He wrote to Marchmont, one of Pope's
executors, that there could be "no excuse for Pope's design of
publishing it after the favour you and I know." This is further
explained by a note added in pencil by Marchmont's executor, "1000_l._;"
and the son of this executor, who published the Marchmont papers, says
that this was the favour received by Pope from the duchess. This,
however, is far from proving a direct bribe. It is, in fact, hardly
conceivable that the duchess and Pope should have made such a bargain in
direct black and white, and equally inconceivable that two men like
Bolingbroke and Marchmont should have been privy to such a transaction,
and spoken of it in such terms. Bolingbroke thinks that the favour
received laid Pope under an obligation, but evidently does not think
that it implied a contract. Mr. Dilke has further pointed out that there
are many touches in the character which distinctly apply to the Duchess
of Buckingham, with whom Pope had certainly quarrelled, and which will
not apply to the Duchess of Marlborough, who had undoubtedly made
friends with him during the last years of his life. Walpole again tells
a story, partly confirmed by Warton, that Pope had shown the character
to each duchess (Warton says only to Marlborough), saying that it was
meant for the other. The Duchess of Buckingham, he says, believed him;
the other had more sense and paid him 1000_l._ to suppress it. Walpole
is no trustworthy authority; but the coincidence implies at least that
such a story was soon current.
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