Spence's Anecdotes, Observations, and Characters of Books and Men a Selection, Edited With an Introduction and Notes, By John Underhill - pocketboek

SPENCE'S ANECDOTES, OBSERVATIONS, AND CHARACTERS OF BOOKS AND MEN. A SELECTION, EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND NOTES, BY JOHN UNDERHILL. - CONTENTS., - PAGE INTRODUCTION . . vii PART I.-GENERAL LITERARY ANECDOTES. ADDISON . 3 ARBUTHNOT . 15 ATTERBURY . 17 BETTERTON . . 20 BOLINGBROKE . . 22 BUCKINGHAM S HEFFIELD D, UKE OF . 30, , VILLIERS, DUKE OF . . 31 CIBBER . 34 COWLEY . - 36 DAVENANT 38 DORSET . 40 DRYDEN . . 42 ETHEREDGEC, ONGKEVEV, ANERUGH A, ND FARQUHA . R 48 FENTON AND BROOME . 5 GARTH 5 3 GAY . 55 KNELLER, 59 CONTENTS. PART 11.-MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES PAGE 63 . 68 . 72 73 76 78 PART 111.-BIOGRAPHICAL 4TECDOTES RELATING TO POPE . 119 PART 1V.-CICLTICAL OPINIONS, TABLE-TALK, ETC. 161 NOTES, I97 INTRODUCTION - IN the month of June 1726 there appeared at Oxford and in London a small volume of criticism upon an important translation then recently published. The critic was Joseph Spence, a young clergyman, and Fellow of New College, Oxford the book criticised was a no less important work than Popes translation of the Odyssey and the criticism, which took the not altogether unusual form of a dialogue, was entitled an Essay on Popes Odyssey. 1 In itself, this essay is not a very notable performance, although its fairness and candour were considerably in advance of the criticism of the day. The writer was too much a gentleman to stoop to the petty vilification and abuse then popular among critics, while his keen poetic sense would not allow him to pass unreproved those faults which were, as a rule, lost sight of in the enthusiasm of adulation. His criticism, says Dr. Johnsolqa 1 An Essay on Popcs Odyssey In which some parficwlar Beauties and Blemishes of that work arc considered.London and Oxford, 1726. The flyleaf of the British Museum copy bears a MS. note stating that the book was published in June 1726. Lives pfthe Poets, Ed. Cunningham, iii. 350. was commonly just what he thought, he thought rightly and his remarks were recommended by his 001-ness and candour. In him Pope had the first experience of a critic without malevolence, who thought it as much his duty to display beauties as expose faults who, censured with respect and praised with alacrity. TO Pope such criticism was naturally welcome only once before had he been fortunate enough to meet a critic who thoyght it as much his duty to display beauties as expose faults and with that critic he had, in an evil moment, quarrelled. Addisons review of the Art of Cnti n s m l 4 s Johnson should have remembered - exhibited anything but malevolence, and while it did not hesitate to condemn that appetite to satire which was Popes most unpleasant characteristic, it generously and nobly acknowledged the beauties of what it justly called a very fine poem. Popes connection with the second critic was destined to be of a much more pleasant character. He met Spence, and their acquaintance rapidly ripened into that lifelong friendship of which the present volume is a more or less enduring monument. The Essay on Popes Odyssey may or may not be what Dr. Warton called it- a work of the truest taste. Its importance for us lies in the fact that it paved the way for one of the most memorable friendships of Popes life. In what manner the poet first approached his critic cannot now with any degree of certainty be determined. Spectator, No. 253, Dec. 20, I71 I. It is probable, however, that the meeting was brought about bySpences friend, Christopher Pitt. Pitt, a poet of no small ability, entered New College just a year before Spence. He came with a translation of Lucan in his pocket, and found that he had been anticipated in his task by Rowe...