The encouragement given to this tranflation, though report feems to have over-rated it, was fuch as the world has not often feen. The fubfcribers were five hundred and feventy-five. The copies, for which fubfcriptions were given, were fix hundred and fifty-four. For thofe copies Pope had nothing to pay he therefore received, including the two hundred pounds a volume, five thousand three hundred and twenty pounds four fhillings, without deduction, as the books were fupplied by Lintot.

By the fuccefs of his fubfcription Pope was relieved from thofe pecuniarydiftrefles with which, notwithstanding his popularity, he had hitherto ftruggled. Lord Oxford had often lamented his difqua lification

E 2

dification for publick employment, but never propofed a penfion. While the tranflation of Homer was in its progrefs, Mr. Craggs, then fecretary of state, offered to procure him a penfion, which, at leaft during his miniftry, might be enjoyed with fecrecy. This was not accepted by Pope, who told him, however, that, if he should be preffed with want of money, he would fend to him for occafional fupplies. Craggs was not long in power, and was never folicited for money by Pope, who difdained to beg what he did not want.

With the product of this fubfcription, which he had too much difcretion to fquander, he fecured his future life from want by confiderable annuities.

The

The eftate of the Duke of Buckingham. was found to have been charged with five hundred pounds a year, payable to Pope, which doubtlefs his translation enabled him to purchase.

It cannot be unwelcome to literary curiofity, that I deduce thus minutely the hiftory of the English Iliad. It is certainly the nobleft verfion of poetry which the world has ever feen; and its publication muft therefore be confidered as one of the great events in the annals of Learning,

To those who have fkill to estimate the excellence and difficulty of this great work, it must be very defirable to know how it was performed, and by what gradations it advanced to correct E.3

nefs,

nefs. Of fuch an intellectual process the knowledge has very rarely been attainable; but happily there remains the original copy of the Iliad, which, being obtained by Bolingbroke as a curiofity, defcended from him to Mallet, and is now by the folicitation of the late Dr. Maty reposted in the Mufeum.

Between this manufcript, which is written upon accidental fragments of paper, and the printed cdition, there muft have been an intermediate copy, that was perhaps destroyed as it returned from the prefs.

From the first copy I have procured a few tranfcripts, and fhall exhibit firft the printed lines; then, in a finaller print thofe of the manufcripts, with

all.

all their variations. Thofe words in the fmall print which are given in Italicks, are cancelled in the copy, and the words placed under them adopted in their ftead.

The beginning of the first book ftands

thus:

The wrath of Pelcus' fon, the direful

fpring

Of all the Grecian woes, O Goddefs, fing; That wrath which hurl'd to Pluto's gloomy reign

The fouls of mighty chiefs untimely flain.

The stern Pelides' rage, O Goddefs, fing,

wrath

Of all the woes of Greece the fatal spring,