Part 38 (1/2)

'156 kiss'd the rod:'

Pope was sensible enough to profit by the criticisms even of his enemies. He corrected several pa.s.sages in the 'Essay on Criticism' which Dennis had properly found fault with.

'162 Bentley:'

the most famous scholar of Pope's day. Pope disliked him because of his criticism of the poet's translation of the 'Iliad', ”good verses, but not Homer.” The epithet ”slas.h.i.+ng” refers to Bentley's edition of 'Paradise Lost' in which he altered and corrected the poet's text to suit his own ideas.

'Tibbalds':

Lewis Theobald (p.r.o.nounced Tibbald), a scholar who had attacked Pope's edition of Shakespeare. Pope calls him ”piddling” because of his scrupulous attention to details.

'177 The Bard':

Philips, see note on l. 98. Pope claimed that Philips's 'Pastorals' were plagiarized from Spenser, and other poets. Philips, also, translated some 'Persian Tales' for the low figure of half a crown apiece.

'187 bade translate':

suggested that they translate other men's work, since they could write nothing valuable of their own.

'188 Tate':

a poetaster of the generation before Pope. He is remembered as the part author of a doggerel version of the Psalms.

'191-212'

For a discussion of this famous pa.s.sage, see introduction to the 'Epistle' p. 130.

'196 the Turk':

it was formerly the practice for a Turkish monarch when succeeding to the throne to have all his brothers murdered so as to do away with possible rivals.

'199 faint praise':

Addison was hearty enough when he cared to praise his friends. Pope is thinking of the coldness with which Addison treated his 'Pastorals' as compared to those of Philips.

'206 oblig'd':

note the old-fas.h.i.+oned p.r.o.nunciation to rhyme with ”besieged.”

'207 Cato':

an unmistakable allusion to Addison's tragedy in which the famous Roman appears laying down the law to the remnants of the Senate.