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"line," faid he, was then written "twice over; I gave him a clean tran

fcript, which he fent fome time af"terwards to me for the prefs, with "" every line written twice over a fecond

"time."

His declaration, that his care for his works ceafed at their publication, was not ftrictly true. His parental attention never abandoned them; what he found amifs in the first edition, he filently corrected in those that followed. He appears to have revifed the Iliad, and freed it from fome of its imperfections; and the Effay on Criticism received many improvements after its first appearance. It will feldom be found that he altered without adding clearnefs, elegance, or vigour.

vigour. Pope had perhaps the judgement of Dryden; but Dryden certainly wanted the diligence of Pope.

In acquired knowledge, the fuperiority must be allowed to Dryden, whofe education was more scholastick, and who before he became an author had been allowed more time for ftudy, with better means of information. His mind

has a larger range, and he collects his images and illuftrations from a more extenfive circumference of fcience. Dryden knew more of man in his general nature, and Pope in his local manners. The notions of Dryden were formed by comprehenfive fpeculation, and those of Pope by minute attention. There is more dignity in the knowledge

of Dryden, and more certainty in that

of Pope.

Poetry was not the fole praife of either; for both excelled likewife in profe; but Pope did not borrow his profe from his predeceffor. The ftyle of Dryden is capricious and varied, that of Pope is cautious and uniform; Dryden obeys the motions of his own mind, Pope constrains his mind to his own rules of compofition. Dryden is fometimes vehement and rapid; Pope is al ways fmooth, uniform, and gentle. Dryden's page is a natural field, rifing into inequalities, and diverfified by the varied exuberance of abundant vegetation; Pope's is a velvet lawn, fhaven

by

by the fcythe, and levelled by the

roller.

Of genius, that power which conftitutes a poet; that quality without which judgement is cold and knowledge is inert; that energy which collects, combines, amplifies, and animates; the fuperiority muft, with fome hesitation, be allowed to Dryden. It is not to be inferred that of this poetical vigour Pope had only a little, because Dryden had more; for every other writer fince Milton muft give place to Pope; and even of Dryden it must be said, that if he has brighter paragraphs, he has not better poems. Dryden's performances were always hafty, cither excited by fome ex

ternal

ternal occafion, or extorted by domeftick neceffity; he compofed without confideration, and published without correction. What his mind could fupply at call, or gather in one excursion, was all that he fought, and all that he gave. The dilatory caution of Pope enabled him to condenfe his fentiments, to multiply his images, and to accumulate all that ftudy might produce, or chance might fupply. If the flights of Dryden therefore are higher, Pope continues longer on the wing. If of Dryden's fire the blaze is brighter, of Pope's the heat is more regular and conftant. Dryden often furpaffes expectation, and Pope never falls below

it.