"but illuftrated with a ray of your own,

"as they fay our natural body is the "fame ftill when it is glorified. I am "fure I like it better than I did before, " and fo will every man elfe. I know "I meant just what you explain; but I "did not explain my own meaning fo "well as you. You understand me as "well as I do myfelf; but you exprefs "me better than I could express my"felf. Pray, accept the fincereft ac"knowledgements. I cannot but with: "thefe Letters were put together in "one Book, and intend (with your "leave) to procure a tranflation of part, "at least, of all them into French; but "Ifhall not proceed a ftep without your "confent and opinion, &c."

By

By this fond and eager acceptance of an exculpatory comment, Pope teftified that, whatever might be the feeming or real import of the principles which he' had received from Bolingbroke, he had not intentionally attacked religion; and Bolingbroke, if he meant to make him without his own confent an inftrument of mifchief, found him now engaged with his eyes open on the fide of truth.

It is known that Bolingbroke con-cealed from Pope his real opinions.. He once difcovered them to Mr.: Hooke, who related them again to Pope, and was told by him that he muft have mistaken the meaning of what he heard; and Bolingbroke, when Pope's. uneafinefs incited him to defire an explanation,

nation, declared that Hooke had mifun

derstood him.

Bolingbroke hated Warburton, who had drawn his pupil from him; and a little before Pope's death they had a difpute, from which they parted with mutual averfion.

From this time Pope lived in the clofeft intimacy with his commentator, and amply rewarded his kindness and his zeal; for he introduced him to Mr. Murray, by whofe intereft he became preacher at Lincoln's Inn, and to Mr. Allen, who gave him his niece and his eftate, and by confequence a bishoprick; when he died he left him the property. of his works; a legacy which may be

rea

reasonably estimated at fourthousand

pounds.

Pope's fondness for the Effay on Man appeared by his defire of its propaga tion. Dobfon, who had gained reputation by his verfion of Prior's Solomon, was employed by him to tranflate it into Latin verfe, and was for that purpose fome time at Twickenham; but he left his work, whatever was the reason, unfinished; and, by Benfon's invitation, undertook the longer task of Paradife Loft. Pope then defired his friend to find a scholar who should turn his Effay into Latin profe; but no fuch performance has ever appeared.

Pope lived at this time among the great, with that reception and refpect

to which his works entitled him, and which he had not impaired by any privates mifconduct or factious partiality. Though Bolingbroke was his friend, Walpole was not his enemy; but treated him with fo much confideration as, at his requeft, to folicit and obtain from the French Minister an abby for Mr. Southcot, whom he confidered himself as obliged to reward, by this exertion of his intereft, for the benefit which he had received from his attendance in a long illness.

It was faid, that, when the Court was at Richmond, Queen Caroline had declared her intention to vifit him. This may have been only a careless effufion, thought on no more: the report of fuch

notice,