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and his entrance was very early, he was admitted to familiarity with those whose rank or ftation made them moft confpicuous.

From the age of fixteen the life of Pope, as an author, may be properly computed. He now wrote his Paftorals, which were fhewn to the Poets and Criticks of that time; as they well deferved, they were read with admiration, and many praises were bestowed upon them and upon the Preface, which is both elegant and learned in a high degree: they were, however, not publifhed till five years afterwards.

Cowley, Milton, and Pope, are diftinguished among the English Poets by the carly exertion of their powers; but

the works of Cowley alone were pubdifhed in his childhood, and therefore of him only can it be certain that his puerile performances received no improvement from his maturer ftudies.

At this time began his acquaintance with Wicherley, a man who feems to have had among his contemporaries his full fhare of reputation, to have been efteemed without virtue, and careffed without good-humour. Pope was proud of his notice; Wycherley wrote verses in his praife, which he was charged by Dennis with writing to himself, and they agreed for a while to flatter one another. It is pleasant to remark how foon Pope learned the cant of an author, and began to treat criticks with con

tempt,

tempt, though he had yet fuffered nothing from them.

But the fondness of Wycherley was too violent to laft. His efteem of Pope was fuch, that he fubmitted fome poems to his revifion; and when Pope, perhaps proud of fuch confidence, was fufficiently bold in his criticifms, and liberal in his alterations, the old fcribler was angry to see his pages defaced, and felt more pain from the detection than content from the amendment of his faults. They parted; but Pope always confidered him with kindness, and vifited him a little time before he died.

Another of his early correfpondents was Mr. Cromwel, of whom I have learned nothing particular but that he

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ufed to ride a-hunting in a tye-wig. He was fond, and perhaps vain, of amufing himself with poetry and criticifm; and fometimes fent his performances to Pope, who did not forbear fuch remarks as were now-and-then unwelcome. Pope, in his turn, put the juvenile verfion of Statius into his hands for correction.

Their correfpondence afforded the publick its firft knowledge of Pope's Epiftolary Powers; for his Letters were given by Cromwel to one Mrs. Thomas, and the many years afterwards fold them to Curll, who inferted them in a volume of his Mifcellanies.

Walfh, a name yet preferved among the minor poets, was one of his first encouragers. His regard was gained

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by the Paftorals, and from him Pope received the counsel by which he feems to have regulated his ftudies, Walsh advised him to correctness, which, as he told him, the English pocts had hitherto neglected, and which therefore was left to him as a basis of fame; and, being delighted with rural poems, recommended to him to write a pastoral comedy, like those which are read fo eagerly in Italy; a defign which Pope probably did not approve, as he did not follow it.

Pope had now declared himself a poet; and, thinking himself entitled to poetical converfation, began at feventeen to frequent Will's, a coffee-house on the north fide of Ruffel-ftreet in Coventgarden,.

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