Pretty! in amber to obferve the forms Of hairs, or ftraws, or dirt, or grubs, or worms! NOTES. 16 The and the other, a flave to the Jefuits, and an Idiot. But fo great was his love of facred amity at the fame time, that he fays, I ftill keep up my correspondence with him, notwithstanding his Idiotry, for it is my principle to be conflant in my friendships —Je ne reste de luy eferire, nonollant fon Idioterie, d'autant que je fuis conftant en amitié. The character he gives of his own Chronology, in the fame letter, is no lefs extraordinary: Vous vous pouvez furer que nôtre Eufebe jera tréjor des marveilles de la dodrine Chronologique. But this modelt account of his own work, is nothing in comparison of the idea the Father gives his bookfeller of his own perfon. 2472 teller was This book preparing fomething of Julius Scaliger's for the Prefs; and defired the Author would give him directions concerning his picture, which was to be fet before the book. Julius's anfwer (as it ftands in his collection of letters) is, that if the engraver could collect together the feveral graces of Mafinissa, Xenophon, and Plato, he might then be enabled to give the public fome faint and imperfect refemblance of his Perfon. Nor was Salmafius's judgment of his own parts less favourable to himself; as Mr. Colomies tells the ftory. This Critic, on a time, meeting two of his brethren, Meffrs. Gaulman and Maussac, in the Royal Library at Paris, Gaulman, in a virtuous confcioufnefs of their importance, told the other two, that he believed they three could make head against all the Learned in Europe. To which the great Salmafius fiercely replied, "Do you and M. Mauffae join yourfelves to all that are learned in the world, and you fhall find that I alone am a match for you all." Voffius tells us, that when Laur. Valla had fnarled at every name of the first order in antiquity, fuch as Aristotle, Cicero, and one whom I should have thought this Critic the likelieft to revefence, the redoubtable PRISCIAN, he impiously boafted that he had ams even against Christ himself. But Codrus Urceus went further, and actually ufed thofe arms which the other only threatened with. This man, while he was preparing fome trifling piece of Criticism for the prefs, had the misfortune to hear his papers deftroyed by fire: On which he is reported to have broke Quodnam ego tantum fcelus concepi, O Chrifte! quem were out14 ego The things, we know, are neither rich nor rare, But wonder how the devil they got there. Were NOTES. ego tuorum unquam læfi, ut ita inexpiabili in me odio debaccheris? Audi ea quæ tibi mentis compos, et ex animo dicam. Si forte, cum ad ultimum vitæ finem pervenero, fupplex accedam ad te oratum, neve audias, neve inter tuos accipias oro; cum Infernis Diis in æternum vitam agere decrevi." Whereupon, fays my author, he quited the converfe of men, threw himfelf into the thickeft of a foreft, and wore out the wretched remainder of his life in all the agonies of defpair. WARBURTON. VER. 164. falling Bentley] This great man, with all his faults, deferved however to be put into better company. The following words of Cicero defcribe him not amifs: "Habuit à natura genus quoddam acuminis, quod etiam arte limaverat, quod erat in reprehendendis verbis verfutum et folers: fed fæpe ftomachofum, nonnunquam frigidum, interdum etiam facetum." WARBURTON. I fhall add to this note "part of an unpublished letter from my learned and excellent friend Mr. James Harris of Salisbury, addreffed to Mr. John Upton, the editor of Spenfer, and author of Obfervations on Shakespear. "When I think of Bentley, I can't help comparing him to Virgil's Fame; "Ingrediturque folo, et caput inter nubila condit :" An immenfe monfter, poffeffed of a thousand eyes and a thousand ears, to fee, and hear, and know every thing; but, at the fame time, "Tam ficti pravique tenax, quam nuncia veri." The confcioufnefs of his own great parts and accomplishments furnished him with a pride, that, as it made him condemn the senti. ments of moft others, fo it made him deify his own errors." WARTON. VER. 164. flashing Bentley] The following Epigram by Pope, on Bentley's edition of Milton, to which the epithet “flashing" alludes, I have found in his hand-writing: "Did Milton's profe, O Charles! thy death defend? A furious Foe unconfcious proves a Friend, Од Were others angry: I excus'd them too; Well might they rage, I gave them but their due. A man's true merit 'tis not hard to find; Juft writes to make his barrenness appear, 175 180 And ftrains, from hard-bound brains, eight lines a year; He, who still wanting, tho' he lives on theft, Steals much, fpends little, yet has nothing left: 184 And NOTES. On Milton's verfe, did Milton comment?-Know, A weak officious Friend becomes a Foe, While he but fought his Author's fame to further, VER. 180. a Perfian tale] Amb. Philips translated a Book called the Perfian Tales, a book full of fancy and imagination. POPE. Philips, certainly not a very animated or first-rate writer, yet appears not to deferve quite fo much contempt, if we look at his firft and fifth paftoral, his epiftle from Copenhagen, his ode on the Death of Earl Cowper, his tranflations of the two firft Olympic odes of Pindar, the two odes of Sappho, and, above all, his pleafing tragedy of the Diftrefs'd Mother. The fecret grounds of Philip's malignity to Pope, are faid to be the ridicule and laughter he met with from all the Hanover Club, of which he was fecretary, for miftaking the incomparable ironical paper in the Guardian, No. 40. which was written by Pope, for a ferious cripaftoral poetry. Philips, it is faid in Cibber's letter, hung up a rod at Button's, which he faid was for Pope, who on that account left ticism on the fociety. VOL. IV. D WARTON. And He, who now to fenfe, now nonfenfe leaning, It is not Poetry, but profe run mad : All these, my modest Satire bade tranflate, And own'd that nine fuch Poets made a Tate. 190 NOTES. How VER. 189. All thefe, my modeft Satire bade tranflate,] See their works, in the Translations of claffical books by several hands. POPE. VER. 190. And own'd that nine fuch Poets] Before this piece was published, Dr. Young had addreffed two Epiftles to our Author, in the year 1730, concerning the Authors of the age; in which are many paffages that bear a great resemblance to many of Pope's; though Pope has heightened, improved, and condenfed the hints, images, and fentiments of Young. Shall we not cenfure all the motley train, Rich, poor, male, female, young, old, gay, or fad, Profoundly dull, or fhallowly polite, Men that read well, or men that only write; rags of all the stuff on earth. WARTON. VER. 190. a Tate] There is great humour in this idea. Tate was poet laureat, and translated or rather paraphrafed the Pfalms in conjunction with Brady. How did they fume, and stamp, and roar, and chafe ! And swear, not ADDISON himself was safe. Peace to all fuch! but were there One whose fires True Genius kindles, and fair Fame inspires; NOTES. Bleft VER. 192. And fwear, not ADDISON himself was fafe.] This is an artful preparative for the following transition; and finely obviates what might be thought unfavourable of the severity of the fatire, by thofe who were ftrangers to the provocation. WARBURTON. VER. 192. ADDISON was fafe.] This character of Addison has been confidered as Pope's mafter piece, in "hoc dicendi genere.” It is certainly moft fuccefsfully laboured; but how far it was a likeness, is with me very doubtful. VER. 193 but were there One whofe fires, &c.] Our Poe.'s friendship with Mr. Addifon began in the year 1713. It was cultivated, on both fides, with all the marks of mutual esteem and affection, and a conftant intercourse of good offices. Mr. Addifon was always commending moderation; warned his friend against a blind attachment to party; and blamed Steele for his indifcreet zeal. The tranflation of the Iliad being now on foot, he recommended it to the public, and joined with the Tories in pushing the subscription; but at the fame time advised Mr. Pope not to be content with the applaufe of one half of the nation. On the other hand, Mr. Pope made his friend's intereft his own, fee note on Ver. 215. 1 Ep. B. ii. of Hor.) and, when Dennis so brutally attacked the Tragedy of Cato, he wrote the piece called A narrative of his madness., Thus things continued till Mr. Pope's growing reputation, and fuperior genius* in Poetry, gave umbrage to his friend's false delicacy and then it was he encouraged Philips and others (see his Let This ftatement of Warburton's is neither candid nor true: it is very eafy to fay, "Pope's growing reputation gave umbrage to Addifon; that Addifon encouraged Philips, &c. in their clamours; that his jealoufy at last broke out." But all this is directly contrary to the general tenor of Addifon's life and character, and if I fhould make it appear, as I truft I fhall, that part is untrue, we ought furely to give little credit to the reft. |