The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-16

I
quisits imaginative and creative facu'' y
IN The Rape Of the Lock. which could
hardly he the work Of the most fclicitous
initator, even surprising that II bore any
evidence Of imitation at all. There are
also passages in The Messiah over which
the most casual and careless reader, even
though he may have learned from modern
criticism TO think little Of Pope. may he
compelled to lnger in deep and delightful
thought. and in which no recos 4izes the
thrill Of that touch associated with poctical
genius"
Touching Pope's translation Of the
Had, which does not properly belong
! TO the reign of Queen Anne, our author
accepts the justice Of Bentley's dictuin
that II was fine poem. but was not Homer.
The opinion is nevertheless expressed that,
| while there have been better English trans
| lations of Homer than Pnpe's, there has
never been any other FL gish translat ion
| winch has exercised such a charm over
| what may be called the average or the
! Popular intelligence as was wrought by
fope's captivating version. Ia every
generation since Popes time thousands
OF schoclboys in these countries have learned
Ia Tho first instance to appreciate the won
| urous tale of Troy divine from Pope's
translation Of the Had Sonnet hing more
| even than this may be- said A large pro-
/, portion of young men have IN every sue
! c.eding generation been drawn To a study
| OF Homer in his own tongue by the charm
| 81 Pope's translation. Many middle
aged aid scholarly man who has learned
/ IL appreciate Homer in Homers own Ian
| guAgc. has frankly owned in his maturor
| years that il was from Popes 'lliad he
| hfst acquired that love of the epic story
| which could not he satisf d with any hing
short OF direct acquaintance with the
1 original Mr.. Mccarthy submits that TO
| have accomplished such a success a. this
| would b. enough to entitle its author to
the gratitude of the world and To a noble
! place among the worlds poetic bene-
| factors"
| Toward the close Of the chapter we are
| reminded that, while in our own time the
| number of Pop+'s readers is but small " hen
compared with the numbers Of those no
| are familiar with the poets of the nineteenth
| century, yet he commands a far larger
| number of readers than Dryden, even
| among those who clearly recognize that
| Dryden had quality Of genuine originality
which never belonged 10 Pope. and reached
! poetic heights 20 which Pope seems not
! even to have aspirCd. Not only II this
| true. but those who still read Pope may
| b. said To feel something like real affection
| for many of his poems. When they open
| a volume OF his they are draw II TO read on
AID on. and they put him down with a dis
| tlnct sensation of reluctance. Many pas
! sages III his poems are like dear old friends,
| or like the loved notes Of once familiar
music which can never fail TO touch the
| ear This l., the more surprising because OF
the artiticiality which shows itself no much
| in Pope's mode Of construction and even
| IN the very melody Of his verse; but IL II
none the l,.sSs true. Despite all the irri-
| liability. the quarre lSoInencss, the Jealous
ic- which we're part OF the poor. deiormed
| poets nature, there must have been III
! him a sincere and loving heart, or he could
rot have maintained such q hold on the
afectionate interest Of 30 many general ions
OF readers
Although Mccarthy In not one Of Boiling
broke's professed indicators. he Is just to
| him, and the fact deserves to be noted. for
many Wing or Liberal writer's seem 70 have
found il impossible TO be just to MarIDor-
oughs great opponent. Much that s said
: in the book before us abo,r this remarkable
man suggests a comparison with Disraeli,
which tlr author however. has refrained
from making. Few, if any, men dstin-
yuishod In literature have been better
qualified by political experience than is
! Nr Mccarthy To pronounce judgment on
Boliugbroke's Parliamentary ability. That
Judgment Is a highly laudatory one. Boil
ingbroke, " we read, was born with posi-
tive genius for Parliamentary debate, He
/ IA and his wa.
especially of that order which suits itself TO
the atmosphere Of the House Of Commons.
| In the boldest and loftiost flights Of III.
! "loQuence there was always a strain of
sustained argument, there was always an
| appeal 10 the practical and busness-lihe
| Intelligence and habits of III. audience. and
even when he became most thrilling and
los, impassior"d his appeal never went
! wholly over the heads Of his listeners, never
scared beyond the le,.l Of their in,ellcols,
their purposes, and their sy.npathie- This
| j., Of course. an essential condition Of all
true oratory. Of oil oratory which has for it,
| puri 81 To touch the brains and tho hearts
| Of men, but it is especially true Of that which
| We recognize as the highest order Of pariid-
, mcntory cioqucuce. We know that some
, Mt least OF the greatest orators who ever
| addressed the House of Commons let US
! take Edmund Burke as an example-have
| acquired their highest fame from the judg-
! ment of those outside thu House ''Solf or OF
| lose who. belonging TO the House, were at
| the pains Of studying the great speeches az
| recorded works, but that their hest Efforts
| sonnet INES failed in their immediate effect
| upon the assembly which they were int ended
to persuade and command. Bolngbroke
| did not, like Byron's Marine Faliero.' speak
| to time and to cternity-not 10 man Boil
| in2broke spoke to man-to convince him,
| to captivate him, to master him and his
| characteristic gif' was all his own when be
| spoke to man III the House Of Commons
Bulwcr, in the remarkable poem st
| Stcphtns," to which we have rnferrod
| compared Bolingbroke with Alcib,adcs
| In our authors opinion, there is much OF
| aptitude and justice in the comparison
There was a distinct dash Of the frivolou-
aid also Of the theatre. mingled with the
| stronger, more earnest and moro COM
mandn4 qualit,es in his temperament and
| genius. When he came to conduct the
| business affairs Of his Office, nobody could
! be more careful. NOR, mcthodlcal and morn
precise. There was no chance while Is ling
broke was at tho lead Of a department