Warburton; who at this period had the entire confidence of Mr. Pope, and had concerted with him the plan of the Fourth Book of the Dunciad*.

In 1742 Mr. Warburton new-modeled the Letters which he had written in vindication of Mr. Pope; and published them under the title of "A Critical and Philosophical Commentary on Mr. Pope's Essay

the Laureat's having ridiculed him on the Stage in acting "The Rehearsal." Hence Cibber was introduced in the " Prologue to the Satires." But the great offence was the publication of this Letter; on account of which he afterwards dethroned Theobald from his eminence as King of the Dunces, and placed Cibber, who cared very little about the matter, in his place.

* The three first Books were published in 1729; the fourth in 1742. The variations between the first and the complete Edition are pointed out in the great Body of English Poetry printed under the immediate superintendance of Dr. Johnson.

In November 1741, when inviting him to Mr. Allen's, Mr. Pope tells him, it was there that he should find most leisure to profit by the advice he had given him "to resume the studies, which he had almost laid aside, by perpetual avocations and dis, sipations. They accordingly met; and a great part of the new Poem was read and highly approved. The rest was finished in the course of the year 1742.

This publication again called forth the nervous pen of Johnson; who, in a letter to Mr. Urban, in March 1743, observes, "It would not be found useless in the learned world, if in written controversies, as in oral disputations, a Moderator could be selected, who might in some degree superintend the debate, restrain all needless excursions, repress all personal reflections, and at last recapitulate the arguments on each side; and who, though he should not assume the province of deciding the ques tion, might at least exhibit it in its true state. This reflection arose in my mind upon the consideration of Mr. Crousaz's Commentary on the Essay on Man, and Mr. Warburton's Answer to it. The importance of the subject, the reputation and abilities of the Controvertists, and perhaps the ardour with which each has endeavoured to support his cause, have made an attempt of this kind necessary for the information of the greatest number of Mr. Pope's readers. Among the duties of a Moderator, I have mentioned that of recalling the Disputants to the subject, and cutting off the excrescences of a debate, which Mr. Crousaz will not suffer to be long unemployed; and the repression of personal invectives, which have not been very carefully avoided on either part, and are less excusable because it has not been proved that either the Poet or his Commentator wrote with any other design than that of promoting happiness, by cultivating Reason and Piety.—Mr. Warburton has indeed so much depressed the character of his Adversary, that, before I consider the controversy

PP 2

on Man *; in which is contained a Vindication of the said Essay from the Misrepresentations of

versy between them, I think it necessary to exhibit some specimens of Mr. Crousaz's sentiments, by which it will probably be shewn that he is far from deserving either indignation or contempt; that his notions are just, though they are sometimes introduced without necessity, and defended when they are not opposed; and that his abilities and piety are such as may entitle him to reverence from those who think his criticisms superfluous. -P. 35, of the English Translation, he exhibits an observation which every writer ought to impress upon his mind, and which may afford a sufficient apology for his Commentary: "The more reputation an author is arrived at, the more cautious ought he to be, that nothing drops from his pen, from which men of corrupt inclinations may take advantages in opposing Religion."— After citing some specimens of the work, Mr. Johnson thus concludes: "I am afraid of wearying you or your readers with more quotations; but, if you shall inform me that a continuation of my correspondence will be well received, I shall descend to particular passages, shew how Mr. Pope gave sometimes occasion to mistakes, and how Mr. Crousaz was misled by his suspicion of the system of Fatality."

In the "Works of the Learned, for December 1742," are printed some extracts from a Letter from the North of England, containing Observations on the Dedication and Preface to the "Critical and Philosophical Commentary;" the Editor declining to publish the whole Letter, "as reflecting on a most excellent Writer, merely as he is a declared Enemy to the Doctrine of Necessity, in opposition to the Freedom of Intelligent Beings; thinking that on the latter all Religion, Virtue, Rewards, and Punishments, alone can be founded."

Mr. Hurd, in a letter to Dr. Warburton, Dec. 30, 1756, says, "For the first years of my residence in the University, when I was labouring through the usual courses of Logick, Mathematicks, and Philosophy, I heard little of your name and writings and the little I did hear was not likely to encourage a young man, that was under direction, to enquire further after either. In the mean time, I grew up into the use of a little common sense; my commerce with the people of the place was enlarged. Still the clamours increased against you, and the appearance of your second volume opened many mouths. I was then Batchelor of Arts; and, having no immediate business on my hands, I was led, by a spirit of perverseness, to see what there was in these decried volumes, that had given such offence.

To say the truth, there had been so much apparent bigotry and insolence in the invectives I had heard, though echoed, as was said, from men of note amongst us, that I wished, out of pufe spite, to find them ill-founded. And I dou half determined in your favour before I knew any thing of the

mer

Mr. de Resnel, the French Translator, and of Mr. de Crousaz, Professor of Philosophy and Mathematics, in the Academy of Lausanne, the Commentator."

In the autumn of 1742 Mr. Warburton renewed his visit to Mr. Allen at Widcombe; and printed a Sermon which had been preached at the Abbey Church of Bath on the 24th of October, for the benefit of the General Infirmary. To this Sermon, which was published at the request of the Governors, was added, "A Short Account of the Nature, Rise, and Progress, of the General Infirmary at Bath *."

merits of the case. The effect of all this was, that I took "The Divine Legation" down with me into the country, where I was going to spend the summer of, I think, 1741, with my friends. I there read the three volumes at my leisure, and with the impression I shall never forget. I returned to College the winter following, not so properly your convert, as all over spleen and prejudice against your defamers. From that time, I think, I am to date my friendship with you. There was something in your mind, still more than in the matter of your book, that struck me. In a word, I grew a constant reader of you. I enquired after your other works. I got "The Alliance" into my hands; and met with the Essay on Portents and Prodigies, which last liked the better, and still like it, because I understood it was most abused by those who owed you no good-will [see p. 535]. Things were in this train when the "Comment on Pope" appeared. That Comment, and the connexion I chanced then to have with Sir Edward Littleton, made me a poor Critic: and in that condition you found me. I became, on the sudden, your acquaintance; and am now happy in being your friend. You have here a slight sketch of my history; at least, of the only part of it which will ever deserve notice."

* The two following letters to Dr. Oliver of Bath (to whom, whilst on a visit to Mr. Allen, Mr. Warburton had been materially indebted for medical advice) are transcribed from the Originals (presented to the late Mr. Isaac Reed by Sir John Elliot, and now in the possession of James Bindley, esq.)

"GOOD SIR, Newark, July 24, 1742. "I waited for some occasion, and was resolved to take the first that offered, however trifling, to make my best acknowledgments for all your favours when I was at Mr. Allen's, as you may see by the trouble of this, which is only to tell you that I have taken the liberty of ordering a little book to be sent to you, which I beg your kind acceptance of: it is my "Comment on the Essay on Man." The dish, I know, is to your taste,

The second volume consisted of Two Parts.

what

In the same year he communicated to Mr. Richardson his own and Mr. Pope's opinion of Pamela*;

whatever the cookery may be, which, for the sake of the other, I know you will excuse. I am sure you have been well entertained with our excellent friend's last noble work, the new Dunciad. It may be considered, after his having so long attempted to stem the torrent of Vice and Folly, as a solemn protest left upon record against the overbearing barbarity and corruption of the age. In a letter I lately received from him, he tells me how much indebted I am to your good-nature and generosity in the account you give him of Mr. Tillard's book. I was well assured it was as impossible for you to approve such a book, as it would be for me to treat any one I knew to be your friend, how deserv ing soever of the treatment, in that manner which has so provoked his resentment; being, with all imaginable respect, Sir, Your obliged and very obedient humble servant, W. WARBURTON." "DEAR SIR, [no date.]

"I heartily thank you for the favour of yours. Mr. Allen has had so little of his disorder complained of to you since Mrs. Allen was with you, that he has taken no more of Grist's stuff, which you approved of, since. On the whole, I think him as well as he has been for some time.-I say, we must first know the essences of things before we can judge truly of their qualities. You ask, Can we by any means come to the knowledge of the essences of things? I reply, if you mean natural things, no. And therefore it is, that we do not truly, that is perfectly, know their qualities. The consequence of which is, that there are no such things as general truths in physics, But I am here speaking of moral things; and the essences of these we may know: for moral truths are contained in abstract ideas; and these are the creatures of the human understanding, and so may be known: and this knowledge letting us into the nature of their qualities, we deduce general truths therefrom, in this science.

"I have sent with this some more of my Ed. which is all I have here; and am, Dear Sir, most affectionately, yours, W. W." Dec. 28, 1742.

"Good Sir,

"This very day, on receiving my things from London, I had the pleasure to find in the box an obliging letter from you, of the 17th past, with a very kind and valuable present of a fine edition of your excellent work, which no one can set a higher rate upon. I find they have both lain all this time at Mr. Bowyer's. I have so true an esteem for you, that you may depend on any thing in my power, that you think may be of any service to you. Mr. Pope and I, talking over your work when the two last volumes came out, agreed, that one excellent subject of Pamela's Letters in high life would have been, to have passed her judgment, on first stepping into it, on every thing she saw there, just as simple nature (and no one ever touched nature to the quick, as it were, more certainly and surely than you) dictated.

The

and printed a "Dissertation on the Origin of the Books of Chivalry*" at the end of Jarvis's Preface to a Translation of Don Quixote; on which Mr. Pope, Dec. 28, 1742, observes, "I never read a thing with more pleasure than an additional sheet to Jervas's Preface to Don Quixote. Before I got over two paragraphs, I cried out, Aut Erasmus, aut Diabolus! I knew you as certainly as the Antients did the Gods, by the first pace and the very gait. I have not a moment to express myself in, but could not omit this which delighted me so greatly. My Law-suit with Lintot is at an end.→ Adieu! Believe no man can be more yours. Call me by any title you will, but a Doctor of Oxford;

Sit tibi cura mei, sit tibi cura tui."

Mr. Pope's attention to the interest of his friend did not rest in matters which were in his own power; he recommended him to some who were more able to assist him in particular, he obtained a promise

The effect would have been this, that it would have produced, by good management, a most excellent and useful satire on all the follies and extravagancies of high life; which, to one of Pamela's low station and good sense, would have appeared as absurd and unaccountable as European polite vices and customs to an Indian. You easily conceive the effect this must have added to the entertainment of the book; and for the use, that is incontestable. And what could be more natural than this in Pamela, going into a new world, where every thing sensibly strikes a stranger? But, when I have the pleasure of seeing you in town, we will talk over this matter at large; and, I fancy, you will make something extremely good of our hints. I have a great deal to say upon this subject, that, when we are together, you will not only understand more perfectly, but I shall be able to conceive more clearly by the use of your true judgment. At least I shall be always zealous of shewing how much I am, Good Sir, Your very obliged, and most affectionate

humble servant, W. WARBURTON."

Mr. Richardson, writing to his friend Dr. Young on the subject of Original Composition, May 29, 1759, says, "One of Dr. Warburton's remarks was, that the character of an original writer is not confined to subject, but extends to manner; by this dis-tinction, I presume, securing his friend Pope's originality. But he mentioned this with so much good humour that I should have been glad to have heard you both in conference upon the subject." * Taken to pieces, and completely demolished, by Mr. Tyr whitt. See Mr. Malone's Supplement to Shakspeare." T. F.

from