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That strew'd with warriors dead the Phrygian plain,
Heroes

And peopled the dark hell with heroes slain;
fill'd the shady hell with chiefs untimely

The encouragement given to this translation, I though report seems to have overrated it, was such as the world has not often seen. The subscribers were five hundred and seventy-five. The copies, for which subscriptions were given, were six hun-Whose limbs, unburied on the naked shore, dred and fifty-four; and only six hundred and sixty Devouring dogs and hungry vultures tore, were printed. For, these copies Pope had nothing Since great Achilles and Atrides strove;

to pay; he therefore received, including the two Such was the sovereign doom, and such the will of Jove hundred pounds a volume, five thousand three hundred and twenty pounds four shillings without deduction, as the books were supplied by Lintot.

Whose limbs, unburied on the hostile shore,
Devouring dogs and greedy vultures tore,
Since first Atrides and Achilles strove;

By the success of his subscription Pope was re-
lieved from those pecuniary distresses with which,
notwithstanding his popularity, he had hitherto
struggled. Lord Oxford had often lamented his
disqualification for public employment, but never And heap'd the camp with mountains of the dead ;
proposed a pension. While the translation of Ho-The King of men his reverend priest defy'd,
mer' was in its progress, Mr. Craggs, then secre- And for the King's offence the people dy'd.
tary of state, offered to procure him a pension,
which, at least during his ministry, might be en-
joyed with secrecy. This was not accepted by
Pope, who told him, however, that if he should be
pressed with want of money, he would send to him
for occasional supplies. Craggs was not long in
power, and was never solicited for money by Pope,
who disdained to beg what he did not want.

Such was the sovereign doom, and such the will of Jove
Declare, O Muse, in what ill-fated hour
Sprung the fierce strife, from what offended Power?
Latona's son a dire contagion spread,

Declare, O Goddess, what offended Power
Enflamed their rage, in that ill-omen'd hour;
anger fatal, hapless
Phœbus himself the dire debate procured,
fierce

T'avenge the wrongs his injured priest endured;
For this the God a dire infection spread,
And heap'd the camp with millions of the dead:
The King of Men the Sacred Sire defy'd,
And for the King's offence the people dy'd

With the product of this subscription, which he had too much discretion to squander, he secured his future life from want, by considerable annuities. For Chryses sought, with costly gifts, to gain The estate of the Duke of Buckingham was found to have been charged with five hundred pounds a year, payable to Pope, which doubtless his translation enabled him to purchase.

It cannot be unwelcome to literary curiosity, that I deduce thus minutely the history of the English Iliad.' It is certainly the noblest version of poetry| which the world has ever seen; and its publication must therefore be considered as one of the great] events in the annals of Learning.

His captive daughter from the Victor's chain;
Suppliant the venerable Father stands,
Apollo's awful ensigns grace his hands;
By these he begs, and, lowly bending down
Extends the sceptre and the laurel crown.

For Chryses sought by presents to regain
costly gifts to gain
His captive daughter from the Victor's chain:
Suppliant the venerable Father stands,
Apollo's awful ensigns grac'd his hands.
By these he begs, and lowly bending down
The golden sceptre, and the laurel crown,
Presents the sceptre

For these are ensigns of his God he bare,
The God that sends his golden shafts afar;
Then low on earth, the venerable man,
Suppliant before the brother kings began.

He sued to all, but chief implor'd for grace,
The brother kings of Atreus' royal race:

To those who have skill to estimate the excellence and difficulty of this great work, it must be very desirable to know how it was performed, and by what gradations it advanced to correctness. Of such an intellectual process the knowledge has very rarely been attainable; but happily there remains the original copy of the Iliad,' which, being obtained by Bolingbroke as a curiosity, descended from him to Mallet, and is now, by the solicitation ye kings and warriors, may your vows he crown'd of the late Dr. Maty, reposited in the Museum. And Troy's proud walls lie level with the ground: Between this manuscript, which is written upon May Jove restore you, when your toils are o'er, accidental fragments of paper, and the printed edi-Safe to the pleasures of your native shore. tion, there must have been an intermediate copy, that was perhaps destroyed as it returned from the press.

From the first copy I have procured a few transcripts, and shall exhibit first the printed lines; then those of the manuscripts, with all their variations. Those words which are given in Italics, are cancelled in the copy, and the words placed under them adopted in their stead.

The beginning of the first book stands thus:
The wrath of Peleus' son, the direful spring
Of all the Grecian woes, O Goddess, sing,
That wrath which hurl'd to Pluto's gloomy reign
The souls of mighty chiefs untimely slain.

The stern Pelides' rage O Goddess, sing,

wrath

Of all the woes of Greece the fatal spring,
Grecian

To all he sued, but chief implored for grace,
The brother kings of Atreus' royal race:

Ye sons of Atreus, may your vows be crown'd,
Kings and warriors

Your labours, by the Gods be all your labours
crown'd;

So may the Gods your arms with conquest bless,
And Troy's proud wall lie level with the ground

laid

Till
And crown your labours with deserved success ¡
May Jove restore you, when your
toils are o'er
Safe to the pleasures of your native shore.
But oh! relieve a wretched parent's pain,
And give Chryseis to these arms again;
If mercy fail, yet let my present move,
And dread avenging Phoebus, son of Jove.

But oh! relieve a hapless parent's pain,
And give my daughter to these arms again!

Receive my gifts: if mercy fails, yet let my present

move,

And fear the God that deals his darts around.
avenging Phœbus, son of Jove.

The Greeks, in shouts, their joint assent declare
The priest to reverence, and release the fair.
Not so Atrides; he with kingly pride,
Repulsed the sacred Sire, and thus reply'a

He said, the Greeks their joint assent declare,
The father said, the gen'rous Greeks relent,
T'accept the ransom, and release the fair,
Revere the priest and speak the joint assent,
Not so the tyrant, he with kingly pride,
Atrides

Repulsed the sacred Sire, and thus reply'd.

[Not so the tyrant. DRYDEN.]

Of these lines, and of the whole first book, I am toid 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;
Stretch'd in their tents the Grecian leaders lie;
Th' Immortals slumber'd on their thrones above,
All but the ever-watchful eye of Jove.
To honour Thetis' son he bends his care,
And plunge the Greeks in all the woes of war.
Then bids an empty phantom rise to sight,
And thus commands the vision of the night:
directs

Fly hence, delusive dream, and, light as air,
To Agamemnon's royal tent repair;

Bid him in arms draw forth th' embattled train,
March all his legions to the dusty plain.
Now tell the King 'tis given him to destroy
Declare even now

The lofty walls of wide extended Troy;

towers

For now no more the Gods with Fate contend; At Juno's suit the heavenly factions end. Destruction hovers o'er yon devoted wall,

hangs

And nodding Ilium waits th' impending fall.

Invocation to the catalogue of Ships.

Say, Virgins, seated round the throne divine,
Al-knowing Goddesses! immortal nine!

Since Earth's wide regions, Heaven's unmeasured height,
And Hell's abyss, hide nothing from your sight,

(We, wretched mortals! lost in doubts below,
But guess by rumour, and but boast we know)
Oh! say what heroes, fired by thirst of fame,
Or urged by wrongs, to Troy's destruction came!
To count them all, demands a thousand tongues,
A throat of brass and adamantine lungs.

Now, Virgin Goddesses, immortal Nine!
That round Olympus' heavenly summit shine,
Who see through Heaven and Earth, and Hell profound,
And all things know, and all things can resound!
Relate what armies sought the Trojan land,
What nations follow'd, and what chiefs command;
(For doubtful fame distracts mankind below,
And nothing can we tell, and nothing know)
Without your aid, to count th' unnumber'd train,
A thousand mouths, a thousand tongues, were vain.
BOOK V. V. 1.

But Pallas now Tydides' soul inspires,
Fills with her force, and warms with all her fires
Above the Greeks his deathless fame to raise,
And crown her hero with distinguish'd praise.

High on his helm celestial lightnings play,
His beamy shield emits a living ray;

Th' unwearied blaze incessant stream supplies,
Like the red star that fires th' autumnal skies.

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,
High on
belm
From his broad buckler flash'd the living ray;
High on his helm celestial lightnings play,
His beamy shield emits a living ray;
The Goddess with her breath the flame supplies,
Bright as the star whose fires in Autumn rise;
Her breath divine thick streaming flames supplies,
Bright as the star that fires th' autumnal skies:
Th' unwearied blaze incessant streams supplies,
Like the red star that fires th' autumnal skies.

When first he rears his radiant orb to sight,
And, bath'd in Ocean shoots a keener light.
Such glories Pallas on the chief bestow'd,
Such from his arms the fierce effulgence flow'd;
Onward she drives him, furious to engage,
Where the fight burns, and where the thickest rage.

When fresh he rears his radiant orb to sight,
And gilds old Ocean with a blaze of light.
Bright as the star that fires th' autumnal skies,
Fresh from the deep, and gilds the seas and skies,
Such glories Pallas on her chief bestow'd,
Such sparkling rays from his bright armour flow'd
Such from his arms the fierce effulgence flow'd;
Onward she drives him headlong to engage,
furious

Where the war bleeds, and where the fiercest rage
fight burns,
thickest

The sons of Dares first the combat sought,
A wealthy priest, but rich without a fault;
In Vulcan's fane the father's days were led,
The sons to toils of glorious battle bred;

There lived a Trojan-Dares was his name,
The priest of Vulcan, rich, yet void of blame;
The sons of Dares first the combat sought,
A wealthy priest, but rich without a fault.

CONCLUSION OF BOOK VIII. v. 687.

As when the moon, refulgent lamp of night,
O'er heaven's clear azure spreads her sacred light,
When not a breath disturbs the deep serene,
And not a cloud o'ercasts the solemn scene;
Around her throne the vivid planets roll,
And stars unnumber'd gild the glowing pole;
O'er the dark trees a yellower verdure shed,
And tip with silver every mountain's head;
Then shine the vales, the rocks in prospect rise,
A flood of glory bursts from all the skies;
The conscious swains, rejoicing in the sight,
Eye the blue vault and bless the useful light.
So many flames before proud Ilion blaze,
And lighten glimmering Xanthus with their rays;
The long reflections of the distant fires
Gleam on the walls, and tremble on the spires.
A thousand piles the dusky horrors gild,
And shoot a shady lustre o'er the field.
Full fifty guards each flaming pile attend,
Whose umber'd arms by fits thick flashes send;
Loud neigh the coursers o'er their heaps of corn,
And ardent warriors wait the rising morn.

As when in stillness of the silent night,
As when the moon in all her lustre bright;

As when the moon, refulgent lamp of night,
O'er Heaven's clear azure sheds her silver light;
pure spreads sacred

As still in air the trembling lustre stood,
And o'er its golden border shoots a flood,
When no loose gale disturbs the deep serene,
not a breath

And no dim cloud o'ercasts the solemn scene;

not a

Around her silver throne the planets glow,
And stars unnumber'd trembling beams bestow:
Around her throne the vivid planets roll,
And stars unnumber'd gild the glowing pole;
Clear gleams of light o'er the dark trees are seen,
o'er the dark trees a yellow sheds,
O'er the dark trees a yellower green they shed,

gleam verdure

And tip with silver all the mountain heads

forest

And tip with silver every mountain's head,
The valleys open, and the forests rise,
The vales appear, the rocks in prospect rise,
Then shine the vales, the rocks in prospect rise,
All nature stands reveal'd before our eyes;
A flood of glory burst from all the skies.
The conscious shepherd, joyful at the sight,
Eyes the blue vault, and numbers every light.
The conscious swains rejoicing at the sight,
shepherds gazing with delight

ve the blue vault, and bless the vivid ligh

glorious
useful

So many flames before the navy blaze,
proud Ilion

And lighten glimmering Xanthus with their rays:
Wide o'er the fields to Troy extend the gleams,
And tip the distant spires with fainter beams;
The long reflections of the distant fires

Gild the high walls, and tremble on the spires;
Gleam on the walls, and tremble on the spires.
A thonsand fires at distant stations bright,
Gild the dark prospect and dispel the night.

[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 both for the favours you have done me, and you, 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

to

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 ele-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 the 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. unpublished. 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 reading. In four or five places, Lord Halifax stopt me very civilly, and with a speech each time of much the same kind, 'I beg your pardon, Mr. Pope; out there is something in that passage that does not

*Spence.

praise on one side, and of money on the other, and ended because Pope was less cager of money than 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; perpetual dependance, and with the abuse of those for he confessed that he found in Addison some-qualifications which he had obtained at the public thing more pleasing than in any other man. 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 resentment. Of such adherents Addison doubtless factions. "I," says Pope, "have the town, that had many; and Pope was now too high to be without them.

is, the mob, on my side; but it is not uncommon for the smaller party to supply by industry what it wants in numbers.-I appeal to the people as my rightful judges, and, while they are not inclined to condemn me, shall not fear the high-flyers at Button's." This opposition he immediately imputed

ciently resentful to Craggs, their common friend.

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.'

From the emission and reception of the proposals for the 'Iliad,' the kindness of Addison seems to have abated. Jervas the painter once pleased himself (August 20, 1714) with imagining that he had 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 confederacy 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 Dryone 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 re animosity 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.

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 appear to 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 af sketch 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 infatu

This 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 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.

sage.

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.

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