The modern Alexander has been thus characterized by the British Juvenal, in lines as nervous and energetic as are to be found in any part of our author: A frame of adamant, a soul of fire, No dangers fright him, and no labours tire; And afterwards of his unexpected death : Did rival monarchs give the fatal wound? He left a name, at which the world grew pale, Two succeeding passages, in this fourth epis tle, the first, at line 237, on the emptiness of Fame, the second, at line 259, on the inconveniencies that attend superior parts and talents, are replete with strong sense, and a penetrating knowledge VOL. II. I * Dodsley's Miscellanies, vol. iv. The Vanity of Human Wishes, by Mr. Johnson. knowledge of men and things, expressed with vigour and conciseness. 51. Self-love but serves the virtuous mind to wake, It is observable that this similitude, which is to be found in Silius Italicus, 1. xiii. v. 24, and also in Du Bartas, and in Shakespeare's Henry VI. hath been used twice more in the writings of our Poet; in the Temple of Fame, in the four hundred and thirty-sixth line, and in the Dunciad, at the four hundred and fifth. This Essay is not decorated with many comparisons; two, however, ought to be mentioned, on account of their aptness and propriety. The first is, where he compares man to the vine, that gains its strength from the embrace it gives the second is conceived with peculiar felicity; all Nature does not, perhaps, afford so fit and close an application. It is, indeed, equally new, philosophical, and poetical: On their own axis as the planets run, Yet make at once their circle round the sun; * Ver. 363. So # So two consistent motions* act the soul; And one regards itself, and one the whole.† 52. Come then, my friend! my genius! come along ; Oh, master of the poet, and the song!‡ In this concluding address of our author to Lord Bolingbroke,§ one is at a loss which to admire most, the warmth of his friendship, or the warmth of his genius. POPE, indeed, idolized him when in company with him, he appeared with all the deference and submission of an affectionate scholar. He used to speak of him as a being of a superior order, that had condescended I 2 * Should it not be actuate, or act upon? He has used this expression again, Iliad xv. v. 487, That fix'd as fate, this acted by a God. Ep. iii. ver. 313. Ver. 373. Those passages in Bolingbroke's Posthumous Works, that bear the closest resemblance to the tenets of this Essay, are the following. Vol. iv. octavo edition, p. 223 and p. 324; p. 94 of vol. v.; p. 388 of vol. iv. and 389; and p. 49 of vol. iv. p. 5 and 6 of vol. v. p. 17 of vol. v. p. 316 of vol. iv. p. 36 of vol. v. p. 51 of vol. v. p. 328 of vol. iv. and more particularly than all, p. 326 of vol. iv. scended to visit this lower world; in particular, when the last comet appeared, and approached near the earth, he told some of his acquaintance, "it was sent only to convey Lord Bolingbroke HOME AGAIN; just as a stage-coach stops at your door to take up a passenger. A graceful person, a flow of nervous eloquence, a vivid imagination, were the lot of this accomplished nobleman; but his ambitious views being frustrated in the early part of his life, his disappointments embittered his temper, and he seems to have been disgusted with all religions, and all governments. I have been informed from an eye-witness of one of his last interviews with POPE, who was then given over by the physicians, that Bolingbroke, standing behind POPE's chair, looked earnestly down upon him, and repeated several times, interrupted with sobs, "O, Great God, what is man ! I never knew a person that had so tender a heart for * His manner of reasoning, and philosophising, has been so happily caught in a piece entitled A Vindication of Natural Society, that many, even acute readers, mistook it for a genuine discourse of the author whom it was intended to expose; it is, indeed, a master-piece of irony. No writings that raised so mighty an expectation in the public as those of Bolingbroke, ever perished so soon, and sunk into obliviou. for his particular friends, or a warmer benevolence for all mankind." It is to be hoped that Bolingbroke profited by those remarkable words * It is asserted, on good authority, that Bolingbroke was accustomed to ridicule POPE, as not understanding the drift of his own principles in their full extent. It is plain, from many of our author's letters, vol. ix. p. 324, that he was pleased to find such an interpretation could be given to this poem, as was consistent with the fundamental principles of religion. This also farther appears from some curious letters that passed in the year one thousand seven hundred and forty-two, between Ramsay, Racine the younger, and our author. The former addressed a vindication of the principles of the Essay on Man to Racine, who had charged it with Spinozism and irreligion. This produced a letter from POPE to Racine, which concludes with these remarkable words: "I declare, therefore, loudly, and with the greatest sincerity, that my sentiments are diame. trically opposite to those of Spinoza, and even of Leibnitz. They are, in truth, perfectly agreeable to the tenets of Pascal, and the Archbishop of Cambray and I shall think it an honour to imitate the moderation and docility of the latter, in always submitting all my private opinions to the decision of the church." London, Sept. 1, 1742, "M. le There is a circumstance in the letter of Ramsay above-mentioned, too remarkable to be omitted; and which, perhaps, In a case some may be almost tempted to doubt the truth of. of so delicate a nature I chuse to quote the original. Chevalier Newton, grand Géométre & nullement Métaphysician, étoit persuadé de la vérité de la Religion : mais il voulut rafiner sur d'anciennes erreurs Orientales, & renouvella l'Arianisme par l'organe de son fameux disciple & interperte M. 1742 Clarke; |