Ogylby. With Chapman, whose work, though now totally neglected, feems to have been popular almost to the end of the last century, he had very frequent confultations, and perhaps never tranflated any paffage till he had read his verfion, which indeed he has been fometimes fufpected of using instead of the original.

༔

Notes were likewife to be provided; for the fix volumes would have been very little more than fix pamphlets without them. What the mere perufal of the text could suggest, Pope wanted no affistance to collect or methodize; but more but more was neceffary; many

pages were to be filled, and learning must fupply materials to wit and judgment. Something might be gathered from Dacier; but no man loves to be indebted to his contemporaries, and Dacier was acceffible to common readers. Euftathius was therefore neceffarily confulted. To read Euftathius, of whose work there was then no Latin verfion, I fufpect Pope, if he had been willing, not to have been able; fome other was therefore to be found, who had leifure as well as abilities, and he was doubtlefs most readi

ly

ly employed who would do much work for

little money.

The history of the notes has never been traced. Broome, in his preface to his poems, declares himself the commentator in part upon the Iliad; and it appears from Fenton's Letter, preferved in the Museum, that Broome was at first engaged in confulting Euftathius; but that after a time, whatever was the reason, he defisted: another man of Cambridge was then employed, who foon grew weary of the work; and a third was recommended by Thirlby, who is now discovered to have been Fortin, a man fince well known to the learned world, who complained that Pope, having accepted and approved his performance, never teftified any curiofity to fee him. The terms which Fenton uses are very mercantile: I think at first fight that his performance is very commendable, and have fent word for him to finish the 17th book, and to fend it with his demands for his trouble. I have here enclosed the Specimen; if the reft come before the return, I will keep them till I receive your order.

Broome then offered his fervice a fecond time, which was probably accepted, as they

had

had afterwards a clofer correfpondence. Parnell contributed the Life of Homer, which Pope found fo harsh, that he took great pains in correcting it; and by his own diligence, with such help as kindness or money could procure him, in somewhat more than five years he completed his version of the Iliad, with the notes. He began it in 1712, his twenty-fifth year, and concluded it in 1718, his thirtieth year.

When we find him tranflating fifty lines a day, it is natural to fuppofe that he would have brought his work to a more speedy conclufion. The Iliad, containing less than fixteen thousand verses, might have been despatched in less than three hundred and twenty days by fifty verfes in a day. The notes, compiled with the affiftance of his mercenaries, could not be fuppofed to require more time than the text. According to this calculation, the progrefs of Pope may feem to have been flow; but the distance is commonly very great between actual performances and fpeculative poffibility. It is natural to fuppose, that as much as has been done to-day may be done to-morrow; but on the morrow fome

fome difficulty emerges, or fome external impediment obftructs. Indolence, interruption, business, and pleasure, all take their turns of retardation; and every long work is lengthened by a thousand causes that can, and ten thousand that cannot, be recounted. Perhaps no extensive and multifarious performance was ever effected within the term originally fixed in the undertaker's mind. He. that runs against Time, has an antagonist not fubject to cafualties.

The encouragement given to this tranflation, though report seems to have over-rated it, was fuch as the world has not often seen. The fubfcribers were five hundred and feventyfive. The copies, for which fubfcriptions were given, were fix hundred and fifty-four. For those copies Pope had nothing to pay; he therefore received, including the two hundred pounds a volume, five thousand three hundred and twenty pounds four fhillings, without deduction, as the books were supplied by Lintot.

By the fuccefs of his fubfcription Pope was relieved from those pecuniary distresses with

which, notwithstanding his popularity, he had hitherto struggled. Lord Oxford had often lamented his difqualification for publick employment, but never proposed a penfion. While the translation of Homer was in its progress, Mr. Craggs, then fecretary of ftate, offered to procure him a penfion, which, at least during his miniftry, might be enjoyed with fecrecy. This was not accepted by Pope, who told him, however, that, if he should be preffed with want of money, he would fend to him for occafional fupplies. Craggs was not long in power, and was never folicited for money by Pope, who disdained to beg what he did not want.

With the product of this fubfcription, which he had too much discretion to squander, he fecured his future life from want, by confiderable annuities. The estate of the Duke of Buckingham was found to have been charged with five hundred pounds a year, payable to Pope, which doubtless his tranflation enabled him to purchase.

It cannot be unwelcome to literary curiosity, that I deduce thus minutely the history of the English