Quarto Edition of Bishop Warburton's Works; containing some Account of the Life, Writings,

it was.

performance, whence it is concluded that this translation was, at least, undertaken by Mr. Addison's advice and authority, if not made by himself. Still it will be owned that so generous a man as Mr. Pope must believe he had some proof of this charge against his friend: and I think I have at length discovered what I have seen a re-printed copy of Tickell's translation, in which are entered many criticisms and remarks in Mr. Pope's own hand. And from two of these compared together, I seem to collect the true ground of the suspicion. But the reader shall judge for himself. It was then in Mr. Warburton's hands. It was afterwards sold, by mistake, among the other books which he had at his house in town, to Mr. T. Payne; and came at length into the possession of Isaac Reed, esq. of Staple-Inn; who was so obliging as to make me a present of it, to be kept in the Library at Hartlebury (in which that of Mr. Pope is included) where it now remains."

Referring the Reader to the Bishop's "Discourse," pp. 59 & seqq. for the satisfactory arguments there adduced; I shall only add, that the pamphlet alluded to was fortunately picked up by Mr. Reed on a stall in Moorfields, whither it had found its way among some rums from Mr. Payne's shop; and that I was very happy in being the instrument, by making the communication to Bp. Hurd, of its being liberally restored.-My application to Mr. Reed was in these terms: "Jan. 9, 1784, I am going to make you a request, which you will refuse without the least scruple if it does not coincide with your own inclination. The Bishop of Worcester desires me to present his compliments to you; and to say that he has had occasion (in a Life of Bp. Warburton) to refer to the First Book of Homer by Tickell; which he has done, as a Curiosity in your possession. But what he wishes is (unless it is entirely disagreeable to you) to refer to it as being in some lasting Repository-in other words, in the Library he has founded at Hartlebury for the use of the See of Worcester, where he has already placed the Books of Bp. Warburton and Pope. If you are disposed to oblige the Bishop, he will purchase it at your own price. If you would rather keep it yourself, be so kind as to tell me so; who am, very truly, yours, J. NICHOLS." Honest Isaac, with his usual liberality and accustomed bluntness, immediately returned this laconic answer:

"DEAR SIR, Staple-Inn, Jan. 9, 1784. "A literary curiosity, I think, should neither be bought nor sold. I shall therefore certainly never think of parting with Mr. Pope's copy of Homer on those terms. If, however, the Bishop of Worcester wishes to possess it, I will very readily desire his acceptance of it, and for that purpose will send it to you as soon as I can get it returned by a friend to whom I have lent it. Yours, very truly, ISAAC REED." The good Bishop took the earliest opportunity of visiting Staple-Inn, to return his personal thanks; and the First Book

of

and Character of the Author *;" not printed for general sale, no more than 250 copies having been

of the Iliad was in consequence deposited at Hartlebury; Mr. Reed, however, first transcribing the notes of Pope into another copy, which is now in the library of Mr. Alexander Chalmers.

* It may hardly be worth mentioning that the learned Blackwell, in his Mythology, speaks of Dr. Warburton as a mere Antiquary; but Dr. Johnson's character of this literary Colossus is too remarkable to be omitted: "About this time [1738] Warburton began to make his appearance in the first ranks of Learning. He was a man of vigorous faculties, a mind fervid and vehement, sup plied by incessant and unlimited enquiry, with wonderful extent and variety of knowledge, which yet had not oppressed his ima gination, nor clouded his perspicacity. To every work he brought a memory full fraught, together with a fancy fertile of original combinations; and at once exerted the powers of the Scholar, the Reasoner, and the Wit. But his knowledge was too multifarious to be always exact, and his pursuits too eager to be always cautious. His abilities gave him an haughty confidence, which he disdained to conceal or mollify; and his impatience of opposition disposed him to treat his adversaries with such contemptuous superiority, as made his readers commonly his enemies, and excited against the advocate the wishes of some who favoured the cause. He seems to have adopted the Roman Emperor's deter mination, Oderint dum metuant; he used no allurements of gentle language, but wished to compel rather than persuade. His style is copious without selection, and forcible without neatness; he took the words that presented themselves: his diction is coarse and impure, and his sentences are unmeasured. He had, in the early part of his life, pleased himself with the notice of inferior Wits, and corresponded with the enemies of Pope. A Letter was produced, when he had perhaps himself forgotten it, in which he tells Concanen, "Dryden, I observe, borrows for want of leisure, and Pope for want of genius; Milton out of pride, and Addison out of modesty." And when Theobald published "Shakspeare" in opposition to Pope, the best notes were supplied by Warburton. But the time was now come when Warburton was to change his opinion; and Pope was to find a defender in him who had contributed so much to the exaltation of his rival. The arrogance of Warburton excited against him every artifice of offence; and therefore it may be supposed that his union with Pope was censured as hypocritical inconstancy; but surely to think differently, at different times, of poetical merit, may be easily allowed. Such opinious are often adinitted, and dismissed, without nice examination. Who is there that has not found reason for changing his mind about questions of greater importance? Warburton, whatever was his motive, undertook, without solicitation, to rescue Pope from the talons of Crousaz, by freeing him from the imputation of favouring Fatality, or rejecting Revelation; and from month to month conVOL. V. tinued

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taken off, to supply that number which had been printed of the Bishop's Works.

tinued a Vindication of the "Essay on Man," in the literary journal of that time called "The Republick of Letters." Pope, who probably began to doubt the tendency of his own work, was glad that the positions, of which he perceived himself not to know the full meaning, could by any mode of interpretation be made to mean well. How much he was pleased with his gratuitous defender his letter (of April 11, 1739, see p. 552) sufficiently shews."-By this fond and eager acceptance of an exculpatory comment, Pope testified that, whatever might be the seeming or real import of the principles which he had received from Bolingbroke, he had not intentionally attacked Religion; and Bolingbroke, if he meant to make him without his own consent an instrument of mischief, found him now engaged, with his eyes open, on the side of Truth. It is known that Bolingbroke concealed from Pope his real opinions. He once discovered them to Mr. Hooke, who related them again to Pope, and was told by him that he must have mistaken the meaning of what he heard; and Bolingbroke, when Pope's uneasiness incited him to desire an explanation, declared that Hooke had misunderstood him. Bolingbroke hated Warburton, who had drawn his pupil from him; and a little before Pope's death they had a dispute, from which they parted with mutual aversion."-[" His Philosopher and Guide," says a late learned and amiable Prelate, "stuck close to him, till another and higher star had got the ascendant."]—" From this time," adds Johnson, “ Pope lived in the closest intimacy with his Commentator, and amply rewarded his kindness and his zeal; for he introduced him to Mr. Murray, by whose interest he became preacher at Lincoln's-Inn; and to Mr. Allen"-[to whom, under the designation of his "worthy Friend Ralph Allen, esq." he dedicated his "Commentary on the Essay on Man," an improved edition of the former " Vindication," divided into Four Letters; and dated May 18, 1742 (see p. 579)]; "who gave him his niece and his estate, and by consequence a Bishoprick. When he died, he left him the property of his Works; a legacy which may be reasonably estimated at four thousand pounds.” Johnson's Works, vol. XI. p. 127.

Bishop Newton's delineation of this learned Prelate will be no bad companion to that of Dr. Johnson: "Bishop Warburton was in a great measure lost to the world and to his friends some years before his death, by the decay of his intellectual faculties, the body pressing down the mind that mused upon many things; which hath been the case of many a great Genius as well as himself. For he was indeed a great Genius, of the most extensive reading, of the most retentive memory, of the most copious invention, of the liveliest imagination, of the sharpest discernment, of the quickest wit, and of the readiest and happiest application of his immense knowledge to the present subject and occasion. He was such an universal reader, that he took delight

In 1809 the publick were gratified with a volume of uncommon curiosity, under the title of "Letters

even in Romances; and there is scarce one of any note, antient or modern, that he had not read. He said himself, that he had Learned Spanish to have the pleasure of reading 'Don Quixote' in the original. He was excellent and admirable both as a companion and a friend. As a companion, he did not dwell upon little trivial matters, but disclosed a nicer vein of conversation; was lively and entertaining; was instructive and improving, abounded with pleasant stories and curious anecdotes; but sometimes took the discourse too much to himself, if any thing can be said to be too much of such an inexhaustible fund of wit and learning. As a friend, he was ingenuous and communicative, would answer any question, would resolve any doubts, deliver his sentiments freely upon all subjects without reserve, laid open his very heart; and the character which he was pleased to give Mr. Pope, of being the soul of friendship, was more justly applicable to him, and more properly his own. The same warmth of temper which animated his friendship, sharpened likewise his resentment: but even to his enemies, if he was easily provoked, he was as easily reconciled, especially after the least acknowledgment and submission, so that his friends truly applied to him the saying,

Irasci facilis, tamen ut placabilis esset.

He was rather a tall, robust, large-boned man, of a frame that seemed to require a good supply of provisions to support it; but he was sensible, if he had lived as other people do, he must have used a good deal of exercise; and if he had used a good deal of exercise, it must have interrupted the course of his studies, to which he was so devoted as to deny himself any other indulgence; and so became a singular example, not only of temperance, but even of abstinence in eating and drinking; and yet his spirits were not lowered nor exhausted, but were rather raised and increased by such low living. The best and most valuable memorials of Bishop Warburton will be his own works. And yet his capital work, The Divine Legation of Moses,' is left unfinished, to the loss and regret of all who have any regard for Religion or Learning. It is indeed a loss much to be lamented, whatsoever was the cause, whether he was disgusted at the ill reception which was given to the work by several of the Clergy, for whose use and service it was principally intended; or whether he was diverted from it by the numerous controversies wherein he was engaged in defence of it. But he should have cared for none of these things, but should have proceeded directly and steadily to the end. The viper might have fastened upon his hand; but, like St. Paul, he should have shaken off the beast into the fire; and, like him too, would certainly have felt no harm. Whatever was the cause, the misfortune is, that out of nine books, six only are completed. Of the three remaining, he judged the ninth to be the most material, and had therefore

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written

from a late eminent Prelate to one of his Friends;" of which 250 copies had been printed at Kidderminster, under the immediate inspection of Bp. Hurd, introduced by the following entry on a blank page: "These Letters give so true a picture of the Writer's character, and are, besides, so worthy of him in all respects (I mean, if the Reader can forgive the playfulness of his wit in some instances, and the partiality of his friendship in many more), that, in honour of his Memory, I would have them published after my death, and the profits arising from the sale of them applied to the benefit of the Worcester Infirmary. R. WORCESTER."

Several excellent specimens of Bp. Warburton's Letters have been given in the preceding pages; which a few more, on various literary subjects, shall here be added*, selected from the Correspondence

written the whole, or the greater part of it, and had caused it to be printed, but could not be prevailed upon to publish it in his life-time. It is hoped that some of his friends, and those whom it may concern, will, for their own emolument, as well as for the public benefit, set forth a handsome edition of all his Works together, as a xînμa sa, a possession for ever." —This, I have great pleasure in observing, has since been performed by the Friend who of all others was best qualified for the task.

"There are several letters of Burnet Bishop of Salisbury. If you have not done his article, and make it in Salisbury, I will lend you his letters: there are some singularities in them. They are wrote to Mrs. Wharton the Poetess, Lord Wharton's first wife, whom Burnet rapturously esteemed."

"We shall now soon have Dr. Middleton's Tully: the following passage relating to it I transcribe from one of his last letters to me, because I believe it will please you-'I seem now determined for a subscription, especially as I have got an additional charge since I saw you, two small girls, about eight years old, who are now in the house with me, left by an unfortunate brother, who had nothing else to leave; but they are fine children, and have gained already so much upon our affections, that, instead of thinking them a burthen, we begin to think them a blessing; my subscription therefore is likely to be of the charitable kind, and Tully to be their portion.'-What think you of this? I think it more edifying than all Waterland's Book of Controversy: For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight, He can't be wrong whose life is in the right.' "You see this, if known, would much advantage his subscription; but I have no reason to think he has a mind it should be known; and therefore keep it secret."

"Peck's