6. The Man of Taste. The Gate of Burlington-house. Pope white-washing it, and bespattering the Duke of Chandos's coach. "A satire on Pope's Epistle on Taste. No name." It has been already observed that the plate was suppressed; and if this be true, the suppression may be accounted for from the following inscription, lately met with at the back of one of the copies.
"Bot this book of Mr. Wayte, at The Fountain Tavern, in The Strand, in the presence of Mr. Draper, who told me he had it of the Printer, Mr. W. Rayner.[1]
"J. Cosins."
On this attested memorandum a prosecution seems meant to have been founded. Cosins was an attorney, and Pope was desirous on all occasions to make the law the engine of his revenge.
[1] Rayner was at that time already under prosecution for publishing a pamphlet called, "Robin's Game, or Seven's the Main." Neglecting to surrender himself, he was taken by a writ of execution from the crown, and confined to the King's Bench; where he became connected with Lady Dinely, whole character was of equal infamy with his own.
7. The same, in a smaller size; prefixed to a pamphlet, intituled, "A Miscellany of Taste, by Mr. Pope," &c. containing his Epistles, with Notes and other poems. In the former of these Mr. Pope has a tie-wig on, in the latter a cap.
8. The same, in a size still smaller; very coarsely engraved. Only one of them is noted by Mr. Walpole.
A reader of these Anecdotes observes, "That the total silence of Pope concerning so great an artist, encourages a suspicion that his attacks were felt though not resented. The thunders of the poet were usually pointed at inglorious adversaries; but he might be conscious of a more equal match in our formidable caricaturist. All ranks of people have eyes for pencil'd ridicule, but of written satire we have fewer judges. It may be suspected, that the 'pictured shape' would never have been complained of, had it been produced only by a bungler in his art. But from the powers of Hogarth, Pope seems to have apprehended more lasting inconvenience; and the event has justified his fear. The frontispiece to Smedley's Gulliveriana has been long forgotten; but the Gate of Burlington house is an object coveted by all who assemble prints of humour.—It may be added, that our painter's reputation was at the height ten years before the death of Pope, who could not therefore have overlooked his merit, though, for some reason or other, he has forborne to introduce the slightest allusion to him or his performances. Yet these, or copies from them, were to be met with in almost every public and private house throughout the kingdom; nor was it easy for the bard of Twickenham to have mixed in the conversation of the times, without being obliged to hear repeated praises of the author of The Harlot's Progress."
The sheet containing this page having been shewn to a friend, produced from him the following remark: "That Pope was silent on the merits of Hogarth (as one of your readers has observed) should excite little astonishment, as our artist's print on the South Sea exhibits the translator of Homer in no very flattering point of view. He is represented with one of his hands in the pocket of a fat personage, who wears a hornbook at his girdle. For whom this figure was designed, is doubtful. Perhaps it was meant for Gay, who was a fat man, and a loser in the same scheme."—"Gay," says Dr. Johnson, "in that disastrous year had a present from young Craggs of some South-sea stock, and once supposed himself to be master of twenty-thousand pounds. His friends persuaded him to sell his share; but he dreamed of dignity and splendour, and could not bear to obstruct his own fortune. He was then importuned to sell as much as would purchase an hundred a year for life, which, says Fenton, will make you sure of a clean shirt and a shoulder of mutton every day. This counsel was rejected; the profit and principal were lost, and Gay sunk under the calamity so low that his life became in danger.—The Hornbook appended to his girdle, perhaps, refers to the Fables he wrote for the Duke of Cumberland. Some of your ingenious correspondents, or Mr. Walpole, who is instar omnium, may be able to give a further illustration. The conclusion to the inscription under this plate—Guess at the rest, you'll find out more—seems also to imply a consciousness of such personal satire as it was not prudent to explain. I may add, that the print before us exhibits more than one figure copied from Callot. Among the people going along the gallery to raffle for husbands, the curious observer will recognize the Old Maid with lappets flying, &c. afterwards introduced into the scene of Morning. Dr. Johnson, however, bears witness to the propriety of our great poet's introduction into a satire on the 'disastrous year of national infatuation, when more riches than Peru can boast were expected from the South Sea; when the contagion of avarice tainted every mind; and Pope, being seized with the universal passion, ventured some of his money. The stock rose in its price; and he for a while thought himself The Lord of Thousands. But this dream of happiness did not last long: and he seems to have waked soon enough to get clear with the loss only of what he once thought himself to have won, and perhaps not wholly that.'"