Montagu: "Leave Pope as soon as you can; he will certainly play you some devilish trick else." His first trick was calculated to vex an editor's soul.

Ambrose Philips, as I have said, had published certain pastorals in the same volume with Pope's.

Philips, though he seems to have been less rewarded than most of his companions, was certainly accepted as an attached member of Addison's "little senate;" and that body was not more free than other mutual admiration societies from the desire to impose its own prejudices upon the public.

When Philips's _Distressed Mother_, a close imitation of Racine's _Andromaque_, was preparing for the stage, the Spectator was taken by Will Honeycomb to a rehearsal (_Spectator_, January 31, 1712), and Sir Roger de Coverley himself attended one of the performances (_Ib._, March 25) and was profoundly affected by its pathos.

The last paper was of course by Addison, and is a real triumph of art as a most delicate application of humour to the slightly unworthy purpose of puffing a friend and disciple.