and memory of a person whom he ha celebrated in another."1

Some symptoms of mutual distrust a had of late been shown by Addison but the mediation of friends prevent present a rupture between them. thus to Addison, October 10, 1714 what you have said of me, I shall n that the author of Cato can speak on think another. As a proof that I a sincere, I beg a favour of you: it i would look over the two first books o lation of Homer, which are in the h Lord Halifax. I am sensible how n

putation of any poetical work will d the character you give it: it is, the evidence of the trust I repose in you when I give you this opportunity of of me with justice: and yet expect me your truest thoughts, at the san you tell others your most favourable a remarkable interview which they ha the above was written, Pope gives ing account to Spence. There coldness between Mr. Addison and time, and we had not been in compa for a good while, any where but Coffee-house, where I used to see every day. On his meeting me ther

1 Roscoe's Life of Pope, p. 13.

as so highly

and jealousy
and Pope;
ted for the

Pope writes
"As to
4:
never believe

he thing and
account you
is, that you
of my trans-
hands of my
much the re-
epend upon
refore, some
r good will,
speaking ill
you will tell
e time that
ones." Of
d soon after
the follow

had been a me for some y together, at Button's him almost one day in

6

particular, he took me aside, and said he should
be glad to dine with me at such a tavern, if I
would stay till those people (Budgell and Phillips)
were gone.
We went accordingly, and after
dinner, Mr. Addison said, that he had wanted
for some time to talk with me: that his friend
Tickell had formerly, whilst at Oxford, translated
the first book of the Iliad. That he now designed
to print it; and had desired him to look it over:
he must, therefore, beg that I would not desire
him to look over my first book, because, if he
did, it would have the air of double dealing.'
I assured him that I did not at all take it ill of
Mr. Tickell, that he was going to publish his
translation; that he certainly had as much right
to translate any author as myself; and that pub-
lishing both was entering on a fair stage.' I then
added, that I would not desire him to look over
my first book of the Iliad, because he had looked
over Mr. Tickell's; but could wish to have the
benefit of his observations on my second, which I
had then finished, and which Mr. Tickell had not
touched upon.' Accordingly, I sent him the
second book the next morning; and in a few
days he returned it with very high commenda-
tion."1 Addison and Pope still continued to live
on friendly terms; and in 1715, when the former
had prepared for publication his Dialogue on
Medals, our poet addressed to him a very beautiful

6

and complimentary Epistle in verse fixed to that work.

When the first volume of the Ilia for press, the booksellers eagerly co the possession of the copyright. Li made the most advantageous offers came the purchaser. The volum vered to subscribers in June, 1715 to the unsettled state of public affair occurred in sending out the rest of sion.

Just at this period, Tickell's versio book of the Iliad was put forth by the comparative merits of the riva became of course the theme of co

The Iliad was printed in six volumes qu of six guineas. Pope obtained five hundred subscribers, but as some of them put down more than one copy, six hundred and fiftydelivered to subscribers. These Lintot agr his own expense, and to pay to the author two for each volume; so that Pope cleared by th sand three hundred and twenty pounds four quartos, it had been stipulated that none s except for subscribers: but Lintot struck and fifty copies on royal folio, for two guinea a much greater number on a small folio, and thinner.

Soon after the death of Queen Anne, Pop on horseback to Oxford, in order to consu books" for his notes on Homer: in a lett lington, August 1714, he gives a most exq account of his being overtaken by Lintet, thither, and of the conversation between the

, to be pre

ad was ready ontended for intot, having to Pope, be le was deli; but, owing s, some delay

the impres

›n of the first Tonson; and I translators versation in

rto, at the price nd seventy-five their names for our copies were ed to supply at undred pounds work five thou llings. Of the uld be printed two hundred

a volume; and per somewhat

ade a journey

a number of to Lord Burtely humorous

The was riding

every literary circle. The friends of Pope, and
the public in general, gave a decided preference
to his performance; but Addison, and the little
coterie to which he laid down the laws of taste,
In a
proclaimed the superiority of Tickell's.
letter to Pope, July 8, 1715, Gay says: "I have
just set down Sir Samuel Garth at the Opera.
He bid me tell you, that every body is pleased
with your translation, but a few at Button's; and
that Sir Richard Steele told him, that Mr. Addi-
son said the other translation was the best that
ever was in any language. He treated me with
extreme civility, and out of kindness gave me a
squeeze by the forefinger. I am informed that at
Button's your character is made very free with as
to morals, &c.; and Mr. Addison says, that your
translation and Tickell's are both very well done,
but that the latter has more of Homer." On the
15th of the same month, Pope writes thus to Mr.
Craggs, the common friend of Addison and him-
self. "I (like the tories) have the town in ge-
neral, that is, the mob, on my side; but it is
usual with the smaller party to make up in in-
dustry what they want in number: and that is
the case with the little senate of Cato. However,
if our principles be well considered, I must ap-
pear a brave whig, and Mr. T. a rank tory: I
translated Homer for the public in general, he to
gratify the inordinate desires of one man only.
We have, it seems, a great Turk1 in poetry, who
This thought Pope afterwards versified in his famous
character of Addison.

can never bear a brother on the thro his mutes too, a set of nodders, whisperers, whose business is to strar offsprings of wit in their birth. Th lator of Homer is the humblest slave is to say, his first minister; let him honours he gives him, but receive th and trembling: let him be proud of tion of his absolute lord, I appeal to my rightful judges and masters; an not inclined to condemn me, I fear high-flying proceeding from the sm tion at Button's. But after all I hav great man, there is no rupture betw are each of us so civil and obliging thinks he is obliged; and I, for m with him as we do with the Gra who has too many great qualities pected, though we know he watches to oppress us."

Pope was fully convinced that th published as Tickell's, was the worl He tells Spence : 66 Soon after it known that Mr. Tickell was publis book of the Iliad, I met Dr. Young and upon our falling into that subje expressed a great deal of surpris having such a translation by him said that it was inconceivable to 1 there must be some mistake in the he and Tickell were so intimately