POPE never appears to fo much difadvantage, as when he writes to the Ladies. Thefe Letters, in particular, are conftrained, affected, full of falfe wit, and false gaiety, and in every thing the reverse of what he wished them to appear, the natural effufions of lively and gallant feelings. He certainly was fenfible of this, as will be seen by his own confeffion, and they were indeed written chiefly at an early age; but as they were published, and with fome care (by leaving out paffages that might be thought offenfive, and correcting others), it is plain he was not indifferent to them in his latter days, though it must have been very strange if he was not aware how vainly laboured they were. LETTERS ΤΟ SEVERAL LADIES'. LETTER I. I Madam, March 1, 1705. SEND you the book of rudiments of Drawing, which you were pleased to command, and think myself obliged to inform you at the fame time of one of the many excellencies you poffefs without knowing of them. You are but too good a Painter already; and no * Most of these were printed without the Author's confent, and no doubt are the fame upon which the cenfure is paffed in the Preface, "That they have too much of a juvenile ambition of "wit, and affectation of gaiety." And it is pleaded in excufe, "that they were written very young, and the folly was foon ❝ over." POPE. After this candid cenfure, paffed by our Author himself, on the fucceeding Thirty-three Letters to feveral Ladies, it would be invidious to fay any thing more of their being very unworthy of him; always excepting the laft, to Mrs. Arabella Fermor, on her marriage, which is full of gallantry and elegance. WARTON. It is faid in the Contents, that all these Letters were written to the fame. That cannot be, for the Lady here certainly is not Mifs Blount, as fhe is described of the age of three and twenty, and as having had a child fix years before. no picture of Raphael's was ever fo beautiful, as that which you have formed in a certain heart of my acquaintance. Indeed it was but just that the finest lines in nature fhould be drawn upon the moft durable ground, and none could ever be met with, that would fo readily receive, or fo faithfully retain them, as this Heart. I may boldly fay of it, that you will not find its fellow in all the parts of the body in this book. But I must complain to you of my hand, which is an arrant traitor to my heart; for having been copying your picture from thence and from Kneller these three days, it has done all poffible injury to the finest face that ever was made, and to the livelieft image that ever was drawn. I have imagination enough in your absence, to trace fome resemblance of you; but I have been so long used to lofe my judgment at the fight of you that it is past my power to correct it by the life. Your picture feems least like when placed before your eyes; and, contrary to all other pictures, receives a manifest disadvantage by being fet on the fairest light in the world. The Painters are a very vain generation, and have a long time pretended to rival nature; but to own the truth to you, fhe made fuch a finished piece about three and twenty years ago, (I beg your pardon, Madam; I proteft, I meant but two and twenty,) that 'tis in vain for them any longer to contend with her. I know you indeed made one fomething like it, betwixt five and fix years paft: 'twas a little girl, done with abundance of spirit and life, and |