own choice, he fuppofed that feparation might do what can rarely be done by arguments, and fent her into a foreign country, where he was obliged to converfe only with thofe from whom her unkle had nothing to fear.

Her lover took care to repeat his vows; but his letters were intercepted and carried to her guardian, who directed her to be watched with ftill greater vigilance; till of this reftraint fhe grew impatient, that the bribed a womanfervant to procure her a fword, which fhe directed to her heart.

fo

From this account, given with evident intention to raise the Lady's character, it does not appear that he had any claim to praife, nor much to compaffion.

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paffion. She feems to have been impatient, violent, and ungovernable. Her unkle's power could not have lafted long; the hour of liberty and choice would have come in time. But her defires were too hot for delay, and she liked felf-murder better than fufpenfe.

Nor is it discovered that the unkle, whoever he was, is with much justice delivered to pofterity as a falfe Guardian; he feems to have done only that for which a guardian is appointed; he endeavoured to direct his niece till fhe fhould be able to direct herfelf. Poetry has not often been worfe employed than in dignifying the amorous fury of a raving girl.

Not

Not long after he wrote the Rape of the Lock, the most airy, the most ingenious, and the most delightful of all his compofitions, occafioned by a frolick of gallantry, rather too familiar, in which Lord Petre cut off a lock of Mrs. Arabella Fermor's hair. This, whether stealth or violence, was fo much refented, that the commerce of the two families, before very friendly, was interrupted. Mr. Caryl, a gentleman who, being fecretary to King James's Queen, had followed his Mistress into France, and as the author of Sir Solomon Single, a comedy, and fome tranflations, was entitled to the notice of a wit, folicited Pope to endea

vour a reconciliation by a ludicrous poem, which might bring both the parties to a better temper. In compliance with Caryl's request, though his name was for a long time marked only by the first and last letter, C-1, a poem of two cantos was written (1711), as is faid, in a fortnight, and fent to the of fended Lady, who liked it well enough to fhew it; and, with the ufual process of literary tranfactions, the author, dreading a furreptitious edition, was forced to publifh it.

The event is faid to have been fuch as was defired; the pacification and diverfion of all to whom it related, except Sir George Brown, who complained

with

with fome bitternefs that, in the character of Sir Plume, he was made to talk nonfenfe. Whether all this be true, I have fome doubt; for at Paris, a few years ago, a niece of Mrs. Fermor, who prefided in an English Convent, mentioned Pope's work with very little gratitude, rather as an infult than an honour; and fhe may be fuppofed to have inherited the opinion of her family.

At its first appearance it was termed by Addifon merum fal. Pope, however, faw that it was capable of improvement; and having luckily contrived to borrow his machinery from the Roficrucians, imparted the fcheme with which his head was teeming to Addifon, who told him

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