of Bossu, Reflections on Epic Poetry, had been read with attention beyond the limits of France, and our own Rymer had published in 1694 a translation of Rapin's Reflections on the Poetics of Aristotle. John Dennis about the same time, in The Impartial Critic, analysed with considerable skill the grounds of Waller's poetic reputation, and compared the exigencies of the Greek and English theatres. were metrical precedents wanting to Pope. In imitation of Boileau, Lord Roscommon had written an Essay on Translated Verse (1680), to which we shall see that Pope in the present poem was under considerable obligations, and Sheffield (Earl of Mulgrave and Duke of Buckingham) had written an Essay on Satire and an Essay on Poetry, both in the heroic couplet; a line from the latter is quoted in the Essay on Criticism. Lastly, when we consider Pope's extreme sensitiveness-how truly he said of himself, touch me, and no minister so sore'l-it may seem probable that the circumstance of Dennis having spoken unfavourably of his Pastorals in clubs and coffee-houses, was some inducement to him to write a poem which should include a severe castigation of English critics in general, and John Dennis in particular.

Dr. Johnson speaks of the Essay on Criticism as a work which displays such extent of comprehension, such nicety of distinction, such acquaintance with mankind, and such knowledge both of ancient and modern learning, as are not often attained by the maturest and longest experience.' Addison noticed

Imitations of Horace.

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the poem in the Spectator (No. 253) a few months after its publication, and declared it to be 'a masterpiece in its kind.' The general opinion of critics and men of sense, in accordance with these earlier testimonies, has always rated the Essay very highly.

After the Essay on Criticism, Pope published the Rape of the Lock in 1714, and the first four books of his translation of Homer in 1715. The rest of the translation, including that of the Odyssey, appeared at intervals in the course of the next ten years. In 1717 he published his collected poems in a handsome folio volume, containing, besides those already mentioned (except the Homer), the Messiah, Windsor Forest, the Temple of Fame, Eloisa to Abelard, the Elegy on an Unfortunate Lady, some translations from Chaucer, Statius, &c., and a number of shorter pieces. For some years after this he produced little original poetry. In 1725 appeared his edition of Shakspeare, which he had undertaken at the instigation of the booksellers. Although the Preface was marked by great ability, and some happy emendations were introduced into the text, the edition, for preparing which Pope had neither the necessary learning, nor, perhaps, enough dramatic feeling, was not successful. His treatment of the

text was attacked by Lewis Theobald, himself the author of several forgotten plays and translations, in a pamphlet published in 1726, entitled Shakspere Restored, or a Specimen of the many Errors committed as well as unamended by Mr. Pope in his late edition of this poet. This led to the first draught of the

Dunciad. The Essay on Man, a system of philosophy in verse, in four epistles, was published between 1732 and 1734.

MORAL ESSAYS.

We are thus brought to the Moral Essays. Bishop Warburton, in his general edition of the Works of Pope, published in 1751, gives the following account of them. Pope, he says, originally designed that his Essay on Man should form a part of a more extensive work in four books. The Essay itself, divided into four epistles, was to be taken as Book I. Book II., taking up the leading ideas of the first and second epistles of Book I., was to treat of the Human Mind and Intellectual Culture; Book III., resuming the consideration of the subject sketched out in Epistle 3, would treat of civil regimen and forms of Government; lastly, Book IV., expanding the thoughts of Epistle 4, would deal with private ethics or practical morality. The four Moral Essays, he continues, are but detached pieces, which, had this great plan been completed, would have found their proper places in Book IV.

The Moral Essays were first arranged by Pope in the order in which they now stand in an edition of his poems published in 1743. They appeared at intervals; the first, published in 1731, was that which now stands last, an Epistle on Taste, addressed to Lord Burlington. Next year followed the Essay Of the Use of Riches, addressed to his intimate friend Lord Bathurst. The epistle Of the Knowledg and Characters of Men, addressed to Lord Cobham

which now stands the first, appeared in 1733; and was followed in 1735 by an epistle Of the Characters of Women (Moral Essay II.), addressed to a Lady.

The text of the Moral Essays, as fixed by the edition of 1743, does not vary much from that which they had when first published; the chief difference being in Epistle 2, the original issue of which did not contain the characters of Atossa and Chloe.

POPE'S LIFE; DATES AND FACTS.

The main facts of Pope's life and literary career, in addition to those which have been already noticed, are as follows. Alexander Pope was born in the house of his father, a linendraper in Lombard Street, London, on the 22nd May, 1688. Both his parents were Catholics. In his twelfth year he saw Dryden at Wills' Coffee-house, Covent Garden. He received his education partly at home from private tutors, partly at small Catholic schools. He was diminutive in stature, somewhat deformed, and of a sickly constitution. From 1700 to 1715 he resided with his parents at Binfield, near Windsor Forest. The Pastorals, his earliest work, were written in 1704, and published in 1709. The Essay on Criticism, probably begun in 1707, was published in 1711. The Messiah came out in the Spectator in 1712. On the Rape of the Lock, the Iliad, and other poems, see p. vii. In 1715, the sale of his translation of Homer having brought him a large sum of money, he removed with his parents to Twickenham, and resided there till his death. The Essay on Man and the Moral Essays are noticed

at p. viii. The Imitations of Horace were published at various times between 1733 and 1738. Of the Dunciad, Books I.-III. first appeared in 1728; Book IV. not till 1742. Pope was united by a close friendship to Swift, Arbuthnot, Bolingbroke, Gay, Atterbury, and Warburton, and had relations more or less friendly ( with Wycherley, Addison, Tickell, Halifax, &c. He died on the 30th May, 1744.

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