Alexander Pope: Selected Poetry and Prose

122 Maro the familiar name of Virgil, the greatest Roman
poet. As no contemporary representations of ancient
poets survive the satire is doubly pointed.
128 numbers verses.
133 art and care Arbuthnot was Pope’s doctor.
135 Granville George Granville, Lord Lansdowne, to
whom Pope dedicated ‘Windsor Forest’.
136 Walsh an early encourager; see An Essay on
Criticism, ll. 729–44.
137 Garth Sir Samuel Garth, author of the mock-heroic
poem The Dispensary (1699).
139 courtly Talbot Charles Talbot, Duke of Shrewsbury;
all these writers had been friends of Dryden and had
encouraged the young Pope.
140 mitred Rochester Francis Atterbury, Bishop of
Rochester.
141 St John Henry St John, Viscount Bolingbroke.
146 Burnets, Oldmixons, and Cookes all minor writers
who had attacked Pope.
149 Fanny Lord Hervey, also ‘Sporus’ at line 305.
151 Gildon Charles Gildon, a critic who attacked
amongst other things The Rape of the Lock for its
bawdiness and misuse of machinery.
153 Dennis John Dennis attacked An Essay on Criticism
and The Rape of the Lock.
163 laurel the crown of true poets.
ribalds buffoons.
164 Bentley Richard Bentley (1662–1742), textual critic:
‘slashing’ is a comment on his editorial activity. See
Critical commentary, p. 245.
Tibbalds Lewis Theobald, pronounced as spelt by
Pope, scholar and dramatist, had pointed out the
deficiencies of Pope as an editor of Shakespeare, and
was made hero of The Dunciad for his pains. His
own edition of Shakespeare came out in 1734.
177 casting-weight ballast.
179 The bard Ambrose Philips wrote derivative pastorals
and a book of Persian Tales.
180 half-a-crown the fee of a prostitute.