A NARRATIVE OF THE METHOD by which Mr. Pope's Private Letters were procured and publiſhed by EDMUND CURL, Bookſeller.
[1]IT has been judg'd, that to clear an Affair which ſeem'd at firſt ſight a lit⯑tle myſterious, and which, tho' it con⯑cern'd only one Gentleman, is of ſuch a Conſequence, as juſtly to alarm every Per⯑ſon in the Nation, would not only be ac⯑ceptable as a Curioſity, but uſeful as a Warning, and perhaps flagrant enough as an Example, to induce the LEGISLATURE to prevent for the future, an Enormity ſo prejudicial to every private Subject, and ſo deſtructive of Society it ſelf.
This will be made ſo plain by the en⯑ſuing Papers, that 'twill ſcarce be needful to attend them with any Reflections, more than what every Reader may make.
[2] In the Year 1727, Edmund Curl, Book⯑ſeller, publiſhed a Collection of ſeveral pri⯑vate Letters of Mr. Pope to Henry Crom⯑well Eſq which he obtain'd in this Man⯑ner.
Mr. Cromwell was acquainted with one Mrs. Thomas, to whom he had the Indiſ⯑cretion to lend theſe Letters, and who fall⯑ing into Misfortunes, ſeven Years after, ſold them to Mr. Curll, without the Con⯑ſent either of Mr. Pope or Mr. Cromwell, as appears from the following Letters.
To HENRY CROMWELL, Eſq June 27, 1727.
AFTER ſo long a Silence, as the many and great Oppreſſions I have ſigh'd under has occaſion'd, one is at a Loſs how to begin a Letter to ſo kind a Friend as your ſelf. But as it was always my Reſolution, if I muſt ſink to do it as decently (that is as ſilently) as I could: So when I found my ſelf plung'd into unfore⯑ſeen, and unavoidable Ruin, I retreated from the World, and in a manner buried my ſelf in a diſmal Place, where I knew none, nor none knew me. In this dull unthinking Way, I have protracted a lin⯑gering [3] Death (for Life it cannot be called) ever ſince you ſaw me, ſequeſtered from Company, deprived of my Books, and no⯑thing left to converſe with but the Letters of my dead, or abſent Friends, amongſt which latter I always placed yours, and Mr. Pope's in the firſt Rank. I lent ſome of them indeed to an ingenious Perſon, who was ſo delighted with the Specimen, that he importun'd me for a Sight of the reſt, which having obtain'd, he conveyed them to the Preſs, I muſt not ſay altoge⯑ther with my Conſent, nor wholly without it. I thought them too good to be loſt in Oblivion, and no Cauſe to apprehend the diſobliging of any. The Publick, viz. All Perſons of Taſte and Judgment, would be pleaſed with ſo agreeable an Amuſement; Mr. Cromwell could not be angry, ſince it was but Juſtice to his Merit, to publiſh the ſolemn and private Profeſ⯑ſions of Love, Gratitude and Veneration, made to him by ſo celebrated an Au⯑thor; and ſurely Mr. Pope ought not to reſent the Publication, ſince the early Preg⯑nancy of his Genius was no diſhonour to his Character. And yet had either of you been ask'd, common Modeſty would have oblig'd you to refuſe what you would not have been diſpleas'd with if done without your Knowledge; and beſides, to end all [4] Diſpute, you had been pleaſed to make me a free Gift of them to do what I pleaſed with them: And every one knows that a Perſon to whom a Letter is addreſs'd, has the ſame Right to diſpoſe of it, as he has of Goods purchaſed with his Money. I doubt not but your Generoſity and Ho⯑nour will do me the Right of owning by a Line that I came honeſtly by them. I flat⯑ter my ſelf in a few Months I ſhall again be viſible to the World, and whenever thro' good Providence that Turn ſhall happen, I ſhall joyfully acquaint you with it, there being none more truly your obliged Ser⯑vant than, Sir,
P. S. A Letter, Sir, directed to Mrs. Thomas, to be left at my Houſe, will be ſafely tranſmitted to her by E. CURL.
To Mr. POPE.
WHEN theſe Letters were firſt printed, I wonder'd how Curl could come by them, and could not but laugh at the pompous Title; ſince whatever you wrote to me was Humour and familiar Raillery. As ſoon as I came from Epſom, I heard you had been to ſee me, and I writ you a ſhort Letter from Will's, that I long'd to ſee you. Mr. D—s about that time charg'd me with giving them to a Miſtreſs, which I poſitively denied; not in the leaſt, at that time, thinking of it: But ſome time after finding in the News-Papers, Letters from Lady Packington, Lady Chudleigh, and Mr. Norris, to the ſame Sapho, or E. T. I began to fear that I was guilty. I have never ſeen theſe Let⯑ters of Curl's, nor would go to his Shop about them; I have not ſeen this Sapho, alias E. T. theſe ſeven Years;—her writing, That I gave her them to do what ſhe would with them, was ſtraining the Point too far: I thought not of it; nor do I think ſhe did then: But ſevere Neceſſity, which catches hold of a Twig, has pro⯑duced [6] all this; which has lain hid, and for⯑got by me, ſo many Years. Curl ſent me a Letter laſt Week, deſiring a poſitive An⯑ſwer about this Matter, but finding I would give him none, he went to E. T. and writ a Poſtſcript, in her long romantick Letter, to direct my Anſwer to his Houſe, but they not expecting an Anſwer, ſent a young Man to me, whoſe Name it ſeems is Pat⯑tiſſon; I told him I ſhould not write any thing, but I believed it might be ſo as ſhe writ in her Letter. I am extreamly con⯑cern'd that my former Indiſcretion, in put⯑ting them into the Hands of this Preti [...]uſe, ſhould have given you ſo much Diſturb⯑ance; for the laſt thing I ſhould do would be to diſoblige you; for whom I have ever preſerved the greateſt Eſteem, and ſhall ever be, Sir,
To Mr. POPE.
THO' I writ my long Narrative from Epſom till I was tired, yet was I not ſatisfied; left any Doubt ſhould reſt upon your Mind. I could not make Proteſtations of my Innocence of a grievous Crime; but I was impatient till I came to Town, that I might ſend you thoſe Letters, as a clear Evidence, that I was a perfect Stranger to all their Proceedings. Should I have pro⯑teſted againſt it, after the Printing, it might have been taken for an Attempt to decry his Purchaſe; and as the little Ex⯑ception you have taken, has ſerv'd him to play his Game upon us for theſe two Years; a new Incident from me might enable him to play it on for two more:—The great Value ſhe expreſſes for all you write, and her Paſſion for having them, I believe was what prevailed upon me to let her keep them. By the Interval of twelve Years at leaſt, from her Poſſeſſion to the Time of printing them, 'tis manifeſt that I had not the leaſt Ground to apprehend ſuch a De⯑ſign: But as People in great Straits, bring forth their Hoards of old Gold, and moſt [8] valuable Jewels, ſo Sapho had recourſe to her hid Treaſure of Letters, and plaid off, not only yours to me, but all thoſe to her ſelf (as the Ladies laſt Stake) into the Preſs.—As for me, I hope, when you ſhall cooly conſider the many thouſand Inſtances of our being deluded by Females, ſince that great Original of Adam by Eve, you will have a more favourable Thought of the undeſigning Error of,
This Treatment being extreamly diſagree⯑able to Mr. Pope, he was adviſed to recal any Letters which might happen to be pre⯑ſerved by any of his Friends, particularly thoſe written to Perſons deceas'd, which would be moſt ſubject to ſuch an Accident. Many of theſe were return'd him.
Some of his Friends adviſed him to print a Collection himſelf, to prevent a worſe; but this he would by no means agree to. However, as ſome of the Letters ſerved to revive ſeveral paſt Scenes of Friendſhip, and others to clear the Truth of Facts in which [9] he had been miſrepreſented by the com⯑mon Scribblers, he was induced to preſerve a few of his own Letters, as well as of his Friends. Theſe, as I have been told, he inſerted in TWO BOOKS, ſome Originals, others Copies, with a few Notes and Ex⯑tracts here and there added. In the ſame Books he cauſed to be copied ſome ſmall Pieces in Verſe and Proſe, either of his own, or his Correſpondents; which, tho' not fi⯑niſh'd enough for the Publick, were ſuch as the Partiality of any Friend would be ſorry to be depriv'd of.
To this Purpoſe, an Amanuenſis or two were employ'd by Mr. Pope, when the Books were in the Country, and by the Earl of Oxford, when they were in Town.
It happen'd ſoon after, that the Poſt⯑humous Works of Mr. Wycherly were pub⯑liſh'd, in ſuch a Manner, as could no way increaſe the Reputation of that Gentleman, who had been Mr. Pope's firſt Correſpon⯑dent and Friend; And ſeveral of theſe Letters ſo fully ſhew'd the State of that Caſe, that it was thought but a Juſtice to Mr. Wycherly's Memory to print a few, to diſcredit that Impoſition. Theſe were ac⯑cordingly tranſcrib'd for the Preſs from the Manuſcript Books above-mention'd.
[10] They were no ſooner printed, but Ed⯑mund Curl look'd on theſe too as his Pro⯑perty; for a Copy is extant, which he corrected in order to another Impreſſion, interlin'd, and added marginal Notes to, in his own Hand.
He then advertis'd anew the Letters to Mr. Cromwell, with Additions, and promis'd In⯑couragement to all Perſons who ſhould ſend him more.
This is a Practice frequent with Bookſel⯑lers, to ſwell an Author's Works, in which they have ſome Property, with any Traſh that can be got from any Hand; or where they have no ſuch Works, to procure ſome. Curl has in the ſame manner ſince adver⯑tiz'd the Letters of Mr. Prior, and Mr. Addiſon. A Practice highly deſerving ſome Check from the Legiſlature; ſince every ſuch Advertiſement, is really a Watch-word to every Scoundrel in the Nation, and to every Domeſtick of a Family, to get a Pen⯑ny, by producing any Scrap of a Man's Wri⯑ting, (of what Nature ſoever) or by picking his Maſter's Pocket of Letters and Papers.
A moſt flagrant Inſtance of this kind was the Advertiſement of an intended Book, call'd Gulliveriana Secunda; where it was promis'd ‘"that any Thing, which any Body ſhould ſend as Mr. Pope's or Dr. Swift's, ſhould be printed and inſerted as Theirs."’
[11] By theſe honeſt means, Mr. Curl went on encreaſing his Collection; and finding (as will be ſeen hereafter by No. 5.) a further Proſpect of doing ſo, he retarded his Edition of Mr. Cromwell's Letters till the Twenty-Second of March 1734-5. and then ſent Mr. Pope the following Letter, the firſt he ever receiv'd from him.
No. I.
TO convince you of my readineſs to oblige you, the Incloſed is a Demon⯑ſtration. You have, as he ſays, diſoblig'd a Gentleman, the initial Letters of whoſe Name are P. T. I have ſome other Papers in the ſame Hand relating to your Fami⯑ly, 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'll give me a Meeting, I will wait on you with Pleaſure, and cloſe all Diffe⯑rences betwixt you and yours
P. S. I expect the Civility of an Anſwer or Meſſage.
The Inclos'd were two Scraps of Paper, ſuppos'd to be P. T's. (a feigned Hand) the firſt containing this Advertiſement.
No. II.
LEtters of Alexander Pope Eſq and ſeveral eminent Hands. From the Year 1705. to 1727. Containing a Critical, Philological, and Hiſtorical Correſpondence between him and Henry Cromwell Eſq William Wycherly Eſq William Walſh Eſq William Congreve Eſq Sir William Trum⯑bull; Sir Richard Steele; E. O—, Mr. Addiſon; M. Craggs; Mr. Gay; Dean Swift, &c. with ſeveral Letters to Ladies; to the Number of two Hundred. N. B. The Originals will be ſhewn at Ed. Curl's when the Book is Publiſhed.
The other Paper was a Scrap of ſome Letter in the ſame Hand, which expreſt ‘"a Diſſatisfaction at Curl for not having printed his Advertiſement"’—What more cannot be ſeen, for the reſt is cut off cloſe to the Writing.
[13] Mr. Pope's Friends imagin'd that the whole Deſign of E. Curl was to get him but to look on the Edition of Cromwel's Letters, and ſo to print it as revis'd by Mr. Pope, in the ſame manner as he ſent an obſcene Book to a Reverend Biſhop, and then Ad⯑vertis'd it as corrected and revis'd by him. Or if there was any ſuch Propoſal from P. T. Curl would not fail to embrace it, perhaps pay for the Copy with the very Mony he might draw from Mr. P— to ſuppreſs it, and ſay P. T. had kept another Copy. He therefore anſwer'd the only way he thought it ſafe to correſpond with him, by a publick Advertiſement in the Daily Poſt-Boy.
No III.
WHereas A. P. hath received a Let⯑ter from E. C. Bookſeller, pretend⯑ing that a Perſon, the Initials of whoſe Name are P. T. hath offered the ſaid E. C. to print a large Collection of Mr. P's Let⯑ters, to which E. C. requires an Anſwer, A. P. having never had, nor intending to have, any private Correſpondence with the ſaid E. C. gives it him in this Manner. That he knows no ſuch Perſon as P. T. that he believes he hath no ſuch Collection, and that he thinks the whole a Forgery, and ſhall not trouble himſelf at all about it.
[14] Ed. Curl return'd an impertinent Anſwer in the ſame Paper the next Day, denying that he endeavour'd to correſpond with Mr. P. and affirming that he wrote by Direction, but declaring that he would inſtantly print the ſaid Collection. In a few Days more he publiſh'd the Advertiſement of the Book as above, with this Addition, ‘"E. C. as before in the like Caſe, will be faithful."’ He now talk'd of it every where, ſaid ‘"That P. T. was a LORD, or a PERSON of CONSEQUENCE, who printed the Book at a great Expence, and ſought no Profit, but Revenge on Mr. Pope, who had offen⯑ded him:"’ particularly, ‘"That ſome of the Letters would be ſuch as both Church and State would take Notice of; but that P. T. would by no means be known in it, that he never would once be ſeen by him, but treated in a very ſecret Manner."’ He told ſome Perſons that ſifted him in this Affair, ‘"that he had convers'd only with his Agent, a Clergyman of the Name of Smith, who came, as he ſaid, from Southwark."’ With this Perſon it was that Curl tranſacted the Affair, who before all the Letters of the Book were delivered to Curl, inſiſted on the Letters of P. T. being return'd him, to ſecure him from all poſſibility of a Diſcovery, as appears from No. 1 [...].
[15] Mr. Pope, on hearing of this Smith, and finding when the Book came out, that ſe⯑veral of the Letters could only have come from the Manuſcript-Book before-menti⯑on'd, publiſh'd this Advertiſement.
WHEREAS a Perſon who ſigns him-himſelf P. T. and another who writes himſelf R. Smith and paſſes for a Clergy⯑man, have Tranſacted for ſome time paſt with Edm. Curl, and have in combination printed the Private Letters of Mr. Pope and his Correſpondents [ſome of which could only be procured from his own Library, or that of a Noble Lord, and which have given a Pretence to the publiſhing others as his which are not ſo, as well as Inter⯑polating thoſe which are;] This is to ad⯑vertiſe, that if either of the ſaid Perſons will diſcover the Whole of this Affair, he ſhall receive a Reward of Twenty Guineas; or if he can prove he hath acted by* Dire⯑ction of any other, and of what Perſon, he ſhall receive double that Sum.
Whether this Advertiſement, or the future Quarrel of Curl and Smith about Profits pro⯑duced [16] what follow'd we cannot ſay, but in a few Days the enſuing Papers, being the whole Correſpondence of P. T. and Edm. Cur [...] were ſent to the Publiſher T. Cooper, which we ſhall here lay before the Reader. They begin as high as
No. IV.
UNderſtanding you propoſe to write the Life of Mr. Pope, this is only to inform you, I can ſend you diverſe Me⯑moirs which may be ſerviceable, if your Deſign be really to do him neither Injuſtice, nor ſhew him Favour. I was well ac⯑quainted with his Father, and with the firſt part of his own Life, tho' ſince he has treated me as a Stranger. It is certain ſome late Pamphlets are not fair in re⯑ſpect to his Father, who was of the youn⯑ger Branch of a Family in good Repute in Ireland, and related to the Lords Downe, formerly of the ſame Name. He was (as he hath told me himſelf, and he was [very different from his Son] a modeſt and plain honeſt Man) a Poſthumous Son, and left little provided for, his elder Brother having what ſmall Eſtate there was, who afterwards Study'd and dy'd at Oxford. He was put [17] to a Merchant in Flanders, and acquir'd a moderate Fortune by Merchandize, which he quitted at the Revolution in very good Circumſtances, and retir'd to Windſor For⯑reſt, where he purchas'd a ſmall Eſtate, and took great Delight in Husbandry and Gar⯑dens. His Mother was one of ſeventeen Children of W. Turnor Eſq formerly of Burfit Hall in the—Riding of Yorkſhire. Two of her Brothers were kill'd in the Civil Wars. This is a true Account of Mr. Pope's Family and Parentage. Of his Manners I cannot give ſo good an one, yet as I would not wrong any Man, both ought to be True; and if ſuch be your Deſign, I may ſerve you in it, not enter⯑ing into any Thing in any wiſe Libellous. You may pleaſe to direct an Anſwer in the Daily Advertiſer this Day-ſennight in theſe Terms—E. C. hath received a Letter, and will comply with P. T.
On the backſide of this Letter is endors'd in Curl's Hand,
Notice was accordingly given, as Deſir'd, in the Daily Advertiſer, upon which was ſent the following Letter.
No. V.
I Troubled you with a Line ſome time ſince, concerning your Deſign of the Life of Mr. Pope, to which I deſir'd your An⯑ſwer in the Daily Advertiſer of Thurſday the 10th Inſtant October. I do not intend my ſelf any other Profit in it, than that of doing Juſtice to, and on, that Perſon, upon whom, Sir, you have conferr'd ſome Care as well as Pains in the Courſe of your Life; and I intend him the like for his Conduct towards me. A propos to his Life, there have lately fall'n into my Hands a large Collection of his Letters, from the former Part of his Days to the Year 1727, which being more conſiderable than any yet ſeen, and opening very many Scenes new to the World, will alone make a Perfect and the moſt authentick Life and Memoirs of him that could be. To ſhew you my Sincerity and determi⯑nate Reſolution of aſſiſting you herein, I will give you an Advertiſement, which you may publiſh forthwith if you pleaſe, and on your ſo doing the Letters ſhall be ſent you. They will make a Four or Five-Sheet Book, yet I expect no more than what will barely pay a Tranſcriber, that [19] the Originals may be preſerved in mine or your Hands to vouch the Truth of them. I am of Opinion theſe alone will contain his whole Hiſtory (if you add to them what you formerly printed of thoſe to Henry Cromwell, Eſq [Here a part of the Letter is cut off, and the following Words indors'd by Curl—But you muſt put out an Advertiſement for—] otherwiſe I ſhall not be juſtify'd to ſome People who have Influence, and on whom I have ſome Dependance; unleſs it ſeem to the Publick Eye as no entrie Act of mine; but I may be juſtify'd and excus'd, if, after they ſee ſuch a Collection is made by you, I acknow⯑ledge I ſent ſome Letters to contribute thereto. They who know what hath paſs'd betwixt Mr. Pope and me formerly, may otherwiſe think it diſhonourable I ſhould ſet ſuch a thing a-foot. Therefore print the Advertiſement I ſent you, and you ſhall inſtantly hear from or ſee me:
Here a Poſtſcript is cut off.
There appears no other Letter from P. T. till one of April the 4th, which muſt be in 1735, as it relates plainly to Mr. Pope's Advertiſement in Anſwer to Curl's Letter to him of March 22d. which ſee above No. 3.
No. VI.
I See an Advertiſement in the Daily Ad⯑vertiſements, which I take to relate to Me. I did not expect you of all Men would have betray'd me to Squire Pope; but you and he both ſhall ſoon be convinc'd it was no Forgery. For ſince you would not com⯑ply with my Propoſal to advertiſe, I have printed them at my own Expence, being advis'd that I could ſafely do ſo. I wou'd ſtill give you the Preference, if you'll pay the Paper and Print, and allow me hand⯑ſomely for the Copy. But I ſhall not truſt you to meet and converſe upon it [after the Suſpicion I have of your Dealings with Maſter P.] unleſs I ſee my Advertiſement of the Book printed firſt, within theſe Four or Five days. If you are afraid of Mr. P. and dare not ſet your Name to it, as I propos'd at firſt, I do not inſiſt there⯑upon, ſo I be but conceal'd. By this I ſhall determine, and if you will not, another will. It makes a Five Shilling Book. I am
No. VII.
On a Scrap of Paper torn from a Letter, the Direction croſt out,
I ſhould not deal thus Cautiouſly or in the Dark with you, but that 'tis plain from your own Advertiſement, that you have been Treating with Mr. Pope.
No. VIII.
On another Piece cut off,
I ſtill give you, Sir, the Preference. If you will give me 3 l. a Score for 650 [each Book containing 380 Pages 8vo.] and pay down 75 l. of the ſame, the whole Impreſſion ſhall be yours, and there are Letters enough remaining (if you require) to make another 30 Sheets 8vo. a Five Shil⯑lings Book. You need only Anſwer thus in the Daily Poſt or Advertiſer in four Days—[E. C. will meet P. T. at the Roſe Tavern by the Play-Houſe at Seven in the Evening April 22d.] and one will come, and ſhow you the Sheets.
Mr. CURL'S ANSWERS. No. IX.
I have not ever met with any thing more inconſiſtent than the ſeveral Propoſals of your Letters. The Firſt bearing Date Oct. 11th 1733. gives ſome Particulars of Mr. Pope's Life, which I ſhall ſhortly make a publick Uſe of, in his Life now going to the Preſs.
The Second of your Letters of Nov. 15th 1733, informs me That if I would publiſh an Advertiſement of a Collection of Mr. Pope's Letters in your Cuſtody, the Originals ſhould be forthwith ſent me, and for which you would expect no more than what would pay for a Tranſcript of 'em.
In your Third Letter of the Fourth In⯑ſtant, you groundleſly imagine I have at⯑tempted to betray you to Mr. Pope; ſay you have printed theſe Letters your ſelf, and now want to be handſomely allow'd for the Copy, viz. 3 l. a Score, which is 2 l. more than they coſt Printing; ap⯑point a Meeting at the Roſe on the 22d. Inſtant, where I was to ſee the Sheets, deal⯑ing thus, as you truly call it, in the Dark.
April 21, You put off this Meeting, [23] fearing a Surprize from Mr. Pope. How ſhould he know of this Appointment, un⯑leſs you gave him Notice? I fear no ſuch Beſettings either of him or his Agents. That the paying of ſeventy-five Pounds would bring you to Town in a Fortnight, would I be ſo ſilly as to declare it. By your laſt Letter, of laſt Night, a Gentle⯑man is to be at my Door, at Eight this Evening, who has full Commiſſion from you.
You want ſeventy-five Pounds for a Per⯑ſon you would ſerve; That Sum I can ea⯑ſily pay, if I think the Purchaſe would be of any Service to me. But in one Word, Sir, I am engaged all this Evening, and ſhall not give my ſelf any further Trouble about ſuch jealous, groundleſs, and dark Negociations. An HONOURABLE and OPEN DEALING is what I have been always uſed to, and if you will come into ſuch a Method, I will meet you any-where, or ſhall be glad to ſee you at my own Houſe, other⯑wiſe apply to whom you pleaſe.
This appears to be the firſt Time Curl had any perſonal Conference with R. Smith the Clergyman.
No. X. To the Reverend Mr. ***
I Am ready to diſcharge the Expence of Paper, Print, and Copy-Money, and make the Copy my own, if we agree. But if I am to be your Agent, then I inſiſt to be ſolely ſo, and will punctually pay every Week for what I ſell to you.—
No. XI.
Anſwer to P. T's of 3d of May.
YOU ſhall, as all I have ever had any Dealings with have, find a JUST and HONOURABLE Treatment from me. But conſider, Sir, as the Publick, by your Means entirely, have been led into an Ini⯑tial Correſpondence betwixt E. C. and P. T. and betwixt A. P. and E. C. the Secret is ſtill as recondite as that of the Free-Maſons. P. T. are not, I dare ſay, the true Initials of your Name; or if they were, Mr. Pope has publickly declar'd, That he knows no ſuch Perſon as P. T. how then can any thing you have communicated to me, diſ⯑cover you, or expoſe you to his Reſent⯑ment?
[25] I have had Letters from another Cor⯑reſpondent, who ſubſcribes himſelf E. P. which I ſhall print as Vouchers, in Mr. Pope's Life, as well as thoſe from P. T. which, as I take it, were all ſent me for that Purpoſe, or why were they ſent at all?
Your Friend was with me on Wedneſday laſt, but I had not your laſt till this Morning, Saturday 3d of May. I am, Sir,
P. S. What you ſay appears by my Ad⯑vertiſement in relation to Mr. Pope, I faith⯑fully told your Friend the Clergyman. I wrote to Mr. Pope, to acquaint him that I was going to print a new Edition of his Letters to Mr. Cromwell, and offer'd him the Reviſal of the Sheets, hoping likewiſe, that it was now time to cloſe all former Reſent⯑ments, which, ON HONOURABLE TERMS, I was ready to do. I told him likewiſe I had a large Collection of others of his Let⯑ters, which, from your two Years Silence on that Head, I thought was neither unjuſt nor diſhonourable.
No. XII.
—I Cannot ſend the* Letters now, be⯑cauſe I have them not all by me, but either this Evening or To-morrow, you [26] ſhall not fail of them, for ſome of them are in a Scrutore of mine out of Town, and I have ſent a Meſſenger for them, who will return about Three or Four this Afternoon. Be not uneaſy, I NEVER BREAK MY WORD, and as HONOURABLE and JUST Treatment ſhall be ſhewn by me, I ſhall expect the ſame Return.
The Eſtimate and Letters you ſhall have together, but I deſire the Bearer may bring me fifty more Books. Pray come to Night, if you can.
Curl was now ſo elated with his Succeſs, the Books in his Hands, and, as he thought, the Men too, that he raiſed the Style of his Advertiſement, which he publiſh'd on the 12th of May, in theſe Words, in the Daily Poſt-Boy.
No. XIII.
THIS Day are publiſhed, and moſt beautifully printed, Price five Shillings, Mr. Pope's Literary Correſpondence for thirty Years; from 1704 to 1734. Being a Collection of Letters, regularly digeſted, writ⯑ten by him to the Right Honourable the late [27] Earl of Hallifax, Earl of Burlington, Se⯑cretary Craggs, Sir William Trumbull, Honourable J. C. General ****, Honoura⯑ble Robert Digby, Eſq Honourable Edward Blount, Eſq Mr. Addiſon, Mr. Congreve, Mr. Wycherly, Mr. Walſh, Mr. Steele, Mr. Gay, Mr. Jarvas, Dr. Arburthnot, Dean Berkeley, Dean Parnelle, &c. Alſo Letters from Mr. Pope to Mrs. Arabella Fermor, and many other Ladies. With the reſpective Anſwers of each Correſpondent. Printed for E. Curl in Roſe-ſtreet, Covent-Garden, and ſold by all Bookſellers. N. B. The Original Manuſcripts (of which Affidavit is made) may be ſeen at Mr. Curl's Houſe by all who deſire it.
And immediately after he writes thus to Smith.
No. XIV.
YOUR Letter written at Two After⯑noon on Saturday, I did not receive till paſt Ten at Night. The Title will be done to Day, and according to your Pro⯑miſe, I fully depend on the Books and MSS. To-morrow. I hope you have ſeen the Poſt-Boy, and* approve the Manner of the Advertiſement. I ſhall think every Hour a [28] long Period of Time till I have more Books, and ſee you, being, Sir,
But the Tables now began to turn. It hap⯑pened that the Bookſellers Bill (for ſo it was properly called, tho' entitled, An Act for the better Encouragement of Learning) came on this Day in the Houſe of Lords. Some of their Lordſhips having ſeen an Advertiſement of ſo ſtrange a Nature, thought it very unfit⯑ting ſuch a Bill ſhould paſs, without a Clauſe to prevent ſuch an enormous Licenſe for the future. And the Earl of I—y having read it to the Houſe, obſerved further, that as it pre⯑tended to publiſh ſeveral Letters to Lords, with the reſpective Anſwers of each Corre⯑ſpondent, it was a Breach of Privilege, and contrary to a ſtanding Order of the Houſe. Whereupon it was order'd that the Gentleman Uſher of the Black Rod do forthwith ſeize the the Impreſſion of the ſaid Book, and that the ſaid E. Curl, with J. Wilford, for whom the Daily Poſt-Boy is printed, do attend the Houſe To-morrow. And it was alſo order'd that the Bill for the better Encouragement of Learning, be read a ſecond time on this Day Sevennight. By THIS INCIDENT THE BOOKSELLERS BILL WAS THROWN OUT.
The Order made Yeſterday upon Complaint of an Advertiſement in the Poſt-Boy, of the Publication of a Book entitled Mr. Pope's Literary Correſpondence for thirty Years paſt, being read, Mr. Wilford the Publiſher, and Mr. E. Curl, were ſeverally called in and examined, and being withdrawn,
Order'd, That the Matter of the ſaid Com⯑plaint be refer'd to a Committee to meet To⯑morrow, and that E. Curl do attend the ſaid Committee. And that the Black Rod do at⯑tend with ſome of the ſaid Books.
May 14. P. T. writes to Curl, on the unexpected Incident of the Lords, to in⯑ſtruct him in his Anſwers to their Exami⯑nation, and with the utmoſt Care to con⯑ceal himſelf, to this effect.
No. XV.
THAT he congratulates him on his Victory over the Lords, the Pope, and the Devil; that the Lords could not touch a Hair of his Head, if he continued to behave boldly; that it would have a better Air in him to own the Printing as well as the Pub⯑liſhing, ſince he was no more puniſhable for [30] one than for the other; that he ſhould anſwe [...] nothing more to their Interrogatories, tha [...] that he receiv'd the Letters from different Hands; that ſome of them he bought, other [...] were given him, and that ſome of the Origi⯑nals he had, and the reſt he ſhould ſhortly have. P. T. tells him further, That he ſhall ſoon take off the Maſk he complains of; that he is not a MAN OF QUALITY (as he imagined) but one converſant with ſuch, and was concern'd particularly with a noble Friend of Mr. Pope's, in preparing for the Preſs the Letters to Mr. Wycherly; that he cauſed a Number over and above to be printed, having from that time conceived the Thought of publiſhing a Volume of P's Let⯑ters, which he went on with, and order'd, as nearly as poſſible, to reſemble That Im⯑preſſion. But this was only in ordine ad, to another more material Volume, of his Cor⯑reſpondence with Biſhop Atterbury, and the late Lord Oxford and Bolingbroke. And he confeſſes he made ſome Alterations in theſe Letters, with a View to thoſe, which Mr. Curl ſhall certainly have, if he behaves as he directs, and every way conceals P. T.
We have not this original Letter, but we hope Mr. Curl will print it; if not, it can only be for this Reaſon, That as it preceded their Quarrel but one Day, it proves the Letters to Biſhop Atterbury, Lord Bolling⯑broke, [31] &c. cannot be in Curl's Hands, tho' he has pretended to advertiſe them.
The next Day Curl anſwers him thus.
No. XVI.
I Am juſt again going to the Lords to finiſh Pope. I deſire you to ſend me the Sheets to perfect the firſt fifty Books, and likewiſe the remaining three hundred Books, and pray be at the Standard Tavern this Even⯑ing, and I will pay you twenty pounds more. My Defence is right, I only told the Lords, I did not know from whence the Books came, and that my Wife receiv'd them. This was ſtrict Truth, and prevented all further Enquiry. The Lords declar'd they had been made Pope's Tool. I put my ſelf upon this ſingle Point, and inſiſted, as there was not any Peer's Letter in the Book, I had not been guilty of any Breach of Pri⯑vilege. —Lord DELAWAR will be in the Chair by Ten this Morning, and the Houſe will be up before Three.—I depend that the Books and the Imperfections will be ſent, and believe of P. T. what I hope he believes of me.
[32] The Book was this Day produc'd, and it appearing that, contrary to the Advertiſe⯑ment, there were no Letters of Lords con⯑tain'd in it, and conſequently not falling un⯑der the Order of the Houſe, the Books were re-deliver'd.
At the ſame time Curl produc'd, and ſhew'd to ſeveral of the Lords the forego⯑ing Letter of P. T. which ſeems extraordi⯑nary, unleſs they had begun to quarrel about Profits before that Day. But after it, it is evident from the next Letter, that they had an Information of his Willingneſs to betray them, and ſo get the whole Impreſſion to himſelf.
No. XVII. To the Reverend Mr. Smith.
1. I Am falſly accus'd, 2. I value not any Man's Change of Temper; I will never change MY VERACITY for Falſhood, in owning a Fact of which I am Inno⯑cent. 3. I did not own the Books came from acroſs the Water, nor ever nam'd you, all I ſaid was, that the Books came by Water. 4. When the Books were ſeiz'd I ſent my Son to convey a Letter [33] to you, and as you told me every body knew you in Southwark, I bid him make a ſtrict Enquiry, as I am ſure you wou'd have done in ſuch an Exigency. 5. Sir I HAVE ACTED JUSTLY in this Affair, and that is what I ſhall always think wiſely. 6. I will be kept no longer in the Dark: P. T. is Will o' the Wiſp; all the Books I have had are Imperfect; the Firſt 50 had no Titles nor Prefaces, the laſt 5 Bundles ſeiz'd by the Lords contain'd but 38 in each Bundle, which amounts to 190, and 50, is in all but 240 Books. 7. As to the Loſs of a Future Copy, I deſpiſe it, nor will I be concern'd with any more ſuch dark ſuſpicious Dealers. But now Sir I'll tell you what I will do; when I have the Books perfected which I have already receiv'd, and the reſt of the Impreſſion I will pay you for them. But what do you call this Uſage? Firſt take a Note for a Month and then want it to be chang'd for one of Sir Richard Hoare's—My Note is as good, for any Sum I give it, as the BANK, and ſhall be as punctually paid. I always ſay, Gold is better than Paper, and 20 l. I will pay, if the Books are per⯑fected to morrow Morning, and the reſt ſent, or to Night is the ſame thing to me. But if this dark converſe goes on, I will Inſtantly reprint the whole Book, and as [34] a Supplement to it, all the Letters P. T. ever ſent me, of which I have exact copies; together with all your Originals, and give them in upon Oath to my Lord Chancel⯑lor. You talk of Truſt; P. T. has not re⯑pos'd any in me, for he has my Mony and Notes for imperfect Books. Let me ſee, Sir, either P. T. or your ſelf, or you'll find the Scots Proverb verify'd
P. S. Lord—I attend this Day▪ LORD DELAWAR I SUP WITH TO NIGHT. Where Pope has one Lord, I have twenty.
Mr. Curl, juſt after, in the London Poſt or Daily Advertiſer, printed this Advertiſe⯑ment.
No. XVIII.
—MR. Pope's Litterary Correſpondence &c. with a Supplement, of the In⯑itial Correſpondence of P. T. E. P. R. S. &c.
To which in two Days more his Correſ⯑pondents return'd the following
No. XIX.
TO manifeſt to the World the Inſolence of E. Curl, we hereby declare that neither P. T. much leſs R. S. his Agent, ever did give, or could pretend to give any Title whatever in Mr. Pope's Letters to the ſaid E. Curl, and he is hereby challeng'd to produce any Pretence to the Copy whatſoever.—We help'd the ſaid E. Curl to the Letters, and join'd with him, on Con⯑dition he ſhould pay a certain Sum for the Books as he ſold them; accordingly the ſaid E. Curl receiv'd 250 Books which he ſold (Perfect and Imperfect) at 5 ſhill. each, and for all which he never paid more than 10 Guineas, and gave Notes for the reſt which prov'd not Negotionable. Beſides which, P. T. was perſwaded by R. S. at the Inſtigation of E. Curl, to pay the Expence of the whole Impreſſion, viz. 75 l. no part whereof was repaid by the ſaid Curl. There⯑fore every Bookſeller will be indemnify'd every way from any poſſible Proſecution or Moleſtation of the ſaid E. Curl, and where⯑as the ſaid E. Curl threatens to publiſh our Correſpondence, and as much as in him lies, to betray his Benefactors, we ſhall alſo pub⯑liſh his Letters to us, which will open a Scene of Baſeneſs and foul Dealing that [36] will ſufficiently ſhow to Mankind his Cha⯑racter and Conduct.
The Effect of this Quarrel has been the putting into our Hands all the Correſpon⯑dence above; which having given the Rea⯑der, to make what Reflections he pleaſes on, we have nothing to add but our hearty Wiſhes, (in which we doubt not every honeſt Man will concur,) that the next Seſſions, when the BOOKSELLERS BILL ſhall be again brought in, the Legiſlature will be pleas'd not to extend the Privileges, without at the ſame Time reſtraining the Licence, of Book⯑ellers. Since in a Caſe ſo notorious as the printing a Gentleman's PRIVATE LETTERS, moſt Eminent, both Printers and Bookſel⯑lers, conſpired to aſſiſt the Pyracy both in printing and in vending the ſame.
P. S.
We are Inform'd, that notwithſtanding the Pretences of Edmund Curl, the Original Let⯑ters of Mr. Pope with the Poſt-Marks up⯑on them, remain ſtill in the Books from whence they were copy'd, and that ſo many Omiſſions and Interpolations have been made in this Publication as to render it Impoſſible for Mr. P. to own them in the Condition they appear.