Teresa he had written an epiftle in verfe before; büt in this he feems to confefs more, though with his ufual guardedness of expreffion at that time, for her fifter is mentioned at the fame time *. But the most extraordinary circumstance relating to this epiftle in verfe, and which evinces the groffnefs of the times, or the licentioufnefs of the man, was the conclufion of it, now fuppreffed, fo coarfe and indecent, that it almoft furpaffes belief it could have been fent to any woman, (much lefs one for whom he profeffed esteem,) if the lines in his own hand-writing were not extant. may Whatever be faid of the vices of the present age, in many refpects, it is fo fuperior to the last, that a profeffed woman of the town would now feel infulted at receiving what was then written to a woman of character. I am willing to believe that two copies were written, one, which he fent the lady, and another, which he kept "She Ayre fays, with his fimple folemnity, page 32. vol. 2. imagined his civility arofe from his youth, complaisance to her sex, and respect to her family; all which were used as pleas for more frequent opportunities of converfing with her but this was now put an end to for the prefent. If the went a little unwillingly from the town, it is no wonder, for fhe was a great admirer of music, and the public diverfions, as moft at that age fhe was then at do; and the place the went to was as retired and as little vifited as a nunnery. On the contrary, Mr. Pope, who could with great delight have enjoyed that folitude, (without enquiring who was his neighbours), was, by reafon of tranfacting fome affairs, under an obligation of being in town: he concealed his real concern for this separation, and wrote Mifs Blount a letter, being the fecond he had wrote to her in verfe, wherein he confeffes (without feeming to de it formally) that fhe is feldom or ever out of his thoughts. kept for the "confilia fecretiora" of Cromwell, and his other friends of the fame character. At this time, indeed, he abfurdly affected a levity of diffipation. In his verfes "On leaving Town," he calls himself "The gayeft valetudinaire, Doncastle, in a letter extant, written not long afterwards, fays: "I am glad you are turn'd fuch a bon vivant." This affectation was occafioned by vanity and the intercourse of gay companions, but was neither congenial to his difpofition, nor long continued. The kind of reciprocity, between friendship and gallantry, towards the Blounts, continued till it was put to flight, "not by Gay's tapping him on the fhoulder," but by fomething more fair, more interefting, more fafcinating than either Terefa or Martha. The object that now arrested his heart, was the celebrated Lady Wortley Montagu. It is neceffary to revert a moment to the change in Pope's circumstances. Towards the end of this year, 1715, being enabled, by the unparalleled fuccefs of the fubfcriptions to Homer, to " live more at eafe," the house at Binfield was fold. With his father and mother (for whom his affection feemed to increase as they moft needed his kindness) he left the retreat in the Foreft, and arose with fortune and reputation, There is fomething interefting (but marked by political difappointment) in the letter he wrote his friend Blount, after the VOL. I.. C battle 66 among the fwans of Thames," at the pleasant village of Twickenham, fince so much celebrated on account of his refidence. A leafe, for his own life, of four acres, was purchased of a Mrs. Vernon; so, in his verses, he fays, "Does it concern one "Whether the house belongs to me, or Vernon ?" He here commenced the character of a man of rural taste. The elevation and defign of his refidence were planned by himself: the MS. tranflation of the Odyffey, in the British Museum, is filled with fketches of entablatures, columns, and porticos, by his own hand. He had long been acquainted with Mrs. Howard, afterwards Countess of Suffolk, whom Swift and Gay fruitlessly wooed, in hopes of preferment. The vicinity of her refidence between Twickenham and Richmond, gave him opportunities of friendly intercourse. Here he first became acquainted with the celebrated battle of Preston, when he went to take leave, 1715, of his friends in the Foreft: "I write this from Windfor Foreft, of which I am come to take my laft look. We have bid our neighbours adieu! much as thofe who are going to be hanged do their fellow-prifoners who are condemned to follow them a few weeks after! I parted from honeft Mr. D. with tenderness; and from old Sir W. Trumbull, as from a venerable prophet, foretelling with lifted hands the miseries to come, from which he is just going to be removed himself—perhaps now.. I have learned so far as dulcia linquimus arva; my next leffon may be Nos patriam fugimus." celebrated lady before mentioned, then in the pride of beauty, fashion, and accomplishments. She had lived retired with her husband till 1714, when his relation, Montague, being appointed to the high office of First Lord of the Treasury, he was made one of the Commiffioners, Oct. 13, 1714; in confequence of which, he was introduced to the Court of George the First. "The first appearance of Lady Mary at St. James's," fays Mr. Dallaway, "was hailed with that univerfal admiration, which beauty, enlivened by wit, inconteftably claims; and, while the tribute of praise, so well merited, was willingly paid in public to the elegance of her form, the charms of her conversation were equally unrivalled, in the first private circles of the nobility." Her powers of converfation, her sphere of life, her fascinating manners, added to youth, and beauty, and cultivated talents, certainly might impress the heart of Pope, at this time in his twentyfixth year. She was not infenfible to the flattery of a man fo diftinguished in literature, and encouraged, poffibly very innocently (as not having any idea that his feelings could be mixed with ought but the veneration he profeffed) his rifing predilection in her favour. Delighted with manners naturally unguarded, and by her unaffected disdain of rigid and formal etiquette, his admiration was raised to enthufiafm. Whatever he proposed to himself, and whatever C 2 whatever in the moments of felf-love he might hope, the language of paffion on his part cannot be mistaken. The last night, previous to her departure, which in all probability for a long period would feparate her from her native country, Pope was admitted to take his leave. In a letter during her abfence, he exclaims "May the last man who left you be the last whom you would wish to leave!" At this time, also, he finished the moft touching, affecting, poetical, impaffioned, and I must fay moft pernicious, of all his works, the Epiftle of Eloifa to to Abelard *. When it was begun, he intended it to have ended with an Addrefs to Martha Blount, as, in a letter to her fome time after, he fays" I can fcarce find in my heart to leave out the conclufion, I once intended for it." He therefore transferred to Lady W. what was originally intended for M. Blount. In a letter to Lady Mary abroad, he fays-" There are fome paffages I hardly know whether I wifh you to understand or not." These were the concluding lines, and perhaps fome, which I need not point out, alluding to the tendernefs and affection with which he bade her farewell, on the night prior to her departure from England. The latter lines could not be meant for the " Unfortunate Lady," for fhe was dead and forgotten,-could not relate This fixes nearly the date of the Poem, which Johnson was not able to ascertain. It was fent to her in 1717. |