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No part of Pope's correspondence has hitherto appeared in a more deranged and imperfect state than that with Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. In the edition of Dr. Warburton this correspondence occupies no distinct title, and all that we find of it is included under the head of " Letters to several Ladies," amongst which, the letters numbered X. XX. XXI. and XXII. (all without either date or address) are to Lady Mary.

In the edition of Dr. Warton thirteen letters are given from Pope to Lady Mary, with the ensuing preliminary note.

"The following unpublished letters of Mr. Pope to the Right Honourable Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, are faithfully copied from the originals, communicated to the editor by the Lord Bishop of St. Davids."*

Of these the letter No. V. is the same (with some variations in the reading) as the No. X. of Warburton, although both are given in Warton without any reference to each other. The remainder appear to have been for the first time introduced by Warton into the works of Pope, but in a most careless and irregular manner. It is true, they are, for the most part, without date, but this can scarcely justify the editor in beginning the correspondence with a letter written to Lady Mary on her return from her journey to Constantinople, ending it with one written to her on her departure, and intermixing the rest without any attention whatever to time, place, or circumstance; an irregularity which has been precisely followed in the subsequent edition of Mr. Bowles.

It is perhaps still more remarkable, that no attempt has yet been made to complete the correspondence of Pope and Lady Mary by the addition of her ladyship's letters. These letters had, in the year 1761, the year before her death, been presented by her to the Rev. Benjamin Sowden, minister at Rotterdam, and were published in 1763, in 3 vols. 12mo. by Becket and De Hondt, with a preface, purporting to have been written in 1724 ; (not in 1728, as stated by Mr. Dallaway) by a lady of quality,

* Dr. Stuart, grandson of Lady Mary, bishop of St. David's, and afterwards Primate of Ireland.

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and signed M. A. How necessary these letters are to elucidate many passages in those of Pope, and to exhibit the nature of their acquaintance in its true light, the slightest consideration will shew. They are therefore now, for the first time, united with the letters of Pope, with as much attention to order as the frequent want of date, and the great distance at which the correspondence was carried on, would allow.

Since the before-mentioned publication of the letters of Lady Mary, her works have been edited by Mr. Dallaway, in 5 vols. 8vo. (Lond. 1803,) but with few additions of any importance to this correspondence. A single letter addressed to Pope from Vienna, and a few notes from him to Lady Mary after her return to England, are all that occur to our notice that have not before been printed.

After what has been stated, it is scarcely necessary to observe, that the letters from Pope to Lady Mary, as hitherto published, have been obtained from two different sources. 1. The original draughts or sketches as retained by Pope, and published by Warburton; and 2. The letters as actually written and sent to Lady Mary, as published by Warton; in consequence of which it has happened, that in the editions of Warton and Bowles, the same letters have, with some variations, been twice inserted, without reference from one to the other. The same circumstance has misled Mr. Bowles in the attacks he has made on the character of Pope, on the ground that he had written to Lady Mary in unbecoming terms, and had actually corrected his own letters for the surreptitious edition of Curll; charges which have been already adverted to in the life of Pope, prefixed to this edition, chap. iv., page 198, (note) and on which some further remarks will occur in the course of the ensuing correspondence.

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So natural as I find it is to me to neglect every body else in your company, I am sensible I ought to do any thing that might please you; and I fancied upon recollection, our writing the letter you proposed was of that nature. I therefore sate down to my part of it last night, when I should have gone out of town. Whether or no you will order me, in recompence, to see you again, I leave to you; for indeed I find I begin to behave my

* Eldest daughter of Evelyn, Duke of Kingston, born about 1690, and married in 1712, to Edward Wortley Montagu, cousin of Lord Halifax. He was appointed ambassador to the Porte in June, 1716, and began his journey to Constantinople in August, in the same year, accompanied by Lady Mary. His recal took place in Oct. 1717; but he did not commence his journey homewards till June, 1718, and arrived in England at the end of October in the same year. It is necessary to state these periods to elucidate the following letters, several of which are without date; a neglect of which Pope in one instance accuses Lady Mary, but of which he appears to have been himself at least equally guilty.

self worse to you than to any other woman, as I value you more; and yet, if I thought I should not see you again, I would say some things here, which I could not to your person.

For I would

not have you die deceived in me; that is, go to Constantinople without knowing that I am to some degree of extravagance, as well as with the utmost reason, Madam,

Your, &c.

LETTER II.*

TO A LADY.†

[Written on one column of a letter, while Lady M. wrote to the Lady's Husband on the other.]

THE HE wits would say, that this must needs be a dull letter, because it is a married one. I am afraid indeed you will find what spirit there is must be on the side of the wife, and the husband's part, as usual, will prove the dullest. What an unequal

* This is probably the letter that Pope refers to in the preceding. + Lady Rich, wife of Sir Robert Rich. She was a daughter of Col. Griffin, and had an appointment about the person of the Princess of Wales. She is celebrated by Fenton, in his Epistle to Lady Margaret Cavendish Harley, in the following lines:

"And like seraphic Rich, with zeal serene,
In sweet assemblage all their graces join'd
To language, mode, and manners more refin'd.
That angel form, with chaste attraction gay,
Mild as the dove-eyed morn awakes the May,
Of noblest youths will reign the public care,
Their joy, their wish, their wonder, and despair.”

pair are put together in this sheet? in which, though we sin, it is you must do penance. When you look on both sides of this paper, you may fancy that our words (according to a Scripture expression) are as a two-edged sword, whereof Lady M. is the shining blade, and I only the handle. But I cannot proceed without so far mortifying Sir Robert as to tell him, that she writes this purely in obedience to me, and that it is but one of those honours a husband receives for the sake of his wife.

It is making court but ill to one fine woman to shew her the regard we have for another; and yet I must own there is not a period of this epistle but squints towards another over-against it. It will be in vain to dissemble: your penetrating eyes cannot but discover, how all the letters that compose these words lean forward after Lady M.'s letters, which seem to bend as much from mine, and fly from them as fast as they are able. Ungrateful letters that they are! which give themselves to another man, in the very presence of him who will yield to no mortal, in knowing how to value them.

You will think I forgot myself, and am not writing to you; but, let me tell you, it is you forget yourself in that thought, for you are almost the only woman to whom one can safely address the praises of another. Besides, can you imagine a man of my importance so stupid, as to say fine things to you before your husband? Let us see how far Lady M. herself dares do any thing like it,

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