undertakings. He,
indeed, who forms his opinion of himself in solitude, without knowing
the powers of other men, is very liable to errour; but it was the
felicity of Pope to rate himself at his real value.

Most of his puerile productions were, by his maturer judgment,
afterwards destroyed; Alcander, the epick poem, was burnt by the
persuasion of Atterbury. The tragedy was founded on the legend of St.
Genevieve. Of the comedy there is no account.

Concerning his studies it is related, that he translated Tully on Old
Age; and that, besides his books of poetry and criticism, he read
Temple's Essays and Locke on Human Understanding. His reading, though
his favourite authors are not known, appears to have been sufficiently
extensive and multifarious; for his early pieces show, with sufficient
evidence, his knowledge of books.

He that is pleased with himself easily imagines that he shall please
others. Sir William Trumbull, who had been ambassador at Constantinople,
and secretary of state, when he retired from business, fixed his
residence in the neighbourhood of Binfield. Pope, not yet sixteen, was
introduced to the statesman of sixty, and so distinguished himself, that
their interviews ended in friendship and correspondence. Pope was,
through his whole life, ambitious of splendid acquaintance; and he seems
to have wanted neither diligence nor success in attracting the notice
of the great; for, from his first entrance into the world, and his
entrance was very early, he was admitted to familiarity with those whose
rank or station made them most conspicuous.

From the age of sixteen the life of Pope, as an author, may be properly
computed. He now wrote his Pastorals, which were shown to the poets and
criticks of that time; as they well deserved, they were read with
admiration, and many praises were bestowed upon them and upon the
preface, which is both elegant and learned in a high degree: they were,
however, not published till five years afterwards.

Cowley, Milton, and Pope, are distinguished among the English poets by
the early exertion of their powers; but the works of Cowley alone were
published in his childhood, and, therefore, of him only can it be
certain that his puerile performances received no improvement from his
maturer studies.

At this time began his acquaintance with Wycherley, a man who seems to
have had among his contemporaries his full share of reputation, to have
been esteemed without virtue, and c