobleman whose friendship, or any one gentleman whose subscription, Mr. Addison had procured to our author, to stand forth and declare it, that truth might appear. But the whole libel was proved a malicious story by many persons of distinction, who, several years before Mr. Addison's decease, approved those verses denominated a libel, but which were, it is said, a friendly rebuke, sent privately in our author's own hand, to Mr. Addison himself, and never made public till by Curl, in his Miscellanies, 12mo. 1727. The lines, indeed, are elegantly satirical, and, in the opinion of many unprejudiced judges, who had opportunities of knowing the character of Mr. Addison, are no ill representation of him. Speaking of the poetical triflers of the times, who had declared against him, he makes a sudden transition to Addison.

Peace to all such! But were there one whose fires
True genius kindles, and fair fame inspires,
Blest with each talent and each art to please,
And born to write, converse, and live with ease;
Should such a man, too fond to rule alone,
Bear, like the Turk, no rival near the throne,
View him with scornful, yet with jealous eyes,
And hate for arts that caus'd himself to rise;
Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer,
And, without sneering, others teach to sneer;
Willing to wound, and yet afraid to strike,
Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike;
Alike reserv'd to blame or to commend,
A tim❜rous foe, and a suspicious friend;
Dreading e'en fools; by flatterers besieg'd;
And so obliging, that he ne'er oblig'd.
Like Cato give his little senate laws,
And sit attentive to his own applause;
While wits and Templars ev'ry sentence raise,
And wonder with a foolish face of praise.
Who but must laugh, if such a man there be !
Who would not weep, if Atticus were he!

Some readers may think these lines severe, but the treatment he received from Mr. Addison was more than sufficient to justify them, which will appear, when we particularize an interview between these two poetical antagonists, procured by the warm solicitations

1

of Sir Richard Steele, who was present at it, as well

as Mr. Gray.

Mr. Jervas being one day in company with Mr. Addison, the conversation turned upon Mr. Pope, for whom Addison, at that time, expressed the highest regard, and assured Mr. Jervas that he would make use not only of his interest, but of his art likewise, to do Mr. Pope service. He then said, he did not mean his art of poetry, but his art at court; and protested, notwithstanding many insinuations were spread, that it should not be his fault if there was not the best understanding and intelligence between them. He observed, that Dr. Swift might have carried him too far among the enemy during the animosity, but now all was safe, and Mr. Pope, in his opinion, was escaped. When Mr. Jervas communicated this conversation to Mr. Pope, he made this reply: "The friendly office you "endeavour to do between Mr. Addison and me de66 serves acknowledgments on my part. You thorough❝ly know my regard to his character, and my readi66 ness to testify it by all ways in my power; you also "thoroughly knew the meanness of that proceeding "of Mr. Phillips, to make a man I so highly value "suspect my disposition towards him. But as, after "all, Mr. Addison must be judge in what regards him"self, and as he has seemed not to be a very just one "to me, so I must own to you I expect nothing but

"civility from him, how much soever I wish for his "friendship; and, as for any offers of real kindness ❝or service, which it is in his power to do me, I should "be ashamed to receive them from a man who has no "better opinion of my morals than to think me a "party man; nor of my temper than to believe me "capable of maligning or envying another's reputa❝tion as a poet. In a word, Mr. Addison is sure of 66 my respect at all times, and of my real friendship, "whenever he shall think fit to know me for what I "am."

Some years after this conversation, at the desire of Sir Richard Steele, they met. At first, a very cold civility, and nothing else, appeared on either side; for Mr. Addison had a natural reserve and gloom at the beginning of an evening, which, by conversation and a glass, brightened into an easy chearfulness. Sir Richard Steele, who was a most social, benevolent man, begged of him to fulfil his promise, in dropping all animosity against Mr. Pope. Mr. Pope then desired to be made sensible how he had offended, and observed, that the translation of Homer, if that was the great crime, was undertaken at the request, and almost at the command, of Sir Richard Steele. He entreated Mr. Addison to speak candidly and freely, though it might be with ever so much severity, rather than, by keeping up forms of complaisance, conceal

any of his faults. This Mr. Pope spoke in such a manner as plainly indicated he thought Mr. Addison the aggressor, and expected him to condescend, and own himself the cause of the breach between them. But he was disappointed; for Mr. Addison, without appearing to be angry, was quite overcome with it. He began with declaring, that he always had wished him well, had often endeavoured to be his friend, and in that light advised him, if his nature was capable of it, to divest himself of part of his vanity, which was too great for his merit; that he had not arrived yet to that pitch of excellence he might imagine, or think his most partial readers imagined; that when he and Sir Richard Steele corrected his verses, they had a different air; reminding Mr. Pope of the amendment, by Sir Richard, of a line in the poem called the Messiah,

He wipes the tears for ever from our eyes,

which is taken from the prophet Isaiah,

The Lord God will wipe all tears from off all faces; From every face he wipes off every tear.

And so it stands altered in the newer editions of Mr. Pope's works. He proceeded to lay before him all the mistakes and inaccuracies hinted at by the writers who had attacked Mr. Pope, and added many things which he himself objected to. Speaking of his tran