pect; but, I affure you, if you freely mark or dash out, I shall look upon your blots to be its greatest beauties: I mean, if Mr. Addison and yourself should like it in the whole; otherwife. 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 impose any thing on the world which is unwor thy 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. + In a fubfequent letter to Mr. Addison, 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, fo 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 so very few, as neither to deserve the credit of such "" a report with fome people, nor the difrepute of it with others. "An honeft Jacobite spoke 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 subjects. This, I know, you will laugh at as well as I "do; yet I doubt not but many little calumniators, and perfons * of four difpofitions, will take occafion hence to bespatter me. I "confefs, I scorn 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 pafs that the few Guar "dians I have written are so generally known for mine: that ia particular which you mention I never discovered to any man 22 "but much capacity as leisure, for I am perfectly idle (a fign I have not much capacity). If you will entertain the beft opinion of me, be pleafed to think me your friend. Affure Mr. Addison of my most faithful fervice; of every one's esteem he must be affured already. I am your, &c. A. POPE LETTER CCCCX. Nov. 29, 1712. I * 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 reft 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 suspected "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 perfon of the greatest abilities, who would not "have let them appeared by any other means; to have animated 66 a few young gentlemen into worthy pursuits, who will be a "glory to our age; and at all times, and by all possible means "in my power, undermined the interefts of ignorance, vice, and "folly, and attempted to fubftitute in their ftead learning, pi66 ety, and good fense. It is from this honeft heart, that I find myfelf honoured as a gentleman-ufher to the Arts and Sci"" ences. Mr. Tickell and Mr. Pope have, it feems, this idea ❝ of me. The former has written me an excellent paper of "verfes in praife, forfooth, of myfelf; and the other inclofed for my perufal an admirable poem, which, I hope, will shortly "fee the light." 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 "pleafant 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 "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. LETTER * Jacob Tonfon. 23 LETTER CCCCXI. To Mr. PoPE. Dec. 4, 1712. TH HIS is to defire of you that you would please to make an ode as of a chearful dying 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, Dec. 1712. I Do not send you word I will do, but have already done the thing you defire of me. You have it (as Cowley calls it) just warm from the brain. It came to me the firft moment I waked this morning: yet, you will see, it was not fo abfolutely infpiration *, 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. It has been fuggefted, that fome part of what is here ascribed to inspiration, and faid to have come warm from Pope's heart, dropt originally from the pen of Flatman. Hark! Hark! they whisper; Angels fay," Lend, lend your wings! I mount! I fly! LETTER CCCCXIII *. TO HENRY BOYLE +, Efq. SIR, [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 A *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 ftation 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. |
0 Reviews Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's identified Write review |