that are new, as in giving things that are known an agreeable turn, It is impoffible for us, who live in the latter ages of the world, to make obfervations in criticism, morality, or any art and fcience, which have not been touched upon by others. We have little else left us, but to reprefent the common fense of mankind in more strong, more beautiful, or more uncommon lights. If a reader examines Horace's Art of Poetry, he will find but few precepts in it, which he may not meet with in Ariftotle, and which were not commonly known by all the poets of the Auguftan age. His way of expreffing, and applying them, not his invention of them, is what we are chiefly to admire. "Longinus, in his Reflexions, has given us the fame kind of fublime, which he obferves in the feveral paffages which occafioned them. I cannot but take notice, that our English author has, after the fame manner, exemplified feveral of his precepts, in the very precepts themfelves." He then produces fome inftances of a particular kind of beauty in the numbers, and concludes with faying, that we have three poems in our tongue of the fame nature, and each a mafter-piece in its kind : The Effay on Translated Verfe, the Effay on the Art of Poetry, and the Effay on Criticifm." In the Lives of Addison and Tickell, we have thrown out fome general hints concerning the quarrel which fubfifted between our poet and the former of these gentlemen; here it will not be improper to give a more particular account of it. The author of Mift's Journal pofitively afferts, that Mr. Addifon raised Pope from obfcurity, obtained him the acquaintance and friendship of 'the whole body of our nobility, and transferred his powerful influence with those great men to this rifing bard, who frequently levied by that means, unusual contributions on the pubic. No • fooner ⚫fooner was his body lifeless, but this author reviv⚫ing his refentment, libelled the memory of his ⚫ departed friend, and what was still more heinous, made the fcandal public.' When this charge of ingratitude and dishonour was published against Mr. Pope, to acquit himself of it, he called upon any nobleman, whose friendship, or any one gentleman, whose fubfcription Mr. Addifon had procured to our author, to ftand forth, and declare it, that truth might ap pear. But the whole libel was proved a malicious ftory, by many perfons of diftinction, who, feveral years before Mr. Addison's decease, approved thofe verfes denominated a libel, but which were, 'tis faid, a friendly rebuke, fent privately in our author's own hand, to Mr. Addison himself, and never made public, 'till by Curl in his Mifcellanies, 12mo. 1727. The lines indeed are elegantly fatirical, and, in the opinion of many unprejudiced judges, who had opportunities of knowing the character of Mr. Addison, are no ill reprefentation of him. Speaking of the poetical triflers of the times, who had declared against him, he makes a fudden tranfition to Addifon. Peace to all fuch! But were there one whofe fires Dreading Dreading even fools; by flatt'rers befieg'd; Some readers may think these lines fevere, but the treatment he received from Mr. Addison, was more than fufficient to juftify them, which will appear when we particularize an interview between these two poetical antagonists, procured by the warm follicitations of Sir Richard Steele, who was prefent at it, as well as Mr. Gay. Mr. Jervas being one day in company with Mr. Addison, the converfation turned upon Mr. Pope, for whom Addison, at that time, expreffed the higheft regard, and affured Mr. Jervas, that he would make use not only of his intereft, but of his art likewife, to do Mr. Pope service; he then faid, he did not mean his art of poetry, but his art at court, and protested, notwithstanding many infinuations were fpread, that it fhall not be his fault, if there was not the best understanding and inteligence between them. He obferved, that Dr. Swift might have carried him too far among the enemy, during the animofity, but now all was fafe, and Mr. Pope, in his opinion, was escaped. When Mr. Jervas communicated this converfation to Mr. Pope, he made this reply: The friendly office you endeavour to do between Mr. Addifon and me deferves acknowledgments on my part. You thoroughly know my regard to his character, and my readiness to teftify it by all ways in my power; you alfo thoroughly knew the meanness of that proceeding of Mr. Phillips, to make a man I fo highly value fufpect my difpofition difpofition towards him. But as, after all, Mr. Addifon must be judge in what regards himself, and as he has feemed not to be a very just one to me, fo I muft own to you, I expect nothing but civility from him, how much foever I wish for his friendship; and as for any offers of real kindnefs or service which it is in his power to do me, I fhould be ashamed to receive them from a man, who has no better opinion of my morals, than to think me a party man, nor of my temper, than to believe me capable of maligning, or envying another's reputation as a poet. In a word, Mr. Addifon is fure of my respect at all times, and of my real friendship, whenever he shall think fit to know me for what I am.' Some years after this converfation, at the defire of Sir Richard Steele, they met. At first, a very cold civility, and nothing elfe appeared on either fide, for Mr. Addifon had a natural referve and gloom at the beginning of an evening, which, by converfation and a glafs, brightened into an easy chearfulness. Sir Richard Steele, who was a moft focial benevolent man, begged of him to fulfill his promise, in dropping all animofity against Mr. Pope. Mr. Pope then defired to be made fenfible how he had offended; and obferved, that the translation of Homer, if that was the great crime, was undertaken at the request, and almost at the command of Sir Richard Steele. He entreated Mr. Addifon to speak candidly and freely, though it might be with ever so much severity, rather than by keeping up forms of complaifance, conceal any of his faults. This Mr. Pope spoke in fuch a manner as plainly indicated he thought Mr. Addison the aggreffor, and expected him to condefcend, and own himfelf the caufe of the breach between them. he was disappointed; for Mr. Addison, without appearing to be angry, was quite overcome with it: He began with declaring, that he always had wished I But him him well, had often endeavoured to be his friend, and in that light advised him, if his nature was capable of it, to divest himself of part of his vanity, which was too great for his merit; that he had not arrived yet to that pitch of excellence he might imagine, or think his moft partial readers imagined; that when he and Sir Richard Steele corrected his verses, they had a different air; reminding Mr. Pope of the amendment (by Sir Richard) of a line, in the poem called The MESSIAH. He wipes the tears for ever from our eyes. Which is taken from the prophet Isaiah, The Lord God will wipe all tears from off all faces. น เร่ From every face he wipes off ev'ry tear. And it stands fo altered in the newer editions of Mr. Pope's works. He proceeded to lay before him all the mistakes and inaccuracies hinted at by the writers, who had attacked Mr. Pope, and added many things, which he himself objected to. Speaking of his tranflation in general, he faid, that he was not to be blamed for endeavouring to get fo large a fum of money, but that it was an ill-executed thing, and not equal to Tickell, which had all the fpirit of Homer. Mr. Addifon concluded, in a low hollow voice of feigned temper, that he was not follicitous about his own fame as a poet; that he had quitted the mufes to enter into the business of the public, and that all he spoke was through friendship to Mr. Pope, whom he advifed to have a lefs exalted fenfe of his own merit. Mr. Pope could not well bear fuch repeated reproaches, but boldly told Mr. Addifon, that he appealed from his judgment to the public, and that |