ragement. Warburton was the most intimate associate of his last days. He does not appear to have greatly admired Thomson's, more than any other, blank verse; Spence makes him speak of that poet's Winter as being a huddled composition, and oftentimes not quite intelligible.' Yet he owned, it is added, that the author discovered the true spirit of poetry. And it is known, that he always lived on the best terms with Thomson, and had a great regard for him, which he showed on many occasions. He wrote, in conjunction with Mallet, the prologue to Thomson's tragedy of Sophonisba; he afterwards addressed a poetical epistle to him while he was travelling in Italy; and some years subsequently, when he seldom made his appearance in public, he came to the first representation of Thomson's tragedy of Agamemnon, on which occasion he was welcomed to the theatre, Johnson relates, by a general clap. Young, who, indeed, was Pope's senior by birth, although he survived him many years, and although his principal works belong to a later epoch than those of Pope, was one of his familiar friends of early date. But the most interesting circumstance that connects Pope with the next age of our literature, is his anticipation and prophetic announcement of the future eminence of Samuel Johnson. When Johnson's London' was published, in May 1738, many readers are said to have exclaimed, in their first surprise: 'Here is an unknown poet, greater even than Pope;' and Pope himself, when the younger Richardson, whom he had desired to find out who the new poet was, reported to him that he had only been able to discover that his name was Johnson, and that he was some obscure individual, observed- He will soon be deterré.' They never met, or saw one another; but these few words link together the two men and the two ages.

From his treatment of Defoe, all whose great works of fiction had been published when their author was put in the Dunciad, it might be conjectured that Pope's admiration of that kind of literature was probably not very ardent. Spence, however, records him to have declared that the first part of Robinson Crusoe' was very good, and that of all Defoe's many writings, though none were excellent except that, none were bad. Of course, too, he greatly enjoyed, with all the rest of the world, his friend Swift's Gulliver's Travels'-of the profits of which, by the bye, Swift generously made him a present. Richardson and Fielding had both commenced novel writing before Pope's death; the first part of Pamela' having appeared in 1740, the second part in 1741, Joseph Andrews' in 1742, Jonathan Wild' in 1743. We recollect no notice of any connexion between Pope and Fielding, who had employed his pen in writing for the stage, without acquiring much reputation, for many years before

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this; but it is related that Pope was greatly delighted with 'Pamela;' one of Richardson's correspondents writes to him, immediately after the publication of the book, that he has heard Mr. Pope and Mr. Allen both speak very high in its praises, ‘and,' he adds, they will not bear any faults to be mentioned in the story; I believe they have read it twice a-piece at least. I believe Mr. Pope will call on you.' Pope probably did not actually call; but at any rate Richardson soon got connected, not with the openly adverse faction of the scribblers who had been satirized in the 'Dunciad,' but with some professing friends of Pope's, whose real feelings were not very different. Poor Aaron Hill had never been able to forget the mere mention of his name in the allblighting satire, although in the way of compliment; he had, indeed, on Pope's explanation, consented to be reconciled to him, and they had continued apparently good friends to the last; but it is amusing to see how Aaron's old sore opens and bleeds afresh as soon as their friendship has become only an affair of memory. 'Mr. Pope,'-it is thus he writes to Richardson-as 'you, with equal keenness and propriety, express it, is gone out..... • Indeed, it gives me no surprise to find you thinking he was in "the wane of his popularity. It arose, originally, but from medi'tated little personal assiduities, and a certain bladdery swell of ⚫ management.' Then, after explaining how this was, he proceeds: In fact, if anything was fine, or truly powerful, in Mr. Pope, it was chiefly centered in expression; and that rarely, when not grafted on some other writer's preconceptions. His own sentiments were low and narrow, because always interested; darkly touched, because conceived imperfectly; and sour and ' acrid, because writ in envy. He had a turn for verse, without a 'soul for poetry.' More follows in the same strain. But,' at last concludes our critic, quite satisfied that he has exhausted his subject, rest his memory in peace! It will very rarely be disturbed by that time he himself is ashes. It is pleasant to observe the 'justice of forced fame; she lets down those at once, who get themselves pushed upward; and lifts none above the fear of falling, but ' a few who never teased her.' If there be anything that could add to the effect of all this, it is what the vain poetaster, who was at the best nothing better than a bad imitator of Pope, immediately subjoins:- What she intends to do with me, the Lord 'knows! The whole I can be sure of is, that never mortal courted her with less solicitude. And, truly, if I stood condemned to 'share a place in her aërial storehouse with some characters that fill up great voids there, as things go at present, I should rather make a leg, shrink back, and ask for pardon.' The preachers of the modern doctrine that Pope is nothing of a poet may see from this that their supposed discovery is not so new as it seems.

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72

ART. III. (1.) Catalogue of the Library in Red-Cross Street, Cripplegate, founded pursuant to the will of the Rev. Daniel Williams, D.D. 2 vols. [vol. i. Books; vol. ii. Tracts.] 8vo. Lond. 1841. pp. 420; 438.

(2.) Catalogue of Printed Books in the British Museum. Vol. i. fol. Lond. 1841. pp. 457.

(3.) Bibliotheca Grenvilliana; or, Bibliographical notices of rare and curious books, forming part of the Library of the Right Hon.

Thomas Grenville. By JOHN THOMAS PAYNE and HENRY
Foss. 2 vols. royal 8vo. Lond. 1842. pp. 846.

(4.) A copy of a Representation from the Trustees of the British Museum to the Treasury, on the subject of an enlarged scale of expenditure for the supply of printed books, with Treasury Minute thereon. Ordered, by the House of Commons, to be printed, 27th March, 1846. [Sessional Paper, 166.] Fol. pp. 44. (5.) Examen de ce que renferme la bibliothèque du Musée Britannique; extrait de documents soumis au Parlement en 1846. Par OCTAVE DELEPIERRE, Secrétaire de Légation, &c. 12mo. Bruxelles, Vandale, 1846. pp. 109.

(6.) An Account of the Income and Expenditure of the British Museum for the year 1846; of the estimated Charges and Expenses for the year ending 25th March, 1848, and of the progress made in the arrangement of the Collections in 1846. Ordered to be printed, 15th March, 1847. [189.] Fol. pp. 12.

(7.) On the supply of printed books from the Library to the Reading Room of the British Museum. [By Mr. ANTONIO PANIZZI.] 8vo. Lond. [privately printed] 1846. pp. 30.

(8.) Animadversions on the Library and Catalogues of the British Museum: a Reply to Mr. Panizzi's Statement; and a Correspondence with that Officer and the Trustees. By Sir HARRIS NICOLAS. 8vo. Lond. Bentley, 1846. pp. 87.

(9.) Hansard's Parliamentary Debates. Third Series. Vol. lxxxvii. pp. 1440-1446. [Debate in Committee of Supply, July 17, 1846.] (10.) Budget de l'Exercice 1847.-Ministère de l'Instruction Publique. [Printed for the French Chamber of Deputies.] 4to. [Paris, 1846.]

(11.) De l'Organisation des Bibliothèques dans Paris.

Par le Comte DE LA BORde. Lettres 1, 2, 4, 8. 8vo. Paris, Franck, 1845-46. pp. 24, 56, 125, 52.

(12.) Réforme de la Bibliothèque du Roi. Par P. L. JACOB, Bibliophile [i. e. PAUL LACROIX.] 12mo. Paris, Techener, 1845. pp. 151. (13.) Exposé succinct d'un nouveau système d'Organisation des Bibliothèques publiques. Par un bibliothécaire [i. e. M. DANJOU.] 8vo. Montpelier, Boehm, 1845. pp. 29.

(14.) Bulletin du Bibliophile, 1844-1846. 8vo. Paris, Techener.

SINCE the year 1842, the annual Miscellaneous Estimates' presented to the House of Commons have exhibited the novel feature of a distinct series (issued as a separate Sessional Paper)

under the head Education, Science, and Art.' Such grants as had previously been voted for literary, scientific, or artistic purposes, were mixed up with those for Public Buildings, Royal Palaces, Roads, Harbours, and Gaols.'

The following tabular view of the sums voted, under this head, in each of the last six years, shows a progressive annual increase since 1843: Estimates, &c., Miscellaneous Services.--Education, Science, & Art.'

For the year ending 25th March, 1842

£212,524 1843

210,889 1844

219,867 1845

283,084 1846

300,288 1847

325,908 The last named of these sums—that voted for the year 1846-7, was thus apportioned :

CLASS I.-Universities and Schools. 1. Public Education-Great Britain £100,000 2. Ireland

85,000 3. Professors at Oxford and Cambridge 2,006 4. University of London

4,526 5. Universities &c. in Scotland

7,480 6. Belfast Academical Institution

2,600 7. Royal Hibernian Academy (Artists) 300 8. Schools of Design

5,381

207,293 Class II.-Museums, &c. 1. British Mu- Establishment, £45,406

90,900 - Buildings 45,494 2. National Gallery

3,390 3. Museum of Economic Geology, &c. 10,911 4. Royal Dublin Society (Museum, &c.) 6,082 5. Royal Irish Academy (Museum, &c.) 300 6. Botanic Garden at Dublin

2,000

113,583
Class III.
Scientific Works and Experiments

5,032

seum

The whole sums granted in aid of museums, and other public collections, comprehended in the second of the preceding classes,

and including the grants for buildings to receive them, in the
several years from 1830 to 1845 respectively, were as follow :-
In the year 1830

£32,923
1831

33,718 1832

50,084 1833

58,318 1834

60,512 1835

58,864 1836

94,099 1837

68,435 1838

53,966 1839

71,951 1840

98,032 1841

87,849 1842

84,822 1843

85,044 1844

118,971 1845

122,676

Total

£1,180,264*
Of this sum of 1,180,2641., the British Museum-which, it is
to be remembered, includes a library of manuscripts ; a library
of printed books; a museum of ancient sculpture; museums of
natural history, in all its departments; collections of prints, of
medals, and of maps and charts; and (not least in importance)
the nucleus of an ethnographical museum—has received the sum
of 894,0991.: viz. for the maintenance of the establishment and
for acquisitions, 468,656l., and for new buildings (including tem-
porary corridors and passages), 425,4431. If to these sums be
added those granted from the year 1753, when the museum was
founded, down to 1830, together with the grants of the current
year, 1847-8, the whole sum devoted to the British Museum by
Parliament will amount to 2,061,8951.—viz.

Purchase and fitting-up of Montague House (1753), £247,000
Establishment and Acquisitions, from