with fome bitternefs that, in the character of Sir Plume, he was made to talk nonfenfe. Whether all this be true, I have fome doubt; for at Paris, a few years ago, a nicce of Mrs. Fermor, who prefided in an English Convent, mentioned Pope's work with very little gratitude, rather as an infult than an honour; and fhe may be fuppofed to have inhcrited the opinion of her family.

At its firft appearance it was termed by Addison merum fal. Pope, however, faw that it was capable of improve ment; and having luckily contrived to borrow his machinery from the Roficrucians, imparted the fcheme with which his head was teeming to Addifon, who told

him that his work, as it ftood, was a delicious little thing, and gave him no encouragement to retouch it.

This has been too haftily confidered: as an inftance of Addifon's jealoufy; for as he could not guefs the conduct of the new defign, or the poffibilities of pleasure comprised in a fiction of which there had been no examples, he might very reasonably and kindly perfuade the author to acquiefce in his own prospe rity, and forbear an attempt which he confidered as an unneceffary hazard.

Addifon's counfel was happily rejected. Pope forefaw the future efflorefcence of imagery then budding in his mind, and refolved to fpare no art, or induftry of cultivation. The foft

luxuriance of his fancy was already fhooting, and all the gay varieties of diction were ready at his hand to colour and embellish it.

His attempt was juftified by its fuc cefs. The Rape of the Lock ftands forward, in the claffes of literature, as the moft exquifite example of ludicrous poetry. Berkley congratulated him upon the difplay of powers more truly poetical than he had fhewn before; with elegance of description and justnefs of precepts, he had now exhibited boundless fertility of invention.

He always confidered the intertexture of the machinery with the action as his moft fuccefsful exertion of poetical art. He indeed could never afterwards pro

duce

duce any thing of fuch unexampled excellence. Thofe performances, which ftrike with wonder, are combinations of fkilful genius with happy cafualty; and it is not likely that any felicity, like the discovery of a new race of preternatural agents, fhould happen twice to the fame

man.

Of this poem the author was, I think, allowed to enjoy the praife for a long time without difturbance. Many years afterwards Dennis published fome remarks upon it, with very little force, and with no effect; for the opinion of the publick was already fettled, and it was no longer at the mercy of criti cifm.

3

About

About this time he published the Temple of Fame, which, as he tells Steele in their correfpondence, he had written two years before; that is, when he was only twenty-two years old, an early time. of life for fo much learning and fo much obfervation as that work exhibits.

On this poem Dennis afterwards pub

lifhed fome remarks, of which the most reasonable is, that fome of the lines reprefent motion as exhibited by fculpture.

Of the Epiftle from Eloifa to. Abelard, I do not know the date. His firft inclination to attempt a compofition of that tender kind arose, as Mr. Savage told me, from his perufal of Prior's Nutbrown Maid. How much he has furpaffed Prior's work it is not neceffary.

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