No More Learning

'265 La Mancha's Knight:'

Don Quixote. The anecdote that follows is not taken from Cervantes'
novel, but from a continuation of it by an author calling himself
Avellanada. The story is that Don Quixote once fell in with a scholar
who had written a play about a persecuted queen of Bohemia. Her
innocence in the original story was established by a combat in the
lists, but this the poet proposed to omit as contrary to the rules of
Aristotle. The Don, although professing great respect for Aristotle,
insisted that the combat was the best part of the story and must be
acted, even if a special theater had to be built for the purpose, or the
play given in the open fields. Pope quotes this anecdote to show how
some critics in spite of their professed acceptance of general rules are
so prejudiced in favor of a minor point as to judge a whole work of art
from one standpoint only.


'270 Dennis:'

John Dennis, a playwright and critic of Pope's time. Pope and he were
engaged in frequent quarrels, but this first reference to him in Pope's
works is distinctly complimentary. The line probably refers to some
remarks by Dennis on the Grecian stage in his 'Impartial Critic', a
pamphlet published in 1693.


'273 nice:'

discriminating; in l. 286 the meaning is "over-scrupulous, finicky. "


'276 unities:'

according to the laws of dramatic composition generally accepted in
Pope's day, a play must observe the unities of subject, place, and time.
That is, it must have one main theme, not a number of diverse stories,
for its plot; all the scenes must be laid in one place, or as nearly so
as possible; and the action must be begun and finished within the space
of twenty-four hours.


'286 Curious:'

fastidious, over-particular.


'288 by a love to parts:'

by too diligent attention to particular parts of a work of art, which
hinders them from forming a true judgment of the work as a whole.
'289 Conceit:'

an uncommon or fantastic expression of thought. "Conceits" had been much
sought after by the poets who wrote in the first half of the seventeenth
century.

'297 True Wit:'

here opposed to the "conceit" of which Pope has been speaking. It is
defined as a natural idea expressed in fit words.


'299 whose truth . . . find:'

of whose truth we find ourselves at once convinced.


'308 take upon content:'

take for granted.


'311-317'

Show how Pope uses the simile of the "prismatic glass" to distinguish
between "false eloquence" and "true expression. "


'319 decent:'

becoming.


'328 Fungoso:'

a character in Ben Jonson's 'Every Man out of his Humour'. He is the son
of a miserly farmer, and tries hard, though all in vain, to imitate the
dress and manners of a fine gentleman.

'329 These sparks:'

these would-be dandies.


'337 Numbers:'

rhythm, meter.


'341 haunt Parnassus:

read poetry.