And is not mine, my friend, a forer cafe, When ev'ry coxcomb perks them in my face? 74 A. Good friend, forbear! you deal in dang'rous things, I'd never name queens, minifters, or kings; 80 84 Keep close to ears, and those let affes prick, The creature's at his dirty work again, NOTES. 95 Ver. 80. That fecret to each fool, that he's an afs:] i. e that his ears (his marks of folly) are visible. Ver. 88. Alluding to Horace, Si fractus illabatur orbis, Impavidum ferient ruinæ." Ver. 98. Free-mafons Moore ?] He was of this fociety, and frequently headed their proceffions. Does, Does not one table Bavius still admit ? 100 Still Sappho----A. Hold; for God's fake----you'll offend, No names---be calm,---learn prudence of a friend; I too could write, and I am twice as tall ; But foes like thefe----P. One flatt'rer's worse than all. Of all mad creatures, if the learn'd are right, 105 It is the flaver kills, and not the bite. A fool quite angry is quite innocent: NOTES. Ver. 118. Sir, you have an eye----] It is remarkable, that amongst these compliments on his infirmities and deformi ties, he mentions his eye, which was fine, fharp, and piercing. It was done to intimate, that flattery was as odious to him when there was fome ground for commendation, as when there was none. Ver. III. in the MS. VARIATIONS. For fong, for filence fome expect a bribe; Go Go on, obliging creatures, make me fee Juft fo immortal Maro held his head:" NOTES. 120 126 Ver. 127. As yet a child, &c.] Mr Pope began to write verfes farther back than he could remember. When he was eight years old, Ogilby's Homer fell in his way, and delighted him extremely; and foon after Sandys' Ovid. He was then fo charmed with thefe books, that he spoke of them with pleasure ever after. About ten, he turned the tranfactions of the Iliad into a play, made up of speeches from Ogilby's translation, tacked together with verfes of his own; and had the address to perfuade his school-fellows to act it. At twelve he went with his father into Windfor-forest; and then got firft acquainted with the writings of Waller, Spenfer, and Dryden. On the first fight of Dryden, he found he had what he wanted. His poems were never out of his hands; they became his model; and from them alone he learned the whole magic of his verfification. In that year he began an epic poem, which Bp. Atterbury long afterward perfuaded him to burn. VARIATIONS. After ver. 124. in the MS. He But, friend, this shape, which you and Curll * admire, *Curll fet up his head for a fign. t His father was crooked. His mother was much afflicted with head-achs. I left no calling for this idle trade, No duty bróke, no father difobey'd. 139 The mufe but ferv'd to ease some friend, not wife, Ev'n mitred Rochester would nod the head, 140 NOTES. wrote too, in thofe early days, a comedy and tragedy, the latter taken from a story in the legend of St Genevieve; both which underwent the fame fate. As he began his pa ftorals foon after, he used to say pleasantly, that he had literally followed the example of Virgil, who says, Cum canerem reges et prælia," &c. Ecl. 6. ver. 3. &c. 66 Ver. 130. no father difobey'd] When Mr Pope was yet a child, his father, though no poet, would fet him to make English verfes. He was pretty difficult to please, and would often fend the boy back to new-turn them. When they were to his mind, he took great pleafure in them, and would fay, "Thefe are good rhymes," Ver. 139. Talbot, &c.] All these were patrons or admirers of Mr Dryden; though a fcandalous libel against him, entitled, Dryden's fatire to his mufe, has been printed in the name of the Lord Somers, of which he was wholly ignorant. These are the perfons to whose account the author charges the publication of his first pieces: Persons with whom he was converfant (and he adds beloved) at fixteen or seventeen years of age; an early period for fuch acquaintance. The catalogue might be made more illuftrious, had he not confined it to that time when he writ the Paftorals and Windfor-foreft, on which he paffes a fort of cenfure in the Kines following, While pure defcription held the place of fense? &c. And And St John's felf (great Dryden's friends before) Not from the Burnets, Oldmixons, and Cooks. 145 159 Soft were my numbers; who could take offence While pure defcription held the place of fenfe? Like gentle Fanny's was my flow'ry theme, A painted miftrefs, or a purling fiream. Yet then did Gildon draw his venal quill; I wish'd the man a dinner, and fat ftill. Yet then did Dennis rave in furious fret; I never answer'd, I was not in debt. If want provokʼd, or madnefs made them print, I wag'd no war with Bedlam or the Mint. 156 Did fome more fober critic come abroad; If wrong, I fmil'd; if right, I kifs'd the rod. Pains, reading, ftudy, are their just pretence; And all they want, is fpirit, taste, and sense. 160 Commas and points they fet exactly right, And 'twere a fin to rob them of their mite, NOTES. Ver. 146. Burnets, &c.] Authors, fays Mr Pope, of fecret and fcandalous hiftory;-----but by no means, fays Mr Warburton, of the fame clafs, though the violence of party might hurry them into the same miftake. If the firft (adds he) offended this way, it was only through an honest warmth of temper, that allowed too little to an excellent underftanding. The other two, with very bad heads, had hearts ftill worse. Ver. 150. A painted meadow, or a purling stream, is a verfe of Mr Addison. Yet |