occafion to answer the flanderers in fome fatires in imitation of Horace. He thought, as he tells us, that an answer from Horace was both more full and of more dignity than any he could have made in his own perfon; and the example of much greater freedom in fo eminent a divine as Dr. Donne, feemed a proof with what indignation and contempt a Chriftian may treat vice or folly, in ever fo low, or ever fo high, a station. These fatires are by no means equal in point of verfification to his other compofitions *; but they aboun trokes of wit and fpirit. They are not, as his learned Commentator obferves, a paraphrafe of Horace, or a faithful copy of his genius and manner of writing. In many places, nevertheless, the imitation is fuperior to the original. For inftance, in the following paffage from the imitation of the firft Satire of the fecond Book of Horace, addreffed to Mr. Fortescue †. " Nec It must be confidered, however, that as the originals were fermoni propriora, the Poet would have tranfgreffed every rule of imitation, had he given them all the force and harmony of his verfification. Nevertheless he could not forbear to do it on many occafions. + This eminent lawyer, who afterward became a judge, appears to have been among our author's moft familiar and efteemed friends. He was, though a lawyer, a man of fome wit and fancy. The whimfical cafe of the pied Horfes, penned in ridicule of the old mufty Reports, was the joint compoficion of this gentleman and Mr. POPE. Our author frequently mentions him in his familiar correfpondence, in terms of the moft cordial cfteem. In a letter to Mr. Allen, he fays, -"You must affure judge Fortefcue of my friend "Nec quifquam noceat, cupido mihi pacis! at "ille, Qui me commôrit, (melius non tangere, clamo) "Flebit, et infignis tota cantabitur urbe,” Thus improved "Peace is my dear delight--not Fleury's more: "But touch me, and no Minifter fo fore. "Whoe'er offends, at fome unlucky time "Slides into verfe, and hitches in a rhyme, "Sacred to Ridicule his whole life long, "And the fad burden of fome merry fong." There is a delicacy and pleasantry in this apology for the severity of his fatire, which feems to excel the original: which is again furpaffed, in point of fpirit, in these lines. "Cervius iratus leges minitatur et urnam ; "Canidia Albuti, quibus eft inimica, venenum ; "Grande malum Turius, fi quid fe judice certes. "ship, and admit him to yours; so justice and righteous"nefs will meet." On other occafions, fpeaking of him to the fame friend, he expreffes himself fomewhat jocularly:-" I have just seen "Mr. Juftice Fortescue, who is very mindful of your kind "diftinction, and reckons the notice of a man of worth, no "fmall one. Every man bears respect to virtue, even a “lawyer and a courtier. The wonder is, when an honeft dif"interested man, will defcend to take notice of them, which "really nothing but charity could max us do." "Slander or Poifon dread from Delia's rage, "Hard words or hanging, if your Judge be "Page. "From furious Sappho fcarce a milder fate, "P--x'd by her love, or libell'd by her "hate *." . It must be confeffed, however, that the paffages which follow, are, as the annotator has remarked, greatly below the original; and it may be added, much inferior to our author himself. But our poet foon, however, towers above his original, and darts forth fuch lively flashes of indignation, as could only proceed from the vigour of genius, warmed with the glow of virtue. "What? arm'd for Virtue when I point the << pen, "Brand the bold front of fhameless guilty men; "Dafh the proud Gamefter in his gilded Car, "Bare the mean Heart that lurks beneath a "Star; *Thefe four lines gave great offence to two court Ladies, who deemed themfelves touched and the Poet employed Lord Cobham to mediate with them, which he long attempted to no purpose. At length, however, he fatisfied them both by this ingenious expedient, which was, that Mr. POPE, in the futi re editions, fhould give the p-xing to Delia, and the poifining to Sappho. "Can "Can there be wanting, to defend Her cause, "Lights of the Church, or Guardians of the "Laws? "Could penfion'd Boileau lafh in honeft "ftrain "Flatt'rers and Bigots ev'n in Louis' reign? "Could Laureate Dryden Pimp and Fry'r en 66 gage, "Yet neither Charles nor James be in a rage? "And I not ftrip the gilding off a Knave, Unplac'd, unpenfion'd, no man's heir, or "flave? "I will, or perish in the gen'rous caufe: "Hear this, and tremble! you, who 'fcape the "Laws. "Yes, while I live, no rich or noble knave "Shall walk the world, in credit, to his grave. "To Virtue only and her friends a friend, "The World befide may murmur, or com"mend. "Know, all the diftant din that world can keep, "Rolls o'er my Grotto, and but fooths my “fleep. "There, my retreat the best Companions grace, "Chiefs out of war, and Statesmen out of place." The confcious pride likewife with which he fpeaks of his familiarity with the great, is difplayed with becoming fpirit and dignity. Envy must own, I live among the Great, "No Pimp of pleasure, and no Spy of flate, "Withi "With eyes that pry not, tongue that ne'er repeats, "Fond to fpread friendships, and to cover "heats; "To help who want, to forward who excel; "This all who know me, know; who love ་ me, tell; "And who unknown defame me, let them "be "Scriblers or Peers, alike are Mob to me." This is, indeed, fumere fuperbiam quaefitam meritis! It is to be obferved that Lord Harvey and Lady Mary were fuppofed to have been defcribed in this epiftle, fo characteriftically, under the names of Lord Fanny and Sappho, that these two noble perfonages did not omit any means to gratify their refentment. The Lady, in particular, was, as may well be imagined, highly offended that the public fhould apply the character of Sappho to her; and complained of the infult to her acquaintance, and especially to Lord Peterborough, whom she would have engaged to expoftulate with Mr. POPE, as we learn from the following letter which that nobleman addreffed to her. "MADAME, "I was very unwilling to have my name made ufe of in an affair in which I have no concern, " and |