of Honour,"
Pope had written to Martha Blount in December, 1716; and Gay, who would
rather have had a place in the Household with nothing to do and no
responsibility than anything else in the world, was not the man to
refrain from endeavouring to improve the occasion. Mrs. Howard he had
first met at Hanover, and in London contrived to turn the
acquaintanceship into friendship. Knowing Gay's character and his
ambition, it is probably doing him no injustice to say that he was first
drawn to the lady by the belief that she might further his aims.
However, it is only fair to say that he soon came to like her for
herself, and long after he was convinced that she could be of no service
to him he remained a very loyal and intimate friend. He was taken
entirely into her confidence, as will presently be seen, and she even
called him in to assist her when she was conducting an elaborate and
stilted epistolatory flirtation with Lord Peterborough. It was most
probably she who introduced him to Mrs. Bellenden, Mrs. Lepell, and the
other ladies of the Court. Of Mrs. Howard and Gay, Dr. Johnson wrote:
"Diligent court was paid to Mrs. Howard, afterwards Countess of Suffolk,
who was much beloved by the King and Queen, to engage her interest for
his promotion; but solicitations, verses, and flatteries were thrown
away; the lady heard them and did nothing." This, however, is manifestly
unfair, for it is now known that Mrs. Howard's influence was negligible.

To the ladies of the Court and others of Pope's friends, Gay paid
tribute in "Mr. Pope's Welcome from Greece":--

What lady's that to whom he gently bends?
Who knows her not? Ah, those are Wortley's eyes.
How art thou honour'd, number'd with her friends;
For she distinguishes the good and wise.
The sweet-tongued Murray near her side attends:
Now to my heart the glance of Howard flies;
Now Hervey, fair of face, I mark full well
With thee, youth's youngest daughter, sweet Lepell.

I see two lovely sisters hand in hand,
The fair-hair'd Martha and Teresa brown;
Madge Bellenden, the tallest of the land;
And smiling Mary, soft and fair as down.
Yonder I see the cheerful Duchess stand,
For friendship, zeal, and blithesome humours known:
Whence that loud shout in such a hearty strain?
Why all the Hamiltons are in her train.
See next the decent Scudamore advance
With Winchelsea, still meditating song,
With her perhaps Miss Howe ca