Come then, my Friend! my Genius! come along; Oh, matter of the poet and the fong! 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- Oh! while along the tream of time thy name Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame, Say, fhall my little bark attendant fail, Purfue the triumph, and partake the gale? Shall then this Veife to future age pretend Thou wert my guide, philofopher, 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 virtue only makes our blifs below, PRINTED AND EMBELLISHED Under the Direction of C. COOKE. 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, Each parent fprang---What fortune pray?---Their own; Nor marrying difcord in a noble wife; Stranger to civil and religious rage, The good man walk'd innoxious thro' his age: Nor dar'd an oath, nor hazarded a lie: Unlearn'd, he knew no fchoolmens' fubtle art, Healthy by temp'rance and by exercife; His life, though long, to ficknefs pafs'd unknown; VOL. I. I b The |