Receive my gifts: if mercy fails, yet let my present move, And fear the God that deals his darts around. The Greeks, in shouts, their joint assent declare He said, the Greeks their joint assent declare, Repulsed the sacred Sire, and thus reply'd. [Not so the tyrant. DRYDEN.] Of these lines, and of the whole first book, I am told that there was a former copy, more varied, and more deformed with interlineations. The beginning of the second book varies very little from the printed page, and is therefore set down without a parallel; the few differences do not require to be elaborately displayed. Now pleasing sleep had seal'd each mortal eye; To honour Thetis' son he bends his care, Fly hence, delusive dream, and, light as air, Bid him in arms draw forth th' embattled train, The lofty walls of wide extended Troy; towers For now no more the Gods with Fate contend; hangs And nodding Ilium waits th' impending fall. Invocation to the catalogue of Ships. Now, Virgin Goddesses, immortal Nine! BOOK V. V. 1. But Pallas now Tydides' soul inspires, High on his helm celestial lightnings play, Th' unwearied blaze incessant stream supplies, But Pallas now Tydides' soul inspires, Fills with her rage, and warms with all her fires; force, O'er all the Greeks decrees his fame to raise, Above the Greeks her warrior's fame to raise, his deathless And crown her hero with immortal praise: distinguish'd Bright from his beamy crest the lightnings play, When first he rears his radiant orb to sight, When fresh he rears his radiant orb to sight, Where the war bleeds, and where the fiercest rage.' The sons of Dares first the combat sought, There lived a Trojan--Dares was his name, As when in stillness of the silent night, As when the moon, refulgent lamp of night, And no dim cloud o'ercasts the solemn scene; not a Around her silver throne the planets glow, gleam verdure And tip with silver all the mountain heads And tip with silver every mountain's head, So many flames before the navy blaze, And lighten glimmering Xanthus with their rays: Gild the high walls, and tremble on the spires; [quite please me. Be so good as to mark the place and consider it a little at your leisure.-I am sure you can give it a little turn.'-I returned from Lord Halifax's with Dr. Garth, in his chariot; and, as we were going along, was saying to the Doctor that my Lord had laid me under a great deal of difficulty by such loose and general observations: that I had been thinking over the passages almost ever since, and could not guess at what it was that offended his Lordship in either of them. Garth laughed heartily at my embarrassment; said, I had not been long enough acquainted with Lord Halifax to know his way yet; that I need not puzzle myself about looking those places over and over, when I got home. All you need do,' says he, 'is to leave them just as they are; call on Lord Halifax two or three months hence, thank him for his kind observations on those passages, and then read them to him as altered. I have known him much longer than you have, and will be answerable for the event.' I followed his advice; waited on Lord Halifax some time after; said, I hoped he would find his objections to those passages removed; read them to him exactly as they were at first; and his Lordship was extremely pleased with them, and cried out, Ay, now they are perfectly right, nothing can be better.'' It is seldom that the great or the wise suspect that they are despised or cheated. Halifax, thinking this a lucky opportunity of securing immortality, made some advances of favour and some overtures of advantage to Pope, which he seems to have received with sullen coldness. All our knowledge of this transaction is derived from a single letter (Dec. 1, 1715,) in which Pope says, "I am obliged to you, both for the favours you have done me, and those you intend me. I distrust neither your will nor your memory, when it is to do good; and if I ever become troublesome or solicitous, it must not Of these specimens, every man who has culti-be out of expectation, but out of gratitude. Your vated poetry, or who delights to trace the mind Lordship may cause me to live agreeably in the from the rudeness of its first conceptions to the cle- town, or contentedly in the country, which is really gance of its last, will naturally desire a great num- all the difference I set between an easy fortune and ber; but most other readers are already tired, and a small one. It is indeed a high strain of generosi I am not writing only to poets and philosophers. ty in you to think of making me easy all my life, The Iliad' was published volume by volume, as only because I have been so happy as to divert you he translation proceeded: the four first books ap-some few hours: but, if I may have leave to add, it peared in 1715. The expectation of this work was is because you think me no enemy to my native undoubtedly high, and every man who had con- country, there will appear a better reason; for I nected his name with criticism, or poetry, was de- must of consequence be very much (as I sincerely sirous of such intelligence as might enable him to am) yours, &c." talk upon the popular topic. Halifax, who, by These voluntary offers, and this faint acceptance, having been first a poet, and then a patron of poe-ended without effect. The patron was not accustry, had acquired the right of being a judge, was tomed to such frigid gratitude: and the poet fed his willing to hear some books while they were yet own pride with the dignity of independence. anpublished. Of this rehearsal Pope afterwards They probably were suspicious of each other. gave the following account." Pope would not dedicate till he saw at what rate "The famous Lord Halifax was rather a pre-his praise was valued; he would be “troublesome tender to taste, than really possessed of it.-When out of gratitude, not expectation." Halifax thought I had finished the two or three first books of my himself entitled to confidence; and would give translation of the 'Iliad,' that Lord desired to have nothing unless he knew what he should receive. the pleasure of hearing them read at his house.-Their commerce had its beginning in the hope of Addison, Congreve, and Garth, were there at the praise on one side, and of money on the other, and reading. In four or five places, Lord Halifax stopt ended because Pope was less eager of money than me very civilly, and with a speech each time of much the same kind, 'I beg your pardon, Mr. Pope; but there is something in that passage that does not * Spence. Halifax of praise. It is not likely that Halifax had any personal benevolence to Pope; it is evident that Pope looked on Halifax with scorn and hatred. The reputation of this great work failed of gaining him a patron; but it deprived him of a friend Addison and he were now at the head of poetry and Dr. Swift was the principal man of talk and busicriticism; and both in such a state of elevation, ness, and acted as master of requests.-Then he that, like the two rivals in the Roman state, one instructed a young nobleman that the best Poet in could no longer bear an equal, nor the other a su- England was Mr. Pope (a papist,) who had beperior. Of the gradual abatement of kindness be-gun a translation of Homer into English verse, for tween friends, the beginning is often scarcely dis- which he must have them all subscribe; for, says he, cernible to themselves, and the process is continued the author shall not begin to print till I have a by petty provocations, and incivilities sometimes thousand guineas for him." peevishly returned, and sometimes contemptuously About this time it is likely that Steele, who neglected, which would escape all attention but was, with all his political fury, good-natured and that of pride, and drop from any memory but that officious, procured an interview between these anof resentment. That the quarrel of these two gry rivals, which ended in aggravated malevowits should be minutely deduced, is not to be ex-lence. On this occasion, if the reports be true, pected from a writer to whom, as Homer says, Pope made his complaint with frankness and spirit, "nothing but rumour has reached, and who has no as a man undeservedly neglected or opposed; and personal knowledge." Addison affected a contemptuous unconcern, and, Pope doubtless approached Addison, when the in a calm even voice, reproached Pope with his reputation of their wit first brought them together, vanity, and, telling him of the improvements with the respect due to a man whose abilities were which his early works had received from his own acknowledged, and who, having attained that emi-remarks and those of Steele, said, that he, being nence to which he was himself aspiring, had in his now engaged in public business, had no longer any hands the distribution of literary fame. He paid care for his poetical reputation, nor had any other court with sufficient diligence by his Prologue to desire, with regard to Pope, than that he should 'Cato,' by his abuse of Dennis, and with praise yet not, by too much arrogance, alienate the public. more direct, by his poem on the 'Dialogues on To this Pope is said to have replied with great Medals,' of which the immediate publication was keenness and severity, upbraiding Addison with then intended. In all this, there was no hypocrisy; for he confessed that he found in Addison something more pleasing than in any other man. resentment. perpetual dependance, and with the abuse of those qualifications which he had obtained at the public cost, and charging him with mean endeavours to obstruct the progress of rising merit. The contest rose so high, that they parted at last without any interchange of civility. It may be supposed, that as Pope saw himself favoured by the world, and more frequently compared his own powers with those of others, his confidence increased, and his submission lessened; and The first volume of 'Homer' was (1715) in time that Addison felt no delight from the advances of a published: and a rival version of the first 'Iliad,' young wit, who might soon contend with him for for rivals the time of their appearance inevitably the highest place. Every great man, of whatever made them, was immediately printed, with the kind be his greatness, has among his friends those name of Tickell. It was soon perceived that, who officiously or insidiously quicken his attention among the followers of Addison, Tickell had the to offences, heighten his disgust, and stimulate his preference, and the critics and poets divided into Of such adherents Addison doubtless factions. "I," says Pope, "have the town, that had many; and Pope was now too high to be with- is, the mob, on my side; but it is not uncommon for out them. the smaller party to supply by industry what it From the emission and reception of the proposals wants in numbers.-I appeal to the people as my for the Iliad,' the kindness of Addison seems to rightful judges, and, while they are not inclined to have abated. Jervas the painter once pleased him- condemn me, shall not fear the high-flyers at Butself (August 20, 1714) with imagining that he had ton's." This opposition he immediately imputed re-established their friendship; and wrote to Pope to Addison, and complained of it in terms suffithat Addison once suspected him of too close a con- ciently resentful to Craggs, their common friend. federacy with Swift, but was now satisfied with his conduct. To this Pope answered, a week after, that his engagements to Swift were such as his services in regard to the subscription demanded, and that the Tories never put him under the necessity of asking leave to be grateful. "But," says Pope was now sufficiently irritated; his reputahe," as Mr. Addison must be the judge in what tion and his interest were at hazard. He once inregards himself, and seems to have no very just tended to print together the four versions of Dry⚫one in regard to me, so I must own to you I expect den, Maynwaring, Pope, and Tickell, that they nothing but civility from him." In the same letter might be readily compared, and fairly estimated he mentions Phillips, as having been busy to kindle This design seems to have been defeated by the reanimosity between them; but in a letter to Addi- fusal of Tonson, who was the proprietor of the son, he expresses some consciousness of behaviour, other three versions. inattentively deficient in respect. When Addison's opinion was asked, he declared the versions to be both good, but Tickell's the best that had ever been written; and sometimes said, that they were both good, but that Tickell had more of 'Homer.' Pope intended, at another time, a rigorous critiOf Swift's industry in promoting the subscription, cism of Tickell's translation, and had marked a there remains the testimony of Kennet, no friend copy, which I have seen, in all places that appearto either him or Pope. ed defective. But, while he was thus meditating "Nov. 2, 1713, Dr. Swift came into the coffee-defence or revenge, his adversary sunk before him house, and had a bow from every body but me, without a blow; the voice of the Public was not who, I confess, could not but despise him. When long divided, and the preference was universally I came to the anti-chamber to wait, before prayers, given to Pope's performance. He was convinced, by adding one circumstance dulgences, or that mankind expect from elevated to another, that the other translation was the work genius a uniformity of greatness, and watch its deof Addison himself; but, if he knew it in Addison's gradation with malicious wonder; like him who, life-time, it does not appear that he told it. He having followed with his eye an eagle into the left his illustrious antagonist to be punished by clouds, should lament that she ever descended to a what has been considered as the most painful of all perch. reflections, the remembrance of a crime perpeWhile the volumes of his 'Homer' were annutrated in vain. ally published, he collected his former works The other circumstances of their quarrel were (1717) into one quarto volume, to which he prethus related by Pope.* fixed a Preface, written with great sprightliness "Phillips seemed to have been encouraged to and elegance, which was afterwards reprinted, abuse me in coffee-houses and conversations: and with some passages subjoined that he at first omitGildon wrote a thing about Wycherley, in which ted; other marginal additions of the same kind he he had abused both me and my relations very made in the latter editions of his poems. Waller grossly. Lord Warwick himself told me one day, remarks, that poets lose half their praise, because that it was in vain for me to endeavour to be well the reader knows not what they have blotted. with Mr. Addison; that his jealous temper would Pope's voracity of fame taught him the art of obnever admit of a settled friendship between us: taining the accumulated honour, both of what he and, to convince me of what he had said, assured had published, and of what he had suppressed. me, that Addison had encouraged Gildon to publish In this year his father died very suddenly, in his those scandals, and had given him ten guineas after seventy-fifth year, having passed twenty-nine they were published. The next day, while I was years in privacy. He is not known but by the heated with what I had heard, I wrote a letter to character which his son has given him. If the Mr. Addison, to let him know that I was not un- money with which he retired was all gotten by acquainted with this behaviour of his; that, if I was himself, he had traded very successfully in times to speak severely of him in return for it, it should when sudden riches were rarely attainable. not be in such a dirty way; that I should rather The publication of the Iliad' was at last comtell him, himself, fairly of his faults, and allow pleted in 1720. The splendour and success of this his good qualities; and that it should be something work raised Pope many enemies, that endeavoured in the following manner; I then adjoined the first to depreciate his abilities. Burnet, who was afsketch of what has since been called my satire on terwards a judge of no mean reputation, censured Addison. Mr. Addison used me very civilly ever him in a piece called 'Homerides' before it was after."t published. Ducket likewise endeavoured to make The verses on Addison, when they were sent to him ridiculous. Dennis was the perpetual perseAtterbury, were considered by him as the most ex-cutor of all his studies. But, whoever his critics cellent of Pope's performances; and the writer was were, their writings are lost; and the names which advised, since he knew where his strength lay, are preserved, are preserved in the 'Dunciad.' not to suffer it to remain unemployed. In this disastrous year (1720) of national infatuThis year (1715) being, by the subscription, ation, where more riches than Peru can boast were enabled to live more by choice, having persuaded expected from the South Sea, when the contagion his father to sell their estate at Binfield, he pur- of avarice tainted every mind, and even poets chased, I think only for his life, that house at panted after wealth, Pope was seized with the Twickenham, to which his residence afterwards universal passion, and ventured some of his money. procured so much celebration, and removed thither The stock rose in its price; and for a while he with his father and mother. thought himself the lord of thousands. But this Here he planted the vines and the quincunx dream of happiness did not last long; and he seems which his verses mention; and being under the ne- to have waked soon enough to get clear with the cessity of making a subterraneous passage to a gar-loss of what he once thought himself to have won, den on the other side of the road, he adorned it and perhaps not wholly of that. with fossile bodies, and dignified it with the title Next year he published some select poems of his of a grotto, a place of silence and retreat, from friend Dr. Parnell, with a very elegant Dedication which he endeavoured to persuade his friends and to the Earl of Oxford; who, after all his struggles himself that cares and passions could be excluded. and dangers, then lived in retirement, still under A grotto is not often the wish or pleasure of an the frown of a victorious faction, who could take no Englishman, who has more frequent need to solicit pleasure in hearing his praise. than exclude the sun; but Pope's excavation was He gave the same year (1721) an edition of requisite as an entrance to his garden, and, as some Shakspeare.' His name was now of so much aumen try to be proud of their defects, he extracted thority, that Tonson thought himself entitled by an ornament from an inconvenience, and vanity annexing it, to demand a subscription of six guineas produced a grotto where necessity enforced a pas- for Shakspeare's plays in six quarto volumes; nor sage. It may be frequently remarked of the stu- did his expectation much deceive him; for of seven dious and speculative, that they are proud of tri- hundred and fifty which he printed, he dispersed fles, and that their amusements seem frivolous and a great number at the price proposed. The repuchildish; whether it be that men, conscious of great tation of that edition indeed sunk afterwards so reputation, think themselves above the reach of low, that one hundred and forty copies were sold censure, and safe in the admission of negligent in- at sixteen shillings each. Spence. On this undertaking, to which Pope was induced See, however Life of Addison, in the Biographia Bri by a reward of two hundred and seventeen pounds twelve shillings, he seems never to have reflected tannica. afterwards without vexation; for Theobald, a man of heavy diligence, with very slender powers, first, in a book called 'Shakspeare Restored,' and then in a formal edition, detected his deficiencies with all the insolence of victory; and, as he was now high enough to be feared and hated, Theobald had from others all the help that could be supplied, by the desire of humbling a haughty character. From this time Pope became an enemy to editors, collators, commentators, and verbal critics; and hoped to persuade the world, that he miscarried in this undertaking only by having a mind too great for such minute employment. The first copy of Pope's books, with those of Fenton, are to be seen in the Museum. The parts of Pope are less interlined than the 'Iliad;' and the latter books of the 'Iliad' less than the former. He grew dexterous by practice, and every sheet enabled him to write the next with more facility. The books of Fenton have very few alterations by the hand of Pope. Those of Broome have not been found; but Pope complained, as it is reported, that he had much trouble in correcting them. His contract with Lintot was the same as for the 'Iliad,' except that only one hundred pounds were to be paid him for each volume. The number of subscribers were five hundred and seventy-four, and of copies eight hundred and nineteen; so that his profits, when he had paid his assistants, were still very considerable. The work was finished in 1725; and from that time he resolved to make no more translations. The sale did not answer Lintot's expectation; and he then pretended to discover something of fraud in Pope, and commenced or threatened a suit in Chancery. Pope, in his edition, undoubtedly did many things wrong, and left many things undone; but let him not be defrauded of his due praise. He was the first that knew, at least the first that told, by what helps the text might be improved. If he inspected the early editions negligently, he taught others to be more accurate. In his Preface he expanded with great skill and elegance the character which had been given of Shakspeare by Dryden; and he drew the public attention upon his works, which, though often mentioned, had been little read. On the English 'Odyssey' a criticism was pubSoon after the appearance of the Iliad,' resolv-lished by Spence, at that time Prelector of Poetry ing not to let the general kindness cool, he publish- at Oxford; a man whose learning was not very ed proposals for a translation of the 'Odyssey,' in fire volumes, for five guineas. He was willing, however, now to have associates in his labour, being either weary with toiling upon another's thoughts, or having heard, as Ruffhead relates, that Fenton and Broome had already begun the work, and liking better to have them confederates than rivals. great, and whose mind was not very powerful. His criticism, however, was commonly just; what he thought, he thought rightly: and his remarks were recommended by his coolness and candour. In him Pope had the first experience of a critic without malevolence, who thought it as much his duty to display beauties as expose faults: who censured with respect, and praised with alacrity. In the patent, instead of saying that he had With this criticism Pope was so little offended, "translated the Odyssey," as he had said of the that he sought the acquaintance of the writer, who 'Iliad,' he says, that he had "undertaken" a trans-lived with him from that time in great familiarity, lation; and in the proposals the subscription is said to be not solely for his own use, but for that of "two of his friends who have assisted him in this work." attended him in his last hours, and compiled memorials of his conversation. The regard of Pope recommended him to the great and powerful; and he obtained very valuable preferments in the In 1723, while he was engaged in this new ver-Church. sion, he appeared before the Lords at the memora- Not long after, Pope was returning home from a ble trial of Bishop Atterbury, with whom he had visit in a friend's coach, which, in passing a bridge, lived in great familiarity, and frequent correspon-was overturned into the water; the windows were dence. Atterbury had honestly recommended to closed, and being unable to force them open, he was him the study of the Popish controversy, in hope in danger of immediate death, when the postillion of his conversion; to which Pope answered in a snatched him out by breaking the glass, of which manner that cannot much recommend his princi- the fragments cut two of his fingers in such a manples, or his judgment. In questions and projects ner, that he lost their use. of learning, they agreed better. He was called at the trial to give an account of Atterbury's domestic life, and private employment, that it might appear how little time he had left for plots. Pope had but few words to utter, and in those few he made several blunders. Voltaire, who was then in England, sent him a letter of consolation. He had been entertained by Pope at his table, where he talked with so much grossness, that Mrs. Pope was driven from the room. Pope discovered, by a trick, that he was a spy for the court, and never considered him as a man worthy of confidence. His letters to Atterbury express the utmost esteem, tenderness, and gratitude; "perhaps," says He soon afterwards (1727) joined with Swift, he, "it is not only in this world that I may have who was then in England, to publish three volumes cause to remember the Bishop of Rochester." At of Miscellanies,' in which, amongst other things, their last interview in the Tower, Atterbury pre- he inserted the 'Memoirs of a Parish Clerk,' in sented him with a Bible. ridicule of Burnet's importance in his own History, Of the 'Odyssey' Pope translated only twelve and a Debate upon Black and White Horses,' books; the rest were the work of Broome and Fen- written in all the formalities of a legal process, by ton: the notes were written wholly by Broome, the assistance, as is said, of Mr. Fortescue, afterwho was not over liberally rewarded. The public wards Master of the Rolls. Before these 'Miscel was carefully kept ignorant of the several shares; and an account was subjoined at the conclusion, which is now known not to be true. lanies' is a Preface signed by Swift and Pope, but apparently written by Pope, in which he makes a Iridiculous and romantic complaint of the robberies |