have used the bare Word Mummy and Crocodile, was neither unjuft, or unmannerly; Where then was the Crime of fimply faying there had been two such Things in a former Play? But this, it feems, was fo heinously taken by Mr. Pope, that, in the Swelling of his Heart, after the Play was over, he came behind the Scenes, with his Lips pale and his Voice -trembling to call me to Account for the Infult; and accordingly fell upon me with all the foul Language, that a Wit out of his Senfes could be capable of.

How durft I have the Impudence to treat any Gentleman in that Manner? &c. &c. &.. Now let the Reader judge by this Concern, who was the true Mother of the Child! When he was almost choaked with the Foam of his Paffion, I was enough recover'd from my Amazement, to make him (as near as I can remember) this Reply, viz. "Pope You are fo particular a Man, that I muft

Mr.

be ashamed to return your Language as I ought "to do: But fince you have attack'd me in fo mon«ftrous a Manner, this you may depend upon; "That as long as the Play continues to be acted, I

will never fail to repeat the fame Words over and "over again." Now, as he accordingly found I kept my Word, for feveral Days following, I am afraid he has fince thought, that his Pen was a fharper Weapon than his Tongue to trust his Revenge with. And however juft Cause this may be for his fo doing, it is, at leaft, the only Caufe my Confcience can charge me with.

The Nonjurar, and Mr. Pope was one as being a Papift, being brought upon the Stage with great Succefs, he was difpleafed, and fpoke of it to Mr. Jervas contemptuoufly, Such a Play as the Nonjuror: And here Mr. Cibber thinks arefe another Caufe. Mr. Cibber reafons thus: WELL

WELL then! upon the great Success of this

enormous Play the Nonjuror, poor Mr. Pope laments the Decay of Poetry; though the Impolitenefs of the Piece is his only infinuated Objection againft it. How nice are the Noftrils of this delicate Critick! This indeed is a Scent, that those widemouth'd Hounds the Daily-Paper Criticks could never hit off! though they pursued it with the Imputation of every Offence that could run down a Play: Yet Impolitenefs at least they overfaw. No! they did not disguise their real Diflike, as the prudent Mr. Pope did; they all fairly spoke out, and in full Cry open'd against it, only for its fo audaciously exposing the facred Character of a lurking, treafon-hatching Jefuit, and for inhumanly ridiculing the confcientious Caufe of an honeft deluded Jacobite Gentleman. Now may we not as well fay to Mr. Pope, Hinc illa Lachryma! Here was his real Difguft to the Play! For if Impolitenefs could have fo offended him, he would never have beftowed fuch Encomiums upon the Beggars Opera, which, whatever Beauties it Imight boaft, Politenefs certainly was not one of its moft ftriking Features. No, no! if the Play had not fo impudently fallen upon the poor Enemies of the Government, Mr. Pope, poffibly, might have been lefs an Enemy to the Play: But he has a charitable Heart, and cannot bear to fee his Friends derided in their Diftrefs: Therefore you may have obferved, whenever the Government cenfures a Man of Confequence for any extraordinary Difaffection to it; then is Mr. Pope's Time generoufly to brighten and lift him up with Virtues, which never had been fo confpicuous in him before. Now, though he may be led into all this, by his thinking it a religious Duty; yet those who are of a different Religion may

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fare

fure be equally excufed, if they should notwithstanding look upon him as their Enemy. But to my Purpofe.

Whatever might be his real Objections to it, Mr. Pope is at leaft fo just to the Play, as to own it had great Succefs, though it grieved him to fee it; perhaps too he would have been more grieved, had he then known, that his late Majefty, when I had the Honour to kifs his Hand, upon my prefenting my Dedication of it, was graciously pleafed, out of his Royal Bounty, to order me two Hundred Pounds for it. Yes, Sir! 'tis true-fuch was the Depravity of the Times, you will fay, and fo enormous was the Reward of fuch a Play as the Nonjuror !

He expoftulates with him concerning the various Strokes he has given him in the Dunciad, and pleadhis own Cause not amifs, proves himself (Odes and Tragedies excepted) no Dunce. Then proceeds to the Line above quoted :

And has not Colley too his Lord and Whore.

To this he pleads guilty in a Manner, though he denies it to be poffible for Mr. Pope to have certain Knowledge of any Amour of his, but charges it back upon him, to which, he fays, he was an Eyewitness; and tells a comical loofe Story of a Nobleman, who enticed Mr. Pope from Button's to a Brothel: The particular Circumstances are nothing to the Proof which was pofitive, and Mr. Cibber dragged him from the private Room; my Lord all the while ftanding tittering without, called Mr. Cibber, Puppy for fpoiling the Diverfion he proposed himself. In this Manner he revenged himself, and indeed we think fairly, on Mr. Pope, whofe Friend's Reply (who is but a Bungler) made ftill more Sport for the

Town,

Town, and caus'd another Letter, and fuppofing the Advocate of Mr. Pope's to be a Parfon (and really by the miferable Stile we should guefs fo) Mr. Cibber fays:

Would it not become a Divine (though a Poet might fay any Thing) when he detracts from any Man's Character in fo publick a Manner, to have his Affertions (though they were true) back'd << with a little better Evidence? Left the Licence of **his Pen fhould be thought a Vice of a deeper Dye, than any you have accus'd me of?"

If this Perfon does no better for Mr. Pope in other Things, than he has done in this, we believe he had better (if his Intereft don't fuffer by it) let his, i. e. Mr. Pope's Fame and Writings quite alone; we are particularly fearful for the Effay on Criticifin, on which we have not yet had Time (as not having much Leifure for Trifles) to read the Commentation.

But we were speaking of the Epiítle to Dr. Arbuthnot, in which he does not forget Mr. Ambrofe Philips, there having been Enmity fown between them ever fince the Writing of Mr. Pope's Paftorals, which grew by Degrees to almost the Breach of the Peace between them; it was reported, that Mr. Philips procur'd a great Rod, fhow'd it at Button's Coffee-Houfe, then reforted to by all the reigning Wits and Poets, and had it stuck up in the publick Coffee Room, vowing to exercise it upon Mr. Pope whenever he should meet him there; but this is not true, he faid fome foolish Things once concerning Mr. Pope, but not what was reported; for a Proof of this, we refer to a Letter of Mr. Pope's to an honourable Gentleman, dated June 8, 1714.

THE HE Queftion you ak in Relation to Mr. Addifon and Philips, I fhill anfwer in a few Words.

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Mr.

Mr. Philips did exprefs himself with much Indigna tion against me one Evening at Button's Coffee-house (as I was told) faying, That I was entered into a Cabal with Dean Swift and others, to write against the Whig-Intereft, and in particular to undermine his own Reputation, and that of his Friends Steele and Addifon. But Mr. Philips never open'd his Lips to my Face, on this or any other like Occafion, tho' I was almoft every Night in the fame Room with him, nor ever offer'd me any Indecorum. Mr. Addison came to me a Night or two after Philips had talk'd in this idle Manner, and affured me of his Difbelief of what had been faid, of the Friendfhip we fhould always maintain, and derfir'd I would fay nothing further of it. My Lord Halifax did me the Honour to ftir in this Matter, by speaking to several People to obviate a falfe Afperfion, which might have done me no fmall Prejudice with one Party. However Philips did all he could, fecretly to continue the Report with the Hanover Club, and kept in his Hands the Subscriptions paid for me to him, as Secretary to that Club. The Heads of it have fince given him to underftand, that they take it ill; but (upon the Terms I ought to be with a Man whom I think to be a Scoundrel) I would not even ask him for this Money, but commiffioned one of the Players, his Equals, to receive it. This is the whole Matter; but as to the fecret Grounds of Philips's Malignity, they will make a very pleasant History when we meet. Congreve and fome others have been much diverted with it, and moft of the Gentlemen of the Hanover Club have made it the Subject of their Ridicule on their Secretary. It is to this Management of Philips that the World owes Mr. Gay's Paftorals. The ingenious Author is extremely your Servant, and would have comply'd with your kind Invitation, but that

Mr.

he