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keeping it from the world, he inserted it in his Miscellany of 1727 under the title of Fragment of a Satire. It was, however, now preceded by the lines in disparagement of critics and commentators, which were aimed especially at Bentley and Theobald, the former of whom had offended Pope by his depreciation of the Translation of the Iliad, and the latter by his remarks on the poet's edition of Shakespeare. It is possible that the character of Bufo was written at some period previous to the appearance of the Verses to the Imitator of Horace; it belongs to the same class as the portraits of "Umbra," "Macer," and "Atticus," and may, like the two former, have been originally one of several satirical portraits painted in accordance with Atterbury's recommendation. The only other portion

of the Epistle which we know to have been written long before its publication was the pathetic concluding paragraph. This was sent by Pope in a letter to Aaron Hill, dated 3rd September, 1731. It may, therefore, be said that the "snatches" written " as the several occasions offered," are comprised in vv. 151-214, 231-248, and 406-419; that is to say, out of a composition of 419 lines, only 96 were certainly written before 1733; and these might be removed without radically interfering with the construction of the poem.

How very far from the truth was Pope's statement that he only put "the last hand to this Epistle" after the publication of the Verses to the Imitator of Horace, may be inferred from the fact that the remaining 323 lines were evidently written as an answer to those Verses. The internal evidence of the composition itself is conclusive on this point. It is much less a "bill of complaint" than an apology in the shape of an autobiography into which the preexisting fragments are dexterously woven. The first portion-i.e., all the lines preceding v. 157-is obviously a connected work, and the occasion of its composition is ascertained by the interrupted sentence "Still Sappho-,” (v. 101) in allusion to Lady W. M. Montagu, who had been grossly satirised as Sappho in the first Imitation of Horace, and was supposed by Pope to be one of the authors of the retaliatory Verses. The allusion to the elopement of Lady Walpole (see note to v. 25) shows that the opening of the poem was written as late as 1734. As to the latter part, which takes up the autobiographical thread that had of course been dropped in the portions of the Epistle relating to the small critics, to Atticus, and to Bufo, it is evident from the reference to the epitaph on Gay, that it could not have been composed before March 31, 1733, at which date Pope was corresponding with Swift about the final form which the memorial lines on their friend were to assume on the monument. The remainder of the Epistle comprises the assertion of the moral motives of the poet's satire, the character of Sporus, and the account of Pope's family'; two of these three passages being an answer to the line, "Hard as thy heart and as thy birth obscure," in the Verses to the Imitator of

Horace; and the third being the poet's crushing rejoinder to Lord Hervey as the reputed author of that poem.

Characteristic as the disingenuousness of the Advertisement is, it is not more characteristic than the art with which the pre-existing and disconnected fragments are pieced into the main design. It was necessary to suit the protesting form in which the satire on Addison first appeared, "If meagre Gildon draw his venal quill," &c., to the autobiographical character of the Epistle to Arbuthnot. The poet therefore altered the passage by starting a paragraph in narrative form, "Soft were my numbers," and making the subsequent lines historical, "Yet then did Gildon draw his venal quill." Instead of the line in the Miscellany, "How would they swear not Congreve's self was safe," he reads:

And swear not Addison himself was safe,

thus delicately preparing the mind of the reader for the transition to the character of Atticus, which in the Miscellany had appeared with the initial and final letters A-n.

Equal skill is shown in leading the autobiography up to the character of Bufo; and nothing can seem more natural and appropriate than the affecting address to Arbuthnot at the conclusion of the Epistle, although the verses were originally written on a quite different occasion, and to a different person. It is to be observed that Pope's statement in the Advertisement, as to his method of composition in the Epistle, was necessary by way of apology for the concluding paragraph, since Mrs. Pope had died before the poem was published. The "callida junctura" by which the poet combined his old and new materials would alone suffice to prove him a great master of his art, but the quality of the whole Epistle is of extraordinary excellence. Johnson is probably right in tracing the idea to Boileau's address, "A son Esprit"; but admirable as that satire is, we have only to compare it with Pope's to see how far the latter excels his French predecessor in all poetical gifts and graces. The sustained dramatic power, the variety of the detail, the richness of the imagery, the elevation of the sentiment, the force of the invective, contrasting so exquisitely with the pathetic ropose of the conclusion, all combine to place the Epistle beyond the reach of rivalry in this kind of writing.

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The Epistle was registered at Stationers' Hall, 2nd Jan., 1734-5, under the title "An Epistle from Mr. Pope to Dr. Arbuthnot; owner of the copyright being Lawton Gilliver.

ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE

FIRST PUBLICATION OF THIS EPISTLE.

THIS paper is a sort of bill of complaint, begun many years since, and drawn up by snatches, as the several occasions offered. I had no thoughts of publishing it, till it pleased some persons of rank and fortune [the authors of "Verses to the Imitator of Horace," and of an "Epistle to a Doctor of Divinity from a Nobleman at Hampton Court"] to attack, in a very extraordinary manner, not only my writings (of which, being public, the public is judge) but my Person, Morals, and Family, whereof, to those who know me not, a truer information may be requisite. Being divided between the necessity. to say something of myself, and my own laziness to undertake so awkward a task, I thought it the shortest way to put the last hand to this Epistle. If it have anything pleasing, it will be that by which I am most desirous to please, the Truth and the Sentiment; and if anything offensive, it will be only to those I am least sorry to offend, the vicious or the ungenerous.

Many will know their own pictures in it, there being not a circumstance but what is true; but I have for the most part spared their Names, and they may escape being laughed at, if they please.

I would have some of them know, it was owing to the request of the learned and candid friend to whom it is inscribed, that I make not as free use of theirs, as they have done of mine. However, I shall have this advantage, and honour, on my side, that whereas, by their proceeding, any abuse may be directed at any man, no injury can possibly be done by mine, since a nameless character can never be found out, but by its truth and likeness.-POPE.

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