The Quctations I have made use of, apa peared to me the eapest to determine the Sense of the Argument, or else are such Pasages as are the most beautiful Poetry, where all is beautiful. It would be difficult to pick out any Lines in all the four Esays on Man, which do not greatly excel the fame Number of Lines wrote by any other English Poet, supposing them to be Řhimes;

for be alone has the Manner of keeping up the greatest Harmony in his Verses, with out spinning his Thoughts to Tbreads, it being scarcely possible to render the same Thoughts again in fo few Words, even in Profe.

The Universal Prayer, except a doubtful Word or two, is one continued Confession of Benevolence and Humility, and might bez come the Mouth of a dying Saint: It News, that speculative Divinity pleased him less than practical; that his Words were not artfully contrived to teach his Heart what it ought to be, but arose from it, and do more Honour to his Memory than all bis other Works, great and sublime as they are, put together.

GEORGE the Second, by the

Grace of God, King of Great-
Britain, France, and Ireland,

Defender of the Faith, &c.
To all to whom these. Presents shall come,

GREETING.

W WEREAS Our Trusty and

HEREAS Our

Well-beloved, WILLIAM AYRE, Efq; hath humbly represented unto Us, that he hath been at very great Expence and Labour, in Writing and Compiling a Work entitled, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Alexander Pope, Esq; in Two Volumes, Oc-. A

tavo; and-hath humbly befought Us, to grant him Our Royal Privilege, for the fole Printing, Publishing, and Vending, the said Work, for the Term of Fourteen Years: We, being willing to give all due Encouragement to Works of this Nature, which tend to the Advancement of Knowledge, are graciously pleas'd to condescend to his Requeft; and do therefore by these Presents, so far as may be agreeable to the Statute, in that Behalf made and provided, grant unto the faid WILLIAM AYRE, Esq; his Executors, Administrators, and Assigns, Our Royal Licence for the sole Printing, Publishing, and Vending the aforesaid Work, for the Term of Fourteen Years, to be computed from the Date hereof : Strictly forbidding all Our Subjects, within Our Kingdoms and Dominions, to reprint the fame, either in the like or any other Volume or Volumes whatfoever, without the Consent or Approbation of the said WILLIAM AYRE, Efq; as they will answer the contrary at their Peril.

The Master, Wardens, and Company of Stationers, are to take Notice, that due Obedience may be render'd to Our Pleasure, herein declared.

Given at Our Court at St. James's, the

Eighteenth Day of December, 1744, and
in the Eighteenth Year of Our Reign.
By his Majelty's Command,

HOLLES NEWCASTLE,

LEXANDER POPE was born in London, in the Year 1688, on the Eighth Day of June.

His Parents were Alexander Pope, a distant Relation of the

Lord Downe, and Editha, Daughter of William Turner, Efq; of York.

THEIR Monument is in Twickenham Church, in the County of Middlesex : On which is the following Inscription :

VOL. I.

B

D.O.M.

D. O. M.
ALEXANDRO Pope, Viro INNOCUO, PROBO, PIO

Qui vixIT ANNOS LXXV, OB. MDccxvii.

ET EDITHÆ CONJUGI INCULPABILI
PIENTISSIMÆ, QUÆ vixit Annos
XCIII, OB.

MDCCXXXIII.
PARENTIBUS BENEMERENTIBUS FILIUS

FECIT,
ET SIBI.

Englished thus :

To God the Great Creator, and best of Beings,
To Alexander Pope, a Gentleman of Honesty,

Probity and Piety, who liv'd

LXXV Years, died M.DCC.XVII.
And to Editha, his excellent and truly pious Wife,
who liv'd XCIII Years, died M.DCC.XXXIII.
To His Well-deferving Parents, the Son

erected this, and to himself.

And in his Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot (designing it for publick View) he says,

Of gentle Blood (Part shed in Honour's Cause,
While yet in Britain, Honour had Applause)
Each Parent sprang. What Fortune, pray !

Their own,

And better got than Beftia's from the Throne.
Born to no Pride, inheriting no Strife,
Nor marrying Discord in a Noble Wife;
Stranger to civil and religious Rage,
The good Man walk'd innoxious thro' his Age:

No