inclined to condemn me, shall not fear the | high-flyers at Button's.. This oppofition he immediately imputed to Addifon, and complained of it in terms fufficiently refentful to Craggs, their common. friend.

When Addifon's opinion was afked, he declared the verfions to be both good, but Tickell's the beft that ever had been written; and fometimes faid that they were both good, but that Tickell had more of Homer.

Pope was now füfficiently irritated'; his reputation and his intereft were at hazard. He once intended to print together the four verfions of Dryden, Maynwaring, Pope, and Tickell, that they might be readily compared, and

fairly estimated. This defign feems to have been defeated by the refufal of Tonfon, who was the proprietor of the other three verfions.

Pope intended at another time a rigorous criticism of Tickell's translation, and had marked a copy, which I have feen, in all places that appeared defective. But while he was thus meditating defence or revenge, his adversary funk before him without a blow; the voice of the publick was not long fufpended, and the preference was univerfally given to Pope's performance.

He was convinced, by adding one circumftance to another, that the other tranflation was the work of Addifon himself; but if he knew it in Addison's

life-time, it does not appear that he told it. He left his illuftrious antagonift to be punished by what has been. confidered as the most painful of all reflections, the remembrance of a crime. perpetrated in vain.

The other circumftances of their quarrel were thus related by Pope *.

Philips feemed to have been encouraged to abufe me in coffee-houses, " and converfations: and Gildon wrote "a thing about Wycherley, in which "he had abused both me and my rela❝tions very grofly. Lord Warwick "himself told me one day, that it was. "in vain for me to endeavour to be

"well with Mr. Addison; that his jealous

* Spence.

"temper

66.

temper would never admit of a fettled "friendship between us: and, to con"vince me of what he had faid, affured.

66.

me, that Addison had encouraged. "Gildon to publish thofe fcandals, and. "had given him ten guineas after they "were published. The next day, while "I was heated with what I had heard, "I wrote a Letter to Mr. Addifon, to "let him know that I was not unac

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quainted with this behaviour of his ;. that if I was to fpeak feverely of him,. "in return for it, it fhould be in fuch. "a dirty way, that I fhould rather tell him, himself, fairly of his faults,, and allow his good qualities; and that it fhould be fomething in the

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following manner: I then adjoined

"the

the firft fketch of what has fince been

called my fatire on Addifon. Mr. "Addifon ufed me very civilly ever "after."

The verfes on Addifon, when they were fent to Atterbury, were confidered by him as the moft excellent of Pope's performances; and the writer was advifed, fince he knew where his ftrength lay, not to fuffer it to remain unemployed.

This year (1715) being, by the fubfcription, enabled to live more by choice, having perfuaded his father to fell their eftate at Binfield, he purchafed, I think only for his life, that houfe at Twickenham to which his refidence afterwards procured fo much celebration, and re