on says that "Addison highly disapproved of
this bitter satire on Dennis, and Pope was not a little
chagrined at this disapprobation; for the narrative was
intended to court the favour of Addison, by defending his
_Cato_: in which seeming defence Addison was far from thinking
our author sincere."]

[227] In the notes to the Prologue to the Satires.

[228] Pope's conjecture was perfectly correct. Dr. Warton confirms it
from a variety of indisputable authorities.--Warton's "Pope,"
vol. iv. p. 34.

[229] In the "Freeholder," May, 1716.

[230] Pope himself thus related the matter to Spence: "Phillips seemed
to have been encouraged to abuse me in coffee-houses and
conversations; and Gildon wrote a thing about Wycherly, in
which he had abused both me and my relations very grossly.
Lord Warwick himself told me one day that it was in vain for
me to endeavour to be well with Mr. Addison; that his jealous
temper would never admit of a settled friendship between us,
and to convince me of what he had said, assured me that
Addison had encouraged Gildon to publish those scandals, and
had given him ten guineas after they were published."--ED.

[231] The strongest parts of Sir William Blackstone's discussion turn
on certain inaccurate dates of Ruffhead, in his statements,
which show them to be inconsistent with the times when they
are alleged to have happened. These erroneous dates had been
detected in an able article in the Monthly Review on that
work, April, 1769. Ruffhead is a tasteless, confused, and
unskilful writer--Sir William has laid great stress on the
incredible story of Addison paying Gildon to write against
Pope, "a man so amiable in his moral character." It is
possible that the Earl of Warwick, who conveyed the
information, might have been a malicious, lying youth; but
then Pope had some knowledge of mankind--he believed the
story, for he wrote instantly, with honest though heated
feelings, to Addison, and sent him, at that moment, the first
sketch of the character of Atticus. Addison used him very
civilly ever after--but it does not appear that Addison ever
contradicted the tale of the officious Earl. All these facts,
which Pope repeated many yea