tention to Waller's poem on " The Park;" but Pope cannot be denied to excel his masters in variety, and elegance, and the art of interchanging description, narrative, and morality.

Of the Temple of Fame, every part is fplendid; there is great luxuriance of ornaments. The ori ginal vifion of Chaucer is much improved; the imagery is properly selected, and learnedly displayed; yet, with all this comprehenfion of excellence, it never obtained much notice, and is feldom quoted or mentioned, with either praise or blame.

That the Meffiab excells the "Pollio" of Virgil, is no great praife, if it is confidered from what fublime original the improvements are derived. Sumetimes indeed the simple grandeur of Isaiah is diminished by florid epithets, and injudicious prettineffes.

The Elegy on an Unfortunate Lady, as it came from the heart, is very tender and pathetic; nor. has Pope produced any poem in which the sense predominates more over the diction.

Of the Ode for St. Cecilia's Day, it is fufficient praise, that it is only inferior to the inimitable 4 Alexander's Feaft" of Dryden. The general effect is very pleasing, and often striking.

Of the Essay on Criticism, Dr. Johnson obferves, that if he had written nothing elfe, it would have placed him among the first critics and the firft poets, as it exhibits every mode of excellence that can embellish or dignify didactic compofition, felection of matter, novelty of arrangement, justness of precept, fplendour of illuftration, and propriety of digreffion.

The Rape of the Lock is univerfally allowed to be the most attractive of all ludicrous compofitions. The means employed are, vigorous thought, brilliant fancy, poignant wit, forcible fatire, and refined humour, most agreeably interwoven and diversified. The machinery is an ingenious expansion of that in Shakspeare's "Tempeft," and the Roficrucian dialogue of the Comte de Gabalis. The epistle of Elaifa to Abelard is replete with poetical fire, paflionate language, picturefque imagery, and pathetic exclamation, which strike the imagination with a captivating horror.

"Clouds interpofe, waves roar, and winds arife."

It has certainly a charm hardly to be equalled; for who can read it without experiencing the alternate impulse of defire, pity, or rage; and lastly, the freezing languor of irrecoverable despair. "This epiftle," fays Dr. Warton, "is one of the most highly finished, and certainly the most interesting of the pieces of Pope; and, together with the Elegy on an Unfortunate Lady, is the only inftance of the pathetic he has given us."

The translation of Homer is a performance which no age or nation can pretend to equal. Such a verfion, the most perfect knowledge of the Greek and English languages could not have produced, It is not the work of a scholar or versifier merely; it is the performance of a poet. The diction and verfification must vindicate to themselves a very confiderable share of the merit of this masterly work. "Pope fearched the pages of Dryden," fays Dr. Johnson, " for happy combinations of poetie diction; but it will not be denied that he added much to what he found. He cultivated the language with fo much diligence and art, that he has left in his Homer a treasure of poetical elegances to posterity. His version may be said to have tuned the English tongue; for fince its appearance, po writer, however deficient in other powers, has wanted melody. Such a series of lines, fo claborately corrected, and fo fweetly modulated, took poffeffion of the public ear; the vulgar was enamoured of the poem, and the learned wondered at the tranflation."

It has been objected by fome, that it is not Homerical; that it exhibits no refemblance of the original and characteristic manner of the Father of Poetry, as it wants his awful fimplicity, his artless grandeur, his unaffected majefty. This cannot be totally denied. Homer doubtlefs owes to his tranflator many Ovidian graces, not strictly suitable to his character; but to have added can be no great crime, if nothing be taken away. Elegance is furely to be defired, if it be not gained at the expence of dignity. Pope wrote for his own age and his own nation; he knew that it was neceffary to colour the images, and paint the fentiments of his author; he therefore made him graceful, but loft fome of his fublimity.

As a work of wit and ingenious fatire, the Dunciad has few equals. The hint is confeffedly taken from Dryden's "Mac Flecknoe;" but the plan is fo enlarged and diverfified, as juftly to claim the praife of an original, and affords, perhaps, the best specimen that has yet appeared of perfonal fatire, ludicrously pompous. Without approving of the petulance and malignity of the defign, the

"The beauties of this poem," fays Dr. Johnson, “are well known; its chief fault is the großsnefs of its images. But even this fault, offenfive as it is, may be forgiven for the excellence of other paffages; fuch as the formation and diffolution of Moore, the account of the Traveller, the misfortune of the Florist, and the crowded thoughts and stately numbers which dignify the concluding paragraph." The Effay on Man, is a didactic poem written on metaphysical ideas, which he did not perfectly comprehend. His intentions were evidently good, to fhow men that the existence of imperfection and evil is not inconsistent with the wisdom and goodness of God. Many of the facts are true, many of the observations are just, but do not tend to establish the truth of the proposed system. The adaptation of human fenfes, paffions, and reason, to their ends, the co-operation of the principles of felf-love and benevolence, in producing happiness, the uncertainty of physical good, that man's fupreme felicity confifts in moral good, that we are very weak in comparison to our Creator, are all positions which are undoubtedly true, but do not prove that partial evil is univerfal good; that whatever is, is right. Pope, like Addison, had confidered man chiefly in active life. When he exhibits him in action, his exhibition is natural, beautiful, and juft; but when he analyfes his principles of thought, and of action, he is not always fo fuccessful. Voltaire ridiculed Pope's favourite pofition in his Candide. The confequences which Candide's application of the principle to various cafes produces, are certainly such as Pope never intended, yet it must be acknowledged he did not fufficiently guard against his interpretation.

.

"This effay," fays Dr. Johnson, " is certainly not the happiest of Pope's performances. It affords an egregious inftance of the predominance of genius, the dazzling fplendour of imagery, and the feductive powers of eloquence. Never were penury of knowledge, and vulgarity of fentiment fo happily difguifed, or recommended by fuch a blaze of embellishments, or fuch fweetness of melody. The vigorous contraction of fome thoughts, the luxuriant amplification of others, the incidental illuftrations, and fometimes the dignity, fometimes the foftness of the verses, enchain philofophy, fufpend criticifm, and opprefs judgment, by overpowering pleasure."

"This is true of many paragraphs; yet if I had undertaken to exemplify Pope's felicity of compofition before a rigid critic, I fhould not felect the Effay on Man: for it contains more lines unfuccefsfully laboured, more harfhnefs of diction, more thoughts imperfectly expreffed, more levity without elegance, and more heaviness without strength, than will easily be found in all his other works." The Characters of Men and Women, are the product of diligent fpeculation upon life and manners, and show a thorough knowledge of the human mind, engaged in action, and modified by the manners of the times.

"I recommend," fays Dr. Johnson, a comparison of his Characters of Women, with Boileau's fatire; it will then be feen with how much more perfpicacity female nature is inveftigated, and female excellence felected. The Characters of Men, however, are written with more, if not with deeper thought, and exhibit many paffages exquifitely beautiful. The Gem, and the Flower, will not eafily be equalled. In the women's part are fome defects; the character of Atossa, is not so neatly finished as that of Clodio, and fome of the female characters may be found, perhaps, more frequently among men."

Of his Epifle to Lord Bathurst, the most valuable passage is, perhaps, the eulogy on Good Sense; and of the Epifle to Lord Burlington, the end of Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. Of the Epifle to Arbuthnot, no part has more elegance, fpirit, or dignity, than the vindication of his own character. The meaneft paffage is the fatire upon Sporus. The allufion to his mother is exquifitely beautiful and interefting. His tranflations from Ovid are rendered with faithfulnesfs and elegance. The epiftle from Sappho to Phaon breathe fuch paffionate and pathetic fentiments as are worthy of the exquifite fenfibility of the amorous Sappho; and the verfification is in point of melody next to that of the Paflorals.

On his Epitaphs, the minute criticism of Dr. Johnson, printed in the " Visitor," is acute, and well enforced; but his examination is too rigorous, and the general opinion is much more favourable. His Imitations of Horace, difplay a great portion of wit, as well as argument. He has the huand almost the ease of Horace, with more wit, and falls little fhort of the severity of Juvenal. In his Letters he is feen as connected with the other contemporary wits, and fuffers no difgrace in

mour,

aifo are unaffected. Several of Bolingbroke's and Atterbury's are mafterly. There is fomething more ftudied and artificial in Pope's productions than the reft. His letters to ladies are full of affectation. "Pope may be faid," fays Dr. Johnfon, " to write always with his reputation in his head; Swift perhaps like a man who remembered that he was writing to Pope; but Arbuthnot, like one who lets thoughts drop from his pen, as they rife into his mind."

The compositions of Pope are perhaps a greater acceffion to English literature, than those of any other poet of our nation, except Spenfer, Shakspeare, and Milton. Of thofe poets who rank in the highest class after them, Dryden is generally allowed to be the firft; but his claim to that distinction is at least rendered doubtful by the pretenfions of Pope, who learned his poetry from Dryden, and whose character perhaps may receive fome illustration, if he be compared with his master. To regulate the scale, by which the comparative merit of poetical pretenfions is to be estimated, is one of the most difficult undertakings of criticism. Something of this kind, however, is attempted by Dr. Johnson in his parallel between Dryden and Pope, of which it is scarcely hyperbolical to affirm, that it is every way worthy of its subject, and fuch as perhaps the pen of Dr. Johnson only could have written.

" Integrity of understanding, and nicety of difcernment, were not allotted in a lefs proportion to Dryden than to Pope. The rectitude of Dryden's mind was fufficiently fhown by the dismission of his poetical prejudices, and the rejection of unnatural thoughts, and rugged numbers. But Dryden never defired to apply all the judgment that he had. He wrote, and professed to write, merely for the people; and when he pleafed others, he contented himself. Pope was not content to fatisfy; he defired to excel; and therefore always endeavoured to do his best. He did not court the candour, but dared the judgment of his reader; and expecting no indulgence from others, he fhowed none to himself. For this reafon, he kept his pieces very long in his hands, while he confidered, and reconfidered them. It will feldom be found that he altered, without adding clearness, elegance and vigour. Pope had perhaps the judgment of Dryden, but Dryden certainly wanted the diligence of Pope.

"In acquired knowledge, the fuperiority must be allowed to Dryden, whofe education was more fcholaftic. His mind has a larger range, and he collects his images and illustrations from a more extensive circumference of science. Dryden knew more of man in his general nature, and Pope in his local manners. The notions of Dryden were formed by a comprehensive speculation, and those of Pope by minute attention. There is more dignity in the knowledge of Dryden, and more cer, tainty in that of Pope.

"Poetry was not the fole praise of either, for both excelled likewife in profe; but Pope did not borrow his profe from his predeceffors. The ftyle of Dryden is capricious and varied; that of Pope is cautious and uniform. Dryden observes the motions of his own mind; Pope constrains his mind to his own rules of compofition. Dryden is fometimes vehement and rapid; Pope is always fmooth, uniform, and gentle. Dryden's page is a natural field, rifing into inequalities, and diversified by the varied exuberance of abundant vegetation; Pope's is a velvet lawn, fhaven by the scythe, and levelled by the roller.

"Of genius, that power which conftitutes a poet, that quality without which judgment is cold, and knowledge is inert; that energy which collects, combines, amplifies, and animates, the superiority muk, with fome hesitation, be allowed to Dryden. It is not to be inferred, that of this poetical vigour Pope had only a little, because Dryden had more, for every other writer fince Milton must give place to Pope; and even of Dryden it must be said, that if he has brighter paragraphs, he has not better poems. Dryden's performances were always hafty, either excited by fome external occafion, or extorted by fome domeftic neceffity; he composed without confideration, and published without correction. What his mind could fupply at call, or gather in one cxcurfion, was all that he fought, and all that he gave. The dilatory caution of Fope enabled him to condense his fentiments, to multiply his images, and to accumulate all that study might produce, or chance might fupply. If the flights of Dryden therefore are higher, Pope continues longer on the wing. If of Dryden's fire the blaze is brighter, of Pope's the heat is more regular and conftant. Dryden often furpaffes expectation, and Pope never falls below it; Dryden is read with frequent aftoni

The fubject of this truly excellent parallel has been controverted by Mr. Weflon and Miss Seward, in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for 1790. Both parties have shown much critical ingenuity in maintaining the pretenfions of their favourite poet. To give any adequate idea of the controversy, would much exceed the limits of this preface. Mr. Wefton, with justice, censures the poetry of Pope, as too exquifitely polished, too uniformly musical, and as glutting the car with unvaried sweetness. Judging perhaps by principles, rather than perception, he seems to think studied difcords, varied pauses, triplets, expletives, and Alexandrines, effential to rhyme, because they have been used by Dryden. But the poetry of Pope, though perhaps less impregnated with enthusiasm, lefs enriched with claffical knowledge, lefs illumined by vivid imagination, and less diversified by variety of cadence, is certainly more elaborately correct, more regularly harmonious, møre delicately polished, and more fyftematically dignified, than that of Dryden.

He has even ventured to affert, that Pope was not a poet, but only an elegant verfifier. When he affirms that the author of the Rape of the Lock, of the Dunciad, of Eloifa to Abelard, and of the English Iliad, was not a poet, he must mean fomething by the term different from the general acceptation.

"If Pope be not a poet," fays Dr. Johnson, "where is poetry to be found? To circumfcribe poetry by a definition, will only fhow the narrowness of the definer, though a definition which fhall exclude Pope, will not eafily be made. Let us look round upon the present time, and back upon the paft; let us inquire to whom the voice of mankind has decreed the wreath of poetry; let their productions be examined, and their claims stated, and the pretenfions of Pope will no more be difputed. Had he given the world only his version, the name of poet must have been allowed him; if the writer of the Iliad were to class his successors, he would affign a very high place to his translator, without requiring any other evidence of genius.”

A parallel, upon a more extensive scale, is given by Dr. Warton, in which the poetical qualifications of Pope are as candidly examined, as they are judiciously discriminated.

"Of Pope's works, the largest portion is of the didactic, moral, and fatyric kind; and consequently. not of the most poetic species of poetry: whence it is manifeft, that good sense and judgment were his characteristical excellencies, rather than fancy and invention; not that the author of the Rape of the Lock and Eloifsa can be thought to want imagination, but because his imagination was not his predominant talent; because he indulged it not, and because he gave not so many proofs of this talent as of the other. This turn of mind led him to admire French models; he ftudied Boileau attentively, formed himself upon him, as Milton formed himself upon the Grecian and Italian fons of Fancy. He gradually became one of the most correct, even, and exact poets that ever wrote, polifhing his pieces with a care and affiduity that no business or avocation ever interrupted; so that if he does not frequently ravish and transport his reader, yet he does not disgust him with unexpected inequalities and abfurd improprieties. Whatever poetical enthusiasm he actually poffeffed, he withheld and stifled. The perufal of him affects not our minds with fuch ftrong emotions as we feel from Homer and Milton; so that no man of a true poetical spirit is master of himself while he reads them. Hence he is a writer fit for univerfal perufal, adapted to all ages and stations, for the old and for the young, the man of business and the fcholar. He who would think "Palamon and Arcite," ," "The Tempeft," or " Comus," childish and romantic, might relish Pope. Surely it is no narrow and niggardly encomium to say, that he is the great poet of reason, the first of ethical authors in verfe.

Where then fhall we, with justice, be authorised to place our admired Pope? Not affuredly in the fame rank with Spenfer, Shakspeare, and Milton; however justly we may applaud the Eloifa and Rape of the Lock; but, confidering the correctness, elegance, and utility of his works, the weight of fentiment, and the knowledge of man they contain, we may venture to affign him a place next to Milton, and just above Dryden. Yet, to bring our minds steadily to make this decifion, we must forget for a moment the divine " Music Ode" of Dryden, and may perhaps then be compelled to confefs, that though Dryden be the greater genius, yet Pope is the better artist. "The preference here given to Pope above other Modern English Poets, it must be remembered, is founded on the excellencies of his works in general, and taken all together; for there are parts and paffages in other modern authors, in Young and in Thomson for inftance, equal to any of Pope; and he has written nothing in a frain fo truly fublime as the " Bard of Gray."

WORKS OF POPE.

EXTRACT FROM DR. WARBURTON'S ADVERTISEMENT

To the Olavo Edition of MR. Porz's Works, 1751.

MR. POPE, in his laft illness, amufed himself, a- thor's manufcript copies of these poems, commumidft the care of his higher concerns, in prepar-nicated by him for this purpose to the editor. ing a corrected and complete edition of his writings; and, with his utual delicacy, was even folicitous to prevent any share of the offence they might occafion, from falling on the friend whom be had engaged to give them to the public.