The "Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot," which seems to be derived in its
first design from Boileau's Address a son Esprit, was published in
January, 1735, about a month before the death of him to whom it is
inscribed. It is to be regretted that either honour or pleasure
should have been missed by Arbuthnot, a man estimable for his
learning, amiable for his life, and venerable for his piety.
Arbuthnot was a man of great comprehension, skilful in his
profession, versed in the sciences, acquainted with ancient
literature, and able to animate his mass of knowledge by a bright
and active imagination; a scholar with great brilliance of wit, a
wit who, in the crowd of life, retained and discovered a noble
ardour of religious zeal. In this poem Pope seems to reckon with
the public. He vindicates himself from censures, and with dignity
rather than arrogance enforces his own claims to kindness and
respect. Into this poem are interwoven several paragraphs which had
been before printed, as a fragment, and among them the satirical
lines upon Addison, of which the last couplet has been twice
corrected. It was at first -


"Who would not smile if such a man there be?
Who would not laugh if Addison were he?"


Then -


"Who would not grieve if such a man there be?
Who would not laugh if Addison were he?"