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pect; but, I affure you, if you freely mark or dafh out, I fhall look upon your blots to be its greatest beauties: I mean, if Mr. Addison and yourself should like it in the whole; otherwise. the trouble of correction is what I would not take, for I was really fo diffident of it as to let it lie by me these two years, just as you now fee it. I am afraid of nothing fo much as to impofe any thing on the world which is unworthy of its acceptance.

As to the last period of your letter, I shall be very ready and glad to contribute to any defign that tends to the advantage of mankind, which, I am fure, all yours do. I wish I had but as

much

*Hence it appears this poem was written before the author was twenty-two years old.

66

† In a subsequent letter to Mr. Addifon, Pope fays, “As Ì "hope, and would flatter myself, that you know me and my thoughts fo entirely as never to be mistaken in either, so it is a "pleasure to me that you have gueffed fo right in regard to the "author of that GUARDIAN you mentioned. But I am forry to "find it has taken air that I have fome hand in thofe papers, be"cause I writ fo very few, as neither to deserve the credit of fuch a report with fome people, nor the difrepute of it with others. "An honeft Jacobite fpoke to me the sense or nonsense of the "weak part of his party very fairly, that the good people took it "ill of me that I writ with STEELE, though upon never so indif"ferent fubjects. This, I know, you will laugh at as well as I "do; yet I doubt not but many little calumniators, and persons * of four difpofitions, will take occafion hence to bespatter me. I "confefs, I fcorn narrow fouls of all parties, and, if I renounce "my reason in religious matters, I will hardly do it in any other. "I cannot imagine whence it comes to pass that the few Guar "dians I have written are fo generally known for mine: that in particular which you mention I never discovered to any man

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"but

much capacity as leifure, for I am perfectly idle (a fign I have not much capacity).

If you will entertain the best opinion of me, be pleafed to think me your friend. Affure Mr. Addison of my moft faithful fervice; of every one's esteem he must be affured already. I am your, &c. A. POPE

I

LETTER CCCCX.
From Mr. POPE.

Nov. 29, 1712.

AM forry you published that notion about Adrian's verfes* as mine: had I imagined "but the publisher, till very lately; yet almost every body told me "of it. As to his taking a more politic turn, I cannot any way enter "into that fecret, nor have I been let into it any more than into "the rest of his politics. Though it is faid, he will take into thefe papers alfo feveral fubjects of the politer kind, as before: but, I affure you, as to myfelf, I have quite done with them "for the future. The little I have done, and the great respect E bear Mr. Steele as a man of wit, has rendered me a fufpected "Whig to fome of the violent; but (as old Dryden faid before "me) it is not the violent I defign to please."

In the Spectator above referred to, p. 337, Steele fays, "I "claim to myself the merit of having extorted excellent pro"ductions from a person of the greatest abilities, who would not "have let them appeared by any other means; to have animated "a few young gentlemen into worthy purfuits, who will be a "glory to our age; and at all times, and by all poffible means "in my power, undermined the interefts of ignorance, vice, and "folly, and attempted to fubftitute in their ftead learning, pi“ety, and good fense. It is from this honeft heart, that I find "myself honoured as a gentleman-usher to the Arts and SciMr. Tickell and Mr. Pope have, it feems, this idea The former has written me an excellent paper of verfes in praife, forfooth, of myself; and the other inclosed *for my perusal an admirable poem, which, I hope, will shortly "fee the light."

"ences.

❝ of me.

you

you would use my name, I fhould have expreffed my fentiments with more modefty and diffidence. I only fent it to have your opinion, and not to publifh my own, which I diftrufted. But I think the fuppofition you draw from the notion of Adrian's being addicted to magic, is a little uncharitable (" that he might fear no fort "of deity, good or bad"), fince, in the third verse, he plainly teftifies his apprehenfion of a future ftate, by being folicitous whither his foul was going. As to what you mention of his ufing gay and ludicrous expreffions, I have owned my opinion to be, that the expreffions are not fo, but that diminutives are as often, in the Latin tongue, ufed as marks of tenderness and concern.

Anima is no more than "my foul," animula has the force of "my dear foul." To say virgo bella is not half fo endearing as virguncula bellula ; and had Auguftus only called Horace lepidum, bominem, it had amounted to no more than that he thought him a "pleasant fellow :" it was the bomunciolum that expreffed the love and tendernefs that great Emperor had for him. And perhaps I fhould myself be much better pleased, if I were told you called me "6 your little "friend," than if you complimented me with the title of "a great genius," or "an eminent "hand," as Jacob * does all his authors. I am your, &c. A. POPE.

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Dec. 4, 1712.

THIS is to defire of you that you would

please to make an ode as of a chearful dy-. ing fpirit; that is to fay, the Emperor Adrian's "animula vagula," put into two or three flanzas. for mufic. If you comply with this, and send me word fo, you will very particularly oblige your, &c. RICHARD STEELE,

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I

1712.

Do not fend you word I will do, but have already done the thing you defire of me. You have it (as Cowley calls it) juft warm from the brain. It came to me the firft moment I waked this morning: yet, you will fee, it was not so abfolutely inspiration *, but that I had in my head not only the verses of Adrian, but the fine fragment of Sappho, &c.

:

The DYING CHRISTIAN to his SOUL. ODE.
Vital spark of heavenly flame!
Quit, oh quit this mortal frame
Trembling, hoping, lingering, flying,
Oh the pain, the blifs of dying!
Ceafe, fond Nature, cease thy ftrife,

And let me languish into life.

It has been fuggefted, that fome part of what is here afcribed to infpiration, and faid to have come warm from Pope's heart, dropt originally from the pen of Flatman.

Hark!

Hark! they whisper; Angels fay,"
Sifter Spirit, come away!
What is this absorbs me quite,
Steals my fenfes, fhuts my fight,
Drowns my fpirits, draws my breath?
Tell me, my foul, can this be Death?
The world recedes; it disappears!
Heaven opens on my eyes! my ears
With founds feraphic ring!
Lend, lend your wings! I mount! I fly!
O Grave! where is thy victory?
O Death! where is thy fting?

SIR,

A

LETTER CCCCXIII*.

TO HENRY BOYLE †, Esq.

[1712]. S the profeffed defign of this work is to entertain its readers in general, without giving offence to any particular person, it would be difficult to find out so proper a patron for it

* Prefixed to the third volume of "The Spectator."

+ Youngest fon of Charles Lord Clifford. He was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer to King William in March 1701; was much esteemed by that prince; and continued in that post till Feb. 12, 1707-8, when he was made one of the principal Secretaries of State, in which station he remained till Sept. 20, 1710. On the acceffion of George I. Mr. Boyle was created Lord Carleton, and foon after made Prefident of the Council. He died unmarried, March 14, 1724-5. To the kindnefs of Mr. Boyle, and the friendship of Lord Halifax, Mr. Addison was indebted for his first introduction to Lord Godolphin. See Budgell, p. 153.

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