"To my worthy and special Friend, Maiftre Wanley, dwelling "at my fingular goode Lord's, my Lord of Oxford, kindly "prefent.

"I fhall take it as a fingular mark of your friendly difpofition "and kindneffe to me, if you will recommend to my palate, "from the experienced taste of yours, a doufaine quartes of "goode and wholesome wine, fuch as yee drink at the Genoa "Arms, for the which I will in honorable fort be indebted, " and well and truly pay the owner thereof, your faid merchant "of wines at the faid Genoa Arms. As witness this myne hand, "which alfo witneffeth its master to be, in footh and fincerity of heart,

"Goode Sir,

"Your's ever bounden,

"A. POPE.

"From Twickenham, this fyrfte

"of Julie, 1725."

VERSES TO DR. BOLTON*,

In the Name of Mrs. BUTLER'S Spirit, lately deceased.

STRIPT to the naked foul, escap'd from clay,
From doubts unfetter'd, and diffolv'd in day;
Unwarm'd by vanity, unreach'd by strife,
And all my hopes and fears thrown off with life;
Why am I charm'd by friendship's fond effays,
And though unbody'd, conscious of thy praise?
Has pride a portion in the parted foul?
Does paffion still the firmless mind controul!
Can gratitude out-pant the filent breath!

Or a friend's forrow pierce the gloom of death!
No-'tis a fpirit's nobler task of blifs;

5

10

That feels the worth it left, in proofs like this;
That not its own applaufe, but thine approves,
Whofe practice praises, and whofe virtue loves;
Who liv'ft to crown departed friends with fame; 15
Then dying, late, fhalt all thou gav❜st reclaim.

NOTES.

* Addreffed to Dr. Bolton, late Dean of Carlisle, who lived fome time at Twickenham with old Lady Blount. On the death of her mother, Mrs. Butler of Suffex, Dr. Bolton drew up the mother's character; and from thence Mr. Pope took occafion to write this Epiftle to Dr. Bolton, in the name of Mrs. Butler's Spirit, now in the regions of blifs. RUFFHEAD. VER. 8. firmless] A new-coined, and not a very happy epithet. WARTON.

EPITAPHS.

His faltem accumulem donis, et fungar inani

Munere !

VIRG.

WARBURTON points out fome lines in the Epistle to Jervas, which he thinks would have made the finest Epitaph ever written. They are certainly uncommonly beautiful :

"Call round her tomb each object of defire,
"Each purer frame inform'd by purer fire;
"Bid her be all that cheers or foftens life,
"The tender fifter, daughter, friend, and wife;
"Bid her be all that makes mankind adore,

"Then view this marble, and be vain no more."

It is aftonishing to think, confidering the great number of fu neral inscriptions which are extant, how few we have that unite all that should be required in fuch compofitions. An Epitaph should be simple, characteristic, and, as Johnson justly remarks, not longer than common beholders may have time and leifure to perufe. We rarely ever meet the genuine Aλa, which diftin. guifhed most of the Grecian infcriptions. Contemptible jest, or affected quaintneffes, indifcriminate and cumbersome panegyrics, often fet off with puns, describe the majority of the records of the dead in England from the 14th to the 17th century.

One of the best in Weever is "On Maude, daughter of Malcolm "Camoir, King of Scots, and wife to King Henry the First." "She had an excellent Epigram," fays Weever, "made to her "commendation, whereof these four verses only remain :

66

Profpera non lætam fecere, nec afpera tristem,
Afpera rifus erant, profpera terror erant.
Nec decor effecit fragilem, nec fceptra fuperbam,
Sola potens, humilis, fola pudica decens."

"Thus," he adds, “ paraphraftically translated:

"No profperous ftate did make her glad,
"Nor adverse chances make her fad ;
"If fortune frown'd-fhe then did smile ;
"If fortune fmil'd-fhe fear'd the while: