y in 1714, and in the four succeeding editions of
1720, 1722, 1727 and 1732.

This poem was written at two different times. The first part of it,
which relates to the country, in the year 1704, at the same time with
the Pastorals. The latter part was not added till the year 1713, in
which it was published.--POPE.

In 1713 Pope published Windsor Forest; of which part was, as he relates,
written at sixteen, about the same time as his Pastorals; and the latter
part was added afterwards: where the addition begins we are not told.[1]
The lines relating to the Peace confess their own date. It is dedicated
to Lord Lansdowne, who was then in high reputation and influence among
the tories; and it is said, that the conclusion of the poem gave great
pain to Addison, both as a poet and a politician. Reports like this are
often spread with boldness very disproportionate to their evidence. Why
should Addison receive any particular disturbance from the last lines of
Windsor Forest? If contrariety of opinion could poison a politician, he
would not live a day; and, as a poet, he must have felt Pope's force of
genius much more from many other parts of his works. The pain that
Addison might feel, it is not likely that he would confess; and it is
certain that he so well suppressed his discontent, that Pope now thought
himself his favourite.

The design of Windsor Forest is evidently derived from Cooper's Hill,
with some attention to Waller's poem on the Park; but Pope cannot be
denied to excel his masters in variety and elegance, and the art of
interchanging description, narrative, and morality. The objection made
by Dennis is the want of plan, of a regular subordination of parts,
terminating in the principal and original design. There is this want in
most descriptive poems, because as the scenes, which they must exhibit
successively, are all subsisting at the same time, the order in which
they are shown must, by necessity, be arbitrary, and more is not to be
expected from the last part than from the first. The attention,
therefore, which cannot be detained by suspense, must be excited by
diversity, such as this poem offers to its reader. But the desire of
diversity may be too much indulged. The parts of Windsor Forest which
deserve least praise are those which were added to enliven the stillness
of the scene--the appearance of Father Thames, and the transformation
of Lodona. Addison had, in his Campaign, derided the rivers, that