صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني
[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed]

SITE judge, an OBSERVER OF HIS OWN times TOLD Spence; or to what Steele, (of which confession there is no other account) confirmed in SOME DEGREE to Mr. Chute, who observes from what Sir Richard dropt in various conversations, it SEEMS to have been too true, or of what Dr Leighs told Spence (of) a fact which his friend bad witnessed !!! to oved dot gaismok

[ocr errors]

I must not yet lay down the pen, Johave taken it up reluctlyg and upon subjects that have almost faded from my recollection! whilst my antagonist is just fresh in the fieldy advancing with looks of peculiar spleen, and with the vaunting language of sarcastic const tumely badeildug od blucilk cottol avro did todt gaivintros But I bate not a "jot of heart or hope."-ban supported by that which has supported wiser and better men, a heart uncon scious that I have) deseryed either such a tone of critical insult or such severe and aggravated charges. My weapon is plain truth against weak

1

palpable expositive assertions, unfair deductions,

66

[ocr errors]

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

palpable exaggerations, and gross mis-representations., and to us This part of of my defence I should snow wish to close, but musto take notice of one indefinite accusation brought fagainst me, byn which, this "asperser," as with a coup de grace; seems to haver collected his remaining force." to agudo apoious art of A He says, I have exceeded any just limits which I daño assign to the defence of our great Poet; (why did he not sayı greatest but much remains to be said, for without followingd Mr. Bowles, step by step, how can the sly insinuation, the obscurer hint, the damning fact, anriously recorded, (What excess of canet dor!) with a faint admission that it might not be true, be rebutted ? It did not become a man whose personal virtues are acknowl ledged, to aggravate common infirmities into viciousness, and toit tear away the veil from the sandtities of domestic life." Then T follows (excess of candor !)ffe We should be grieved to incur thes displeasure of Mr. Bowles, but we cannot at oncel' sacrifices? truth and Pope, and the commentator ought to thank us for our delicacy, of not dwelling on the indecency of some of his notes.co

The commentator has followed with much pain, but "no dis pleasure the critic" step by step, and he leaves the public, at whose bar they both stand, to pronounce whether he is guilty or not guilty of the charges brought against him. He has not much doubt of the verdict, now he has been so far heard in bis defencert but the last charge, into which the critic has compressed so much, is more difficult plainly to rebut. The obscure hint, the sky insist nuation, the damning fact, anxiously recorded, but (excess of candor) with a faint admissions that it may NOT "Botu!if those are not specified, neither can they be rebutted. te niste of to Infirmities I have spoken of, but I think I have proved that the

9

[ocr errors]

1

critic, not the commentator having aggravated into viciousness, what I was called upon from conscientious belief, to state, has more than aggravated every thing I have said into VICIOUSNESS, when he says, f I did for Hate what Mallet did for Hire

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

The "sneer," the insinuation," I retort on himself! The damning fact, I have not recorded" anxiously," but the fact, if it belff damning," I have not concealed, that Pope received hospitalities and kindness from Chandos, and then held him up to eternal ridicule; the fact I have spoken of, and proved that he used stratagem, such as every ingenuous mind would disdam, of artfully contriving that his own letters should be published, whilst he facts,

affected to express indignation at the publication. Whilst he

[ocr errors]

C

which I should have thought a dereliction of truth to conceal, I have also spoken of, but I have spoken of them, God is my Judge! without offsetting them down aught in malice," so far from anxiously recording" them, so far from exulting," I have spoken of them, as deduced from moral and physical circumstances operating on the mind! I have spoken of them, as spots, amidst manys andalucid virtues, as defects arising from personal weakness,lor deficient education & dis

U

As to the atrocious charge of "tearing away the SANCTITIES of domestic life I am utterly ignorant of his meaning! Does he mean that I have spoken of Pope's attachment to Teresa Blount, before his affections were finally fixed on Martha? What હેડ SANCTITY" of domestic life is torn away? Where is the crime imputed? What SANCTITY was there to tear away?” sort g

The connection between Martha Blount and Pope is well known to all they were, for the last years of his existence and till his eye lids closed, generally speaking, inseparable; what SANCTNT is violated in narrating the circumstance, that his first tender feelings, without the slightest shade of imputed guilt, were turned to Teresa, and afterwards transferred to Martha? If there was any thing improper in the later connection, the connection at least.was not concealed; and to say that a young man, in his green agej looked with partiality on another, ill deserves the aggravated accusation ff of teating away the SANCTITIES from domestic life," when there were no SANCTITIES" to tear away Baud ɔm

[ocr errors]

fobyothis serious accusation, the critic means to allude to what I have said of Pope's attachment to Lady Mary the expressions of this off ceroties fever! convey a stronger idea of the nature of his attachmenty than any words have used; and the rude burst of I the laughter," which he has "recorded," when Pope spoke of his "wretched body," but "congenial mind," might have taught him, not to strain at .ffagnats when he was swallowing camels."

[ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

I am not blaming him for recording this "rude laughter" at this preposterous lover; but surely he had no right to charge me with a crime so great as "tearing away the sanctities of domestic life," when I spoke in less offensive terms than that of " Erotic fever" of Pope's known youthful attachment to Lady Mary, or earlier attachment to Teresa Blount, ved ton blow of god! Of these things I have spoken, without the consciousness of the slightest EXAGGERATION, Nor did I, nor do I think, that speaking as I have done of them, was in the least degree indelicately offensive, or criminally violating any "sanctities;" and if it be, let him share this criminality with me!eak yous or gothoranty Holsthormon ad b

1

[ocr errors]

But whilst I deny that I have wilfully concealed any one of Pope's virtues (so far from surmising EVERY ONE away,") I will never compromise my opinions, or give up my right to express them, when "baseness" appears; and base shall that conduct always be fearlessly called by me, which stoops, from disappointed passion, to direct indelicate and envenomed satire against an object once beloved; and I affirm, if you say that Lady Mary was not intended, by Sappho, which I do not believe, and which you cannot prove: then, I say, to use a name which HE KNEW WA applied by herself, and by all the world, to that one person alone, was as base as his evasions were pitiful. And if my bitter commentator has not the heart to feel this, let him stigmatise me as much and as rancorously as he pleases. The "infirmity is not aggravated into "viciousness," for no aggravation can make it worse.

[ocr errors]

We are how drawing to a conclusion, at least, of the charges "Brought against me, as the "vilifier" of Pope's character. If the reader has followed me so far, with attention, I am thankful; still more if he should feel convinced, as I have little doubt, that in point of aggravation," I have been far more "sinned against than SINNING!"

"The critic's last accusation is mixed with an affectation" of tenderness towards me, in not exposing the indecency of some of my notes!

[ocr errors]

"It is by no means certain the distich applies to Lady Mary, for wè can prove he had applied the name of Sappho to Mrs. Thomas." Mrs. Thomas, good Sir, was dead, when this, distich was written. Pope, in his evasion, does not mention her name, but the names of Mrs. Manley, Behu, Centlivre, &c. But none of these had written libels on him; and, therefore, the line will not suit one of them Lady Mary was the only Sappho who had "libelled him," as he himself says, in lines afterwards suppressed:

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"He wrote no libels; but my Lady did !1901 101 *9018 And in this very passage he had applied the name "Sappho:"

[blocks in formation]

"The commentator ought to thank us, for our delicacy, for not dwelling on the indecency of some of his notes !??

What! has so much aggravation" been employed to make Pope's commentator think there is any delicacy," for which he ought to THANK this critic,

Y

that he would not have exposed or to induce him to 'believe

"

[the the indecency of the notes IF HE COULD Fron git tucd1-9 1520412 9211 300The commentator indignantly rejects his proffered "delicacy!” If a single indecent note" could be pointed out, he should indeed be sorry to express this is all he can do ; but as the critic has not spared the commentator in any instance where he thought he could bring a charge against him," so he sincerely believes he deliberately intended to imply a charge where he knew he could not bring one. High vo

ཛྫཱཝཱ

I have just before said, his "sneers" and his insinuations £ refort on himself! aqoone doid & gmvd bal.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

-do The sneer" that follows is despicable indeed.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

*Lord Byron had published, in his animated satire on “English Bards and Scotch Reviewers," a laughable passage, and ascribed this passage to melde smen s anot

102 No construction of my language could possibly bear him out, in such a representation. However, it was read; and believed, and laughed at ! Lord Byron was of too noble a mind to misrepresent me deliberately; and on showing him the misstatement, he "frankly acknowledged he had unintentionally done me wrong, and he had the generous magnanimity to say he would explain the circumstance, had he not given orders that the book should be suppressed!! to 3/[f Yi!!!!Y;fཕ ཨསི,

[ocr errors]

[ocr errors]

I narrated the circumstance just as it happened, which affords this critic such wry-mouthed amusement! It is said "I spoke 'ma tone of seriousness, but with perfect good humour." I did so.

seems to

[ocr errors]

Now, with that “ naïveté" which you have attributed, to me, will I declare why the expression, perfectly good-humoured," was used on this ocwas used for no other casion, reason than to show I could speak of the criticisms on any thing I had as some such critic as you might have in

66

you so merry.

written this occasion, or on any other, where criticism

ferred.

is concerned, perfectly good-humoured, those who were present, and Lord Byron himself, if he remembers the circumstance, will witness. Whether you will feel in as "perfect good humour," when I have a little farther probed your as I felt when Lord Byron probed poetry, I know not sure there are some touches which must make you" wince," if you have any sensibility, in find 'finding baseness and falsehood laid bare to the sinews; for there is this difference between my poetry and your prosesore place in the one, but the other is putrid from

head to foot,

to

Lord Byron that concerns myself in this article. I have no doubt

two hands were concerned, because, where prejudice does not interfere, it is entertaining and sensible.

« السابقةمتابعة »