No More Learning

'17 Clerk:'

a law clerk.


'18 engross:'

write legal papers.


'19-20'

An imaginary portrait of a mad poet who keeps on writing verses even in
his cell in Bedlam. Pope may have been thinking of Lee, a dramatist of
Dryden's day who was confined for a time in this asylum.


'23 Arthur:'

Arthur Moore, a member of Parliament for some years and well known in
London society. His "giddy son," James Moore, who took the name of Moore
Smythe, dabbled in letters and was a bitter enemy of Pope.


'25 Cornus:'

Robert Lord Walpole, whose wife deserted him in 1734. Horace Walpole
speaks of her as half mad.


'31 sped:'

done for.


'40'

Pope's counsel to delay the publication of the works read to him is
borrowed from Horace: "nonumque prematur in annum" '(Ars Poetica, 388). '


'41 Drury-lane,'

like Grub Street, a haunt of poor authors at this time.


'43 before Term ends:'

before the season is over; that is, as soon as the poem is written.


'48 a Prologue:'

for a play. Of course a prologue by the famous Mr. Pope would be of
great value to a poor and unknown dramatist.
'49 Pitholeon:'

the name of a foolish poet mentioned by Horace. Pope uses it here for
his enemy Welsted, mentioned in l. 373. --'his Grace:' the title given a
Duke in Great Britain. The Duke here referred to is said to be the Duke
of Argyle, one of the most influential of the great Whig lords.


'53 Curll':

a notorious publisher of the day, and an enemy of Pope. The implication
is that if Pope will not grant Pitholeon's request, the latter will
accept Curll's invitation and concoct a new libel against the poet.


'60'

Pope was one of the few men of letters of his day who had not written a
play, and he was at this time on bad terms with certain actors.


'62'

Bernard Lintot, the publisher of Pope's translation of Homer.


'66 go snacks':

share the profits. Pope represents the unknown dramatist as trying to
bribe him to give a favorable report of the play.


'69 Midas':

an old legend tells us that Midas was presented with a pair of ass's
ears by an angry god whose music he had slighted. His barber, or,
Chaucer says, his queen, discovered the change which Midas had tried to
conceal, and unable to keep the secret whispered it to the reeds in the
river, who straightway spread the news abroad.


'75'

With this line Arbuthnot is supposed to take up the conversation. This
is indicated here and elsewhere by the letter A.


'79 Dunciad':

see Introduction, p.