ment. That the quarrel of those two wits should be minutely deduced, is not to be expected from a writer to whom, as Homer fays, nothing but rumour has reached, and who has no perfonal knowledge.

Pope doubtless approached Addison, when the reputation of their wit first brought them together, with the refpect due to a man whofe abilities were acknowledged, and who, having attained that eminence to which he was himself afpiring, had in his hands the diftribution of literary fame. He paid court with fufficient diligence by his Prologue to Cato, by his abuse of Dennis, and, with praise yet more direct, by his poem on the Dialogues on Medals, of which the immediate publication was then intended. In all this there was no hypocrify; for he confeffed that he found in Addison fomething more pleafing than in any other man.

It

may be fuppofed, that as Pope faw himfelf favoured by the world, and more frequently compared his own powers with those of others, his confidence increased, and his fubmiffion leffened; and that Addison felt

no

no delight from the advances of a young wit, who might foon contend with him for the highest place. Every great man, of whatever kind be his greatness, has among his friends those who officiously, or infidiously, quicken his attention to offences, heighten his difguft, and ftimulate his refentment. Of fuch adherents Addison doubtlefs had many, and Pope was now too high to be without them.

From the emiffion and reception of the Propofals for the Iliad, the kindness of Addifon feems to have abated. Jervas the painter once pleased himself (Aug. 20, 1714) with imagining that he had re-established their friendship; and wrote to Pope that Addifon once fufpected him of too close a confederacy with Swift, but was now fatisfied with his conduct. To this Pope answered, a week after, that his engagements to Swift were fuch as his fervices in regard to the subscription demanded, and that the Tories never put him under the neceffity of asking leave to be grateful. But, fays he, as Mr. Addifon must be the judge in what regards himfelf, and feems to have no very just one in regard to me, so I must own to you I expect nothing but civility

I

civility from him. In the fame Letter he mentions Philips, as having been busy to kindle animofity between them; but, in a Letter to Addison, he expreffes fome confcioufness of behaviour, inattentively deficient in refpect.

Of Swift's industry in promoting the subfcription there remains the testimony of Kennet, no friend to either him or Pope.

"Nov. 2, 1713, Dr. Swift came into the coffee-house, and had a bow from every body but me, who, I confefs, could not "but despise him. When I came to the anti"chamber to wait, before prayers, Dr. Swift

was the principal man of talk and business, "and acted as mafter of requests.-Then he "inftructed a young nobleman that the best "Poet in England was Mr. Pope (a papist), "who had begun a tranflation of Homer "into English verfe, for which he must have "them all fubfcribe; for, fays he, the author

fhall not begin to print till I have a thou"fand guineas for him."

About this time it is likely that Steele, who was, with all his political fury, good-natured

and

and officious, procured an interview between these angry rivals, which ended in aggravated malevolence. On this occafion, if the reports be true, Pope made his complaint with frankness and fpirit, as a man undefervedly neglected or opposed; and Addison affected a contemptuous unconcern, and, in a calm even voice, reproached Pope with his vanity, and, telling him of the improvements which his early works had received from his own remarks and thofe of Steele, faid, that he, being now engaged in publick business, had no longer any care for his poetical reputation; nor had any other defire, with regard to Pope, than that his should not, by too much arrogance, alienate the publick.

To this Pope is faid to have replied with great keenness and severity, upbraiding Addifon with perpetual dependance, and with the abuse of thofe qualifications which he had obtained at the publick coft, and charging him with mean endeavours to obftruct the progrefs of rifing merit. The contest rofe fo high, that they parted at last without any interchange of civility.

VOL. IV.

F

The

The firft volume of Homer was (1715) in time published; and a rival verfion of the first Iliad, for rivals the time of their appearance inevitably made them, was immediately printed, with the name of Tickell. It was foon perceived that, among the followers of Addifon, Tickell had the preference, and the criticks and poets divided into factions. I, fays Pope, have the town, that is, the mob, on my fide; but it is not uncommon for the smaller party to fupply by industry what it wants in numbers.-I appeal to the people as my rightful, judges, and, while they are not inclined to condemn me, fhall not fear the high-flyers at Button's. This oppofition he immediately imputed to Addison, and complained of it in terms fufficiently refentful to Craggs, their common friend.

When Addison's opinion was asked, he declared the verfions to be both good, but Tickell's the best that ever had been written; and fometimes faid that they were both good, but that Tickell had more of Homer.

Pope was now fufficiently irritated; his reputation and his intereft were at hazard. He

once