The reviewer censured some
attacks upon contemporaries--a reference obviously to the lines upon
Dennis--which the author had admitted into his "very fine poem;" but
there were compliments enough to overbalance this slight reproof. Pope
wrote a letter of acknowledgment to Steele, overflowing with the
sincerest gratitude of a young poet on his first recognition by a high
authority. Steele, in reply, disclaimed the article, and promised to
introduce Pope to its real author, the great Addison himself. It does
not seem that the acquaintance thus opened with the Addisonians ripened
very rapidly, or led to any considerable results. Pope, indeed, is said
to have written some _Spectators_. He certainly sent to Steele his
_Messiah_, a sacred eclogue in imitation of Virgil's _Pollio_. It
appeared on May 14th, 1712, and is one of Pope's dexterous pieces of
workmanship, in which phrases from Isaiah are so strung together as to
form a good imitation of the famous poem, which was once supposed to
entitle Virgil to some place among the inspired heralds of Christianity.
Pope sent another letter or two to Steele, which look very much like
intended contributions to the _Spectator_, and a short letter about
Hadrian's verses to his soul, which appeared in November, 1712. When, in
1713, the _Guardian_ succeeded the _Spectator_, Pope was one of Steele's
contributors, and a paper by him upon dedications appeared as the fourth
number. He soon gave a more remarkable proof of his friendly relations
with Addison.
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