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Article THE LIFE OF BISHOP WARBURTON. Page 1 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Life Of Bishop Warburton.
THE LIFE OF BISHOP WARBURTON .
[ CONTINUED FROM OUR LAST . ]
THUS year , but something earlier , came out Dr . Middleton's - ° - famous ' History of the Life of Cicero ; ' which was received by the public , as it deserved to be , with great applause . Mr . Warburton was not behind hand in his commendations of the performance . A familiar correspondence and a friendly intimacy had , for some time , subsisted between these two great men , which ,
notwithstanding their diversity of opinion on relig ious subjects , were kept alive bv a general princip le of candour . A dispute , however , about the origin of Popish ceremonies , supported with a degree of pertinacity onlioth sides , cooled their friendship . A memorable instance of outcommon weakness I which shews how little stress is to be , laid on those professions of candour with which our letters and
conversations overflow ; and how impossible it is for any lasting friendship to subsist between men of opposite principles and persuasions , however their feelings may , for a time , be dissembled , or disguised even to themselves , by a shew of politeness .
The friendship between Mr . Warburton and Mr . Pope became every day closer and more ' confidential . In the beginning of this summer they passed some weeks together at Twickenham ; and in a country ramble were at ' last led to Oxford . The University seemed desirous of enrolling their names among their graduates . The degree of D . D . was intended for the divine , and that of L . L . D . for ' the poet , as a testimony of their great respect for each . But intrigue
and envy defeated this scheme ; and the University lost the honour of decorating , at the same time , the two greatest geniuses of the age , by the fault of one or two of " its members . In some of their interesting conversations together , Warburton advised Pope to make some alterations and improvements in his moral writings , and particularly advised him to strike out every thing in them that mig ht be suspeBed of haming the least glance towards fate or materialism . To this Mr . Pope consented , we are told , < witb
extreme pleasure . It was also at this time that he concerted with him the plan of . the 4 fh book of the Dunci . td , which was finished in 1742 , ' and a project was formed of making Mr . Warburton the editor of the four books complete ; -which was executed very early in 1 743 ; and so much to the author ' s satisfaftion , that he afterwards engaged him to sustain the like office , with regard to the rest of his works . The most unreserved confidence continued between the two friends till Mr . Pope ' s death in May , 1744 . VOL . xi . i i
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Life Of Bishop Warburton.
THE LIFE OF BISHOP WARBURTON .
[ CONTINUED FROM OUR LAST . ]
THUS year , but something earlier , came out Dr . Middleton's - ° - famous ' History of the Life of Cicero ; ' which was received by the public , as it deserved to be , with great applause . Mr . Warburton was not behind hand in his commendations of the performance . A familiar correspondence and a friendly intimacy had , for some time , subsisted between these two great men , which ,
notwithstanding their diversity of opinion on relig ious subjects , were kept alive bv a general princip le of candour . A dispute , however , about the origin of Popish ceremonies , supported with a degree of pertinacity onlioth sides , cooled their friendship . A memorable instance of outcommon weakness I which shews how little stress is to be , laid on those professions of candour with which our letters and
conversations overflow ; and how impossible it is for any lasting friendship to subsist between men of opposite principles and persuasions , however their feelings may , for a time , be dissembled , or disguised even to themselves , by a shew of politeness .
The friendship between Mr . Warburton and Mr . Pope became every day closer and more ' confidential . In the beginning of this summer they passed some weeks together at Twickenham ; and in a country ramble were at ' last led to Oxford . The University seemed desirous of enrolling their names among their graduates . The degree of D . D . was intended for the divine , and that of L . L . D . for ' the poet , as a testimony of their great respect for each . But intrigue
and envy defeated this scheme ; and the University lost the honour of decorating , at the same time , the two greatest geniuses of the age , by the fault of one or two of " its members . In some of their interesting conversations together , Warburton advised Pope to make some alterations and improvements in his moral writings , and particularly advised him to strike out every thing in them that mig ht be suspeBed of haming the least glance towards fate or materialism . To this Mr . Pope consented , we are told , < witb
extreme pleasure . It was also at this time that he concerted with him the plan of . the 4 fh book of the Dunci . td , which was finished in 1742 , ' and a project was formed of making Mr . Warburton the editor of the four books complete ; -which was executed very early in 1 743 ; and so much to the author ' s satisfaftion , that he afterwards engaged him to sustain the like office , with regard to the rest of his works . The most unreserved confidence continued between the two friends till Mr . Pope ' s death in May , 1744 . VOL . xi . i i