Alexander Pope: Selected Poetry and Prose

49 Pitholeon a foolish and pretentious poet in ancient
times.
50 place sinecure.
53 Curll Edmund Curll (1675–1747), a disreputable and
piratical publisher who might commission another
libel.
54 journal become a party writer in politics or religion.
61 house theatre.
62 Lintot Bernard Lintot (1675–1736), Pope’s publisher.
66 go snacks share the profits.
69 Midas’ ears the ass’s ears given to him by Apollo for
preferring the music of Pan; he tried to hide his ears
but was betrayed by his queen. Pope alludes to the
king, the queen, and Walpole here.
85 Codrus a bad playwright.
86 mighty crack alluding to Addison’s infelicitous
translation of the Stoic’s resolve in Horace’s Odes,
III, iii:
Should the whole frame of nature round him
break...
He unconcerned would hear the mighty crack
And stand secure amidst a falling world.
97 Colley Colley Cibber (1671–1757), poet laureate,
later hero of The Dunciad.
98 Henley a preacher who once addressed a special
sermon to butchers.
99 Bavius a bad Roman poet.
100 Philips Ambrose Philips, writer of pastorals, secretary
to the Bishop of Armagh.
101 Sappho Pope’s name for Lady Mary Wortley
Montagu whose attack on Pope (together with Lord
Hervey) precipitated the epistle.
103 twice as tall Pope was only 4 feet 6 inches.
111 Grub Street popular haunt of hack writers.
113 Letters that is, in a pirated version.
117 Ammon’s great son Alexander the Great.
118 Ovid’s nose Publius Ovidius Naso, the Augustan poet
whose last name suggests nose (nasal).