P.T., in a second letter, offered to the publisher a large collection of
Pope's letters, and inclosed a copy of an advertisement he had drawn out
to be published by Curll. Strange as it seems, Curll took no notice of
the proposal till 1735, when, having accidentally turned up a copy of
P.T.'s advertisement, he sent it to Pope, with a letter requesting an
interview, and mentioning that he had some papers of P.T.'s in reference
to his family history, which he would shew him. Pope replied by three
advertisements in the papers, denying all knowledge of P.T. or his
collection of letters or MSS. P.T. then wrote Curll that he had printed
the letters at his own expense, seeking a sum of money for them, and
appointing an interview at a tavern to shew him the sheets. This was
countermanded the next day, P.T. professing to be afraid of Pope and his
"bravoes," although how Pope was to know of this meeting was, according
to Curll, "the cream of the jest."
Soon after, a round, fat man, with a clergyman's gown and a barrister's
band, called on Curll, at ten o'clock at night. He said his name was
Smith, that he was a cousin of P.T.'s, and shewed the book in sheets,
along with about a dozen of the original letters. After a good deal of
negotiation with this personage, Curll obtained fifty copies of P.T.'s
printed copies, and issued a flaming advertisement announcing the
publication of Pope's letters for thirty years, and stating that the
original MSS.
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