more attentive to preferve a faithful likeness, than to draw a graceful picture.

The work, fuch as it is, will not, I truft, be altogether without its ufe: One of the most inftructive gifts to pofterity, being the Life of a Man of GENIUS and VIRTUE.

FINI S

APPENDIX, N° I.

LETTERS

FROM

Mr. POPE,

то

AARON HILL, Efq;

LETTER I.

From Mr. POPE, to AARON HILL, Efq;

SIR,

Jan. 26, 1730-31. AM obliged to you for your compliment, and can truly

miftook on a bookfeller's idle report, and publickly expreffed your mistake; yet you mistook a second time, that two initial letters, only †, were meant of you, though every letter in the alphabet was put in the fame manner: and, in truth (except fome few) thofe letters were fet at random to occafion what they did occafion, the fufpicion of bad and

Of what was Mr. Pope's opinion of Mr. Hill's poem called the Northern ftar.

The initial letters to the characters of the several kinds of genius in the Profund, in the 6th chap. of the Art of finking in Poetry.

jealous

jealous writers, of which number I could never reckon Mr. Hill, and most of whose names I did not know.

Upon this mistake you were too ready to attack me, in a paper of very pretty verfes, in fome public journal. I should imagine the Dunciad meant you a real compliment, and fo it has been thought by many, who have asked, to whom that paffage made that oblique Panegyric? As to the notes, I am weary of telling a great truth, which is, that I am not author of them; though I love truth fo well, as fairly to tell you, Sir, I think even that note a commendation, and fhould think myself not ill ufed to have the fame words faid of me*: therefore, believe me, I never was other than friendly to you, in my own mind.

Have I not much more reafon to complain of the Caveat? † Where give me leave, Sir, to tell you, with the fame love of truth, and with the franknefs it infpired (which, I hope, you will fee, through this whole letter,) I am falfly abused, in being reprefented "fneakingly to approve, and want the worth

to cherish, or befriend men of merit." It is, indeed, Sir, a very great error: I am forry the author of that reflection knew me no better, and happened to be unknown to thofe who could have better informed him: for I have the charity to think, he was mifled only by his ignorance of me, and the benevolence to forgive the worst thing that ever (in my opinion) was faid of me, on that fuppofition.

I do faithfully affure you, I never was angry at any criticifm, made on my poetry, by whomsoever if I could do Mr. Dennis any humane office, I would, though I were fure he would abufe me perfonally to-morrow; therefore it is no great merit in me, to find, at my heart, I am your fervant. I am very forry you ever was of another opinion.I fee, by many marks, you diftinguished me from my cotemporary writers: had we known one another, you had diftinguilhed me from others, as a man, and no ill, or illnatured one. I only wish you knew, as well as I do, how much I prefer qualities of the heart to thofe of the head: I vow to God, I never thought any great matters of my

* That Mr. H. bad published pieces in his youth, bordering upon the bombaft. Mr. P. uled to laugh at what he had done himfelt of that fort, and would quote verfes for the diverfion of his friends, from an epic poem he wrote when a boy.

A thing which Mr. H. fays was his.

poetical

poetical capacity; I only thought it a little better, comparatively, than that of fome very mean writers, who are too proud. But, I do know certainly, my moral life is fuperior to that of most of the wits of thefe days. This is a filly letter, but it will fhew you my mind honestly, and, I hope, convince you, I can be, and am,

Sir,

Your very affectionate

and humble Servant,

A. POPE.

LETTER II.

Frem Mr. POPE, to AARON HILL, Esq;

SINCE

Parfons Green, Feb. 5, 1730-1.

1

INCE I am fully fatisfied we are each of us fincerely and affectionately fervants to the other, I defire we may be no further mifled by the warmth of writing on this fubject. If you think I have fhewn too much weakness, or if I think you have fhewn too much warmth, let us forgive one another's temper. I told you I thought my letter a filly one; but the more I thought fo, the more in fending it I fhewed my truft in your good difpofition toward me. I am forry you took it to have an air of neglect, or fuperiority: because I know in my heart, I had not the leaft thought of being any way fuperior to Mr. Hill; and, far from the leaft defign to fhew neglect to a gentleman who was fhewing me civility, I meant in return to fhew him a better thing, fincerity; which I am forry fhould be fo ill expreffed as to feem rudenefs. I meant but to complain as frankly as you, that all complaints on both fides might be out, and at a period for ever: I meant by this to have laid a furer foundation for your opinion of me for the future, that it might no more be fhaken by mistakes or whispers.

I am fure, Sir, you have a higher opinion of my poetry than I myself. But I am fo defirous you fhould have a juft one of me every way, that I wish you understood both my temper in general, and my juftice to you in particular, better than I find my letter reprefented them. I wish it the more, fince you tell me how ill a picture my enemies take

upon

upon them to give, of the mind of a man they are utter frangers to. However, you will obferve, that much flees and emotion are a little inconfiftent with negle, and an opinion of fuperiority. Towards them, God knows, I never felt any emotions, but what bad writers raife in all men, thofe gentle ones of laughter or pity: that I was fo open, concerned, and ferious, with refpect to you only, is fure a proof of regard, not neglect. For in truth, nothing ever vexed me, till I faw your epigram against Dr. Swift and me come out in your papers: and this, indeed, did vex me, to fee one fan among the geefe.

That the letters A. H. were applied to you in the papers, I did not know (for I feldom read them); I heard it only from Mr. S. as from yourfelf, and fent my affurances to the contrary. But I do not fee how the annotator on the Dunciad could have rectified that mistake, publickly, without particularizing your name, in a book where I thought it too good to be inferted. No doubt he has applied that paflage in the D. to you, by the story he tells; but his mention of bombast, only in fome of your juvenile pieces, I think, was meant to fhew, that paffage hinted only at that allegorical muddiness, and not at any worfe fort of dirt, with which fome other writers were charged. I hate to fay what will not be believed: yet when I told you, Many afked me to whom "that oblique praife was meant?" I did not tell you I anfwered, it was you. Has it efcaped your obfervation, that the name is a fyllable too long? Or (if you will have it a chriftian name) is there any other in the whole book? Is there no author of two fyllables whom it will better fit, not only as getting out of the allegorical muddinefs, but as having been dipt in the dirt of party-writing, and recovering from it betimes? I know fuch a man, who would take it for a compliment, and fo would his patrons too-But I afk you not to believe this, except you are vastly inclined to it. I will come clofer to the point: would you have the note left out? It fall. Would you have it exprefly faid, you were not meant? It fhall, if I have any influence on the editors.

I believe the note was meant only as a gentle rebuke, and friendly I understood very well the caveat on your part to be the fame; and complained (you fee) of nothing but two or three lines reflecting on my behaviour and temper to other writers; because I knew they were not true, and you could not know they were.

You