The first of our author’s compositions now extant in print, is an Ode on Solitude, written before he was twelve years old:  Which, consider’d as the production of so early an age, is a perfect master piece; nor need he have been ashamed of it, had it been written in the meridian of his genius.  While it breathes the most delicate spirit of poetry, it at the same time demonstrates his love of solitude, and the rational pleasures which attend the retreats of a contented country life.

Two years after this he translated the first Book of Statius’ Thebais, and wrote a copy of verses on Silence, in imitation of the Earl of Rochester’s poem on Nothing[1].  Thus we find him no sooner capable of holding the pen, than he employed it in writing verses,

  “He lisp’d [Transcriber’s note:  ‘lips’d’ in original] in Numbers, for
  the Numbers came.”

Though we have had frequent opportunity to observe, that poets have given early displays of genius, yet we cannot recollect, that among the inspired tribe, one can be found who at the age of twelve could produce so animated an Ode; or at the age of fourteen translate from the Latin.  It has been reported indeed, concerning Mr. Dryden, that when he was at Westminster-School, the master who had assigned a poetical task to some of the boys, of writing a Paraphrase on our Saviour’s Miracle, of turning Water into Wine, was perfectly astonished when young Dryden presented him with the following line, which he asserted was the best comment could be written upon it.

  The conscious water saw its God, and blush’d.

This was the only instance of an early appearance of genius in this great man, for he was turn’d of 30 before he acquired any reputation; an age in which Mr. Pope’s was in its full distinction.

The year following that in which Mr. Pope wrote his poem on Silence, he began an Epic Poem, intitled Alcander, which he afterwards very judiciously committed to the flames, as he did likewise a Comedy, and a Tragedy; the latter taken from a story in the legend of St. Genevieve; both of these being the product of those early days.  But his Pastorals, which were written in 1704, when he was only 16 years of age, were esteemed by Sir William Trumbull, Mr. Granville, Mr. Wycherley, Mr. Walsh and others of his friends, too valuable to be condemned to the same fate.

Mr. Pope’s Pastorals are four, viz.

  Spring, address’d to Sir William Trumbull,
  Summer, to Dr. Garth. 
  Autumn, to Mr. Wycherley. 
  Winter, in memory of Mrs. Tempest.

The three great writers of Pastoral Dialogue, which Mr. Pope in some measure seems to imitate, are Theocritus, Virgil, and Spenser.  Mr. Pope is of opinion, that Theocritus excells all others in nature and simplicity.

That Virgil, who copies Theocritus, refines on his original; and in all points in which judgment has the principal part is much superior to his master.