And has not Colley still his lord, and whore? Still to one Bishop Philips feem a wit? 100 Still Sappho-A. Hold! for God-fake-you'll offend. No Names-be calm-learn prudence of a friend: I too could write, and I am twice as tall; But foes like thefe-P. One Flatt'rer's worfe than all. Of all mad creatures, if the learn❜d are right, 105 It is the flaver kills, and not the bite. NOTES. A fool VER 97. And has not Colley fil, &c.] I forbear to fay any thing of Colley's anfwer to this line. " VER. 98. free mafons Moore?] He was of this fociety, and frequently headed their proceffions. WARBURTON. VER. 98. His butchers Henley,] This alludes to Henley, commonly called Orator Henley, who declaimed on Sundays on religious fubjects, and on Wednesdays on the sciences;-one fhilling was the price of admittance. His Oratory was among the Butchers in Newport Market and Butcher Row; hence the expref. fion, "His butchers, Henley." There is no great fatire or wit in the allufion, nor is there any thing ludicrous in the idea, that Moore," ftill continues a Free-mafon," in fpight of Pope's Satire. VER. 99. Does not one table Bavius pill admit?] I cannot find out the circumftance to which this alludes. VER. 103. Still to one Bishop] This is Bishop Boulter, who was Ambrofe Philips' great friend and patron. Boulter wrote, in conjunction with Philips, a paper called the Freethinker. He was then only minifter of a parish in Southwark; but being confidered of confequence to Government, he was first made Dean of St. Paul's, and afterwards Primate of Ireland; where, adds Johnfon, his piety and charity will be long re membered. A fool quite angry is quite innocent: 110 Alas! 'tis ten times worse when they repent. 116 Go VER. III. in the MS. VARIATIONS. For fong, for filence fome expect a bribe; NOTES. VER. 115. There are, who to my perfon] What Addifon fays in jeft, and with his usual humour, is true in fact: "I have obferved that a reader seldom perufes a book with pleasure till he knows whether the writer of it be a black or fair inan, of a mild or choleric difpofition, martied or a bachelor." What paffages in Horace are more agreeable than when he tells us he was fat and fleek, "præcanum, folibus aptum," prone to anger, but soon appeased. And again, how pleafing the detail he gives of his way of life, the defcriptions of his mule, his dinner, his fupper, his furniture, his amufements, his walks, his time of bathing and fleeping, from the 105th line to the end of the fixth fatire of the firit book. And Boileau, in his tenth epiftle, has done the fame in giving many amufing particulars of his father, family, and for tunes. WARTON. Go on, obliging creatures, make me fee, Why did I write? what fin to me unknown 120 125 VARIATIONS. After VER. 124. in the MS. I left But, Friend, this shape, which You and Curl * admire, *Curl fet up his head for a fign. His Father was crooked, His mother was much afflicted with head-achs. NOTES. VER. 118. "Sir! you have an Eye."] It is remarkable that, amongst the compliments on his infirmities and deformities, het mentions his eye, which was fine, fharp, and piercing. It was done to intimate, that flattery was as odious to him when there was fome ground for commendation, as when there was none. WARBURTON. VER. 127. As yet a child, &c.] He ufed to fay, that he began to write verfes further back than he could remember. When he was eight years old, Ogilby's Homer fell in his way, and delighted him extremely; it was followed by Sandys' Ovid; and the rap. tures thefe then gave him were fo ftrong, that he spoke of them with pleasure ever after. About ten, being at fchool at Hydepark corner, where he was much neglected, and fuffered to go to the I left no calling for this idle trade, No duty broke, no father disobey'd. NOTES. 130 The the comedy with the greater boys, he turned the transactions of the Iliad into a play, made up of a number of fpeeches from Ogilby's tranflation, tacked together with verfes of his own. He had the addrefs to perfuade the upper boys to act it; he even prevailed on the Master's Gardener to represent Ajax, and contrived to have all the Actors dreffed after the pictures in his favourite Ogilby. At twelve he went with his father into the Forest: and then got first acquainted with the Writings of Waller, Spenfer, and Dryden; in the order I have named them. On the first fight of Dryden, he found he had what he wanted. His Poems were never out of his hands; they became his model; and from them alone he learnt the whole magic of his verification. This year he began an epic poem; the fame which Bp. Atterbury, long afterwards, perfuaded him to burn. Befides this, he wrote, in those early days, a Comedy and Tragedy, the latter taken from a ftory in the legend of St. Genevieve. They both defervedly underwent the fame fate. As he began his Paftorals foon after, he used to say pleasantly, that he had literally followed the example of Virgil, who tells us, Cum canerem reges et prælia, &c. WARBURTON. All the circumftances of our Author's early life, mentioned in this Note, were communicated by Mr. Spence to Dr. Warburton. The account of this matter, as it was delivered to me by Mr. Spence, was as follows: As they returned in the fame carriage together from Twickenham, foon after the death of our Author, and joined in lamenting his death and celebrating his praises, Dr. Warburton faid he intended to write his life; on which Mr. Spence, with his ufual modefty and condefcenfion, faid, that he also had the fame intentions; and had, from time to time, collected from Pope's own mouth, various particulars of his life, purfuits, and ftudies; but would readily give up to Dr. Warburton all his collections on this fubject, and accordingly communicated them to him immediately. VER. 128. Ilip'd in numbers,] From Ovid, WARTON. "Sponte fua carmen numeros veniebat ad aptos, Et quod conabar fcribere, verfus erat." WARTON. The Mufe but ferv'd to eafe fome friend, not Wife, 134 A. But why then publish? P. Granville the polite, And knowing Walsh, would tell me I could write; Well NOTES. VER. 129. I left no calling] Pope was originally intended by his father, for a Portrait-painter. "This idle trade," as he calls it, was probably more lucrative, than any other purfuit he could have followed. VER. 130. no father disobey'd,] When Mr. Pope was yet a child, his father, though no Poet, would fet him to make English verfes. He was pretty difficult to please, and would often fend the boy back to new-turn them. When they were to his mind, he took great pleasure in them, and would fay, Thefe are good rhymes. WARBURTON, VER. 131. not Wife,] These two words feem added merely for the verfe, and are what the French call a cheville. WARTON. VER. 135. But why then publish?] To the three first names that encouraged his earlieft writings, he has added other friends, whofe acquaintance with him did not commence till he was a Poet of eftablished reputation. From the many commendations which Walfh, and Garth, and Granville bestowed on his Paftorals, it may fairly be concluded how much the public tafte has been improved, and with how many good compofitions our language has been enriched, fince that time. When Gray published his exquifite Ode on Eton College, his first publication, little notice was taken of it but I fuppofe no critic can be found that will not place it far above Pope's Paftorals. On reading which Ode a certain perfon exclaimed, Sweet Bard, who fhunn'ft the noife of Folly, Moft mufical, moft melancholy! Thee oft the lonely woods among I woo to hear thy evening fong; And think thy thrilling ftrains have power Or |