having an opportunity of praising Allen of Bath, he asked his leave
to mention him as a man not illustrious by any merit of his
ancestors, and called him in his verses "low-born Allen." Men are
seldom satisfied with praise introduced or followed by any mention
of defect. Allen seems not to have taken any pleasure in his
epithet, which was afterwards softened into "humble Allen." In the
second Dialogue he took some liberty with one of the Foxes among
others; which Fox in a reply to Lyttelton, took an opportunity of
repaying, by reproaching him with the friendship of a lampooner, who
scattered his ink without fear or decency, and against whom he hoped
the resentment of the Legislature would quickly be discharged.

About this time Paul Whitehead, a small poet, was summoned before
the Lords for a poem called "Manners," together with Dodsley, his
publisher. Whitehead, who hung loose upon society, skulked and
escaped, but Dodsley's shop and family made his appearance
necessary. He was, however, soon dismissed, and the whole process
was probably intended rather to intimidate Pope than to punish
Whitehead.

Pope never afterwards attempted to join the patriot with the poet,
nor drew his pen upon statesmen. That he desisted from his attempts
of reformation is imputed by his commentator to his despair of
prevailing over the corruption of the time. He was not likely to
have been ever of opinion that the dread of his satire would
countervail the love of power or of money; he pleased himself with
being important and formidable, and gratified sometimes his pride,
and sometimes his resentment, till at last he began to think he
should be more safe if he were less busy.