THE introduction of Pope by Wycherley to Mr. Walsh, and the correspondence that took place between them, was highly favourable to Pope, as it induced him to prosecute his inquiries into subjects of criticism with additional diligence; in consequence of which he has left, in the ensuing Letters to Mr. Walsh, many acute and valuable remarks. Some of these he afterwards incorporated into his Essay on Criticism, which was not written till the year after Mr. Walsh's death, viz. in 1709. LETTERS TO AND FROM WILLIAM WALSH, ESQ.* FROM THE YEAR 1705 TO 1707. LETTER I. MR. WALSH TO MR. WYCHERLEY. April 20, 1705. IR RETURN you the papers† you favoured me with, and had sent them to you yesterday morning, but that I thought to have brought them to you last night myself. I have read them over several times with great satisfaction. The preface is very judicious and very learned; and the verses very tender and easy. The author seems to have a particular genius for that kind of poetry, and a judgment that much exceeds the years you told me he was of. He has taken very freely from the ancients, but what he has mixed of his own with theirs, is not inferior to what he has taken from them. It * Of Abberley in Worcestershire, Gentleman of the Horse in Queen Anne's reign, author of several beautiful pieces in prose and verse, and in the opinion of Mr. Dryden (in his postscript to Virgil) the best critic of our nation in his time. Pope. Pope. Mr. Pope's Pastorals. is no flattery at all to say, that Virgil had written nothing so good at his age.* I shall take it as a favour if you will bring me acquainted with him: and, if he will give himself the trouble any morning to call at my house, I shall be very glad to read the verses over with him, and give him my opinion of the particulars more largely than I can well do in this letter. I am, Sir, etc. LETTER II. MR. WALSH TO MR. POPE. June 24, 1706. I RECEIVED the favour of your letter,† and shall be very glad of the continuance of a corre + Walsh, though a feeble and flimsy poet, yet from these letters, and from the Essay on Pastoral, which he gave to Dryden, appears to have been a man of some taste and literature, but of narrow ideas in poetry. He seems to be the first of our critics that attended much to the Italian poets. We ought to esteem him for his early praise and encouragement of Pope, which perhaps contributed to determine Pope to devote himself to the study of poetry. The best of Walsh's poetry is a parody on the Fourth Eclogue of Virgil, in which Tories, Nonjurors, and Jacobites, are vigorously attacked and ridiculed; and an imitation of the Justum et tenacem of Horace, book iii. Ode 3. in which a speech of King William, from stanza the 4th to the 13th, is given with much energy and force. Some of Addison's best verses are also a translation of this very Ode; and it is remarkable that Oldmixon relates it was he that desired Mr. Addison to give a translation of this Ode; certainly one of his most spirited compositions. Warton. spondence, by which I am like to be so great a gainer. I hope when I have the happiness of seeing you again in London, not only to read over the verses I have now of yours, but more that you have written since; for I make no doubt but any one who writes so well, must write more. Not that I think the most voluminous poets always the best; I believe the contrary is rather true. I mentioned somewhat to you in London of a Pastoral Comedy, which I should be glad to hear you had thought upon since. I find Menage, in his observations upon Tasso's Aminta, reckons up fourscore pastoral plays in Italian: and, in looking over my old Italian books, I find a great many pastoral and piscatory plays, which, I suppose, Menage reckons together. I find also by Menage, that Tasso is not the first that writ in that kind, he mentioning another before him which he himself had never seen, nor indeed have I. But as the Aminta, Pastor Fido,* and Filli di Sciro of Bonarelli are the three best, so, I think, there is no dispute but Aminta is the best of the three. Not but that the discourses in Pastor Fido are more entertaining and copious in several people's opinion, though not so proper for pastoral; and the fable of Bonarelli more surprizing. I do not remember many in other languages, that have writ * It is surprizing that Walsh should make no mention of that exquisite pastoral comedy, The Faithful Shepherdess, of Beaumont and Fletcher; nor of the Comus of Milton, who in truth has borrowed much from Fletcher. Warton. |