The long reflexions of the distant fires Gild the high walls, and tremble on the spires, Of these specimens every man who has cultivated poetry, or who delights to trace the mind from the rudeness of its first conceptions to the elegance of its laft, will naturally defire a greater number; but most other readers are already tired, and I am not writing only to poets and philofophers. The Iliad was published volume by volume, as the tranflation proceeded; the first four books appeared in 1715. The expectation of this work was undoubtedly high, and every man who had connected his name with criticifm, or poetry, was defirous of fuch intelligence as might enable him to talk upon the popular topick. Halifax, who, by having been first a poet, and then a patron of poetry, had acquired the right of being a judge, was willing to hear fome books while they were yet unpublished. Of this rehearsal Pope afterwards gave the following account *. * Spence. The "The famous Lord Halifax was rather a pretender to taste than really poffeffed of "it. When I had finished the two or three "firft books of my tranflation of the Iliad, "that Lord defired to have the pleasure of hearing them read at his house.-Addison, Congreve, and Garth, were there at the reading. In four or five places, Lord "Halifax ftopt me very civilly, and with a speech each time, much of the fame kind, ‘I beg your pardon, Mr. Pope; but there is fomething in that paffage that does not quite please me. Be fo good as to mark the place, and confider it a little at your leifure. -I'm sure you can give it a little turn.' "I returned from Lord Halifax's with Dr. Garth, in his chariot; and, as we were going along, was faying to the Doctor, that my Lord had laid me under a good deal " of difficulty by fuch loose and general obfervations; that I had been thinking over "the paffages almost ever fince, and could not guess at what it was that offended his Lordship in either of them. Garth laughed heartily at my embarrassment; faid, I had "not been long enough acquainted with Lord "Halifax "Halifax to know his way yet; that I need "not puzzle myself about looking thofe places " over and over, when I got home. • All you ་་ "need do (fays he) is to leave them just as they are; call on Lord Halifax two or three "months hence, thank him for his kind ob"fervations on thofe paffages, and then read "them to him as altered. I have known him much longer than you have, and will be "anfwerable for the event.' I followed his advice ; waited on Lord Halifax fome time "after; faid, I hoped he would find his objections to thofe paffages removed; read "them to him exactly as they were at firft: "and his Lordship was extremely pleased "with them, and cried out, Ay, now they are perfectly right: nothing can be better." It is feldom that the great or the wife fufpect that they are despised or cheated. Halifax, thinking this a lucky opportunity of fecuring immortality, made fome advances of favour and fome overtures of advantage to Pope, which he seems to have received with fullen coldness. All our knowledge of this tranfaction is derived from a fingle Letter (Dec. 1, 1714), in which Pope fays, "I am obliged to " you, you, both for the favours you have done me, and those you intend me. I diftruft "neither your will nor your memory, when "it is to do good; and if I ever become trou"blefome or folicitous, it must not be out "of expectation, but out of gratitude. Your Lordship may cause me to live agreeably in "the town, or contentedly in the country, " which is really all the difference I fet be"tween an easy fortune and a small one. " is indeed a high ftrain of generosity in you "to think of making me eafy all my life, ' It may only because I have been so happy as to di"vert you fome few hours; but, if I "have leave to add it is because you think me no enemy to my native country, there will appear a better reason; for I must of confequence be very much (as I fincerely am) yours &c." These voluntary offers, and this faint acceptance, ended without effect. The patron was not accustomed to fuch frigid gratitude, and the poet fed his own pride with the dignity of independence. They probably were fufpicious of each other. Pope would not dedicate till he faw at what rate his praise was valued; he would be troublesome out of gratitude, not expectation. Halifax thought himfelf entitled to confidence, and would give nothing, unless he knew what he fhould receive. Their commerce had its beginning in hope of praise on one fide, and of money on the other, and ended because Pope was less eager of money than Halifax of praise. It is not likely that Halifax had any perfonal benevolence to Pope; it is evident that Pope looked on Halifax with fcorn and hatred. The reputation of this great work failed of gaining him a patron; but it deprived him of a friend. Addifon and he were now at the head of poetry and criticism; and both in such a state of elevation, that, like the two rivals in the Roman ftate, one could no longer bear an equal, nor the other a superior. Of the gradual abatement of kindness between friends, the beginning is often scarcely difcernible by themselves, and the process is continued by petty provocations, and incivilities fometimes peevishly returned, and sometimes contemptuously neglected, which would escape all attention but that of pride, and drop from any memory but that of refent ment. |