No Courts he faw, no Suits would ever try, It would certainly have been an Honour to any University in Europe, to have had the Cultivation of so excellent a Genius as that of Mr. Pope; but he having a very weakly Conftitution, and Parents of uncommon Tenderness, they would not by any Means confent to his going far from home; so that he received his Education in a private Manner, under Management of Tutors who were esteemed learned Men, chiefly Mr. Deane, who was depriv'd of his Fellowship of University-College in Oxford, foon after the Revolution; he having declared himself a Papift in the Reign of King James, of which Religion Mr. Pope's Family was, and had been many Centuries. It was under this Gentleman he firft began to relifh the English and Latin Poets: It was not only an early Love and Understanding he fhewed of them, but himself to be of their Number. The firft Poem of his which ever was made publick, is an Ode, wrote in the Year 1700, which well expreffes the Bent of the Youth's Inclination; for he always affected Privacy and Retirement. At the writing of this Ode, he wanted a few Days of twelve Years of Age. Happy the Man, whose Wish and Care, A few paternal Acres bound, Content to breathe his native Air, Whofe Herds with Milk, whofe Fields with Bread, Whofe Flocks fupply him with Attire, Whofe Trees in Summer yield him Shade, In Winter, Fire. Bleft, who can unconcern'dly find Hours, Days, and Years, flide soft away, In Health of Body, Peace of Mind, Quiet by Day. Sound Sleep by Night; Study and Eafe, Thus, let me live, unfeen, unknown, Steal from the World, and not a Stone Tell where I lie. So far from being fond of childish Sports, that he would not engage in any that were noify; and the Weakness and Badnefs of his Conftitution, would not permit him to use much Exercise; fo that, except a little Drawing, he was almost continually studying or converfing, and by the Time he was fixteen Years old, had a very good Acquaintance among People of Fashion, who were esteemed to have, and had great Judgment of Men and Manners; and whofe Converfation greatly help'd to enlarge his Mind, keep it in Action, and raise a noble Defire of resembling, in Time, or excelling, those great Examples. His Father, a Man of an exceeding good moral Character, who lov'd Silence and Solitude, refolving to withdraw from the Town, (being thereto the more more ftrongly induc'd by the ill Health of his Son) bought an Estate at Bingfield, near Oakingham, and near the Seat of Sir William (*) Trumbull, who had been Secretary to King William, and refign'd. From this Gentleman's Acquaintance we may date Mr. Pope's first Entrance into the polite World, though whilst he was under Tuition, and almoft two Years before he wrote his Paftorals, he tranflated the firft Book of the Thebaid of Statius, of which the following is an Extract. Oedipus, King of Thebes, having by Mistake flain his Father Lajus, and married Focafta his Mother, put out his own Eyes, and refign'd the Kingdom to his Sons. Being neglected by them, he makes a Prayer to the Fury Tifiphone, to fow Debate betwixt the Brothers. Ye Gods, that o'er the gloomy Regions reign, Where guilty Spirits feel eternal Pain ; Thou, fable Styx! whofe livid Streams are roll'd Thro' dreary Coasts, which I, tho' blind, behold: Tifiphone, B 3 (*) Sir William Trumbull was born at Easthamfted in Berkshire: He was Fellow of All Souls College in Oxford, follow'd the Study of the Civil-Law, and was fent by King Charles the Second Judge-Advocate to Tangier, thence Envoy to Florence, Turin, &c. and in his Way back Envoy Extraordinary to France; from thence fent by King James the Second Ambaffador to the Ottoman Port. Afterwards he was made Lord of the Treasury, then Secretary of State with the Duke of Shrewsbury, which Office he refign'd in 1697. He retir'd to Eaftbamfted in Windfor Foreft, and died in the Place of his Nativity in December 1716, aged 77 Years. Our Author celebrated that Retirement in his Poem on the Foreft, and addrefs'd to him his firft Paftoral at 16 Years of Age. Tifphone, that oft' haft heard my Pray'r, With monftrous Mixture ftain'd my Mother's Bed; And fleeps thy Thunder in the Realms above? Soon Soon fhalt thou find, if thou but arm their Hands, Their ready Guilt preventing thy Commands: Could'ft thou fome great, proportion'd Mischief frame, They'd prove the Father from whofe Loins they came. This was look'd on as a Promife and Earnest of what follow'd foon after, and as long as the Poet liv'd. From hence we must look on him altogether finishing his Studies at Home, and among Men; converfant with Sir William Trumbull, (who had given him Leave to call him Patron) with Dr. Garth, Mr. Wycherly, Mr. Walsh, Mr. Gay, the Lords Hallifax and Lanfdown; and foon to Sir Richard Steele, Mr. Addifon, and Mr. Congreve. After having been handed to moft of the best Poets and Criticks, to be over-look'd, his Paftorals appear'd in publick: They were very much admir'd, fet in Competition with the best Writings of that Kind in our Language, and Mr. Philips, the ingenious Author of the Diftrefs'd Mother, thought no way fuperior in his Attempt in that beautiful and difficult Part of Poetry. On this there grew a mutual Diflike in both Mr. Philips and Mr. Pope, which was never either made up or forgot. The Performances are very different, but Sir Richard Steele has pretended to compare them. The Poems are both Paftoral, though he seems to deny Mr. Pope's that Name: Mr. Pope's, indeed, is elevated Pastoral, and (as he promises in his Difcourfe on Paftoral Poetry) favours most of the Golden Age: Mr. Philips has imitated Spencer more in fome Places, and in o̟thers seems to raise his Style higher than Mr. Pope. The Guardians fpeak thus. I. Defigned to have troubled the Reader with no farther Difcourfes of Paftorals, but being in B 4 formed |