"Upon reading them over at St. James' Coffee House, they were attributed by the general voice to be the productions of a lady of quality. When I produced them at Button's, the poetical jury there brought in a different verdict; and the foreman strenuously insisted upon it that Mr. Gay was the man. Not content with these two decisions, I was resolved to call in an umpire, and accordingly chose a gentleman of distinguished merit, who lives not far from Chelsea. I sent him the papers, which he returned next day, with this answer: "Sir, depend upon it these lines could come from no other hand than the judicious translator of Homer." Thus, having impartially given the sentiments of the Town, I hope I may deserve thanks for the pains I have taken in endeavouring to find out the author of these valuable performances, and everybody is at liberty to bestow the laurel as they please." Pope was furious, and there is a story that he invited Curll to drink wine with him at a coffee-house, and put in his glass some poison that acted as an emetic. What is certain is that the poet wrote a pamphlet with the title, "A full and true Account of a horrid and barbarous Revenge by Poison on the body of Edmund Curll." The three pieces in _Court Poems_ were claimed by Lady Mary as her own, but this claim was disputed. Pope declared himself the author of "The Basset Table," and it was printed among his works, and he asserted that "'The Toilet' is almost wholly Gay's," there being "only five or six lines in it by that lady." "The Toilet" is included in his collected edition of Gay's poems. The whole matter is best explained by that sound student of the eighteenth century, "George Paston," who suggests that the truth seems to be that the verses were handed round in manuscript to be read and corrected by the writer's literary friends, and therefore they owe something to the different hands. "George Paston" goes on to say: "Lady Mary was not unaware of the danger of this proceeding, for Richardson the painter relates that on one occasion she showed Pope a copy of her verses in which she intended to make some trifling alterations, but refused his help, saying, 'No, Pope, no touching, for then whatever is good for anything will pass for yours, and the rest for mine.'" CHAPTER VIII THE EMBASSY TO THE PORTE--I (1716) Montagu loses his place at the Treasury--His antagonism against Walpole--Lady Mary, "Dolly" Walpole, and Molly Skerritt--The Earl and Countess of Mar leave England--Montagu appointed Ambassador to the Porte--Leaves England for Constantinople, accompanied by his wife--Letters during the Embassy to Constantinople--Rotterdam--Vienna-- Lady Mary at Court--Her gown--Her interest in clothes--Viennese society--Gallantry--Lady Mary's experience--Count Tarrocco--Precedence at Vienna--A nunnery--The Montagus visit the German Courts--A dangerous drive--Prince Frederick (afterwards Prince of Wales)--Herrenhausen.