UNIVERSITY COURIER.
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depraved in morals. But if woman has risen in intelligence, in virtue, in refinement, the country is safe, though its fleets be sunken, and cities burnt, and crops blasted in the field." The effect of the Frenchwoman's weak character is shown individually by the Frenchman, the most fickle and dissolute of men; and collectively by the nation, the hardest tried and most unfortunate of countries.
ALEXANDER POPE.
Of great fame during his life, after death the chief figure in English poetry, imitated by countless versifiers down to the days of Wordsworth and Keats, Alexander Pope seems to have received all needful praise for his works. But that which he has, he earned, for he was the greatest man of a rather mediocre age.
First appearing before the public in 1712, without fortune, high birth, or powerful friends, his merits were soon recognized, the ablest critics of the day finding in his early poems proofs of equality with Vergil.
Much is made of Pope's letter writing. At first he paid much attention to the rhetoric and expression of these epistles, but found it too fatiguing; since in this kind of work he had to use as much wit to amuse one person as would have sufficed to delight the whole world. In 1712 he published his Essay on Criticism, which a few people think his best work, and a wonderful work it is for a mere boy. During the same year he brought out "The Rape of the Lock," the most airy, the most ingenious and the most exquisite poem of playful fancy ever given to the public. Pope had now established some reputation; this he endeavored to increase by producing a translation of Homer.
Swift, the most conceited man of that day, a very close friend of Pope however, solicited subscriptions for the translation of the "Iliad," and Pope was not to print until he had one thousand guineas. The pecuniary result was splendid. The translation of the "Iliad" and Odyssey' was the greatest literary success of its time and is yet the "standard" translation. Pope's enemies called in question his knowledge of Greek, and that this accusation was true seems pretty well established.
At the present day it is hard to comprehend the audacity that could lead a man so ill qualified in classical studies to undertake such a task; and yet Pope achieved a wonderful success. Johnson calls Pope's Homer "the noblest version the world has ever seen." But Bentley's phrase—"a pretty poem, Mr. Pope, but you must not call it Homer" expresses the general opinion; that there is somewhat of Homer, and a great deal of Pope.
In 1727 Pope published his Miscellany which, by such a train of consequences as generally attend literary quarrels, brought forward a swarm of libels and poisonous shafts leveled directly at Pope. In reply, working on the idea of Dryden's "Absalom and Achitophel," Pope brought out the "Dunciad," one of the greatest examples of Satiric power in the language. The "Dunciad" was a declaration of war against the whole tribe of scribblers or dunces as Pope would call them, and loud was the outury from those whom its bibinglines struck. The "Dunces" (for by this name they were called) held weekly clubs, and sent letters of remonstrance to the authorities, saying that Pope was the greatest enemy that the nation had. The scribblers became so enraged as to make his image in clay and to
execute him in effligy; with which poor satisfaction they were fain to be comforted.
Up to this time Pope had been a satellite of Swift, but now at the fall of Swift, he was swept into the influence of the more imposing Bolingbroke. From the latter he received the plan and materials for "Essay on Man." This Essay professes to be a Theodicy. Pope with an echo of Miltonic phrase, purposes,
"To vindicate the ways of God to man."
"To vindicate the ways of God to man. He is thus undertaking the greatest task to which poet or philosopher can devote himself, "the exhibition of an organic and harmonious view of the universe." Pope does not seem to be complete master of his subject, for in many places he falls into sheer pantheism. In these passages he is truly eloquent, but not very orthodox. Much worse is it when he makes evil passions and vices a part of the harmony; that a—"Borgia and a Catiline" were as much of the divine harmony as a plague or a eyclone.
In the estimation of Pope's character let us not forget the tenderness and fidelity which pervaded his life, and never forget that maternal benediction. It accompanied him always. Pope's continual thoughts were about his mother's death; and well knowing how she lived upon his presence and by his image, he would never go on a journey that would keep him more than a week from home. Therefore he never took a trip to the countinent, nor even to Ireland, where he would have been hailed with raptures of delight. Pope in his younger days seemed to complain of his constant confinement. But long before he had passed the meridian of his life, he had come to view this constraint with far other thoughts. Experience had taught him that it was man's lots to have but a few friends who where friends in time of need. Pope in fact considered his mother as the only one in whom he could place implicit confidence; other friends might, he thought, if he should die or any calamity happen him, regret him a little, and then forget that they ever knew him.
Pope's character presents a wonderful contrast when we view it at different times. One in the world we see him wrangling and cuffing with any one whom he happened to meet. Few cotemporary writers there were, who did not feel his power as a satirist. At home we see that simple childlike affection exhibited by few men. As for his death it was what the noble Arbuthnot asked and enjoyed for himself an "euthanisia"—a beautiful end.
In Johnson's "Life of Pope" you will find described with rather a malicious minuteness some of the personal habits of the "Great little Pope." He was naturally weak and delicate, his body was crooked, he was so short that his chair had to be raised when he was at table. His cotemporaries reviled these misfortunes with a strange acrimony and made his poor deformed person, the butt for many bolts heavy wit. His figure was an easy one for these coarse fellows to caricature. Any one could draw a hunchback and write Pope underneath. Pope's tastes and sensibilities led him to cultivate refined society, while he looked with an air of disgust upon that shabby and boisterous crew of contemporary penny-a-liners. They were very bitter against Pope; anything which they could do to ridicule his person or writings they did; but on the other hand Pope was just as bitter as his enemies; the thong with which he lashed them was terrible.
Thackery says—"satire is easy to write and so pleasant to read, to fire a shot that makes a giant wince,