Pope, at any rate, turned it to account.

He at once published an insulting advertisement.

Curll (he said in this manifesto) had pretended to have had the offer from P.
T.of a large collection of Pope's letters; Pope knew nothing of P.T., believed the letters to be forgeries, and would take no more trouble in the matter.

Whilst Curll was presumably smarting under this summary slap on the face, the insidious P.T.stepped in once more.

P.T.now said that he was in possession of the printed sheets of the correspondence, and the negotiation went on swimmingly.