A handsome eighteenth century edition of the complete works of the poet and satirist Alexander Pope, containing the pivotal analysis An Essay on Man. Widely read and distributed across the Continent, the Essay elicited a response from Voltaire (La Loi Naturelle of 1756). However, not all criticism was positive, and Pope – a gentleman of sensitive disposition – was crushed by the demolition penned by Swiss professor Jean-Pierre de Crousaz. Not until his Works were first published in 1735 did Pope firmly claim authorship of the work, commenting "if I could flatter myself that this Essay has any merit, it is in steering betwixt the extremes of doctrines seemingly opposite, in passing over terms utterly unintelligible, and in forming a temperate yet not inconsistent, and a short yet not imperfect system of Ethics'.

A handsome eighteenth century edition of the complete works of the poet and satirist Alexander Pope, containing the pivotal analysis An Essay on Man. Widely read and distributed across the Continent, the Essay elicited a response from Voltaire (La Loi Naturelle of 1756). However, not all criticism was positive, and Pope – a gentleman of sensitive disposition – was crushed by the demolition penned by Swiss professor Jean-Pierre de Crousaz. Not until his Works were first published in 1735 did Pope firmly claim authorship of the work, commenting "if I could flatter myself that this Essay has any merit, it is in steering betwixt the extremes of doctrines seemingly opposite, in passing over terms utterly unintelligible, and in forming a temperate yet not inconsistent, and a short yet not imperfect system of Ethics'.