I should indeed blush to bring any charges upon such palpable exaggerations, magnified by my own spleen.-Yes, and I should do more than blush; I should think the hand that wrote, and the heart that dictated, ought to wither, before I could coolly sit down to impute motives to a commentator or poet, from a professed satire, as this unblushing critic has done to me. I should do more than blush, if I had repeated so often, what I knew to be false; for it is as false to say I had endeavoured to rob Pope of his virtues, as it is to say I asserted he was "no GREAT POET." Why do I give myself this trouble? It will be all in vain. The next critic, as ingenuous and honorable as this, will assert the same falsehood, which has been so often refuted, that I and my kindhearted master, now beyond the reach of this paltry untruth, have denied that Pope was "a Great Poet," when we have only denied he was the GREATEST!

Of this we shall speak more by-and-by; but whether I were critic or commentator, I should indeed

if, knowing my charges would be read by thousands, to whom the vindication would never come, I had described a commentator so malignant as to charge the poet, whose life he was writing, with taking a BRIBE to suppress a satire," when I knew, and could not but know, that that commentator had expressed (besides his indignation that such a charge should be made, which sentiment has been grossly perverted) his utter disbelief of it, to prove which I call the reader's attention to the passage quoted in my answer to Campbell, which in other respects this writer has read with sufficient acuteness.

How dare such an "unblushing calumniator" not only pervert the honest expressions of my feelings, but attribute to me, that I had charged Pope with " taking a bribe to suppress a satire," who have recorded in vain, in two publications, my disbelief!

"One circumstance is mentioned by Horace Walpole, which, if true, was indeed flagitious: Walpole informs Gray, that the character of ATOSSA was shown to the Duchess of Buckingham and the Duchess of Marlborough; that Pope received a thousand pounds from the Duchess of Marlborough, promising, on these terms to suppress it; that he took the money and then published it!"

I had already expressed warmly what I felt at the baseness of such transaction, IF TRUE; not at all implying that I believed it true. My "Life" contains the following remarks on it, and these VOL. XVII. Pum. NO. XXXIII.

F

the

remarks are republished in the letter to Campbell; and here is a man, who has read those remarks, and having first perverted my obvious meaning, tells me I I charge Pope with taking a bribe to suppress a satire, and then publishing ivil or no tud titre 10 Here then, again, I must quote my own words: batasin "A story, so base ought not for a moment to be admitted, solely on the testimony of Walpole, till there is other proof, besides th assertion of Walpole, the same candour which made us REJECT what, upon no better foundation, was said of Addison, ought to Loake us arjeet, with equal readiness, the belief of a circumstance SO DEROGATORY to the character of Pope od died an "Whatever can be proved ought not to be rejected; whatever (charge) has no other foundation than the ipse dixit of an adversary is entitled to NO REGARD." Note on Pope, esw

G

W

Let me now ask, how could any one, with the honorable feelings of an honest heart, keep in the dark, purposely, this testimony in Pope's favor I say purposely, for the book was before him, out of which, 9909 of gaige.

he has picked every thing that he thought would make me Ppear prejudiced, and studiously omitted whatever was contrary to his own unjust and exasperated prejudice? How could any one, I repeat, without feelings of deep, deep" shame without being lost and dead to every sense of candid or generous feelings-hold up and emblazon, to the broad day, with colors furnished from his own

distempering and distorting spleen, every thing gard

to truth made me say, which might appear derogatory to Pope's amiable character, and yet shut his eyes, on purpose, to those passages where I have denied the charges brought unjustly against him, or spoken of his virtues? I should indeed have "BLUSHED to have acted in this manner. 197

The distich on Sappho, which this very writer calls too indelicate to transcribe," I leave for him to reconcile to Pope's pu Pope's purity, which I have "aspersed;" and observe, reader, because I had spoken of his unmanly conduct to a lady whom he once idolised, how this sanie writer descants! 9gbalwend to sing sir"

Dowles has ary.

"Mr. attacked Pope, on the score of quarrel with with indignation, ever attack," in lines which this and ever will, of this cowardly attaules spoke with indignation, transcribe," against against Sappho; and I say that Pope knew

"canno universally and p

t

'purist

sary, and to her

the was to Lady alone. Pope received from Lord Peterborough the most pressing remonstrance, as from a friend e, as from a friend and gallant Cavalier, not to let the disgraceful couplet remain; and this fact alone, in opposition to

all advanced by the Reviewer, is sufficient in the eyes of common sense, to fix the application of the couplet, not on the first Sappho, Mrs. Thomas," for "for she was DEAD and beyond the reach of satire; but on the living, the accomplished Sapphos who had rejected Pope's preposterous addresseseum Inisys 19

And here I assert, unwarrantably as may have attacked" Pope, for his conduct to Lady Mary, I have said nothing against him half so depreciating as this critic's own representation

In his letters to her Ladyship, the stages of his erotic fever may be noted by the statements of the patient himself; perhaps it was at its height, when, speaking of the congeniality of their minds,' the formented poet put his case to her hypothetically, if she can overlook a wretched body! soushuo 19dlo on es (red) "We burst of laughter awoke him from the PARADISE OF FOOLS." As I had doubt

conjectas the precise moment when a rude

ay of the fact thus stated, I liave shown this was my him opinion; but I have not touched on it in a manner half so disparaging to Pope!

doïdw to suo And now we enter on the famous quarrel with Addison. When we look with regret on the numerous "macula" on Pope's who can avoid repeating, Even bettimo luoible bus beibrinq

900 the blues Excuse some courtly stains,geszs, bas aujou fanied Juodfi No whiter page than Addison's remains is uodsiw When we turn to his works, when we remember the virtuous impression generally excited by his name, band find his character in accordance with his page; when we remember he filled on high post in public life, and yet was venerated and beloved by those who were publicly opposed to him when his generous conduct to Swift, in Ireland, is remembered, the silence of political adversaries, and the warmth of so many endeared friends; and whilst glowing with these feelings, when we are carried to his death-bed, in that mansion, now inhabited by an accomplished, amiable, classical nobleman, and repeat with Tickel, vsak 19di 09 9206390 1906997192do bns "; beerages oved I didion betlobi 90 Hertaught us How To LIVE and oh, how highid dotador The price of knowledge, TAUGHT US HOW TOP uppa.adt no aqo bodontis 20 and egh With

10

ends w to the re

ith these feelings some predilection may be allowed collection of t the e pure, a and kind, and and 15 accomplished, 1979 bez ATTICUS I bus Stryce Now as I have said, the best est way to estimate the sma estimate the character of those, whose tale of days is ended, would be to compare what is said of them by friend or foe! But it really appears to me, that offers piste the mode, in which departed worth is estimated by this writer, is to take for granted what is said by enemies, against those we wish to

friends of those og plaudits only, of the most partial

In such a situation, and with such a character, to whom would a young man offer sooner, the elegant testimony of classical encomium? But in speaking of Pope's meeting, after the quarrel with Addison, I set plainly before the reader the account which is left hich is left us. And this account, I repeat, is not left by Addison, or any of his friends, but by the admirer and idolizer of

I anan, mid 101 bahna say, again, let any unbiassed man, read only the account of this memorable meeting, by Pope's partial then whether he thinks I ought to be condemned, for judging according 10 and 1 to that very document, which Pope's own friend furnished, and 101 YULIOLJUS on which my opinion was founded. Surely I have the sapo pas vd noendal. of blot esW 1 the same right to express my opinion as this this writer has to express his. I have added nothing; I have concealed thing. He has done bore both: he has added exaggerations, and he has wilfully concealed what suited his purpose to conceal; and when he charges me with SURMISING NG AWAY FR EYERY AMIABLE CHARACTERISTIC of Pope, I charge him, and I think he stands convicted of wilfully aggravating every charge against me to I will now candidly lay before the public, to whom I am forced to make this appeal, the real reason of that exclamation, which has excited such a tone of sarcastic reproof, critic says "Listen to Mr. Bowles a sort of sentimental critic p tremble for every character when I hear ar any thing of Spence's Anecdotes. Now listen to Mr. BOWLES AGAIN, and he will ingenuously tell this "unsentimental sort of a critic" what moved him to make this exclamation.

edloge ylitest.I new aguiles) In looking over Addison's and Pope's Lives, whenever any anecdotes, particularly detractive, were told of characters we have been in habits of esteeming, on looking to the foot of the of the page, 1 invariably found-" SPENCE! SPENCE! SPENCE!" Addison, in consonancy with his character, engaged," says Johnson," in a nobler work-a Defence of the Christian Religion." booed ou

This, and another pious composition, Pope imputed to a SELFISH MOTIVE! He says he believed this, "on the credit of Ton

son," who having quarrelled with Addison, said, “he intended to

this

was

the

TAKE ORDERS and OBTAIN A BISHOPRICHY RE

reason of
of Addison's writing

writing in Defence of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION! for Tonson always believed him a Priest in his FOOT HEART! Look at the bottom of the page an and you see SPENCE!

of

Prior is only fit to make verses."-SPENCE!

The Woman despicable drab the lowest

with whom he cohabited was a

SPENCE!

Phillips," says Pope, we 1970s seemed to h seemed to have been encouraged to abuse the, in coffee-houses and conversations."-SPENCE! Addison and Steele, to echo him, used to DEPRECIATE DRYDEN SPENCE!

When Gay by request, attended Addison on his death-bed, Addison told him he HAD INJURED HIM! He did not explain what the injury was, but Gay supposed that some preferment, intended for him, was, by ADDISON'S held to dry at INTERVENTION, withastor of Addison's ungen mutesia, sidetoms The story s ungenerous treatment of Steele, is not told I Spence, but, in a late edition, is traced to Pope; and I know no other authority for it.

it

san

daidw

It was told to Johnson by a person whose name is not givento the pu nameless person it was told by Lady Primrose; Steele told it to Be With tears in his eyes; it was confirmed to the anonybales mous author of a note in Johnson's Lives, by Dr. Stenton, who said He had it from Hooke, who had it FROM POPE. 2016: 90 Had I been disposed to attack Pope, described, "a l'outranten trance, I think I could have brought more proofs than I have done, of something tha looks more like disingenuous carping at Addison's fame, than appears from Addison towards him. I bm if regard to truth, am sure, If I had sat down, not with a sacred regard but on purpose to aggravate his faults, and to surmise away every amiable quality," I could not have been more abused, by those whose rancour can be only accounted for by supposing they share all Pope's unamiable qualities, without his virtues or his genius, I have thought it necessary to say so much, to show the nature of 1 spoke and the "tritie is welcome

my feelings when to his splenet Pence's Anecdotes,

may

jocularity. Having declared I did not believe the charge deed infamous, if true," I may, I against Pope, which was inI hope, be allowed to say, I do not believe one syllable of all that is charged against Addison or Prior, the authority being only one, and, in the case of Addison, that of an enemy," but Spence's Anecdotes, where these and other accusations are heaped against eminent men, seen, as they were, without any accompanying or enlivening circumstances, such as now appear, when the amusing gossip is read as a whole,