He brought fome reproach upon his own memory by the petulant and contemptuous mention made in his will of Mr. Allen, and an affected repayment of his benefactions. Mrs. Blount, as the known friend and favourite of Pope, had been invited to the house of Allen, where the comported herself with fuch indecent arrogance, that the parted from

Mrs. Allen in a ftate of irreconcileable diflike, and the door was for ever barred against her. This exclufion fhe refented with fo much bitterness as to refufe any legacy from Pope, unlefs he left the world with a difavowal of obligation to Allen. Having been long under her dominion, now tottering in the decline of life, and unable to refift the violence

of

of her temper, or, perhaps with the prejudice of a lover, perfuaded that she had fuffered improper treatment, he complied with her demand, and polluted his will with female refentment. Allen accepted the legacy, which he gave to the Hofpital at Bath; obferving that Pope was always a bad accomptant, and that if to 150%. he had put a cypher more, he had come nearer to the truth.

THE

THE perfon of Pope is well known not to have been formed by the niceft model. He has, in his account of the Little Club, compared himself to a fpider, and is defcribed as protuberant behind and before. He is faid to have been beautiful in his infancy; but he was of a conftitution originally feeble and weak; and as bodies of a tender frame are eafily diftorted, his deformity was probably in part the effect of his application. His ftature was fo low, that, to bring him to a level with common tables, it was neceffary to raise his

2

feat.

feat. But his face was not difpleafing, and his eyes were animated and vivid.

By natural deformity, or accidental distortion, his vital functions were fo much disordered, that his life was a long difeafe. His most frequent affailant was the headach, which he used to relieve by inhaling the fteam of coffee, which he very frequently required.

Moft of what can be told concerning his petty peculiarities was communicated by a female domestick of the Earl of Oxford, who knew him perhaps after the middle of life. He was then fo weak as to ftand in perpetual need of female attendance; extremely fenfible of cold, fo that he wore a kind of fur doublet, under a fhirt of very coarse

warm

warm linen with fine fleeves.

When he

rofe, he was invested in boddice made. of stiff canvafs, being scarce able to hold himself erect till they were laced, and he then put on a flannel waistcoat. One fide was contracted. His legs were fo flender, that he enlarged their bulk with three pair of stockings, which were drawn on and off by the maid; for he was not able to drefs or undrefs himfelf, and neither went to bed nor rofe without help. His weakness made it very difficult for him to be clean.

His hair had fallen almost all away; and he used to dine fometimes with Lord Oxford, privately, in a velvet cap. His dress of ceremony was black, with a tye-wig, and a little fword..