e, that "his father turns out, at last, to
have been a linen-draper in the Strand:" therefore P. T. was at least
telling a story which Pope had no objection should be repeated.

The second letter of P. T., for the first was designed only to break
the ice, offers Curll "a large Collection of Letters from the early
days of Pope to the year 1727." He gives an excellent notion of their
value: "They will open very many scenes new to the world, and make the
most authentic Life and Memoirs that could be." He desires they may be
announced to the world immediately, in Curll's precious style, that he
"might not appear himself to have set the whole thing a-foot, and
afterwards he might plead he had only sent some letters to complete
the Collection." He asks nothing, and the originals were offered to be
deposited with Curll.

Curll, secure of this promised addition, but still craving for more
and more, composed a magnificent announcement, which, with P. T.'s
entire correspondence, he enclosed in a letter to Pope himself. The
letters were now declared to be a "Critical, Philological, and
Historical Correspondence."--His own letter is no bad specimen of his
keen sense; but after what had so often passed, his impudence was
equal to the better quality.

"SIR,--To convince you of my readiness to oblige you, the inclosed
is a demonstration. You have, as he says, disobliged a gentleman,
the initial letters of whose name are P. T. I have some other
papers in the same hand, relating to your _family_, which I will
show, if you desire a sight of them. Your letters to Mr. Cromwell
are out of print; and I intend to print them very beautifully, in
an octavo volume. I have more to say than is proper to write; and
if you will give me a meeting, I will wait on you with pleasure,
and close all differences between you and yours,

"E. CURLL."

Pope, surprised, as he pretends, at this address, consulted with his
friends; everything evil was suggested against Curll. They conceived
that his real design was "to get Pope to look over the former edition
of his 'Letters to Cromwell,' and then to print it, as _revised_ by
Mr. Pope; as he sent an _obscene book_ to a _Bishop_, and then
advertised it as _corrected_ and _revised_ by him;" or perhaps to
extort money from Pope for suppressing the MS. of P. T., and then
publish it, saying P. T. had kept another copy. Pope thought proper to
answer only by this public advertisement:--

"W