fused that proposed to himself. "Mr. Pope," says Hurd, "retired with some indignation to Twickenham, but consoled himself and his friend with this sarcastic reflection, 'We shall take our degree together in fume, whatever we do at the university." This biographer also informs us that "the university seemed desirous of enrolling their names among their graduates," but that "intrigue and envy defeated this scheme." He adds, that this was "the fault of one or two of its (the university's) members," a number surely insufficient to produce such an effect. But the real history of this matter seems never to have been given.

Mr. Pope's affection for Mr. Warburton was of service to him in more respects than merely increasing his fame. He introduced and warmly recommended him to most of his friends, and amongst the rest to Ralph Allen, esq. of Prior Park, whose niece he some years afterwards married. In consequence of this introduction, we find Mr. Warburton at Bath in 1742. There he printed a sermon which had been preached at the abbey-church, on the 24th of October, for the benefit of Mr. Allen's favourite charity, the general hospital, or infirmary. To this sermon, which was published at the request of the governors, was added, "A short account of the nature, rise, and progress, of the General Infirmary, at Bath." In this year also he printed a dissertation on the Origin of Books of Chivalry, at the end of Jarvis's preface to a translation of Don Quixote, which, Mr. Pope tells him, he had not got over two paragraphs of before he cried out, Aut Erasmus, aut Diabolus.' "I knew you," adds he, "as certainly as the ancients did the Gods, by the first pace and the very gait. I have not a moment to express myself in; but could not omit this, which delighted me so much." Mr. Tyrwhitt, however, has completely demolished Warburton's system on this subject. Pope's attention to his interest did not rest in matters which were in his own power; he recommended him to some who were more able to assist him; in particular, he obtained a promise from lord Granville, which probably, however, ended in nothing. He appears also to have been very solicitous to bring lord Bolingbroke and Mr. Warburton together, and the meeting accordingly took place, but we are told by Dr. Warton, they soon parted in mutual disgust with each other. In 1742 Mr. Warburton published "A critical and philosophical Commentary on

Mr. Pope's Essay on Man: in which is contained a Vindi cation of the said Essay from the misrepresentations of Mr. de Resnel, the French translator, and of Mr. de Crousaz, professor of philosophy and mathematics in the academy of Lausanne, the commentator." It was at this period, when Mr. Warburton had the entire confidence of Pope, that he advised him to complete the Dunciad, by changing the hero, and adding to it a fourth book. This was accordingly executed in 1742, and published early in 1743, 4to, with notes by our author, who, in consequence of it, received his share of the castigation which Cibber liberally bestowed on both Pope and his annotator. In the latter end of the same year he published complete editions of "The Essay on Man," and "The Essay on Criticism:" and, from the specimen which he there exhibited of his abilities, it may be presumed Pope determined to commit to him the publication of those works which he should leave. At Pope's desire, le about this time revised and corrected the "Essay on Homer," as it now stands in the last edition of that translation. The publication of "The Dunciad" was the last service which our author rendered Pope in his life-time. After a lingering and tedious illness, the event of which had been long foreseen, this great poet died on the 30th of May, 1744; and by his will, dated the 12th of the preceding December, bequeathed to Mr. Warburton one half of his library, and the property of all such of his works already printed as he had not otherwise disposed of or alienated, and all the profits which should arise from any edition to be printed after his death; but at the same time directed that they should be published without any future alterations. In 1744 Warburton's assistance to Dr. Z. Grey was handsomely acknowledged in the preface to Hudibras; but with this gentleman he had afterwards a sharp controversy (See GREY.) "The Divine Legation of Moses" had now been published some time; and various answers and objections to it had started up from different quarters. In this year, 1744, Mr Warbur ton turned his attention to these attacks on his favourite work; and defended himself in a manner which, if it did not prove him to be possessed of much humility or diffidence, at least demonstrated that he knew how to wield the weapons of controversy with the hand of a master. first defence now appeared under the title of "Remarks on several Occasional Reflections, in answer to the Rev. Dr.

His

Middleton, Dr. Pococke, the master of the Charter-house, Dr. Richard Grey, and others; serving to explain and justify divers passages in the Divine Legation as far as it is yet advanced wherein is considered the relation the several parts bear to each other and the whole. Together with an Appendix, in answer to a late pamphlet, entitled An Examination of Mr. W's Second Proposition," 8vo. And this was foliowed next year by "Remarks on several Occasional Reflections; in answer to the Rev. Doctors Stebbing and Sykes; serving to explain and justify the Two Dissertations, in the Divine Legation, concerning the command to Abraham to offer up his son, and the nature of the Jewish theocracy, objected to by those learned writers. Part II. and last;" 8vo. Both these answers are couched in those high terms of confident superiority which marked almost every performance that fell from his pea during the remainder of his life. Sept. 5, 1745, the friendship between him and Mr. Allen was more closely cemented by his marriage with his niece, Miss Tucker, who survived him. At this juncture the kingdom was under a great alarm, occasioned by the rebellion breaking out in Scotland. Those who wished well to the then-established government found it necessary to exert every effort which could be used against the invading enemy. The clergy were not wanting on their part; and no one did more service than Mr. Warburton, who published three very excellent and seasonable sermons at this important crisis. I. "A faithful portrait of Popery; by which it is seen to be the reverse of Christianity, as it is the destruction of morality, piety, and civil liberty. A sermon preached at St. James's church, Westminster, Oct. 1745," 8vo. II. "A sermon occasioned by the present unnatural Rebellion, &c. preached in Mr. Allen's chapel, at Prior Park, near Bath, Nov. 1745, and published at his request," 8vo. III. "The nature of National Offences truly stated. A sermon preached on the general fast-day, Dec. 18, 1745," 1746, 8vo. On account of the last of these sermons he was again involved in a controversy with his former antagonist, Dr. Stebbing, which occasioned "An Apologetical Dedication to the Rev. Dr. Henry Stebbing, in answer to his censure and misrepresentations of the sermon preached on the general fast-day to be observed Dec. 18, 1745," 1746, 8vo. Notwithstanding his great connections, his acknowledged abilities, and his established reputation, a reputation founded

on the durable basis of learning, and upheld by the decent and attentive performance of every duty incident to his station; yet we do not find that he received any addition to the preferment given him in 1728 by sir Robert Sutton (except the chaplainship to the prince of Wales) until April 1746, when he was unanimously called by the society of Lincoln's Inn to be their preacher. In November he published "A Sermon preached on the Thanksgiving appointed to be observed the 9th Oct. for the suppression of the late unnatural Rebellion," 1746, 8vo. In 1747 appeared his edition of "Shakspeare," from which he derived very little reputation. Of this edition, the nameless critic already quoted, says, "To us it exhibits a phænomenon unobserved before in the operations of human intellect a mind, ardent and comprehensive, acute and penetrating, warmly devoted to the subject and furnished with all the stores of literature ancient or modern, to illustrate and adorn it, yet by some perversity of understanding, or some depravation of taste, perpetually mistaking what was obvious, and perplexing what was clear; discovering erudition of which the author was incapable, and fabricating connections to which he was indifferent. Yet, with all these inconsistencies, added to the affectation, equally discernible in the editor of Pope and Shakspeare, of understanding the poet better than he understood himself, there sometimes appear, in the rational intervals of his critical delirium, elucidations so happy, and disquisitions so profound, that our admiration of the poet (even of such a poet), is suspended for a moment while we dwell on the excellencies of the commentator."

In the same year he published, 1. "A Letter from an author to a member of parliament, concerning Literary Property," 8vo. 2. "Preface to Mrs. Cockburn's remarks upon the principles and reasonings of Dr. Rutherforth's Essay on the nature and obligations of Virtue," &c. 8vo. 3. Preface to a critical enquiry into the opinions and practice of the Ancient Philosophers, concerning the nature of a Future State, and their method of teaching by double Doctrine," (by Mr. Towne), 1747, 8vo, 2d edition. In 1748 a third edition of "The Alliance between Church and State: corrected and enlarged." In 1749, a very extraordinary attack was made on the moral character of Mr.. Pope from a quarter whence it could be the least expected His "Guide, Philosopher, and Friend," lord Bolingbroke,

published a book which he had formerly lent Mr. Pope in MS. The preface to this work, written by Mr. Mallet, contained an accusation of Mr. Pope's having clandestinely printed an edition of his lordship's performance without his leave or knowledge. (See POPE.) A defence of the poet soon after made its appearance, which was universally ascribed to Mr. Warburton, and was afterwards owned by bim. It was called "A Letter to the editor of Letters on the Spirit of Patriotism, the Idea of a patriot King, and the State of Parties, occasioned by the editor's advertisement;" which soon afterwards produced an abusive pamphlet under the title of "A familiar epistle to the most Impudent Man living," &c. a performance, as has been truly observed, couched in language bad enough to disgrace even gaols and garrets. About this time the publication of Dr. Middleton's "Enquiry concerning the Miraculous Powers," gave rise to a controversy, which was managed with great warmth and asperity on both sides. On this occasion Mr. Warburton published an excellent performance, written with a degree of candour and temper which, it is to be lamented, he did not always exercise. The title of it was "Julian; or, a discourse concerning the Earthquake and Fiery Eruption which defeated the emperor's attempt to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem, 1750," 8vo. A second edition of this discourse," with Additions," appeared in 1751. The critic above quoted has some remarks on this work too important to be omitted. "The gravest, the least eccentric, the most convincing of Warburton's works, is the Julian, or a discourse concerning the Earthquake and Fiery Eruption, which defeated that emperor's attempt to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem, in which the reality of a Divine interposition is shewn, and the objections to it are are answered.' The selection of this subject was peculiarly happy, inasmuch as this astonishing fact, buried in the ponderous volumes of the original reporters, was either little considered by an uninquisitive age, or confounded with the crude mass of false, ridiculous, or ill-attested miracles, which with no friendly voice' had been recently exposed by Middleton. But in this instance the occasion was important the honour of the Deity was concerned; his power had been defied, and his word insulted. For the avowed purpose of defeating a well-known prophecy, and of giving to the world a practical demonstration that the Christian scriptures contained a lying prediction, the emperor Julian