( 319 ) TICKEL L. 1686-1740. Born at Bridekirk, in Cumberland · Educated at Oxford Marries His first Poems His Transla Acquires the friendship of Addison tion of the first Book of the Iliad - Made Under-Secretary Addison leaves him the charge of Publishing his Works - His Elegy on Addison Made Secretary to the Lords Justices Death at Bath Works and Character. THOMAS TICKELL, the son of the Reverend Richard Tickell, was born in 1686 at Bridekirk in Cumberland; and in April, 1701, became a member of Queen's College in Oxford; in 1708 he was made Master of Arts, and two years afterwards [9th Nov., 1710] was chosen Fellow; for which, as he did not comply with the statutes by taking orders, he obtained [25th Oct., 1717] a dispensation from the Crown. He held his Fellowship till 1726, and then vacated it, by marrying,' in that year, at Dublin. Tickell was not one of those scholars who wear away their lives in closets; he entered early into the world, and was long busy in public affairs; in which he was initiated under the patronage of Addison, whose notice he is said to have gained by his verses in praise of 'Rosamond.' To those verses it would not have been just to deny regard; for they contain some of the most elegant encomiastic strains; and, among the innumerable poems of the same kind, it will be hard to find one with which they need to fear a comparison. It may deserve observation, that when Pope wrote. 1 A Miss Eustace, with a fortune of 80007. or 10,0007. (Daily Post' of 9 February, 1726.) He was married at Dublin, by the Primate of Ireland, on St. George's Day, 1726. (New College Register.) 2 An early acquaintance with the classics is what may be called the goodbreeding of poetry, as it gives a certain gracefulness which never forsakes a mind that contracted it in youth, but is seldom or never hit by those who would learn it too late.-TICKELL: Preface to Addison's Works. long afterwards3 in praise of Addison, he has copied, at least has resembled, Tickell. "Let joy transport fair Rosamonda's shade, Since Love, which made them wretched, makes them great. Nor longer that relentless doom bemoan TICKELL [1709].* "Then future ages with delight shall see POPE [1721]. He produced another piece of the same kind at the appearance of 'Cato,' with equal skill, but not equal happiness. When the ministers of Queen Anne were negotiating with France, Tickell published [1713] 'The Prospect of Peace,' a poem, of which the tendency was to reclaim the nation from the pride of conquest to the pleasures of tranquillity. How far Tickell, whom Swift afterwards mentioned as Whiggissimus, had then connected himself with any party, I know not; this poem certainly did not flatter the practices, or promote the opinions, of the men by whom he was afterwards befriended. 6 5 Mr. Addison, however he hated the men then in power, suffered his friendship to prevail over his public spirit, and gave in 'The Spectator' such praises of Tickell's poem, that when, after having long wished to peruse it, I laid hold on it at last, I thought it unequal to the honours which it had received, and found it a piece to be approved rather than admired. But the hope excited by a work of genius, being general and indefinite, In 1721. 'To Mr. Addison, occasioned by his Dialogues on Medals,' but originally written in 1715. These verses were first published in Tonson's 'Sixth Miscellany' (1709). Pope, as well as Tickell, made his first appearance as a poet in this Miscellany. 5 Swift to Dr. Sheridan, Sept. 25, 1725. (Scott's Swift, xvi. 491, 2nd ed.) The Spectator, No. 523, Oct. 30, 1712. 7 Fools admire, but men of sense approve.-POPE. 1686-1740. HIS TRANSLATION FROM THE ILIAD. 321 is rarely gratified. It was read at that time with so much favour, that six editions were sold. At the arrival of King George he sung The Royal Progress;' which being inserted in 'The Spectator's is well known, and of which it is just to say, that it is neither high nor low. The poetical incident of most importance in Tickell's life was his publication [June 1715] of the first book of the 'Iliad,' as translated by himself, an apparent opposition to Pope's 'Homer,' of which the first part made its entrance into the world at the same time." Addison declared that the rival versions were both good; but that Tickell's was the best that ever was made; and with Addison the wits, his adherents and followers, were certain to concur. Pope does not appear to have been much dismayed ; "for," says he, "I have the town, that is, the mob on my side." But he remarks, "that it is common for the smaller party to make up in diligence what they want in numbers; he appeals to the people as his proper judges; and if they are not inclined to condemn him, he is in little care about the high-flyers at Button's.' " 10 Pope did not long think Addison an impartial judge; for he considered him as the writer of Tickell's version. The reasons for his suspicion I will literally transcribe from Mr. Spence's Collection. "There had been a coldness (said Mr. Pope) between Mr. Addison and me for some time; and we had not been in company together, for a good while, any where but at Button's coffee-house, where I used to see him almost every day. On his meeting me there, one day in particular, he took me aside, The Spectator,' No. 620, for Nov. 15, 1714. 9 I must inform the reader that when I begun this first book I had some thoughts of translating the whole 'Iliad,' but had the pleasure of being diverted from that design by finding that the work was fallen into a much abler hand. I would not, therefore, be thought to have any other view in publishing this small specimen of Homer's Iliad,' than to bespeak, if possible, the favour of the public to a translation of Homer's Odyssey,' wherein I have already made some progress.—TICKELL: To the Reader. 10 This is the sense, though not the exact words, of Pope's letter to Craggs, of July 15, 1715. (Letters, 4to., 1737, p. 127.) VOL. II. Y and said he should be glad to dine with me, at such a tavern, if I would stay till those people (Budgell and Philips) were gone. We went accordingly; and after dinner Mr. Addison said, 'That he had wanted for some time to talk with me; that his friend Tickell had formerly, whilst at Oxford, translated the first book of the Iliad;' that he now designed to print it, and had desired him to look it over; he must therefore beg that I would not desire him to look over my first book, because, if he did, it would have the air of double-dealing.' I assured him that I did not at all take it ill of Mr. Tickell that he was going to publish his translation; that he certainly had as much right to translate any author as myself; and that publishing both was entering on a fair stage. I then added, that I would not desire him to look over my first book of the 'Iliad,' because he had looked over Mr. Tickell's; but could wish to have the benefit of his observations on my second, which I had then finished, and which Mr. Tickell had not touched upon. Accordingly I sent him the second book the next morning; and in a few days he returned it, with very high commendation. Soon after it was generally known that Mr. Tickell was publishing the first book of the Iliad,' I met Dr. Young in the street; and, upon our falling into that subject, the Doctor expressed a great deal of surprise at Tickell's having such a translation by him so long. He said, that it was inconceivable to him, and that there must be some mistake in the matter; that he and Tickell were so intimately acquainted at Oxford, that each used to communicate to the other whatever verses they wrote, even to the least things; that Tickell could not have been busied in so long a work there without his knowing something of the matter; and that he had never heard a single word of it till on this occasion. This surprise of Dr. Young, together with what Steele has said against Tickell in relation to this affair," make it highly probable that there was some underhand dealing in that business; and indeed Tickell himself, who is a very fair, worthy man, has since, in a "He [Addison] translated the first book of the 'Iliad' that appeared as Tickell's; and Steele has blurted it out in his angry Preface against Tickell.— POPE: Spence by Singer, p. 47. |