med in private before fome of the Royal Family; this Gentleman accidentally about that Time paid a Vifit to Mr. Pope, who, after the first Civilities were over, enquired of him, What News there was in the Learned World, and what new Pieces were brought to Light: The leffer Poet reply'd, that there was little or nothing, or at least little or nothing worthy Notice: That there was indeed a Thing come out, call'd An Essay on Man, the first Epistle, threatning more, for he had read it, and it was a most abominable Piece of Stuff, fhocking Poetry, infufferable Philofophy, no Coherence, no Connection at all; if I thought (continued he) that you had not feen it, I would have brought it with me. Upon this Mr. Pope very frankly told him, that he had feen it before it went to the Prefs; for it was his own Writing, a Work of Years, and the Poetry fuch as he thought proper for the Expreffion of the Subject, on which Side he did not imagine it would ever have been attack'd, efpecially by any pretending to the Study of Harmony and Knowledge of Numbers.

This was like a Clap of Thunder to the mistaken Bard; he took his Hat, and with a Blush and a Bow took his Leave of Mr. Pope, and never more ventured to fhew his unlucky Face there again. For the Verity of this Story we have the Teftimony of a learned Gentleman, who has obliged the World with feveral Theological Treatifes, and who was at that Time and always very intimate with Mr. Pope.

It was expected, after what had happened, that the faid unlucky Gentleman would have given fome Reafon in publick for his Diflike of the Effay, and have fhow'd where the Poetry was defective, where the Philofophy; but whether intimidated by Fears of being clapp'd into the Dunciad; or whether what he

he faid was only Wantonnefs, and the Love that a Poet has too often to speak ill of all others, we cannot fay; but he always remained filent.

This Effay is the Poem that the Bishop of Rochefter enquires after, and wishes to peep into the Manufcript: It would have done it no Harm; he would have honestly declar'd against all which he did not like, as he did in Relation to the Epitaph upon Mr. Harcourt, which did not entirely please my Lord Chancellor, as appears by his Letter to Mr. Pope:

Cannot but fufpect myfelf of being very unreafo

to review in

clos'd. Your Friendship draws this Trouble on you.. I may freely own to you, that my Tenderness makes me exceeding hard to be fatisfy'd with any Thing which can be faid on fuch an unhappy Subject. I caus'd the Latin Epitaph to be as often alter'd before I could approve it.

When once your Epitaph is fet up, there can be no Alteration of it, it will remain a perpetual Monument of your Friendship, and I affure myfelf you will fo fettle it, that it fhall be worthy of you. I doubt whether the Word, deny'd, in the third Line, will justly admit of that Construction which it ought to bear, viz. renounced, deferted, &c. deny'd is capable, in my Opinion, as having an ill Senfe put upon it, as too great Eafinefs, or more good Nature than a wife Man ought to have. I very well remember you told me, you could fcarce mend thofe too Lines, and therefore I can scarce expect your Forgivenefs for my defiring you to reconfider them:

Harcourt ftands dumb, and Pope is forc'd to speak.

I can't perfectly, at least without further difcourfing you, reconcile myself to the firft Part of that Line;

and

and the Word forc'd (which was my own, and I perfwade myself for that Reafon only fubmitted to by you) feems to carry too doubtful a Construction for an Epitaph, which, as I apprehend, ought as eafily to be understood as read. I fhall acknowledge it as a very particular Favour, if at your beft Leifure. you will peruse the inclos'd, and vary it, if you think it capable of being mended, and let me fee you any Morning next Week.

I am, &c.

Mr. Harcourt was the Lord Chancellor's only Son, and it is prov'd by his Letter, that Mr. Pope was in fome Meafure directed by him: The Line pointed at was after'd, and the Infcription on the Monument in the Church of Stanton-Harcourt, in Oxfordshire, Hands thus:

O this fad Shrine, whoe'er thou art! draw near,
Here lies the Friend moft loy'd, the Son moft
dear,

TH

Who ne'er knew Joy, but Friendship might divide,
Or gave his Father Grief, but when he dy'd.

How vain is Reason, Eloquence how weak!
If POPE muft tell what HARCOURT cannot fpeak.,
Oh let thy once-lov❜d Friend infcribe thy Stone,
And, with a Father's Sorrows, mix his own!

Befides thefe, and other Epitaphs mention'd before, Mr. Pope wrote several more; on Sir William Trumball; on the Earl of Dorfet; on General Withers; on Mr. Corbet; on the Hon. Robert, and on his Sifter Mary Digby; on Sir Godfrey Kneller, and on Sir Ifaac Newton, and Mr. Fenton.

Mr. Fenton was a Gentleman, for whom Mr. Pope had a very high Regard, and who was in much Efteem for his excellent Poems. He was educated

at

at Jefus-College in Cambridge, and was preferr'd to be Secretary to the Right Hon. Charles Earl of Orrery He was interr'd at Easthamftead in Berks, in the Year 1730. His Epitaph:

HIS modeft Stone, what but few Marbles can, an honeft Man.

A Poet, bleft beyond the Poet's Fate,
Whom Heav'n kept facred from the proud and Great.
Foe to loud Praise, and Friend to learned Eafe,
Content with Science in the Vale of Peace.
Calmly he look'd on either Life, and here
Saw nothing to regret, or there to fear;
From Nature's temp'rate Feaft rose fatisfy'd,
Thank'd Heav'n that he had liv'd, and that he dy'd.

Never was Character more true; and it was Men of this quiet and contented State, (notwithstanding Mr. Pope was not without Pride and fome Ill-nature, being almost always indifpos'd) that pleas'd him beft to these he was continually making his Court, and fhowing himself in his beft Humours, and tho' he entertain❜d them but fparingly, he entertain❜d them chearfully: When we fay fparingly, we only mean temperately, for he was not a Niggard, but always avoided Luxury; lefs than which he could not well do, having openly exclaim'd against it, and endeavoured to prove Temperance the more happy State, therefore he fhow'd an Example of it; and it is feen at all Times, where the Occafion permits, as it does in the Invitation he gives Mr. Fenton, to come and remain with him, 'till Mr. Craggs fhould be ready to receive him at the House he had taken near Mr. Pope. The Letter we have copied :

Dear

Dear Sir,

Had not omitted anfwering yours of the 18th of laft Month, but out of a Defire to give you some certain and fatisfactory Account, which Way, and at what Time you might take your Journey. Iam now commiffion'd to tell you, that Mr. Craggs will expect you on the Rifing of the Parliament, which will be as foon as he can receive you in the Manner he would receive a Man de belles Lettres, that is, in Tranquility and full Leifure. I dare fay your Way of Life (which, in my Tafte will be the beft in the World, and with one of the beft Men in the World) muft prove highly to your Contentment. And I must add, it will be ftill the more a Joy to me, as I fhall reap a peculiar Advantage from the Good I fhall have done in bringing you together, by feeing it in my own Neighbourhood., Mr. Craggs has taken a Houfe close by mine, whither he propofes to come in three Weeks: In the mean Time I heartily invite you to live with me; where a frugal and philofophical Diet for a Time, may give you a higher Relish of that elegant Way of Life you will enter into after. I defire to know by the firft Poft how foon I may hope for you?

1

I am a little fcandaliz'd at your Complaint that your Time lies heavy on your Hands, when the Mufes have put fo many good Materials into your Head to employ them. As to your Queftion, what I have been doing? I anfwer, juft what I have been doing fome Years, my Duty; fecondly, relieving myfelf with ncceffary Amufements, or Exercifes which ferve me inftead of Phyfick, as long as they can; thirdly, reading till I am tir'd; and laftly, Writing when I have no other Thing in the World

to