fideration for it. One reflects upon the great Duke of Marlborough and him at the fame Time.

Your Pen with Marlborough's Sword is much the fame,

He fought, you write, for Profit, more than Fame:
His Eagles after Grants and Pensions flew,

And all your Lawrels from Subfcriptions grew.
His Friendship too, like your's was falfe and feign'd,
No longer lafting than his Ends were gaiu'd :
Thus rhen at once we both your Deeds rehearse,
Gold was his God of War, your God of Verse.

His Difappointment in Mr. Addison was the greater because of the Encouragement he had receiv'd from him not only after Part of the Tranflation was seen, but actually before it was begun, within the Space of two Months, he wrote Mr. Pope the two following Letters.

I

October 26, 1713. Was extreamly glad to receive a Letter from you, but more fo upon reading the Contents of it. The Work you mention will, I dare fay, very fufficiently recommend itself when your Name appears with the Proposals: And if you think I can any Way contribute to the forwarding of them, you cannot lay a greater Obligation upon me than by employing me in fuch an Office. As I have an Ambition of having it known that you are my Friend, I fhall be very proud of showing it by this, or any other Inftance. I queftion not but your Translation will enrich our Tongue, aud do Honour to our Country: For I conclude of it already, from those Performances with which you have obliged the Pub

+ Translation of the Iliad.,

lick.

lick. I would only have you confider how it may moft turn to your Advantage. Excufe my Impertinence in this Particular, which proceeds from my Zeal for your Eafe and Happiness. The Work wou'd coft you a great deal of Time, and unless you undertake it, will, I am afraid, never be executed by any other, at least I know none of this Age that is equal to it befides yourself.

I am at present wholly immerfed in Country Bufiness, and begin to take Delight in it. I wish I might hope to fee you here fometime, and will not despair of it, when you engage in a Work that will require Solitude and Retirement. I am Your, &c.

Nov. 2. 1713.

Have received your Letter, and am glad to find that you have laid fo good a Scheme for your great Undertaking. I queftion not but the Profe will require as much Care as the Poetry, but the Variety will give yourself fome Relief, and more Pleasure to your Readers.

You gave me Leave once to take the Liberty of a Friend, in advifing you not to content yourself with one half of the Nation for your Admirers, when you might command 'em all. If I might take the Freedom to repeat it, I would on this Occafion. I think you are very happy that you are out of the Fray, and I hope all yourUndertakings will turn to the better Account for it.

You fee how I prefume on your Friendship in taking all this Freedom with you, but I already fancy that we have lived many Years together in an unreferved Conversation, and that we may do many more, is the fincere Wish of

Your, &c.

VOL. I.

I

But

But the great Prop and Support of all was the Duke of Buckingham, his Name, Intereft, and all the Lights and Helps he was able to give; and he was able to give a great many, were more than a Compenfation for all the Oppofition, or Falling-off of Friends that might probably happen, as Mr. Prior obferves in his Alma, or, The Progress of the Mind.

Happy the Poet, blefs'd the Lays,

Which Buckingham has deign'd to praise.

Not to confound the Reader with a bare Title, which might make him mistake who this illustrious Nobleman was, our Poet's greatest Friend, (speaking as to Quality ;)

HE was the Right Noble John Sheffield, Duke

of Buckinghamshire, Marquifs of Normanby, Earl of Mulgrave, &c. Defcended from Sir Robert Sheffield, Knight, who liv'd in the Time of King Henry III. Robert the Son of the faid Robert was likewise Knighted by King Edward I, and in Right of his Wife Genet, eldeft Daughter and Coheir to Alexander Lownde, Efq; became Lord of the Manor of Botterwick in the County of Lincoln. Robert, Grandfon of the laft nam'd Sir Robert Sheffield, was Father of another Robert, who marry'd a Daughter of Sir Thomas Staunton of the County of York, and by her had Robert Sheffield, Efq; his Son and Heir; which Robert had Iffue, Sir Robert Sheffield, who in the Reign of King Henry VII. was Speaker of the House of Commons. Sir Robert, by Helen, Daugh ter and Heir to Sir John Delves, had Iffue Robert Sheffield, Father of Edmond Sheffield, advanc'd to the Dignity of Baron of Botterwick in the firft Year of Edward VI. This Edmond marry'd Anne, Daugh

ter

ter of John Vere the fixth Earl of Oxford, and by her left Iffue John his Son and Heir: He was a Nobleman of great Loyalty and Valour, but was unfortunately flain by Rebels upon the Infurrection of the Commons in Norfolk. John, his Son, by Douglas, Daughter to William Lord Howard of Effingham, had a Son likewife nam'd Edmund, made Knight of the Garter by Queen Elizabeth, and created Earl of Mulgrave by King Charles I, and he had Iffue Six Sons; but all dying young, he was fucceeded by Edmund his Grandfon. This Edmund marrying Elizabeth, Daughter to Lionel, Earl of Middlefex, Lord Treafurer to King James I. had by her John, the greatest Ornament of this noble Family; and him now spoken of having travell'd abroad in France and Italy for fome time, was (during the DutchWars) a Volunteer with the Earl of Offory, in that bloody Engagement at Solbay, and behav'd himself so gallantly, that he had immediately given him the Command of the Royal Catharine, a First-Rate Ship: But his Royal Highness the Duke of York, under whom he ferv'd, being forc❜d to quit the Sea after that Summer was over, on Account of his Religion, this Lord had firft a new rais'd Regiment given him, and soon after an old one, call'd the Holland Regiment; his new one and that being incorporated, it became to have twenty-four Companies, and fo continu'd all that Dutch War.

Afterwards he was in favour enough to be made a Lord of the Bed-Chamber, and Knight of the Garter, and when the Duke of Monmouth loft all his Commands, fucceeded him in the Government of Hull: All which Imployments he kept for many Years, till he was made Lord Chamberlain. And it fhould not be forgotten, that during his remaining in the Army, he went feveral times either to the

Dutch

Dutch or the French, according as England engag'd in those Quarrels; and when Tangier was befieg'd by the Moors, he, by his own Requeft, obtain'd the commanding a Detachment thither of two thousand five hundred of our beft Troops; which, tho' tranfported with much Difficulty and extraordinary Haste, not arriving till after the Siege was rais'd, and aTruce made for five Months, with a Prospect of future Peace, his Lordfhip return'd with fuch a furprizing Account, fign'd by all the Officers there, of its being not tenable by the Moors, being improv'd in Cannon, and confequently of the King's having been deceiv'd in expending five hundred thousand Pounds to make a Mole there, that it was thought fit to be all blown up at last.

When the Revolution happened, his Lordship, though not in any Way contributing to it, was fo kindly used, and fuch an Opinion had King William of his great Merit, that after King James's Death he made him of his Cabinet Council, and a Marquifs, with a Penfion of 3000l. a-Year. Upon the Death of King William, the first Ministers of Queen Anne were the Duke of Marlborough, the Earl of Godolphin, the Earl of Nottingham, the Earl of Rochefter, and this noble Lord, whom that Princess made Duke of Buckinghamshire, and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal, with a Pension added to it; which, on fome Change in Affairs, he could not be prevail'd with to continue, even with Offers of greater Favours. But in the Year 1710, he was made first Lord Steward, and afterwards President of the Council: This important Place he kept 'till the Queen's Death, and confequently had the greatest Poft in theRegency.

This great Perfon (befides two excellent Tragedies in Blank Verfe, which, tho' never fo much importun'd, yet he has not fuffer'd to be acted) has honour'd