and who, following his
master into exile, received the honours of a titular peerage and held
office in the melancholy court of the Pretender. In such circles Pope
might have been expected to imbibe a Jacobite and Catholic horror of
Whigs and freethinkers. In fact, however, he belonged from his youth to
the followers of Gallio, and seems to have paid to religious duties just
as much attention as would satisfy his parents. His mind was really
given to literature; and he found his earliest patron in his immediate
neighbourhood. This was Sir W. Trumbull, who had retired to his native
village of Easthampstead in 1697, after being ambassador at the Porte
under James II., and Secretary of State under William III. Sir William
made acquaintance with the Popes, praised the father's artichokes, and
was delighted with the precocious son. The old diplomatist and the young
poet soon became fast friends, took constant rides together, and talked
over classic and modern poetry. Pope made Trumbull acquainted with
Milton's juvenile poems, and Trumbull encouraged Pope to follow in
Milton's steps. He gave, it seems, the first suggestion to Pope that he
should translate Homer; and he exhorted his young friend to preserve his
health by flying from tavern company--_tanquam ex incendio_. Another
early patron was William Walsh, a Worcestershire country gentleman of
fortune and fashion, who condescended to dabble in poetry after the
manner of Waller, and to write remonstrances upon Celia's cruelty,
verses to his mistress against marriage, epigrams, and pastoral
eclogues. He was better known, however, as a critic, and had been
declared by Dryden to be, without flattery, the best in the nation. Pope
received from him one piece of advice which has become famous. We had
had great poets--so said the "knowing Walsh," as Pope calls him--"but
never one great poet that was correct;" and he accordingly recommended
Pope to make correctness his great aim. The advice doubtless impressed
the young man as the echo of his own convictions. Walsh died (1708),
before the effect of his suggestion had become fully perceptible.

The acquaintance with Walsh was due to Wycherley, who had submitted
Pope's Pastorals to his recognized critical authority. Pope's
intercourse with Wycherley and another early friend, Henry Cromwell, had
a more important bearing upon his early career. He kept up a
correspondence with each of these friends, whilst he was still passing
through h