"Wide and more wide, th' o'erflowings of "the mind

"Take ev'ry creature in, of ev'ry kind; "Earth fmiles around, with boundless bounty "bleft,

"And Heav'n beholds its image in his breast."

Here we have another inftance of the poet's happy choice of poetical embellishments. The fimile he has employed, affords the cleareft illuftration of the expanding nature of benevolence, and establishes the truth of his reafoning, at the fame time that it gives beauty to the poem.

But as genius, like fame, gathers ftrength in its courfe, fo in the conclufion of the Effay, our poet seems to have collected all his powers, to complete the following noble apoftrophe

"Come then, my Friend! my Genius! come "along;

"Oh mafter of the poet, and the fong!

"I thank you for the account of your fafe arrival at home; "there is the end of all your wifhes: than which, there can "be no greater happiness on this fide of the grave. Un"happy is the man who muft ramble in search of it! I can 64 pray for no greater bleffing for a friend, than that he may "love his own home, his own family, and next his neigh"bour; yet be refigned to leave his prefent refidence, when"ever Providence ordains and love his own family, yet "confider the whole world as his relations, though more "diftant."

The reader, who recollects the fimile in Addifon's Cato, cannot fail being fmitten with the refemblance.

"And

"And while the Mufe now ftoops, or now "afcends,

"To Man's low paffions, or their glorious ends, "Teach me, like thee, in various nature wife, "To fall with dignity, with temper rife; "Form'd by thy converfe, happily to steer "From grave to gay, from lively to severe ; "Correct with fpirit, eloquent with ease, "Intent to reafon, or polite to pleafe.

"Oh! while along the ftream of Time thy

t

"name

Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame ; 'Say, fhall my little bark attendant fail,

"Pursue the triumph, and partake the gale? "When statesmen, heroes, kings, in duft repofe, "Whose fons fhall blufh their fathers were "thy foes,

"Shall then this verfe to future age pretend "Thou wert my GUIDE, PHILOSOPHER and "FRIEND?

"That urg'd by thee, I turn'd the tuneful art "From founds to things, from fancy to the "heart;

"For Wit's falfe mirror held up Nature's "light,

"Shew'd erring Pride, WHATEVER IS, IS

"RIGHT;

"That REASON, PASSION, anfwer one great

"aim;

"That true SELF-LOVE and SOCIAL are "the fame;

"That VIRTUE only makes our Bliss below; “And all our Knowledge is, OURSELVES TO

"KNOW."

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Thefe

Thefe excellent lines, as the learned commen tator accurately obferves, will furnifh a critic with examples of each of thofe five fpecies of elocution, from which, as from its fources, Longinus deduceth the fublime. Namely, a grandeur and fublimity of conception; a pathetic enthusiasm; an elegant formation and ordonance of figures; a fplendid diction; and a weight and dignity in the compofition. In fhort, had Mr. POPE given no other fpecimen of his poetical talents, we might from these lines only, fafely pronounce him a poet.

Upon the whole, though in this ethical fyftem, it must be confeffed, that the great outlines are taken from the moft excellent of the antient and modern writers; yet let it be observed, that had he not copied thofe outlines, he must have sketch'd out a Chimera: And this is the only fpecies of poetical INVENTION, in which our poet was wanting. For in all invention (to ufe this mifapplied term) within the verge of nature, his poetry in every line abounds. If justly drawing, artfully grouping, and strongly expreffing, in a well chofen fubject, ever gave poct or painter the pretence to invention, it might be claimed by our author.

Whenever he borrows a thought, he improves it to that degree that it becomes original. There is fo much precifion and perfpicuity, fo much of the lucidus ordo, in his chain of reafoning, the images by which he illuftrates his arguments are fo appropriated and friking, and his num

bers

bers fo harmonious; that every fentiment wears an air of novelty, and difplays the excellence of human wit, as himself juftly defines it.

"True Wit is Nature to advantage dreft; "What oft was thought, but ne'er fo well expreft."

In short, after having demolished the monfrous fuperftructures of the antients, he has employed the old materials which compofed them, in erecting a regular and beautiful fabric, in which all the parts correfpond with fuch exac fymmetry, and the whole befpeaks fuch an air of noble fimplicity, as proves it to be the invention of a correct and fublime genius *.

This

* It may be curious to remark, that when this poem was

firft publifhed, our author carefully concealed its being his production, and it was afcribed to Dr. Young, to Dr. Defaguliers, to Lord Bolingbroke, to Lord Paget, and feveral others. While his acquaintance read it as the work of an unknown author, they fairly owned they did not underftand it.

Among others, a certain little poet, speaking, in a visit he paid to Mr. POPE, of the Effey on Man, foon after its appearance, obferved with an air of critical felf-fuficiency, that the poetry was but indifferent, the philofophy intolerable, and the whole devoid of connection. If I thought, added he, that you had not feen it, I would have brought it with me. Mr. POPE, to mortify the coxcomb, frankly told him that he had feen it before it went to the prefs; for that it was his own performance, and had been the work of fome years. The confufion of the vifitor, at this declaration, may be eafier conceived than expreffed.

When the reputation of the poem however became fecured, by the knowledge of the writer, it foon grew fo c'ear and in

$3

telligible,

This poem foon became fo universally cele brated, that it was tranflated into French by Monfieur Refnel †, and Monfieur Croufaz wrote a formal critique upon it. The errors and abfurdities of feveral of his remarks, were owing to the blunders and inaccuracies of his country: man's tranflation, which mifled him in many inftances; nevertheless, fome of his falfe criticifis are owing to his own misapprehenfions. But this idle critique is fo fully answered and refuted by the learned comment fubjoined to this piece, that it is needless to say more of it‡.

It

telligible, that on the appearance of the comment upon it, they told him they wondered the editor fhould think a large and minute interpretation neceffary.

+ It was likewife tranflated into Latin verfe by Dr. Kirkpatrick.

Our author was fo fenfible of the service done to his work by this comment, that he did not fail to make grateful acknowledgements of it in the following letter, addressed to his friend and commentator, dated February 2, 1738, wherein, with confcious dignity, he expreffes his indifference with regard to unjust centure.

"I cannot forbear to return you my thanks for your ani"madverfion on Mr. Creufaz: though I doubt not it was lefs a regard to me, than to candor and truth, which made you take this pains to anfwer fo mistaken a man. I fear, indeed, he did not attack me on quite fo good a principle: and whenever I fee fuch a vein of uncharitablenefs and vanity in any work, whether it concerns me or another, I am always ready to thank God to find it accompanied is with as much weaknefs. But this is what I fhould never