ALEXANDER POPE. 232. Literary Pre-eminence.-The greatest literary character of this period is Alexander Pope. In his life we find much to admire and much to condemn; but we cannot deny him the tribute of greatness. With his spiteful temper and habitual artifice, we can have no sympathy; but we recognize in him the power of an indomitable will supported by genius and directed to a single object. He triumphed over the most adverse circumstances. A lowly birth cut him off from social position; his Roman Catholic faith brought political ostracism; and a dwarfed, sickly, deformed body excluded him from the vocations in which wealth and fame are usually acquired. Yet, in spite of this combination of hostile circumstances, he achieved the highest literary distinction, attracted to him the most eminent men of his day, and associated on terms of equality with the proudest nobility. 233. Childhood.— Alexander Pope was born in London in 1688, the memorable year of the Revolution. His father, a Roman Catholic, was a linen merchant; and shortly after the poet's birth he retired with a competent fortune to a small estate at Binfield in Windsor Forest. Though delicate and deformed, the future poet is represented as having been a sweet-tempered child; and his voice was so agreeable that he was playfully called the "little nightingale." Excluded from the public schools on account of his father's faith, he passed successively under the tuition of three or four Roman Catholic priests, from whom he learned the rudiments of Latin and Greek. In after years he thought it no disadvantage that his education had been irregular; for, as he observed, he read the classic authors, not for the words but for the sense. 234. Miscellaneous Reading. At the age of twelve he formed a plan of study for himself, and plunged into the de lights of miscellaneous reading with such ardor that he came near putting an end to his life. While dipping into philosophy, theology, and history, he delighted most in poetry and criticism; and either in the original or in translations (for he read what was easiest) he familiarized himself with the leading poets and critics of ancient and modern times. But in the strict sense of the term he never became a scholar. Seeing all other avenues of life closed to him, he early resolved to devote himself to poetry, to which no doubt he felt the intuitive impulse of genius. He showed remarkable precocity in rhyme. In his own language, 66 As yet a child, nor yet a fool to fame, I lisp'd in numbers, for the numbers came." 235. Poetic Apprenticeship. He was encouraged in his early attempts by his father, who assigned him subjects, required frequent revisions, and ended with the encouragement, These are good rhymes." Before venturing before the public as an author, he served a long and remarkable apprenticeship to poetry. Whenever a passage in any foreign author pleased him, he turned it into English verse. Before the age of fifteen he composed an epic of four thousand lines, in which he endeavored, in different passages, to imitate the beauties of Milton, Cowley, Spenser, Statius, Homer, Virgil, Ovid and Claudian. "My first taking to imitating" he says, was not out of vanity, but humility. I saw how defective my own things were, and endeavored to mend my manner by copying good strokes from others." Among English authors he fixed upon Dryden as his model, for whom he felt so great a veneration that he persuaded some friends to take him to the coffee-house frequented by that distinguished poet. "Who does not wish," asks Johnson, that Dryden could have known the value of the homage that was paid him and foreseen the greatness of his young admirer?" 236. Wise Counselors.- His earliest patron, if such he may be called, was Sir William Trumbull, who, after serving as ambassador at Constantinople under James II., and as Secretary of State under William III., had withdrawn from public service and fixed his residence in the neighborhood of Binfield. The extraordinary precocity of the youthful poet delighted the aged statesman, who was accustomed to ride and discuss the classics with him. It was from him that Pope received the first suggestion to translate the "Iliad.” Another acquaintance belonging to this youthful period was William Walsh, a Worcestershire gentleman of fortune, who had some reputation at the time as a poet and critic. From him the ambitious youth received a bit of advice which has become famous. "We have had several great poets," he said, 'but we have never had one great poet who was correct; and I advise you to make that your study and aim." This advice Pope evidently laid to heart. 66 237. First Great Work.—The first great work that Pope produced was the "Essay on Criticism," which was published in 1711. It was written two years previously, when the author was but twenty-one years of age. As was his custom with all his writings, he kept it by him in order to revise and polish it. It shows a critical power and soundness of judgment that usually belong only to age and experience. It is true that the critical principles he lays down are not original or novel. At this time Pope had his head full of critical literature. Horace's Ars Poetica" and Boileau's "L'Art Poétique" were perfectly familiar to him, to say nothing of Quintilian and Aristotle. He embodied in his poem the principles he found in his authorities. But he did this with such felicity of expression and aptness of illustration as to win the admiration, not only of his contemporaries, but also of succeeding generations. 238. Defects. But the poem is not without its faults. It would be too much to expect that; for, as he says,— "Whoever thinks a faultless piece to see, Thinks what ne'er was, nor is, nor e'er shall be." Its extreme conciseness renders it obscure in places; words are sometimes used in a vague and variable sense; and there is a noticeable poverty of rhymes, “wit” and “sense " and "fools " being badly overworked. Yet, if he had written nothing else, this production alone would have given hím a high rank as critic and poet. 239. Literary Feuds.-The publication of the Essay " was the beginning of a ceaseless strife with contemporary writers. In the following lines the youthful poet had the temerity to attack Dennis, whose acquaintance we made in the sketch of Addison: "But Appius reddens at each word you speak, And stares tremendous with a threatening eye, This graphic picture inflamed the belligerent Dennis, and he made a bitter personal attack upon Pope, of whom, among other savage things, he says: "He may extol the ancients, but he has reason to thank the gods that he was born a modern; for had he been of Grecian parents, and his father consequently had by law had the absolute disposal of him, his life had been no longer than that of one of his poems the life of half a day." 240. A Brilliant Mock-heroic.The next important production of Pope was "The Rape of the Lock," published in 1712. It is the most brilliant mock-heroic poem ever written. The subject is trifling enough. Lord Petre, a man of fashion at the court of Queen Anne, playfully cut off a lock of hair from the head of Miss Arabella Fermor, a beautiful maid of honor. This freedom was resented by the lady, and the friendly intercourse of the two families was interrupted. To put the two parties into good humor, and thus to effect a reconciliation, Pope devised this humorous epic. Sylphs, gnomes, nymphs, and salamanders form a part of the delicate machinery. Here is a description of the unfortunate lock: "This nymph, to the destruction of mankind, With hairy springes we the birds betray; And beauty draws us with a single hair." 241. Translation of Iliad. In 1713 Pope undertook the translation of Homer's "Iliad." The work was published by subscription; and as he had already gained recognition as the first poet of his time, the enterprise met with generous encouragement. Among other influential friends, Swift was active in securing subscriptions. At first the poet was appalled at the magnitude of his undertaking, and wished, to use his own phrase, that somebody would hang him. But facility increased with practice; and his defective knowledge of Greek was remedied by the use of translations and the aid of scholarly friends. This translation, in connection with the "Odyssey," was his principal labor for twelve years, and it brought a remuneration that had never before been realized by an English author. He received altogether about eight thousand pounds, which furnished him with a competency the rest of his life. The translation is wrought out with exceeding care; but in its artificial character, it is far from reproducing the simplicity of the original. It brings Homer before us in a dress-suit. Bentley's criticism was exactly to the point: "It is a pretty poem, Mr. Pope, but you must not call it Homer." Yet it is a wonderful work; and Johnson was not far wrong when he said, "It is certainly the noblest version of poetry which the world has ever seen, and its publication must therefore be considered as one of the great events in the annals of learning.” 242. Satire on Addison.- In the sketch of Addison reference was made to the ill-feeling existing between the illustrious essayist and Pope. It came to an open rupture in connection with the publication of the "Iliad." Tickell, a friend of Addison's, undertook a rival translation. He had Addison's encouragement and perhaps also his assistance. It is possible that the essayist felt some jealousy of the rising reputation of the poet, and used his influence, in a civil way, to depreciate the latter's work. At all events, news of this sort came to Pope; and “the |