Alexander pope the major works

OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSICS ALEXANDER POPE ALEXANDER POPE was born in London in 1688 His elderly parents moved to Binfield in Windsor Forest around 1700 because of anti-Catholic laws From early boyhood Pope suffered from a tubercular disease which retarded his growth and left him a lifelong invalid A precocious poet, his first published work was the set of four pastorals published in 1709 A succession of brilliant poems followed, including An Essay on Criticism (1711), Windsor Forest (1713), and the five-canto version of The Rape of the Lock Pope then embarked on a translation of the Iliad (1715-20), which together with the Odyssey (1725-6) left him financially secure His position as the major living English poet was confirmed by the appearance of his Works in 1717 There followed a break in creative activity, during which Pope edited Shakespeare (1725) However, the appearance of the first Dunciad (1728) marked the beginning of a brilliant new phase, including the imitations of Horace, the Essay on Man, and the epistles to various friends In 1742 Pope added a new fourth book to The Dunciad, and the complete work was published in 1743 Pope spent the last twenty-five years of his life at his villa in Twickenham, devoting much of his time to his celebrated garden and grotto He died in 1744 PAT ROGERS, DeBartolo Professor in the Liberal Arts at the University of South Florida, has written many books on Augustan satire including Grub Street (1972), Literature and Popular Culture in Eighteenth-Century England (1985), The Alexander Pope Encyclopedia (2004), and Pope and the Destiny of the Stuarts (2005) OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSICS For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics have brought readers closer to the world's great literature Now with over 700 titles—-from the 4,ooo-year-old myths of Mesopotamia to the twentieth century's greatest novels—the series makes available lesser-known as well as celebrated writing The pocket-sized hardbacks of the early years contained introductions by Virginia Woolf, T S Eliot, Graham Greene, and other literary figures which enriched the experience of reading Today the series is recognized for its fine scholarship and reliability in texts that span world literature, drama and poetry, religion, philosophy and politics Each edition includes perceptive commentary and essential background information to meet the changing needs of readers OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSICS ALEXANDER POPE The Major Works Edited with an Introduction and Notes by PAT ROGERS OXFORD U N I V E R S I T Y PRESS OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Great Clarendon Street, Oxford 0x2 6DP Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York Introduction and editorial matter © Pat Rogers 1993 The moral rights of the author have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) First published with revisions as an Oxford World's Classics paperback 2006 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organizations Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Data available Typeset in Ehrhardt Printed in Great Britain by Clays Ltd., St Ives plc ISBN 0-19-920361-X 978-0-19-920361-1 08 CONTENTS Introduction ix Acknowledgements xxiii Chronology xxiv Note on the Text xxvii Pastorals An Essay on Criticism Sappho to Phaon Epistle to Miss Blount, with the Works of Voiture Windsor Forest The Guardian, no 173 The Wife of Bath from Chaucer The Rape of the Lock To Belinda on the Rape of the Lock Letter to Martha Blount, November 1714 The Temple of Fame A Farewell to London in the Year 1715 Epistle to Mr Jervas Epistle to Miss Blount, on her Leaving the Town after the Coronation A Full and True Account of a Horrid and Barbarous Revenge A Further Account of the Condition of Edmund Curll Letter to Lord Burlington, November 1716 Eloisa to Abelard Elegy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady Letter to Teresa and Martha Blount, September 1717 Letter to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, 1718 The Iliad, Book XVIII To Mr Gay To Mr Addison Epistle to Robert Earl of Oxford I 17 40 46 49 62 66 77 100 101 103 118 120 122 124 128 134 137 147 150 151 155 173 174 176 vi CONTENTS Letter to Swift, August 1723 Letter to Martha Blount, 22 June 1724 Preface to the Works of Shakespeare Peri Bathous, or the Art of Sinking in Poetry Letter to Swift, 28 November 1729 Epitaph Intended for Sir Isaac Newton An Epistle to Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington An Epistle to Allen Lord Bathurst The First Satire of the Second Book of Horace Imitated An Essay on Man Letter to Swift, 20 April 1733 The Fourth Satire of Dr John Donne Versified An Epistle to Sir Richard Temple, Lord Cobham The Second Satire of the Second Book of Horace Imitated The Second Satire of the First Book of Horace Imitated in the Manner of Mr Pope Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot An Epistle to a Lady The Second Satire of Dr John Donne Versified Letter to Swift, 25 March 1736 The Second Epistle of the Second Book of Horace Imitated The First Epistle of the Second Book of Horace Imitated The Sixth Epistle of the First Book of Horace Imitated The First Epistle of the First Book of Horace Imitated Epilogue to the Satires: Dialogue I Epilogue to the Satires: Dialogue II Epigram Engraved on the Collar of a Dog Epitaph for One who would not be Buried in Westminster Abbey Letter to Hugh Bethel, 19 March 1744 The Dunciad Epitaph on Bounce Conversations with Joseph Spence 177 179 183 195 239 242 242 250 265 270 309 311 319 327 409 409 411 572 573 Notes 575 332 336 350 358 361 363 372 385 389 394 400 408 CONTENTS vii Further Reading 710 Biographical Index 714 Index of Titles 734 Index of First Line s736 Index of Correspondents 738 This page intentionally left blank INTRODUCTION THE aim of this volume is to give a representative selection of Pope's most important work His chief lifelong vocation was that of the poet, and this is reflected by the inclusion of all his major poems, omitting only the translations of Homer In addition, a characteristic sample of his prose is provided, including satires, pamphlets, and periodical writing His criticism is represented by the influential preface to his edition of Shakespeare Finally, the personal side of his work is illustrated by short passages from his conversations with Joseph Spence, and by examples of his wide-ranging correspondence In all categories there are inevitably omissions, caused by the demands of space Pope is a highly allusive poet, and even with a number of self-denying ordinances I have been obliged to annotate the text quite fully in order to enable a reader to follow its sense Among the poems there are several casualties which are particularly to be regretted It has not been possible to find room for some of the early translations (although Sappho to Phaon is included); for Messiah and the Ode on St Cecilia's Day; for the original version of The Rape of the Lock and The Dunciad; and for many shorter items which demonstrate Pope's skill in occasional verse, especially in ballads, epigrams, and epitaphs The largest gap, as already indicated, surrounds the translations of Homer, but a single book of the Iliad is included to give some sense of Pope's attempt to bring 'primitive' epic within Augustan norms The drama, which is nearly all collaborative, has had to be excluded However, Peri Bathous is present in full to illustrate the Scriblerian carping against solemn folly, as well as the prose squibs which emerged from Pope's prolonged struggle with the rascally bookseller Curll As for the correspondence, ten typical letters are given in full, and whilst they cannot speak adequately for the entire body of over two thousand letters they show some of his best effects in the familiar epistle The items are printed in chronological order, regardless of their literary category (except for the extracts from Spence), to enable a reader to follow the shape of Pope's career Brief rationale behind these editorial decisions will be found in the Note on the Text, p xxvii below Pope has often been termed the first truly professional poet in English This is a fair judgement, even though (as Pope realized sooner than anyone) his poetic father John Dryden had led the way In the 724 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX JEKYLL, Sir JOSEPH (1663-1738) Judge; Master of the Rolls, 1717 A strong Whig of traditional Revolution principles, he was active in the impeachment of the first Earl of Oxford (q.v.) JERVAS, C H A R L E S (£.1675-1739) Portrait-painter of Irish origin (pronounced 'Jarvis') Studied under Kneller; later taught P painting He also translated Don Quixote (published posthumously, 1742) Principal painter to George I and George II P lived for some time at his London house and for many years he was among the poet's closest friends KING, PETER, Baron (1669-1734) Judge Chief Justice of Common Pleas, 1714; Lord Chancellor, 1725 Another Whiggish lawyer who had been involved in the prosecution of Sacheverell KNELLER, Sir GODFREY (1646-1723) Portrait painter, born in Lubeck Came to England, 1675; patronized by Charles II, William III, Anne, and George I A neighbour of P's The two men had dealings over a number of years without great intimacy; the epitaph which P supplied for Kneller's tomb in Westminster Abbey was the result of a deathbed request by the artist: 'I think 'tis the worst thing I ever wrote in my life' (Spence, i 49) KNIGHT, ROBERT (1675-1744) Cashier of the South Sea Company One of the main rogues of the episode, he fled to France in 1721; he was eventually pardoned in 1742 LINTOT, B A R N A B Y B E R N A R D (1675-1736) Bookseller Published many of P's early works, including The Rape of the Lock, Windsor Forest, and the Homer translations Less manipulable than most of his colleagues in the trade, he resisted P's plans and lost the poet's business LYTTELTON, GEORGE, Baron (1709-73) Politician and poet A key Opposition figure in the 17305, with links both to the Prince of Wales and to the Cobham connection A patron of Thomson and dedicatee of Tom Jones Both his political career (though he was a Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer in later years) and his poetical reputation traced a descending curve —Johnson angered his remaining friends by scornful reference in The Lives of the Poets Nevertheless, he enjoyed contemporary success with his Letters from a Persian in England (1735), and a History of Henry II (1767-71) P greatly admired him, and indeed his role in P's later career is much underestimated today M A R L B O R O U G H , JOHN CHURCHILL, Duke of (1650-1722) and SARAH C H U R C H I L L , Duchess of (1660-1744) P accepted the common view of Tory critics (probably taken over from Swift) that the Duke was avaricious and self-seeking, having prolonged the war against France unduly to preserve his own perquisites Late in her life the Duchess contracted a surprising friendship with P, diough behind her back he was not always reverential towards her M A Y N W A R I N G , A R T H U R (1668-1712) Politician and writer He was a leading Kit Cat member, a friend of Addison and Steele, and a controller of Whig publicity in opposition to Swift's campaigns on behalf of the Harley administration His Medley (1710-11), written with Oldmixon, combated Swift's Examiner papers BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 725 MEAD, R I C H A R D (1673-1754) Medical man and virtuoso He was physician to George II and Caroline, and had a fashionable private practice He owned a large collection of books and objets d'art A generous patron of literature Fought a duel with John Woodward (q.v.), 1719, over the treatment of smallpox Mead attended P in his last struggles against illness METHUEN, Sir PAUL (1672-1757) Diplomat and politician Ambassador to Portugal, who helped to arrange the famous treaty of 1703, which had been engineered by his father Secretary of State, 1716 A moderate and selfimportant Whig M I L B O U R N E , L U K E (1649-1720) Poet and clergyman Educated at Cambridge A High Churchman who was accused of loose living He attacked Dryden's translation of Virgil in an essay published in 1698: Dryden retaliated in the preface to his Fables (1700) that whilst Milbourne lived he should not 'be thought the worst poet of the age' Milbourne's metrical psalms (1698) according to the DNB 'deservedly attracted no attention' MIST, N A T H A N I E L (d 1737) Bookseller who edited and published the most aggressive high Tory organ, Mist's Weekly Journal Mist regularly incurred ministerial disapproval and ended up in court even more frequently than Curll In 1728 he fled to Boulogne but the paper carried on MONTAGU, Lady MARY WORTLEY (1689-1762) Daughter of the Duke of Kingston, she married the Whig politician Edward Wortley Montagu in 1712, and went with him to Constantinople (1716—18) She brought back the first successful smallpox inoculation technique Wrote in a variety of forms, including her famous letters and some short satirical poems, at first in concert with P and later satirizing him They were friends since about 1715, and P seems to have fallen in love with her; but in the 17205, when they were neighbours in Twickenham, they quarrelled bitterly Thereafter P could seldom resist a scornful reference to Lady Mary as dirty, slovenly, pretentious, and sexually loose, whilst she replied with allusions to his malice and sexual inadequacy Her intimacy with Lord Hervey gave her a coadjutor in these battles but also another reason for P's dislike M O O R E SMYTHE, JAMES (1702-34) Author and man about town, son of the venal politician Arthur Moore His quarrel with P started obscurely over some lines in his play The Rival Modes (1727); after this, it was pursued with energy on both sides, though P may simply have found the vocable 'Moore' a convenient one in verses about the community of dunces—he was not a serious threat in the same way as Theobald, Gibber, or Dennis MORRICE, B E Z A L E E L (£.1675 — 1749) An energetic producer of verses, whose life is otherwise almost totally lost to view He brushed against P several times, perhaps by inadvertence MOTTEUX, PETER A N T H O N Y (1663-1718) Dramatist and translator; a French immigrant (originally Pierre-Antoine) who edited an early literary magazine and produced a free translation of Don Quixote (1700-3), which held a brief currency 726 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX MURRAY, WILLIAM, Earl of M A N S F I E L D (1705-93) Judge The great legal figure became known to P whilst still an ambitious young barrister; it was only just before P died that he became an MP and Solicitor-General, the first steps to his ultimate renown as Lord Chief Justice for over thirty years Murray gave occasional legal advice in the later 17308 and early 17405 N E E D H A M , E L I Z A B E T H (d 1731) Procuress; employed by Charteris (q.v.), and both figure in Hogarth's series The Harlot's Progress (1732), pi i Known as Mother Needham, she was sent to the pillory for keeping a disorderly house and was so badly pelted by the mob that she died a few days later Fielding used the character of Mother Needham in his afterpiece The Ccrvent Garden Tragedy (1731) OGLETHORPE, J A M E S (1696-1785) Philanthropist and colonial pioneer He chaired the parliamentary inquiry into the conditions in debtors' prisons in 1729, and took the leading part in devising the settlement of the new colony of Georgia to help rehabilitate poor people living in sordid surroundings He acted in effect as the first governor Meanwhile he continued to serve as an MP in England (many were 'uncertain whether he was a Whig or a Jacobite') and as a soldier—he performed without distinction in the 1745 rebellion and his regiment was disbanded He survived to become familiar with Johnson and Boswell, bridging the ages of Walpole and Lord North OLDFIELD, A N N E (1683-1730) Actress Successful in leading roles in both comedy and tragedy Mistress of Arthur Maynwaring (q.v.) Admired by Gibber and others; no personal link with P established OLDISWORTH, W I L L I A M (1680-1734) Writer, journalist, and translator He edited the Tory Examiner after it was relinquished by Swift Died in a debtor's gaol O L D M I X O N , J O H N (c 1673-1742) Historian, critic, and miscellaneous writer Turned his hand to almost every known species of authorship, generally in the Whig cause Repeatedly brushed with P from around 1714, by reprinting works without permission, parodying and attacking other works, and generally affronting the literary standards P proclaimed His Essay On Criticism (1728) set out an aesthetic in which P held a low place, whilst his later histories put a slender value on the Harley administration (including the contribution of Swift) He had a long association with Curll, Lintot, and Tonson, and indeed most leading members of the book trade O X F O R D , R O B E R T HARLEY, first Earl of (1661-1724) Politician In turn Speaker of the Commons, Secretary of State and then (1711) Lord Treasurer; led the last Tory ministry for half a century, 1710-14 Impeached and sent to the Tower after the Hanoverian accession, but released without further punishment A close friend of Swift and P, he took part in the Scriblerus Club's activities OXFORD, E D W A R D HARLEY, second Earl of (1689-1741) Mainly known as a book collector (supplementing his father's collection of manuscripts) and as a patron, who supported Prior as well as P and Swift BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 727 OZELL, JOHN (d 1743) Translator, the most prolific and versatile active in P's time Worked regularly for Curll Reacted angrily on finding himself in The Dunciad, a prominence he had not formerly attained in the literary world PAGE, Sir F R A N C I S ((7.1661-1741) Judge On the bench in all three of the common law high courts Notorious for the severity of his judgments and the roughness of his tongue Conducted the trial of Richard Savage for murder; sentenced some of the Berkshire Blacks, with whom P's own brother-in-law was involved PARNELL, THOMAS (1679-1718) Poet Irish clergyman and scholar who became known to Swift and was a member of the Scriblerus Club Helped P in assembling notes for the Iliad, and wrote introductory life of Homer Heavy drinking may have contributed to his early death PAXTON, N I C H O L A S (d 1744) Solicitor to the Treasury He was in day-today charge of government prosecutions against writers and booksellers, and had also been involved in prosecuting the Blacks in 1723 Accused of corruption after the fall of Walpole but remained silent, and was sent to Newgate P E M B R O K E , THOMAS HERBERT, Earl of (1656-1733) Politician and collector I leld a number of offices of state under William and Anne Noted for his collections of pictures, statues, and coins His son, the ninth Earl (1693-1751), was the well-known 'architect Earl' P E T E R B O R O U G H , CHARLES MORDAUNT, Earl of (1658-1735) Soldier and ambassador Came to prominence in the Peninsular campaign in the reign of Anne A Tory hero who lost official favour after the Hanoverian accession Shared P's interest in landscape gardening, and often entertained the poet at his house near Southampton Also friendly with Mrs Howard, Swift, Gay, and Arbuthnot PHILIPS, A M B R O S E (1674-1749) Poet His pastorals were published along with P's in Tonson's Miscellanies of 1709, leading to P's ironic Guardian in 1713 (see p 559) Philips had links with the Addison circle, and later held official posts in Ireland, neither circumstance being likely to encourage P's approval His verses addressed to children prompted the invention by Henry Carey (1726) of the term 'nambypamby' PITT, JAMES (1679-1763) Journalist who wrote for Walpole in the press, sometimes under the name 'Francis Osborne' The Opposition journal the Craftsman nicknamed him Mother Osborne A former schoolmaster who was given a customs post as a reward for his work on behalf of the ministry POPPLE, WILLIAM (1701-64) Dramatist Collaborated with Aaron Hill in the journal the Prompter, where some attacks on P appeared Later Governor of the Bermudas, 1745 PRIOR, MATTHEW (1664-1721) Poet and diplomat Helped to negotiate the Peace of Utrecht on behalf of the Tory ministry; imprisoned after the accession of George I, but later released A versatile, skilful, and witty poet, who wrote distinguished verse in a serious vein such as Solomon and also high-spirited comic works such as Alma He was patronized by the second Earl of Oxford 728 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX (q.v.) Though never an intimate of P, the two men shared many political and literary alliances PULTENEY, WILLIAM, Earl of BATH (1684-1764) Politician He was one of the main props of the Opposition to Walpole throughout the 17205 and 17305 After the fall of Walpole he took a seat in the Lords and never regained his former influence, devoting himself to literary pursuits in his retirement Closer to Gay than to P, but until the late 17305 P continued to regard him as one of the chief hopes of a political restoration after the years of Walpole Q U E E N S B E R R Y , C H A R L E S DOUGLAS, Duke of (1698-1778) Together with his beautiful and eccentric wife Catherine ((-.1700-77) he supported Gay, esp at the time of the banning of Polly in 1728 The couple also gave patronage to Thomson, Congreve, Prior, and others RADCLIFFE, J O H N (1653-1714) Physician who enjoyed royal patronage and amassed a large fortune His bequest to Oxford University led to die endowment of an infirmary, a library, and an observatory A clinical practitioner rather than a medical scholar, he attended both P and Martha Blount RALPH, JAMES ((-.1705-62) American-born author and journalist Came to England with Benjamin Franklin, 1724 A friend and coadjutor in journalism with Fielding Attacked P in Sawney (1728) and never altogether lived down P's reply, though he worked in a number of forms including dramatic and architectural criticism A client of George Bubb Dodington (q.v.) RAYMOND, Sir ROBERT (1673-1733) Lord Chief Justice, 1725 A Tory lawyer and MP who served as Solicitor-General and (after accommodating his views to those of the Whig establishment) Attorney-General Nothing much is known of the son to whom P alludes in The Dunciad RICH, J O H N (1692-1761) Theatrical manager A grotesque performer on 'the stage as "Lun" ', he developed a highly popular form of spectacle allied to the harlequinade, then known as pantomime It was he who produced The Beggar's Opera at Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1728 The epitome of the new popular entertainment beloved of fashionable London, which is attacked in The Dunciad RIDPATH, GEORGE (d 1726) Journalist, who conducted the strongly Whig newspaper the Flying Post around the time of the Harley ministry Fled to Holland in order to escape prosecution for libel Returned to England after the change of ministry and became a leading opponent of the high-flying paper of Mist (q.v.) Involved in the scandal of the Harburg lottery in 1723 RIPLEY, THOMAS (£.1683-1758) Architect Patronized by Walpole, for whom he supervised the building of Houghton Hall (designed by Colen Campbell and William Kent) Main architect of the Admiralty in London Submitted plans for Fulham Bridge, 1728, but a design by the surgeon William Cheselden (q.v.) was preferred He was also unsuccessful with plans for Westminster Bridge in 1738 Held many official positions including Comptroller of the Works ROLLi, P A O L O (1687-1767) Poet and librettist Came from Florence to London (7.1718 and acted as Secretary of the operatic company known as the BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 729 Royal Academy of Music Took a leading part in the world of Italian opera, as well as translating English works into Italian Enjoyed the favour of royalty and the aristocracy, serving as language master to the daughters of George II and Caroline His letters home provide the fullest picture of the opera scene in London during the heyday of Handel ROWE, N I C H O L A S (1674-1718) Dramatist and poet He was the most successful writer of tragedy between the Restoration and the nineteenth century, with a number of popular plays chiefly based on the theme of distressed women The first to make a full edition of Shakespeare (1709) Poet Laureate, 1715 Admired and liked by P Published a widely read translation of Lucan, 1718 RUNDLE, THOMAS (^.1688-1743) Churchman Bishop of Deny, 1743, having been refused the expected see of Gloucester in 1730 by Bishop Gibson (q.v.), apparently because of his allegedly Arian views Much admired by P SECKER, THOMAS (1693-1768) Churchman Successively Bishop of Bristol and of Oxford, Dean of St Paul's, and then Archbishop of Canterbury, 1758 A moderate in ecclesiastical politics who had good links at court, and who managed the church successfully and reconciled divergent strands in the Anglican community SELKIRK, C H A R L E S DOUGLAS, Earl of (1663-1739) A Scottish peer who supported the Whig revolution and the Union of the two kingdoms It is not very clear what he did to offend P, although he probably stands merely for the time-serving politician who clung on to his limited power over several reigns SETTLE, E L K A N A H (1648-1724) Poet and dramatist The last City Poet, 1691, charged with mounting the pageants at the Lord Mayor's Day show His great speciality was complimentary poems and funeral tributes to the eminent dead, but P singles out his work as a fairground dramatist, producing drolls for Bartholomew Fair Since Dryden's day often treated as a figure of fun, on account of his obsequious hunt for patrons and his extreme bitterness against Catholics SEWELL, G E O R G E (1687-1726) Miscellaneous writer, who originally practised as a doctor Wrote poems, plays, translations, and pamphlets, many of them for Curll Edited an additional volume of poems to go with P's Shakespeare (1725) Took part in a number of other collective works and all round was one of the abler hack writers mentioned in Peri Bathous SHIPPEN, WILLIAM (1673-1743) Politician An MP for over thirty years, and the most outspoken Jacobite in the House A fierce critic of the South Sea affair and unrelenting opponent of Walpole Increasingly isolated in his last years, he remained uncompromising, highly principled, and austere to the end SHERLOCK, THOMAS (1678-1761) Churchman Bishop of Bangor, Salisbury, and then London (1748) A famous preacher, his unremitting support for Walpole in the Lords occasioned the dislike of the Opposition SHREWSBURY, C H A R L E S TAI.BOT, Duke of (1660-1718) Politician and courtier, who served as Lord Chamberlain under William, Anne, and George I A moderate Tory who had been lined up to succeed Harley in 1714, a 730 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX short-lived position owing to the death of the Queen Admired by Swift and P, who submitted early work to him for approval SLOANE, Sir HANS (1660-1753) Doctor and virtuoso He was royal physician to Anne and George II, and President of the Royal College of Physicians, as well as Secretary of the Royal Society (President, 1727) Founded botanic gardens in Chelsea His collection of scientific and artistic materials formed the basis of the British Museum on its formation in 1754 SMEDLEY, J O N A T H A N (1671-1729) Clergyman and author Dean of Killala, 1718, and of Clogher, 1724 A virulent Irish critic of Swift who later started to pursue P as well He eventually left for India but died on the voyage SOMERS, J O H N , Baron (1651-1716) Lawyer and politician A key figure in the Whig party after the Revolution, he served in turn as Lord Keeper and Lord Chancellor Ill-health in later years reduced his influence, though scarcely his reputation A member of the Kit Cat Club, he patronized Dryden, Swift (in the early part of his career), Addison, Steele, and Congreve as well as P He worked with Locke and Newton in the reform of the currency in the 16905, and by some contemporaries would have been set on a par with these men STANHOPE, JAMES, Earl (1673-1721) Soldier and statesman After a successful campaign in Spain during the Marlborough wars, he became Secretary of State after the accession of George I In the Whig schism (1717), he and the Earl of Sunderland were ranged against Walpole and Townshend; the former emerged victorious, but their position was weakened by the South Sea episode and Stanhope died suddenly at the height of the affair His dealings with P were probably slight STEELE, Sir R I C H A R D (1672-1729) Author and Whig politician At the time of the Taller, Spectator, and Guardian (1709-13), Steele was on good terms with P, but they were severed by the 'curse of party' as Steele took an increasingly active share in the Opposition to Harley Knighted 1715 As manager of Drury Lane theatre, he came into conflict with the Lord Chamberlain, who transferred the patent to Gibber and his group Steele also broke with Addison before the latter's death Increasingly oppressed by debts and ill-health, he spent his last years obscurely in Wales SWIFT, J O N A T H A N (1667-1745) Became associated with P after he came to London and directed the Harley ministry's propaganda campaign, 1710-14; they were both involved in the Scriblerus Club After he moved to Dublin as Dean of St Patrick's in 1714, Swift saw little of P, but they corresponded and supported each other's work, with P usually taking the lead and controlling the release of material for publication; e.g in their joint Miscellanies (1727-35) P's closest literary ally, whose work he parodied in Horatian imitations (not included in this selection) TALBOT, W I L L I A M (^.1659-1730) Churchman Bishop successively of Oxford, Salisbury, and Durham A successful and ambitious ecclesiastical politician His son, C H A R L E S TALBOT (1685-1737), became Lord Chancellor in 1733, whilst his granddaughter was the author Catherine Talbot BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 731 TATE, N A H U M (1652-1715) Dramatist and poet Poet Laureate, 1692 Known for his version of King Lear (1681) with a happy ending, and a metrical version of the Psalms with Nicholas Brady (1696) Added a second part to Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel (1682) THEOBALD, LEWIS (1688-1744) Editor and dramatist He had written in a number of forms, often for Curll, before he incurred P's displeasure by a response to the edition of Shakespeare entitled Shakespeare Restored (1726), followed by his own edition of the plays in 1734 He also produced a new play, The Double Falsehood (1728), allegedly based on a Shakespearian original He provided pantomimes for the London theatres at the height of the rage for these spectacles These combined to equip him for the role of king of the dunces in the first Dunciad in 1728, but events conspired to fit Gibber better for the role in 1743 TICKELL, THOMAS (1686-1740) Poet Professor of Poetry at Oxford, 1711 A disciple of Addison, who was thought to have promoted his translation of the first book of the Iliad (1715) in opposition to P's This underlay the worsening relations of Addison and P Tickell edited Addison's works in 1721 (P subscribed) On good terms with Swift during his spell in Ireland as secretary to the Lord Justices TINDAL, MATTHEW (1657-1733) Deist His most famous work was Christianity as Old as the Creation (1730), a statement of natural religious doctrine, but he had long angered Swift and other orthodox believers with his rationalist approach to Christianity Second only to Toland as a figure of menace to traditional churchmen TOLAND, J O H N (1670-1722) Writer and deist Achieved notoriety by Christianity not Mysterious (1696), one of the key documents of deist thought; also wrote on a variety of topics including Celtic antiquities, Druidism, classical literature, and hermetic subjects TONSON, J A C O B (1656-1737) Publisher The major bookseller of his age, with a large stake in Milton and Shakespeare, and enjoyed a long association with Dryden Secretary of the Kit Cat Club and familiar with all the prominent Whig leaders Published work by Addison, Steele, Tickell, as well as the Shakespeare editions of Rowe and P Issued some of P's earlier poems TRUMBULL, Sir W I L L I A M (1639-1716) Ambassador and statesman Held several high offices including Secretary of State, 1695 Retired to Windsor Forest in 1698, where he became the boy P's mentor Supported Dryden's translation of Virgil Chiefly remembered as instigating P's Homer, and celebrated in P's Windsor Forest TUTCHIN, J O H N (1661-1707) Journalist Conducted the Whig newspaper the Observator from 1702 Died after an attack by street ruffians, probably politically motivated TYRAWLEY, JAMES O'HARA, Baron (1690-1773) Soldier and diplomat; ambassador to Portugal, 1728-41, 1752-63 High-spirited, rough, and licentious in his personal life 732 BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX WALPOLE, Sir ROBERT (1676-1745) The first 'prime minister' of Britain, eo nomine P apparently met Walpole after he had come to power in the aftermath of the South Sea Bubble, and they maintained reasonably friendly relations at a personal level despite P's unrelenting criticism and support of Opposition goals in the 17305 P attempted, 'when mentioning [Walpole's] name, to distinguish between the politician and the man' (TE, iv 389) This may have been because of a favour Walpole had done to the poet, or (as E P Thompson has suggested) because the Prime Minister held over P the threat of punishment for his delinquent brother-in-law WALSH, W I L L I A M (1663-1708) Poet and critic A Whig who knew Dryden and Vanbrugh; member of the Kit Cat Club Minor writer chiefly remembered for his support for the young P when he first embarked on his career WALTER, PETER (£.1664-1746) The archetypal villain of Augustan satire: a money-lender, estate manager, marriage-broker, steward, attorney, and landowner in Dorset It was P who first gave Walter his bad name; Swift inherited this dislike at a distance, whilst Fielding's satire of 'Peter Pounce' in Joseph Andrews can be explained by the novelist's experience of Walter's depredations locally, near Shaftesbury WARD, E D W A R D 'NED' (1667-1731) Poet and miscellaneous writer Best known for his London Spy in monthly parts (1698-1700), but also wrote many varied works on city life and assorted travels No real contact with P until he was included in Peri Bathous and The Dunciad; retorted with Durgen (1729) Used by P as a representative writer of popular literature WARD, JOHN (d 1755) MP, 'a wealthy and unscrupulous businessman' from Hackney Expelled from the Commons for fraud, and subsequently convicte of forgery and sentenced to stand in the pillory in Palace Yard (1727) WARD, J O S H U A (1685-1761) Quack doctor Became famous for his universal remedy, the 'drop', which was in fact largely composed of antimony Gained a large fortune from this source WELSTED, L E O N A R D (1688-1747) Gentleman poet, and translator of Longinus A client of the Duke of Newcastle Began attacking the Scriblerians in 1717 and kept up the attack for many years, including a scathing reply to P's supposed attack on the Duke of Chandos in the Epistle to Burlington One of P's most savage opponents among the dunces WHARTON, PHILIP, Duke of (1698-1731) Poet, man of pleasure, and crypto-Jacobite; a son of the Whig magnate Thomas, Earl of Wharton, he blazed across the early Hanoverian sky and burnt himself out by the age of 33; the object of cautionary tales as a member of supposed Hell Fire Clubs WHITEFIELD, GEORGE (1714-60) The most prominent member of the Calvinist wing of the Methodists A famous itinerant preacher who carried out missionary work in the emerging colony of Georgia, and later in the northern colonies; died in Massachusetts BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX 733 WILKS, R O B E R T ((7.1665-1732) Actor Achieved success in both tragic and comic roles Joint manager of Drury Lane theatre with Gibber and Booth from around 1710 (with intervals) WOODWARD, J O H N (1665-1728) Physician, geologist, and antiquarian Famous alike for his impressive collection of scientific curiosities and his sometimes bizarre theories about the early history of the earth Satirized in the Scriblerian farce Three Hours after Marriage (1717) and, probably, in The Dundad A figure of fun to many, he nevertheless made important contributions to science and to the developing study of archaeology WYCHERLEY, W I L L I A M (1641-1716) Dramatist His great comedies The Country Wife (1675) and The Plain Dealer (1676) were long in the past when he befriended the young P and offered advice, not all of it taken His Posthumous Works appeared in 1728—9, one volume edited by Theobald and the other by P (this containing correspondence between P and Wycherley) W Y N D H A M , Sir W I L L I A M (1687-1740) Politician Leader of the Tories in opposition to Walpole; sent to the Tower for rather half-hearted participation in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715, but soon released An ally of Bolingbroke Admired by P but not a personal friend YONGE, Sir W I L L I A M (1693-1755) Politician A loyal supporter of Walpole who helped to steer the Government's business through the Commons Regarded by the Opposition as the acme of a lickspittle politician INDEX OF TITLES An of Sinking in Poetry, The 195 Conversations with Joseph Spence 573 Dunciad, The 411 Elegy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady Eloisa to Abelard Epigram, engraved on the Collar of a Dog Epilogue to the Satires Epistle to DrArbuthnot Epistle to Allen Lord Balhurst Epistle to Miss Blount, with the Works of Voiture Epistle to Miss Blount, on her leaving the Town Epistle to Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington Epistle to Mrjervas Epistle to a Lady Epistle to Robert, Earl of Oxford Epistle to Sir Richard Temple, Lord Cobham Epitaph for one who would not be buried in Westminster Abbey Epitaph on Bounce Epitaph on Sir Isaac Newton Essay on Criticism, An Essay on Man, An Farewell to London, A First Epistle of the First Book of Horace Imitated First Epistle of the Second Book of Horace Imitated First Satire of the Second Book of Horac Fourth Satire of Donne Versified Full and True Account, A Further Account, A Guardian, no 173 Iliad, The, Book XVIII Pastorals Peri Bathous: or the Art of Sinking in Poetry Preface to the Works of Shakespeare 147 137 408 394 336 250 46 122 242 120 350 176 319 409 572 242 17 270 118 389 372 265 311 124 128 62 155 I 195 183 Rape of the Lock, The 77 Sappho to Phaon 40 I N D E X OF T I T L E S 735 Second Epistle of the Second Book of Horace Imitated Second Salire of Donne Versified Second Satire of the First Book of Horace Imitated Second Satire of the Second Book of Horace Imitated Sixth Epistle of the Pint of Horace Imitated 363 358 332 327 385 Temple of Fame, The To Belinda on the Rape of the Lock To Mr Addison To Mr Gay 103 100 174 173 Wife of Bath, from Chaucer, The Windsor Forest 66 49 INDEX OF FIRST LINES A shepherd's boy (he seeks no better name) Ah Bounce! ah gentle beast! why wouldst thou die Ah friend! 'tis true—this truth you lovers know As some fond virgin, whom her mother's care Awake, my St John! leave all meaner things Behold the woes of matrimonial life Beneath the shade a spreading beech displays Dear Colonel, Cobham's and your country's friend! Dear, damned, distracting town, farewell! First in these fields I try the sylvan strains 572 173 122 272 66 10 363 118 I Heroes, and kings! your distance keep 409 I am his Highness' dog at Kew In that soft season, when descending showers In these deep solitudes and awful cells In these gay thoughts the Loves and Graces shine 408 103 138 46 Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night 'Not to admire, is all the art I know Not twice a twelve-month you appear in print Nothing so true as what you once let fall 242 385 394 350 Pleased in these lines, Belinda, you may view 100 Stjohn, whose love indulged my labours past Say, lovely youth, that dost my heart command See the wild waste of all-devouring years! 'Shut, shut the door, good John!', fatigued I said Such were the notes thy once-loved poet sung 389 40 174 337 176 The Might)' Mother, and her son who brings The tribe of templars, players, apothecaries There are (I scarce can think it, but am told) This verse be thine, my friend, nor thou refuse Thus like the rage of fire the combat burns Thy forests, Windsor! and thy green retreats Thyrsis, the music of that murmuring spring 'Tis all a libel—Paxton, sir, will say 'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill 'Tis strange, the miser should his cares employ 432 332 266 120 155 49 14 400 18 243 I N D E X OF F I R S T L I N E S 737 Well, if it be my time to quit the stage What, and how great, the virtue and the art What beckoning ghost, along the moonlight shade What dire offence from amorous causes springs While you, great patron of mankind! sustain Who shall decide, when doctors disagree 311 327 147 79 373 251 Yes; thank my stars! as early as I knew Yes, you despise the man to books confined 358 319 INDEX OF CORRESPONDENTS Bethel, Hugh 409 Blount, Martha 101, 150, 179 Blount, Teresa 150 Burlington, Lord 134 Montagu, Lady Mary Wortley Swift, Jonathan 151 177,239,309,361 ... the age of about 17, Pope was strong enough to face the hurly-burly of the capital, and there he gained the notice of litterateurs in the coffee-houses, notably the playwright Wycherley and the. .. including the imitations of Horace, the Essay on Man, and the epistles to various friends In 1742 Pope added a new fourth book to The Dunciad, and the complete work was published in 1743 Pope spent the. .. 1736 The Second Epistle of the Second Book of Horace Imitated The First Epistle of the Second Book of Horace Imitated The Sixth Epistle of the First Book of Horace Imitated The First Epistle of the