Copy 1, Volume 1

The works of Alexander Pope, esq. with notes and illustrations by himself and others. To which are added a new life of the author, an estimate of his poetical character and writings, and occasional remarks / by William Roscoe. Esq.

  • Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The works of Alexander Pope, esq. with notes and illustrations by himself and others. To which are added a new life of the author, an estimate of his poetical character and writings, and occasional remarks / by William Roscoe. Esq. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    37/698 (page 25)
    independent of their internal evidence, the following account (which has been given to the public by Mr. Singer, the editor of the most complete edition), is conclusive :— “ The original copy of Spence’s Anecdotes, with all the other papers of Mr. Spence, re- mained in the hands of Dr. Lowth,* and were by him, some time previous to his decease, given to the late Mr. Forster, (his private se- cretary) from whose representatives they have been obtained, and will form the materials of this publication.” These manuscripts were purchased by Mr. Carpenter the bookseller, from the nephew of Mr. Forster, but now belong to Mr. Singer, to whom I am indebt- ed for this particular mformation respecting them. | It must, however, be observed, that not- withstanding the information afforded by these and other sources for the life of Pope, there are many parts of it which have long been, and perhaps will still remain, subjects of a controversial nature; and that however de- . sirous his biographer might now be, of laying _ before the public a plain and impartial narra- tive, he will probably find himself impeded by innumerable obstacles, thrown in the way * One of the executors of Mr. Spence.