FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44  
45   46   47   48   49   50   >>  
Reflection in it, whether I ought to have mention'd his Objection to _The Non-Juror_ at all; but as the Particularity of it may let one a good deal into the Sentiments of Mr. _Pope_, I could not refrain from bestowing some farther Notes upon it. Well then! upon the great Success of this enormous Play, _The Non-Juror_, poor Mr. _Pope_ laments the Decay of Poetry; though the Impoliteness of the Piece is his only insinuated Objection against it. How nice are the Nostrils of this delicate Critick! This indeed is a Scent, that those wide-mouth'd Hounds the Daily-Paper Criticks could never hit off! though they pursued it with the Imputation of every Offence that could run down a Play: Yet Impoliteness at least they oversaw. No! they did not disguise their real dislike, as the prudent Mr. _Pope_ did; They all fairly spoke out, and in full Cry open'd against it, only for its so audaciously exposing the sacred Character of a lurking, treason-hatching Jesuit, and for inhumanly ridiculing the conscientious Cause of an honest deluded Jacobite Gentleman. Now may we not as well say to Mr. Pope, _Hinc illae lachrymae_! Here was his real Disgust to the Play! For if Impoliteness could have so offended him, he would never have bestowed such Encomiums upon the _Beggars Opera_, which whatever Beauties it might boast, Politeness certainly was not one of its most striking Features. No, no! if the Play had not so impudently fallen upon the poor Enemies of the Government, Mr. _Pope_, possibly, might have been less an Enemy to the Play: But he has a charitable Heart, and cannot bear to see his Friends derided in their Distress: Therefore you may have observed, whenever the Government censures a Man of Consequence for any extraordinary Disaffection to it; then is Mr. _Pope_'s time generously to brighten and lift him up with Virtues, which never had been so conspicuous in him before. Now though he may be led into all this, by his thinking it a Religious Duty; yet those who are of a different Religion may sure be equally excused, if they should notwithstanding look upon him as their Enemy. But to my Purpose. Whatever might be his real Objections to it, Mr. _Pope_ is, at least, so just to the Play, as to own it had great Success, though it grieved him to see it; perhaps too he would have been more grieved, had he then known, that his late Majesty, when I had the Honour to kiss his Hand, upon my presenting my Dedication of it, was graciously plea
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44  
45   46   47   48   49   50   >>  



Top keywords:

Impoliteness

 

Government

 

grieved

 

Success

 

Objection

 

Politeness

 

censures

 

Beauties

 
Distress
 
observed

Therefore

 
striking
 

possibly

 

Enemies

 

impudently

 
Features
 

fallen

 
Friends
 

charitable

 

derided


Objections

 
Whatever
 

notwithstanding

 
Purpose
 

presenting

 

Dedication

 
graciously
 

Majesty

 

Honour

 

excused


equally
 

brighten

 
Virtues
 

generously

 

extraordinary

 

Disaffection

 

conspicuous

 

Religion

 

thinking

 

Religious


Consequence

 

hatching

 
Critick
 
delicate
 

Nostrils

 

insinuated

 

pursued

 

Imputation

 

Criticks

 

Hounds