and other diforders, which his phyficians were unable to relieve. Towards the end of his life he confulted Dr. Thomfon, a man who had, by large promises, and free cenfures of the common practice of phyfick, forced himself up into fudden reputation. Thomson declared his diftemper to be a dropfy, and evacuated part of the water by tincture of jalap; but confeffed that his belly did not fubfide. Thomfon had many enemies, and Pope was perfuaded to difmifs him.

While he was yet capable of amusement and converfation, as he was one day fitting in the air with Lord Bolingbroke and Lord Marchmont, he saw his favourite Martha Blount at the bottom

of

of the terrace, and afked Lord Bolingbroke to go and hand her up. Boling

broke, not liking his errand, croffed his

legs, and fat ftill; but Lord Marchmont, who was younger and lefs captious, waited on the Lady; who, when he came to her, afked, What, is he not dead yet? She is faid to have neglected him, with fhameful unkindness, in the latter time of his decay; yet, of the little which he had to leave, fhe had a very great part. Their acquaintance begun early; the life of each was pictured on the other's mind; their converfation therefore was endearing, for when they met, there was an immediate coalition of congenial notions. Perhaps he confidered her unwillingness to approach O 2

the

the chamber of fickness as female weak

nefs, or human frailty; perhaps he was conscious to himself of peevishness and impatience, or, though he was offended by her inattention, might yet confider her merit as overbalancing her fault; and, if he had fuffered his heart to be alienated from her, he could have found nothing that might fill her place; he could have only fhrunk within himself; it was too late to transfer his confidence or fondnefs.

In May 1744, his death was approaching; on the fixth, he was all day delirious, which he mentioned four days afterwards as a fufficient humiliation of the vanity of man; he afterwards

* Spence.

com

complained of seeing things as through a curtain, and in falfe colours; and one day, in the prefence of Dodfley, asked what arm it was that came out from the wall. He faid, that his greatest inconvenience, was inability to think.

pre

Bolingbroke fometimes wept over him in this ftate of helpless decay; and being told by Spence, that Pope, at the intermiffion of his delirioufnefs, was always faying fomething kind either of his fent or absent friends, and that his humanity feemed to have furvived his understanding, answered, It has fo. And added, I never in my life know a man that had fo tender a heart for his particular friends, or more general friendship for mankind. At another time he said, I have

0 3

I have known Pope thefe thirty years, and value myself more in his friendship thanhis grief then fuppreffed his voice.

Pope expreffed undoubting confidence of a future ftate. Being asked by his friend Mr. Hooke, a papist, whether he would not die like his father and mother, and whether a priest should not be called, he answered, I do not think it effential, but it will be very right; and I thank you for putting me in mind of

it.

In the morning, after the priest had given him the laft facraments, he said, "There is nothing that is meritorious "but virtue and friendfhip, and indeed "friendship itself is only a part of "virtue."

He