John Dennis;

Who, in his Reflections on the Essay on Criticism, thus describeth him: »A little affected hypocrite, who has nothing in his mouth but candour, truth, friendship, good-nature, humanity, and magnanimity. He is so great a lover of falshood, that, whenever he has a mind to calumniate his cotemporaries, he brands them with some defect which is just contrary to some good quality, for which all their friends and their acquaintance commend them. He seems to have a particular pique to People of Quality and authors of that rank. – He must derive his religion from St. Omer's.« – But in the Character of Mr. P. and his writings (printed by S. Popping, 1716.) he saith, »Though he is a professor of the worst religion, yet he laughs at it;« but that »nevertheless, he is a virulent Papist; and yet a Pillar for the Church of England.«

Of both which opinions

 

Mr. Lewis Theobald

seems also to be; declaring, in Mist's Journal of June 22, 1718, »That, if he is not shrewdly abused, he made it his practice to cackle to both parties in their own sentiments.« But, as to his pique against People of Quality, the same Journalist doth not agree, but saith (May 8, 1728.) »He had, by some means or other, the acquaintance and friendship of the whole body of our nobility.«

However contradictory this may appear, Mr. Dennis and Gildon, in the character last cited, make it all plain, by assuring us, »That he is a creature that reconciles all contradictions; he is a beast, and a man; a Whig, and a Tory; a writer (at one and the same time) of31 Guardians and Examiners; an Assertor of liberty, and of the dispensing power of kings; a Jesuitical professor of truth; a base and a foul pretender to candour.« So that, upon the whole account, we must conclude him either to have been a great hypocrite, or a very honest man; a terrible imposer upon both parties, or very moderate to either.

Be it as to the judicious reader shall seem good. Sure it is, he is little favoured of certain authors, whose wrath is perilous: For one declares he ought to have a price set on his head, and to be hunted down as a wild beast32. Another protests that he does not know what may happen; advises him to insure his person; says he has bitter enemies, and expressly declares it will be well if he escapes with his life33. One desires he would cut his own throat, or hang himself34. But Pasquin seemed rather inclined it should be done by the Government, representing him engaged in grievous designs with a Lord of Parliament, then under prosecution35. Mr. Dennis himself hath written to a Minister, that he is one of the most dangerous persons in this kingdom36; and assureth the public, that he is an open and mortal enemy to his country; a monster, that will, one day, shew as daring a soul as a mad Indian, who runs a muck to kill the first Christian he meets37. Another gives information of Treason discovered in his poem38. Mr. Curl boldly supplies an imperfect verse with Kings and Princesses39. And one Matthew Concanen, yet more impudent, publishes at length the Two most SACRED NAMES in this Nation, as members of the Dunciad40!

This is prodigious! yet it is almost as strange, that in the midst of these invectives his greatest Enemies have (I know not how) born testimony to some merit in him.

 

Mr. Theobald,

in censuring his Shakespear, declares, »He has so great an esteem for Mr. Pope, and so high an opinion of his genius and excellencies; that, notwithstanding he professes a veneration almost rising to Idolatry for the writings of this inimitable poet, he would be very loth even to do him justice, at the expence of that other gentleman's character41.«

 

Mr. Charles Gildon,

after having violently attacked him in many pieces, at last came to wish from his heart, »That Mr. Pope would be prevailed upon to give us Ovid's Epistles by his hand, for it is certain we see the original of Sappho to Phaon with much more life and likeness in his version, than in that of Sir Car. Scrope. And this (he adds) is the more to be wished, because in the English tongue we have scarce any thing truly and naturally written upon Love42.« He also, in taxing Sir Richard Blackmore for his heterodox opinions of Homer, challengeth him to answer what Mr. Pope hath said in his preface to that poet.

 

Mr. Oldmixon

calls him a great master of our tongue; declares »the purity and perfection of the English language to be found in his Homer; and, saying there are more good verses in Dryden's Virgil than in any other work, excepts this of our author only43.«

 

The Author of a Letter to Mr. Cibber

says, »44Pope was so good a versifier [once] that his predecessor Mr. Dryden, and his contemporary Mr.