acted Fondlewife in a professor's gown, or suit of tragic sables. But some of the minuter alterations show Pope's unrivalled artistic power. In ridicule of one of Theobald's translations, the poet, in describing the altar of Dulness, had this allusion:

"And last a little Ajax tips the spire."

To make the allusion applicable to Cibber one happy touch sufficed:

"A twisted Birthday Ode completes the spire."

Where new lines were necessary to mark the individuality, the dovetailing will be found executed with equal success. Thus, in the second book, we had Theobald on his gorgeous seat:

"Great Tibbald nods; the proud Parnassian sneer,
The conscious simper, and the jealous leer,
Mix on his look. All eyes direct their rays

On him, and crowds grow foolish as they gaze,
Not with more glee," &c.

Cibber was fond of boasting of his acquaintance with lords, and this foible was not forgotten in the new version:

"Great Cibber sate. The proud Parnassian sneer,
The conscious simper and the jealous leer,
Mix on his look: all eyes direct their rays
On him, and crowds turn coxcombs as they gaze.
His Peers shine round him with reflected grace,

New edge their dulness and new bronze their face.

So from the sun's broad beam, in shallow urns

Heaven's twinkling sparks draw light and point their horns.
Not with more glee," &c.

Having sent his work to the press, the poet sought recreation at the country-seats of his noble friends. In September he accompanied Chesterfield to the Duchess of Marlborough's at Windsor, whence they proceeded to Lord Cobham's at Stowe. The complete poem, in its new-adapted and revised state, was published in October. Cibber must have been astonished to find himself hero of the satire. He acknowledged the distinction in a second pamphlet, published with the voluminous title of "Another Occasional Letter from Mr. Cibber to Mr. Pope, wherein the new hero's preferment

CIBBER'S SECOND REPLY.

377

to his throne, in the Dunciad, seems not to be accepted, and the author of that poem his more rightful claim to it is asserted. With an expostulatory address to the Rev. Mr. W. W-n, author of the new Preface, and adviser in the curious improvements of that satire. By Mr. Colley Cibber." The title-page also bore this motto:

"Remember Sawney's fate,

Bang'd by the blockhead whom he strove to beat."

Parody on Lord Roscommon.

This second epistle is decidedly inferior to the first, but it no doubt had the effect of irritating and annoying the poet, which was the object Cibber had chiefly, if not solely in view. "I am told the laureate is going to publish a very abusive pamphlet," Pope writes to Warburton. "That is all I can desire; it is enough if it be abusive, and if it be his. He will be more to me than a dose of hartshorn." Johnson gives a comment on this. He had heard Richardson relate that he attended his father the painter, on a visit at Twickenham, when one of Cibber's pamphlets came into the hands of Pope, who said, "These things are my diversion." They sat by him while he perused it, and saw his features writhing with anguish; and young Richardson said to his father when they returned, that he hoped to be preserved from such diversion as had been that day the lot of Pope. The diversion was similar to the mirth excited by Dennis's first attack, and must have been recollected by Sheridan when he drew Sir Fretful Plagiary. But Pope soon rallied after such fits: the pen was his ready and never-failing resource.

In the summer of this year (1743) the poet was again at Bath. He met Lord Chesterfield-then the only person at the fashionable resort whom he knew-and the peer, he says, made him dine en malade, though Pope's physician prescribed garlic. He visited, as usual, at Prior Park, and Martha Blount was invited to meet him. A quarrel unfortunately took place between Mrs. Allen and her female visitor, which for a time alienated Pope from his benevolent and excellent friend. Ruffhead, on the authority of Warburton, ascribes the misunderstanding to Miss Blount's arrogant and unbecoming deportment. Another account (but evidently an erroneous one) represents the disagreement as arising from a

request on the part of Miss Blount to have the use of Mr. Allen's chariot to convey her to the Roman Catholic chapel at Bath, a request which the host declined to comply with, as he then filled the office of mayor of the city, and could not with propriety permit his carriage to be seen at the door of a place of worship to which, as a magistrate, he was restrained from giving a public sanction. Pope took the whole blame on himself. He left Prior Park in indignation, leaving Martha Blount behind him. In the Mapledurham collection is the following letter addressed by her to Pope:

"I hope you are well-I am not. My spirits are quite down, though they should not, for these people deserve so much to be despised. One should do nothing but laugh. I packed up my things yesterday; the servants knew it; Mr. and Mrs. Allen never said a word, nor so much as asked me how I went, where, or when. In short, from every one of them much greater inhumanity that [than] I could conceive anybody could show. Mr. Warburton took no notice of me. 'Tis most wonderful; they have not one of them named your name, nor drunk your health since you went. They talk to one another without putting me at all in the conversation. Lord Archibald [Lord Archibald Hamilton] is come to Lincolm [Lincombe]. I was to have gone this morning in his coach, but unluckily, he keeps it here. I shall go and contrive something with them to-day; for I really do think these people would shove me out, if I did not go soon. I would run all inconveniences and drink the waters, if I thought they would do me good. My present state is deplorable. I'll get out of it as soon as I can. Adieu. My compliments to Mr. Br[illegible]. Pope instantly replied, entreating Miss Blount also to quit the house:

"So strange a disappointment as I met with," he says, “the ex

Hawkins. Mr. Allen was mayor up to September, 1743; but the affair of the chariot would have been alluded to in Pope's letter, if it had formed the ground of offence. It is probable, however, that Martha's rigid Catholicism may have aggravated if not caused the dispute. In the collection of letters at Mapledurham, is one written from Bath, in 1747, by Mr. William Chapman, the priest of the Catholic chapel there, and addressed to Martha Blount, who had been visiting at the house of Mr. Edwin, connected with Mr. Allen: "I believe," he says, "I shall never forget that remarkable instance of the true Catholic spirit you then displayed; and I must frankly own that this, and indeed the whole of your behaviour that evening, has left such tender and affectionate concern for your eternal interest in my mind, that it has often vented itself since in the most earnest application to Heaven in your behalf."