three hundred and twenty days by fifty verses in a day. The notes,
compiled with the assistance of his mercenaries, could not be
supposed to require more time than the text. According to this
calculation, the progress of Pope may seem to have been slow; but
the distance is commonly very great between actual performances and
speculative possibility. It is natural to suppose, that as much as
has been done to-day may be done to-morrow; but on the morrow some
difficulty emerges, or some external impediment obstructs.

Indolence, interruption, business, and pleasure, all take their
turns of retardation; and every long work is lengthened by a
thousand causes that can, and ten thousand that cannot, be
recounted. Perhaps no extensive and multifarious performance was
ever effected within the term originally fixed in the undertaker's
mind. He that runs against time has an antagonist not subject to
casualties.

The encouragement given to this translation, though report seems to
have overrated it, was such as the world has not often seen. The
subscribers were five hundred and seventy-five. The copies, for
which subscriptions were given, were six hundred and fifty-four; and
only six hundred and sixty were printed. For these copies Pope had
nothing to pay. He therefore received, including the two hundred
pounds a volume, five thousand three hundred and twenty pounds, four
shillings, without deduction, as the books were supplied by Lintot.

By the success of his subscription Pope was relieved from those
pecuniary distresses with which, notwithstanding his popularity, he
had hitherto struggled. Lord Oxford had often lamented his
disqualification for public employment, but never proposed a