thousand pounds, for which, being conscientiously determined not to
entrust it to the Government, he found no better use than that of
locking it up in a chest, and taking from it what his expenses
required; and his life was long enough to consume a great part of it
before his son came to the inheritance.

To Binfield Pope was called by his father when he was about twelve
years old, and there he had for a few months the assistance of one
Deane, another priest, of whom he learned only to construe a little
of "Tully's Offices." How Mr. Deane could spend with a boy who had
translated so much of "Ovid" some months over a small part of
"Tully's Offices," it is now vain to inquire. Of a youth so
successfully employed, and so conspicuously improved, a minute
account must be naturally desired; but curiosity must be contented
with confused, imperfect, and sometimes improbable intelligence.
Pope, finding little advantage from external help, resolved
thenceforward to direct himself, and at twelve formed a plan of
study, which he completed with little other incitement than the
desire of excellence. His primary and principal purpose was to be a
poet, with which his father accidentally concurred by proposing
subjects and obliging him to correct his performances by many
revisals, after which the old gentleman, when he was satisfied,
would say, "These are good rhymes." In his perusal of the English
poets he soon distinguished the versification of Dryden, which he
considered as the model to be studied, and was impressed with such
veneration for his instructor, that he persuaded some friends to
take him to the coffee-house which Dryden frequented, and pleased
himself with having seen him.

Dryden died May 1, 1701, some days before Pope was twelve; so early