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The Quotations I have made ufe of, appeared to me the easiest to determine the Senfe of the Argument, or elfe are fuch Paffages as are the most beautiful Poetry, where all is beautiful. It would be difficult to pick out any Lines in all the four Effays on Man, which do not greatly excel the Same Number of Lines wrote by any other English Poet, fuppofing them to be Rhimes; for be alone has the Manner of keeping up the greateft Harmony in his Verfes, without Spinning his Thoughts to Threads, it be ing Scarcely poffible to render the fame Thoughts again in fo few Words, even in Profe.

The Univerfal Prayer, except a doubtful Word or two, is one continued Confeffion of Benevolence and Humility, and might become the Mouth of a dying Saint: It fhews, that Speculative Divinity pleafed him lefs than practical; that his Words were not artfully contrived to teach his Heart what it ought to be, but arose from it, and do more Honour to his Memory than all his other Works, great and fublime as they are, put together.

MEMOIRS

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GEORGE the Second, by the
Grace of God, King of Great-
Britain, France, and Ireland,
Defender of the Faith, &c.
Fo all to whom thefe Prefents fhall come,
GREETING.

WHEREAS Our Trufty and

Well-beloved, WILLIAM AYRE,

Efq; hath humbly represented unto Us, that he hath been at very great Expence and. Labour, in Writing and Compiling a Work entitled, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Alexander Pope, Efq; in Two Volumes, Oc-.

A

tavo,

tavo; and-hath humbly befought Us, to grant him Our Royal Privilege, for the fole Printing, Publishing, and Vending, the faid Work, for the Term of Fourteen Years: We, being willing to give all due Encouragement to Works of this Nature, which tend to the Advancement of Knowledge, are graciously pleas'd to condefcend to his Requeft; and do therefore by these Presents, fa far as may be agreeable to the Statute, in that Behalf made and provided, grant unto the faid WILLIAM AYRE, Efq; his Executors, Adminiftrators, and Affigns, Our Royal Licence for the fole Printing, Publifhing, and Vending the aforefaid Work, for the Term of Fourteen Years, to be computed from the Date hereof: Strictly forbidding all Our Subjects, within Our Kingdoms and Dominions, to reprint the fame, either in the like or any other Volume or Volumes whatfoever, without the Confent or Approbation of the faid WILLIAM AYRE, Efq; as they will anfwer the contrary at their Peril.

The Master, Wardens, and Company of Stationers, are to take Notice, that due Obedience may be render'd to Our Pleasure, herein declared.

Given at Our Court at St. James's, the
Eighteenth Day of December, 1744, and
in the Eighteenth Year of Our Reign.
By his MAJELTY's Command,

HOLLES NEWCASTLE,

MEMOIRS

OF THE

LIFE and WRITINGS

OF

Alexander Pope, Efq;·

LEXANDER POPE was born in London, in the Year 1688, on the Eighth Day of June.

HIS Parents were Alexander Pope, a diftant Relation of the Lord Downe, and Editha, Daugh

ter of William Turner, Efq; of York.

THEIR Monument is in Twickenham Church, in the County of Middlesex: On which is the following Inscription:

VOL. I.

B

D. O. M.

D. O. M.

ALEXANDRO POPE, VIRO INNOCUO, PROBO, PIO,
QUI VIXIT ANNOS LXXV, OB. MDCCXVII.
ET EDITHE CONJUGI INCULPABILI
PIENTISSIMÆ, QUÆ VIXIT ANNOS

XCIII, OB. MDCCXXXIII.

PARENTIBUS BENEMERENTIBUS FILIUS

ET SIBI.

Englished thus:

FECIT,

To God the Great Creator, and best of Beings,
To Alexander Pope, a Gentleman of Honesty,
Probity and Piety, who liv'd
LXXV Years, died M.DCC.XVII.

And to Editha, his excellent and truly pious Wife, who liv'd XCIII Years, died M.DCC.XXXIII. To His Well-deferving Parents, the Son erected this, and to himself.

And in his Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot (designing it for publick View) he says,

Of gentle Blood (Part shed in Honour's Cause,
While yet in Britain, Honour had Applause)
Each Parent fprang" What Fortune, pray?
Their own,

And better got than Beftia's from the Throne.
Born to no Pride, inheriting no Strife,
Nor marrying Difcord in a Noble Wife;
Stranger to civil and religious Rage,

The good Man walk'd innoxious thro' his Age:

No

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