Identifier: mrpopehislifetim01past (find matches)
Title: Mr. Pope, his life and times
Year: 1909 (1900s)
Authors: Paston, George, d. 1936
Subjects: Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744
Publisher: London : Hutchinson & co.
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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hat he dies in charity—and in his senses, withoutany murmurs against the justice of the age, or anymad appeals to posterity. However, he con-cludes, I desire it may then be considered, thatthere are very few things in this collection whichwere not written under the age of five-and-twenty :so that my youth may be made, as it never fails tobe in executions, a case of compassion ; that 1 wasnever so concerned about my works as to vindicatethem in print, believing, if anything was good,it would defend itself and what was bad couldnever be defended ; that I used no artifice to raiseor continue a reputation, depreciated no dead authorI was obliged to, bribed no living one with unjustpraise, insulted no adversary with ill language, or,when I could not attack a rivals work, encouragedreports against his morals. To conclude, if thisvolume perish, let it serve as a warning to the criticsnot to take too much pains, for the future, to destroysuch things as will die of themselves ; and a memento
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^rjv///^/r/ From a mezzotint engraving bj- J. Smith after the painting by Sir Godfrey Kneller.ALEXANDER POPE AT THE AGE OF 28. Popes *^Works 203 mori to some of my vain contemporaries, the poets,to teach them that when real merit is wanting, itavails nothing to have been encouraged by the great,commended by the eminent, and favoured by thepublic in general. The first draft of this Preface, which was con-sidered an admirable specimen of the authors prosestyle, was written as early as November 1716, andsent to Atterbury for his opinion. The Bishop ofRochester declared that the modesty and good senseof the composition must please everybody who readit, and he saw no reason why it should not beprinted, always provided there is nothing saidthere which you have occasion to unsay hereafter, ofwhich you yourself are the best and only judge.There was a touch of the prophetic spirit about thiswarning, since the poet lived to violate most of theprofessions he had here made. The two chief noveltie

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