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BRITISH

THE LIFE OF

ALEXANDER POPE.

THIS illuftrious poet was born at London in 1688, and was defcended from a good family of that name in Oxfordshire, the head of which was the earl of Downe, whose fole heiref's married the earl of Lindsey. His father, a man of primitive fimplicity and integrity of manners, was a merchant of London, who, upon the Revolution, quitted trade, and converted his effects into money, amounting to near 10,000l. with which he retired into the country; and died in 1717, at the age of feventy-five.

Our poet's mother, who lived to a very advanced age, being ninety-three years old when he died in 1733, was the daughter of William Turner, Efq. of York. She had three brothers, one of whom was killed'; another died in the fervice of king Charles; and the eldeft, following his fortunes, and becoming a general officer in Spain, left her what eftate remained after fequeftration and forfeitures of her family. To thefe circumstances our Poet alludes in his Epiftle to Dr. Arbuthnot, in which he mentions his parents.

Of gentle blood (part fhed in Honour's caufe,
While yet in Britain honour had applause)

Each parent fprang---What fortune pray?---Their own;
And better got than Beftia's from the throne.
Born to no pride, inheriting no trife,

Nor marrying difcord in a noble wife;

Stranger to civil and religious rage,

The good man walk'd innoxious thro' his age:
No courts he faw, no fuits would ever try;

Nor dar'd an oath, nor hazarded a lie:

Unlearn'd, he knew no fchoolmens' fubtle art,
No language but the language of the heart:
By nature honeft, by experience wife,

Healthy by temp'rance and by exercife;

His life, though long, to ficknefs pafs'd unknown;
His death was inftant, and without a groan,

VOL. I.

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