He that is pleased with himself eafily imagines that he shall please others. Sir William Trumbull, who had been ambaffador at Conftantinople, and fecretary of state, when he retired from business, fixed his refidence in the neighbourhood of Binfield. Pope, not yet fixteen, was introduced to the ftatefman of fixty, and fo diftinguished himself, that their interviews ended in friendship and correfpondence. Pope was, through his whole life, ambitious of fplendid acquaintance; and he feems to have wanted neither diligence nor fuccefs in attracting the notice of the great; for, from his first entrance into the world, and his entrance was very early, he was admitted to familiarity with those whofe rank or ftation made them moft confpicuous.

From the age of fixteen the life of Pope, as an author, may be properly computed. He now wrote his paftorals, which were fhewn to the poets and criticks of that time; as they well deferved, they were read with admiration, and many praises were bestowed upon them and upon the Preface, which is both elegant and learned in a high degree; they were, however, not published till five years after

wards.

Cowley, Milton, and Pope, are diftinguished among the English Poets by the early exertion of their powers; but the works of Cowley alone were published in his childhood, and therefore of him only can it be certain that his puerile performances received no improvement from his maturer ftudies.

At this time began his acquaintance with Wycherley, a man who feems to have had among his contemporaries

temporaries his full fhare of reputation, to have been efteemed without virtue, and careffed without goodhumour. Pope was proud of his notice; Wycherley wrote verfes in his praise, which he was charged by Dennis with writing to himself, and they agreed for a while to flatter one another. It is pleasant to remark how foon Pope learned the cant of an author, and began to treat criticks with contempt, though he had yet fuffered nothing from them.

But the fondness of Wycherley was too violent to laft. His efteem of Pope was fuch, that he submitted fome poems to his revifion; and when Pope, perhaps proud of such confidence, was fufficiently bold in his criticifms, and liberal in his alterations, the old fcribbler was angry to fee his pages defaced, and felt more pain from the detection than content from the amendment of his faults. They parted; but Pope always confidered him with kindness, and vifited him a little time before he died.

Another of his early correfpondents was Mr. Cromwell, of whom I have learned nothing particular but that he used to ride a hunting in a tye-wig. He was fond, and perhaps vain, of amufing himself with poetry and criticifm; and fometimes fent hist performances to Pope, who did not forbear fuch remarks as were now-and-then unwelcome. Pope, in his turn, put the juvenile verfion of "Statius" into his hands for correction.

Their correfpondence afforded the publick its firft knowledge of Pope's epiftolary powers; for his Letters were given by Cromwell to one Mrs. Thomas; and the many years afterwards fold them to Curll, who inferted them in a volume of his Mifcellanies.

Walsh,

Walsh, a name yet preserved among the minor poets, was one of his firft encouragers. His regard was gained by the Paftorals, and from him Pope received the counsel by which he feems to have regulated his ftudies. Walsh advised him to correctnefs, which, as he told him, the English poets had hitherto neglected, and which therefore was left to him as a bafis of fame; and being delighted with rural poems, recommended to him to write a pastoral comedy, like those which are read fo eagerly in Italy; a defign which Pope probably did not approve, as he did not follow it.

Pope had now declared himself a poet; and thinking himself entitled to poetical conversation, began at seventeen to frequent Will's, a coffee-house on the north fide of Ruffell-ftreet in Covent-garden, where the wits of that time used to affemble, and where Dryden had, when he lived, been accuftomed to prefide.

During this period of his life he was indefatigably diligent, and insatiably curious; wanting health for violent, and money for expensive pleasures, and having excited in himself very strong defires of intellectual eminence, he spent much of his time over his books; but he read only to ftore his mind with facts and images, feizing all that his authors prefented with undistinguishing voracity, and with an appetite for knowledge too eager to be nice. In a mind like his, however, all the faculties were at once involuntarily improving. Judgement is forced upon us by experience. He that reads many books must compare one opinion or one style with another; and, when he compares, must neceffarily distinguish, reject, and

prefer.

prefer. But the account given by himself of his ftudies was, that from fourteen to twenty he read only for amufement, from twenty to twenty-feven for improvement and inftruction; that in the first part of this time he defired only to know, and in the fecond he endeavoured to judge.

The paftorals, which had been for fome time handed about among poets and criticks, were at laft printed (1709) in Tonfon's Mifcellany, in a volume which began with the Pastorals of Philips, and ended with those of Pope.

The fame year was written the Essay on Crititifm; a work which displays fuch extent of comprehenfion, fuch nicety of diftinction, fuch acquaintance with mankind, and fuch knowledge both of ancient and modern learning, as are not often attained by the matureft age and longeft experience. It was published about two years afterwards; and, being praised by Addifon in "The Spectator*" with fufficient liberality, met with so much favour as enraged Dennis, "who," he says, " found himself attacked, with

out any manner of provocation on his fide, and at"tacked in his perfon, inftead of his writings, by "one who was wholly a ftranger to him, at a time "when all the world knew he was perfecuted by "fortune; and not only faw that this was attempted "in a clandeftine manner, with the utmoft falfehood "and calumny, but found that all this was done by "a little affected hypocrite, who had nothing in

No. 253. But, according to Dr. Warton, Pope was difpleafed at one paffage, in which Addifon cenfures the admiffion of" fome ftrokes of ill-nature." C.

"his mouth at the fame time but truth, candour, "friendship, good-nature, humanity, and magna"nimity."

How the attack was clandeftine is not eafily per ceived, nor how his perfon is depreciated; but he feems to have known fomething of Pope's character, in whom may be discovered an appetite to talk too frequently of his own virtues.

The pamphlet is fuch as rage might be expected to dictate. He fuppofes himself to be asked two questions; whether the Effay will fucceed, and who or what is the author.

Its fuccefs he admits to be fecured by the false opinions then prevalent; the author he concludes to be "young and raw."

"Firft, because he discovers a fufficiency beyond "his little ability, and hath rafhly undertaken a task "infinitely above his force. Secondly, while this "little author ftruts, and affects the dictatorian air, "he plainly fhews, that at the fame time he is under "the rod and, while he pretends to give laws to "others, is a pedantick flave to authority and opinion. "Thirdly, he hath, like fchool-boys, borrowed both "from living and dead. Fourthly, he knows not "his own mind, and frequently contradicts himself. Fifthly, he is almost perpetually in the wrong."

66

All thefe pofitions he attempts to prove by quo tations and remarks; but his defire to do mifchief is greater than his power. He has, however, juftly criticised fome paffages in thefe lines:

There are whom Heaven has blefs'd with ftore of Wit,
Yet want as much again to manage it;

For Wit and Judgement ever are at ftrife