FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128  
129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   >>   >|  
O THE GRUB-STREET VERSE-WRITERS 1726 Ye poets ragged and forlorn, Down from your garrets haste; Ye rhymers, dead as soon as born, Not yet consign'd to paste; I know a trick to make you thrive; O, 'tis a quaint device: Your still-born poems shall revive, And scorn to wrap up spice. Get all your verses printed fair, Then let them well be dried; And Curll[1] must have a special care To leave the margin wide. Lend these to paper-sparing[2] Pope; And when he sets to write, No letter with an envelope Could give him more delight. When Pope has fill'd the margins round, Why then recall your loan; Sell them to Curll for fifty pound, And swear they are your own. [Footnote 1: The infamous piratical bookseller. See Pope's Works, _passim.--W. E. B_.] [Footnote 2: The original copy of Pope's celebrated translation of Homer (preserved in the British Museum) is almost entirely written on the covers of letters, and sometimes between the lines of the letters themselves.] A PASTORAL DIALOGUE WRITTEN JUNE, 1727, JUST AFTER THE NEWS OF THE DEATH OF GEORGE I, WHO DIED THE 12TH OF THAT MONTH IN GERMANY [1] This poem was written when George II succeeded his father, and bore the following explanatory introduction: Richmond Lodge is a house with a small park belonging to the crown. It was usually granted by the crown for a lease of years. The Duke of Ormond was the last who had it. After his exile, it was given to the Prince of Wales by the king. The prince and princess usually passed their summer there. It is within a mile of Richmond. "Marble Hill is a house built by Mrs. Howard, then of the bedchamber, now Countess of Suffolk, and groom of the stole to the queen. It is on the Middlesex side, near Twickenham, where Pope lives, and about two miles from Richmond Lodge. Pope was the contriver of the gardens, Lord Herbert the architect, the Dean of St. Patrick's chief butler, and keeper of the ice-house. Upon King George's death, these two houses met, and had the above dialogue."--_Dublin Edition_, 1734. In spight of Pope, in spight of Gay, And all that he or they can say; Sing on I must, and sing I will, Of Richmond Lodge and Marble Hill. Last Friday night, as neighbours use, This couple met to talk of news: For, by old proverbs, it appears, That walls have tongues, and hedges ears. MARBLE HILL Quoth Marble Hill, right well I ween, Your mistress now is grown a queen;
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128  
129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Richmond
 

Marble

 

Footnote

 
George
 

spight

 

written

 

letters

 

father

 

introduction

 

explanatory


Countess

 
succeeded
 

bedchamber

 
Howard
 
granted
 

prince

 

Ormond

 

princess

 

Prince

 

belonging


Suffolk

 

passed

 

summer

 

architect

 

neighbours

 
Friday
 

couple

 

mistress

 

MARBLE

 

appears


proverbs

 

hedges

 
tongues
 

contriver

 

gardens

 

Herbert

 

Middlesex

 

Twickenham

 

Patrick

 

dialogue


Dublin
 
Edition
 

houses

 

butler

 

keeper

 
special
 

printed

 
verses
 
letter
 

envelope