the first and last letter, Cl, a poem of two cantos was written (1711), as is faid, in a fortnight, and fent to the offended Lady, who liked it well enough to fhew it; and, with the ufual procefs of literary transactions, the author, dreading a furreptitious edition, was forced to publish it.

The event is faid to have been fuch as was defired; the pacification and diverfion of all to whom it related, except Sir George Brown, who complained with fome bitterness that, in the character of Sir Plume, he was made to talk nonfenfe. Whether all this be true, I have fome doubt; for at Paris, a few years ago, a niece of Mrs. Fermor, who prefided in an English Convent, mentioned Pope's work with very little gratitude, rather as an infult than an honour; and fhe may be fuppofed to have inherited the opinion of her family.

At its first appearance it was termed by Addifon merum fal. Pope, however, saw that it was capable of improvement; and, having luckily contrived to borrow his machinery from the Roficrucians, imparted the scheme

1

with which his head was teeming to Addison, who told him that his work, as it ftood, was a delicious little thing, and gave him no encouragement to retouch it.

This has been too haftily confidered as an instance of Addison's jealousy; for as he could not guefs the conduct of the new defign, or the poffibilities of pleasure comprifed in a fiction of which there had been no examples, he might very reasonably and kindly perfuade the author to acquiefce in his own profperity, and forbear an attempt which he confidered as an unneceffary hazard.

Addison's counsel was happily rejected. Pope forefaw the future efflorefcence of imagery then budding in his mind, and refolved to spare no art, or industry of cultivation. The foft luxuriance of his fancy was already fhooting, and all the gay varieties of diction were ready at his hand to colour and embellish it.

His attempt was juftified by its fuccefs. The Rape of the Lock ftands forward, in the claffes of literature, as the most exquifite example

example of ludicrous poetry. Berkley congratulated him upon the difplay of powers more truly poetical than he had fhewn before; with elegance of defcription and justnefs of precepts, he had now exhibited boundless fertility of invention.

He always confidered the intertexture of the machinery with the action as his most successful exertion of poetical art. He indeed could never afterwards produce any thing of fuch unexampled excellence. Thofe performances, which ftrike with wonder, are combinations of skilful genius with happy cafualty; and it is not likely that any felicity, like the discovery of a new race of preternatural agents, fhould happen twice to the fame man.

Of this poem the author was, I think, allowed to enjoy the praise for a long time without disturbance. Many years afterwards Dennis published fome remarks upon it, with very little force, and with no effect; for the opinion of the publick was already fettled, and it was no longer at the mercy criticism.

of

About

About this time he published the Temple of Fame, which, as he tells Steele in their correfpondence, he had written two years before; that is, when he was only twentytwo years old, an early time of life for fo much learning and fo much observation as that work exhibits.

On this poem Dennis afterwards published fome remarks, of which the moft reafonable is, that fome of the lines represent motion as exhibited by sculpture.

Of the Epiftle from Eloifa to Abelard, I do not know the date. His firft inclination to attempt a compofition of that tender kind arofe, as Mr. Savage told me, from his perufal of Prior's Nut-brown Maid. How much he has furpaffed Prior's work it is not neceffary to mention, when perhaps it may be faid with juftice, that he has excelled every composition of the fame kind. The mixture of religious hope and refignation gives an elevation and dignity to disappointed love, which images merely natural cannot bestow. The gloom of a convent strikes the imagina

tion with far greater force than the folitude

of a grove.

This piece was, however, not much his favourite in his latter years, though I never heard upon what principle he flighted it.

In the next year (1713) he published Windfor Foreft; of which part was, as he relates, written at fixteen, about the fame time as his Paftorals, and the latter part was added afterwards: where the addition begins, we are not told. The lines relating to the Peace confess their own date. It is dedicated to Lord Lanfdowne, who was then high in reputation and influence among the Tories; and it is faid that the conclufion of the poem gave great pain to Addison, both as a poet and a politician. Reports like this are often spread with boldness very difproportionate to their evidence. Why fhould Addison receive any particular disturbance from the laft lines of Windfor Foreft? If contrariety of opinion could poison a politician, he would not live a day; and, as a poet, he must have felt Pope's force of genius much more from many other parts of his works.