Of this essay, Pope declared that he did not expect the sale to be
quick, because "not one gentleman in sixty, even of liberal
education, could understand it." The gentleman, and the education
of that time, seem to have been of a lower character than they are
of this. He mentioned a thousand copies as a numerous impression.

Dennis was not his only censurer; the zealous Papists thought the
monks treated with too much contempt, and Erasmus too studiously
praised; but to these objections he had not much regard.

The "Essay," has been translated into French by Hamilton, author of
the "Comte de Grammont," whose version was never printed, by
Robotham, secretary to the king for Hanover, and by Resnel; and
commented by Dr. Warburton, who has discovered in it such order and
connection as was not perceived by Addison, nor, as it is said,
intended by the author.

Almost every poem, consisting of precepts, is so far arbitrary and
immethodical, that many of the paragraphs may change places with no
apparent inconvenience; for of two or more positions, depending upon
some remote and general principle, there is seldom any cogent reason
why one should precede the other. But for the order in which they
stand, whatever it be, a little ingenuity may easily give a reason.
"It is possible," says Hooker, "that, by long circumduction, from
any one truth all truth may be inferred." Of all homogeneous
truths, at least of all truths respecting the same general end, in
whatever series they may be produced, a concatenation by
intermediate ideas may be formed, such as, when it is once shown,
shall appear natural; but if this order be reversed, another mode of
connection equally spacious may be found or made. Aristotle is