deceptive, or we must admit that his
mind was essentially corrupt. His correspondence brings up the
ever-recurring enquiry, and we have to decide whether his letters are
not many of them fraudulent, and the circumstances attending their
publication a series of ignominious plots, infamous false accusations,
and impudent lies.

Every examination into the history of the letters was slight before Mr.
Dilke engaged in the laborious task. His familiarity with the books,
pamphlets, and periodicals of the time could not be exceeded, and his
doubts once awakened he accepted nothing upon trust. With an immense
amount of research and skill he proceeded to track Pope through his
tortuous courses. He laid bare the ramifications of the plot against
Curll, which was only known in a few of its prominent particulars. He
detected, what none of the editors and biographers had perceived, the
base manoeuvres and deceit which accompanied the publication of the
"Letters to and from Dr. Swift." He was originally put upon his
investigations by the manuscript collection of Pope's letters to Caryll,
and these revealed a new set of frauds in the evidence they supplied of
letters converted into a fictitious correspondence. His inclination was
to favour Pope whenever there was an opening for a liberal
interpretation, and it was not from hostility that he exposed the
net-work of fraud, and brought out the dark traits of a dishonourable
disposition with new and terrible force. He printed his discoveries in
the Athenaeum[14], and after studying the facts afresh by the light of
his essays, I am compelled to adopt his conclusions. The evidence upon
which they rest is often circumstantial and intricate, and cannot be
followed to the end without steady attention, and some trial of
patience.

The letters of the poet which were first sent to the press were given by
Cromwell to his mistress, Elizabeth Thomas, who sold them in her
distress to Curll for ten guineas. She was a shameless woman, and boldly
justified her conduct. "Everyone," she said, "knows that the person to
whom a letter is addressed has the same right to dispose of it as he has
of goods purchased with his money." The right which originally belonged
to Cromwell, of publishing to the world whatever had been written to
him in the confidence of friendship, he had, by his gift, transferred to
herself; and thus it appeared that Cromwell had a right to be
treacherous to Pope, and Mrs. Thomas a righ