No More Learning

'151 Dennis:'

see note on 'Essay on Criticism. ' l. 270.


'156 kiss'd the rod:'

Pope was sensible enough to profit by the criticisms even of his
enemies. He corrected several passages 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 "slashing" 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 (pronounced 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 passage, 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-fashioned pronunciation 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.


'209 Templars':

students of law at the "Temple" in London who prided themselves on their
good taste in literature. A body of them came on purpose to applaud
'Cato' on the first night.

'raise':

exalt, praise.


'211-212 laugh . . . weep':

explain the reason for these actions.