imself to rise;
Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer,
And, without sneering, others teach to sneer;
Willing to wound, and yet afraid to strike,
Just hint a fault, and hesitate dislike;
Alike reserv'd to blame or to commend,
A tim'rous foe, and a suspicious friend;
Dreading even fools; by flatt'rers besieg'd;
And so obliging, that he ne'er oblig'd.
Like Cato give his little senate laws,
[Transcriber's note: 'litttle' in original]
And sit attentive to his own applause;
While Wits and Templars ev'ry sentence raise,
And wonder with a foolish face of praise.
Who but must laugh, if such a man there be!
Who would not weep, if Atticus were he!

Some readers may think these lines severe, but the treatment he received
from Mr. Addison, was more than sufficient to justify them, which will
appear when we particularize an interview between these two poetical
antagonists, procured by the warm sollicitations of Sir Richard Steele,
who was present at it, as well as Mr. Gay.

Mr. Jervas being one day in company with Mr. Addison, the conversation
turned upon Mr. Pope, for whom Addison, at that time, expressed the
highest regard, and assured Mr. Jervas, that he would make use not only
of his interest, but of his art likewise, to do Mr. Pope service; he
then said, he did not mean his art of poetry, but his art at court, and
protested, notwithstanding many insinuations were spread, that it shall
not be his fault, if there was not the best understanding and
intelligence between them. He observed, that Dr. Swift might have
carried him too far among the enemy, during the animosity, but now all
was safe, and Mr. Pope, in his opinion, was escaped. When Mr. Jervas
communicated this conversation to Mr. Pope, he made this reply: 'The
friendly office you endeavour to do between Mr. Addison and me deserves
acknowledgments on my part. You thoroughly know my regard to his
character, and my readiness to testify it by all ways in my power; you
also thoroughly knew the meanness of that proceeding of Mr. Phillips, to
make a man I so highly value suspect my disposition towards him. But as,
after all, Mr. Addison must be judge in what regards himself, and as he
has seemed not to be a very just one to me, so I must own to you, I
expect nothing but civility from him, how much soever I wish for his
friendship; and as for any offers of real kindness or service which it
is in his power to do me, I should be ashamed to