SECOND PART GOLDEN AGE OF ENGLISH LITERATURE —Some important historical events, that prepared —irectly or indirectly— the wonderful develop- ment of English literature since the second balf of th 16tb century: the so-called “Renaisance” or “Revival of Letters”. In what does it consist? In a re-awakening of rary enthusiasm for the’ study of the classical authors of old Rome and Greece. No more! Because studies of Roman law, of philosophy and theo- ‘were flourishing in a high degree at the colleges universities of the late middle ages, especially Bologna, Paris, several of the seven German uni- ities, as well as in Oxford and Cambridge. This new enthusiasm for ofd Rom and Greece in Italy in the coutse of the 14th century, at same time in which Italian literature itself rea- its highest peak in the poetical productions Dante, Petrarch, and Boceacio. (The conquest of xantinople by the Turks took place a century 1). The movement spread rapidly over the other ilized states of Europe, like France, Spain, Ger- , the Netherlands, etc., reaching England by end of the fifteenth century. Its ideas affected ‘other arts, painting, architecture, etc. In 1499 Erasmus, the great humanist from the Countries, visited England and Oxford for theSane first time, When he returned the second time a few years afterwards, he stayed in London as guest of ‘Thomas More, lordchancellor of Henry VII. More has proved his perfect knowledge of classical Latin by writing in that idiom his famous book, Utopia: a visionary account of an earthly paradise, situated somewhere in the newly discovered countries of the far west. (That the realities of life are very diffe- sent, he discovered when he had to lay his head on the block, because he refused to acknowledge Henry ‘VIII as head of the English Church. . .)- ‘The invention of printing by John Gutenberg in Mayance, assisted in a wonderful way the rapid multiplication of works of literature, doing away with the tedious and expen- sive method of copying books by hand. (William Caxton, a merchant who had become acquainted with printing in Germany, brought the first printing press to England in 1476). The voyages of the Spanish and Portuguese disco- verers: Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Cabot, etc., and their unheard-of adventures, caused an immen- se excitement in all countries of Europe, and filled the minds of authors wich thousands of new ideas and furnished them with sensational material for innumerable books and essays. The invention of gun-powder and firearms by the German monk Berthold Schwarz, or who- soever it may have been, caused a radical change in the methods of warfare. The age of the romantic knight of the middle ages, with its spectacular tour-aa naments and single combats, was drawing to a close. ‘A mass of common people, armed with rifles and assisted by a corps of artillery would, fight the atles of the future. A literary atmosphere would soon be created ready to produce a Don Quijote and novels of everyday life. The struggle between the spiritual and material powers that began in the age of the s0 called Reformation would excite the minds of literary men on both sides, ready to spill Niagaras of ink in defense of their respective standpoints. + 2—Some of the predecessors of Shakespears ‘The time between Chaucer's death in 1400 and the time of queen Elizabeth (1558-1603) appears nearly like a blank in English history of literature. “The reason? Political, social and religious troubles, the second half of the Hundred years war with France, the civil war of the Two Roses between the Houses of York and Lancaster and the struggle between Henry VIII and the Church were, unfavo- rable to the arts of peace. Only ewo works of literature have acquired some popularity during these barren times: Piers Plow- ‘man, said to have been composed by Witttam LaNo- LaNb, of whom nothing further is known, consists of a series of visions, written in rather bad English, in which he brands the vices of High and Low, but shows himself as an honest friend of the poor. ‘The other production is a prose work: Morte d’Artur by Tomas Manony (died 1471). Very lit "de is known of the particulars of his life, bue Caxtoname printed the book as one of the earliest that left his press and Malory’s version of the famous legends teferring to King Arthur and his circle have fur- nished material to other English authors, for instan- ce Tennyson. Times of peace and a certain comfort of living are necessary in order to develop the arts, especially literature, Such times had arrived in En gland shortly after queen Bess had ascended the throne in 1558. Edmund Spenser (1552-1599), “The poet's poet” as Charles Lamb called him, ‘was born about the middle of the 16th century in London, His father seems to have been a poor tailor, but a kind benefactor assisted the boy to get a good education, first in one of the grammar schools in the capital and afterwards as sizar (partially free student) at Cambridge. Edmund began early to write Poetry, but the first well known volume of litera- ture, the Shepherd's Calendar appeared in 1579, three years after he had left Cambridge. During the in- tervening time he seems to have lived chiefly in northern England, where he fell in love with a gil whom he calls Rosalind in his poems. Her real name seems to have been Rosa, Urged by one of his college friends, who had high connections at court, he returned to London, where his friends introduced him to Sir Philip Sidney, ‘whose father had been tree times lord commissionar in Ireland. In those times ie was necessary for authors to possess influential friends if they did not ‘want to starve, although the invention of printing. had made it possible to produce books at less cost, but the number of people able to appreciate the highLae poetical art of SPENSER was still very limited. The humiliating position in which he found himself, he describes well in the following verses: Fall little knowest thou, thou bast not tried, What bell it is in suing long to bide: To fawn, to crouch, to wait, to ride, to run, To spend, to give, to want, to be undone. In 1580 the poet was appointed secretary to Lord. Arthue Grey of Wilton, the successor of Lord Sid- ney as lord-dleputy of Ireland. One of ‘the sumerous revolts had broken out in that unhappy Catholic country. Spenser was present at many bloody and Violent scenes that took place during the ewo years of Lord Grey’s attempr of pacification. He agreed to them, In a memorandum which he composed and handed to the queen and her advisers, he proposes a plan of practical extermination of that stubborn race .. let them send into Ireland 10.000 foot and 1,000 horse, disperse them in garrisons, give the Irish twenty days to come in; if they do not come in, give them no quarter, but hunt them dowa like wild ‘beasts in the winter time, when the covert is thin; if they be followed well one winter, ye shall have lite work with them the next summer... famine ywould do the rest and in eighteen months time peace would be restored and che ground cleared for plan- tation by English colonists. ..". ‘At the same time whilst the poet brooded over such bloody plans, he wrote the first three books of his eternally famous Faery Queen, considered x0 be the most glorious English poetry since Chaucer. ‘They were published for the first time, when the poet paid a visic to London 1590. In the meantimesus 2 castle (Kilcolman) and 3.000 acres of land had been assigned to the secretary of the lord-commic- sioner, of which their Irish owners had been dis- Possessed. Now he was in Position to get married, ‘The name of the happy elect was: Elizabeth Boyle. Of her he had four children. During the years foll- owing his martiage, he published a goodly number of poetical works, also two mote cantos of the Faery Queen, But in 1597 misfortune overtook him. In aflother revolt the Irish burned down his castle Kilcolman. With difficulty he escaped with his wi- fe and children to England. In vain he urged the ueen to follow up the ideas of his plan of pacifz cation. He died poor and miserable on January 1éth 1599 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, near his master Geoffrey Chaucer, Two dramatists before Shakespeare: Christopher Marlowe (1564-1594) and Thomas Kya (1338. 1594), Cunistopiien Martovs hails from Canterbury, where he was born two or three months before Shy kkespeare. His father was a shoemaker and hie ma ther the daughter of a former priest who had boca deposed by queen Mary, because he had marred, Christopher received the rudiments of his educa, tion at Kings School in his home-town, and then frent to Cambridge as a scholarship-boy of Arche bishop’s Parker foundation. Jn Cambridge he became acquainted with Fran- cis Kett, called the mystic, who was burned for his heretical, perhaps atheistical opinions in 1589. (Re. member that at time of the Virgin-queen heretie aactat is all who refused to believe in the tenets of the Anglican Chusch— were burned alive, the Cacho.a lics, being considered traitors, were hanged; to be beheaded was a special privilege, accorded to the discarded queens of Henry VIII, to earls and in general to high born people and women criminals). In 1584 Marlowe received his degree of M. A. (Magister Artium) and shortly afterwards began his carrer as plawright and actor at the.""Admiral’s Company of Players” in London. He soon became famous by his tragedy: Tam- dourlaine the Great in two parts. It was written in blankvers, the same meter that was used soon after- wards by Shakespeare. Three other tragedies flowed, in quick succession from Marlowe's pen: Dr. Faus- tus, in which he made use of the old German legend, which forms also the theme of Goethe's most famous, drama. The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Jew of Malta, inspired Shakespeare in drawing his picture of Shylock, the Jew, in the Merchant of Venice. Ed- ward TI was probably finished shortly before che poet's tragical end. Marlowe's special friend and protector in Lon- don seems to have been Sir Walter Raleigh, at that time the chief favorite of the queen: The man who made smoking an English habic, after Francis Dra- ‘ke had brought the material from America. Raleigh himself undertook several voyages to Southas well as North America. He gave the name Virginia to a large territory of the present U. S. A. (in honor of the Virgin Queen! Under the reign of James I he had to lay his head on the block). The friendship with Raleigh brought upon Marlowe, with some show of justice, che suspicion that he too belonged to “Sir ‘Walter Ralcigh’s school of atheism”, and to have defended in discussions with other actors opinions26 — shat were considered as highly heretical in those ti- ‘mes One of his collegues of the stage was arrested on the charge and put to the corture. This friend's name was Thomas Kyd, ‘Tomas Kyo is the author of one of the most popular dramas, ever put on the stage: The Spanish Tragedy containing the Lamentable End of Don Horatio and Bel-imperia; with the pitiful Death of Old Hironimo. This drama not only remained on she English stage for aboue half a century, it also was translated into German and Dutch and played in Germany and Holland until the beginning of the 18th century. Some other of Kyd’s works have been lost, among them a tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark, a kind of Ur-Hamlet... Of the particulars of the author’s life very lide is know. His intimacy with Marlowe brougt him into wouble, because it seems that he was suspected of having attached some seditious libels at a certain wall. Under torture he accused Marlowe of atheism. Buc before the latter could be arrested, he had died, Killed in a drunken brawl by some other actor of rowdy. Kyd was released, but lived only one year fonger, until 1594, Te seems that in these years, shordy before and after th destruction of the Spanish Armada (1588), London was crowded with playwrights of the second class. One of them, Robert Greene by name, has be- come famous because in a pamphlet (1592), he ti- dicules not only “that Atheist Tamberlaine” (Mar- lowe), but also: “an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers, that with bis Tygres Beart wrapt in 4 player's hyde”, supposes, he is as well able to bombast out a blank-verse as the best of you; being=e ‘an absolute Joannes-fac-totum, in his own conceit ‘the only Shake-scene in country". ‘The quotation from Shakespeare's Henry VI (shat with' bis Ty- ‘gres heart, cfc.) is most valuable because it allows “us to date that drama as one of che earliest of its famous author. 3—William Shakespeare (1564-1616). One of the greatest, some say: the greatest of all human dramatists, was born at Stratford on Avon, a rather small town in Warwickshire, in che center of England, about 120 kilometers north-west of Lon- don, Stratford is a very old settlement. ‘A monastery, situa- ted close to the right bank of the river, is mentioned already in the year 691. Later the fine church of the Holy Trinity was erected on the same site. The Avon, a tri- burary to the Severn 4s crossed by a stone- bridge of 14 arches, buile in the reign of Henry VIL. ‘William was the thied or fourth of the seven of eight children of John Shakespeare. From the old church register we know that he was baptized on April 26th, 1564. John, the father, seems t0 have been wooldealer or something of the kind, and fairly well-to-do, for he held seve- ‘WIULIAME GHESPEARE sical ib ins Satie aiafar ral public offices in his home-town. Later in life he Jost his fortune from reasons unknown to us. ‘The poet attended the free grammar-school, whe- re —according to Ben Jonson— he learned small La-~ tin and less Greek. As a youngster, he may —like others of his age— have sown his wild oats, for at the early age of eighteen, he had to marry a girl, Anne Hathaway, eight years older than himself. She bore the poet three children, among them twins. Two daughters, Susanna and Judith, survived the father. His only son died in 1596. The eight or nine years following upon the martiage, are more or less a blank —to us— in the author's life, until in 1592 he emerges from obscurity as actor in London, begin- ning to write or revise dramas for the theatre. But shortly afterwards the London theaters were closed. owing to riots and the plague (1592-1594). During these troublesome times, Shakespeare wrote and pu- blished his two lyric epics: Venus and Adonis and Lucrece. He dedicated the two poems to Henry Wrio- thesley, earl of Southampton, one of the numerous favorites of queen Elizabeth, The earl seems to ha- ve been the chief protector of our poet all through, life and to have helped him also materially. In his, dedication of Luctece the poet expresses himself thus: “The love I dedicate to your lordship is with- out end... What I have done, is yours; what I ha- ve to do is yours; being part in all I have, devoted yours”. The sonnets, short lyric poems, which the author composed during these years, are in part like- ‘wise dedicated to the earl of Southampton. When che theaters reopened by the end of 1594, Shakespeare became a member of the Chamberlainsag ‘Company of players and he seems to have stayed with this company until he left London, about the year 1610. “Whilst in the first year of his London residence, our poet must have composed the two parts of Hen- ty ‘VI in cooperation with Marlowe and perhaps so- ‘me other playwright. The dramas that followed in rapid succession after the reopening of the stage, are his own in every respect. They number 33 or 34 and have founded his indisputed world-fame. ‘Much has been written about che real essence of the great poet's genius. According to Cardinal ‘Wiseman, it consists in what constitutes the very soul of the dramatic idea, the power to throw him- self into the situations, the circumstances, the na ture, the acquired habits, the feelings crue or ficti- tious of every character which he introduces, and the power to give outward life to the inward concep- tion. “For a time he lives in the astuce villain as in the innocent child; he works his entire power of thought into intsicacies of the traitor’s brain; he makes his heart beat in concord wich che usurer’s sanquinary spite, and then, like some beautiful crea- ture in the animal world, draws himself out of the hateful evil, and is himself again; and able even to hold his own noble and gentle qualities as a mirror, ‘or exhibit the loftiest, the most generous, and amia- ble examples of our nature... This ubiquity, if we may so call it, of Shakespeare's sympathies cons- titutes the unlimited extent and might of his dra- matic genius”. About the great poet's religious convictions we know very little. As only testimony about this mat- ter we have the assertion of Richard Davies, a Glo-90 — cestershire (protestant) clergyman, who declared: “Shakespeare died a papist”. Ic also is asserted by some that his father was a recusant, that means: a man who refused to attend religious services in the Anglican church and on that account had to pay heavy fines. Thus some explain why he lost his for- tune during the last years of his life, In spite of his immense imaginary powers. Sha- kkespeare seems to have been a good businessman, for already in 1597 he was able to buy a house in Stratford, his native town, called New Place in Cha- pel street, for which he paid 60 pounds. It was one of the largest houses in the town, surrounded by a garden. In 1602 he paid for an estate of 107 acres, with house and orchard, 320 pounds. ‘The last six years of his life, the poet spent in his native town, where he probably wrote the last three or four of his dramas, for instance The Tem- pest, in which he seems to take leave from all his friends whilst Prospero, the poet magician, breaks his magic wand... 4—Life and work of Ben Jonson (1573-1637), BEN (JAMIN) was born in the part of London, north of the Thames, which is called Westminster, in the year 1573, a month after his father’s death. ‘Two yeats later his mother married a master-brick- layer, who provided his stepson with a good edu- cation; for he sent him first to a private institution, and then to Westminster school, Some believe that he had to learn his father’s trade, But since he did not like this ocupation, he hecame a soldier and went to the Low Countries. From there he returned in 1592 and married in the same year.aes Jonson says of his wife, that she was a shrews, but Bonest. The three or four children she bore him, all died before the father. In 1597 he became a playwright and actor, just ike Shakespeare, A year afterwards (1598), he wrote one of the most famous comedies in the En- lish language: Every Man in bis Humour. Shakes- peare played a part ia it, when it was produced for the first time. Before the end of the same year Ben was arrested, because he had killed another actor in a duel ‘Whilst in prison, he made the acquaintance of a Catholic priest and became a Catholic himself. He practised his religion for about 12 years. In court he admitted his crime, but owing pro- bably to the intercession of influential friends, he ‘was soon released and only punished by having his lefe chumb branded. He wrote a great number of dramas of different kind, but his comedies are his best works. Besides the one, mentioned above, he wrote also: Every Man out of his Humour and Volpone, or the Foxy which were likewise much admired. — He had che honor that some of his dramas were produced be- fore the Queen (Elizabeth) and her successor: King James I. King Charles I conferred on him the of- fice of first “Poet Laureate” in England, or its equi- valent in 1630. In spite of his high relations with the court, he -was taken to prison once or twice more in after life because some of his jokes offended prominent peo- ple, but he was acquitted. He seems also to have had some connection with authors of the famous Gun- powder-plot.—2— Owing, it seems, to.a certain predilection fora gay life, he found himself quite frequently in peews niary difficulties and he died poor. He was buried ithe north side of the nave in Westminster Abbey ond in the slab above his grave the words are cut: O Rare Ben Jonson. 5—Prancis Bacon (1561-1626). BACON, the founder of the English Essay, was born in London, January 12th, 1561 (three years before Shakespeare). His father wos Lord Chan- peter of queen Elizabeth. His mother was a hingbly SSueated lady, Since Francis was of frail health, fhe probably received his first instruction at home: Te br hoy of twelve, he was sent to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he remained three years. ‘in Jane 1576 he went to France, where he stay- ‘ed until his father's death, two or three years Ia see Because his progenitor had left him only, @ ‘il inhericance, he began to study law, in order to be able to support himself. Tn 1582 he was allowed to practice law and two years afterwards, he became a member of paslia: seeat, About this time he also began to write, but Mostly in Latin. By one of bis speeches in parlia- ment he offended the queen and in consequence was not offered a position of state by her. Bsseys Gin English) that became the chief reason Yn 1597 he published the first edition of his of his fame as English classic. In 1598 he was arrested for the first time be- cause he was unable to pay his debts. — Although the Queen asked several times for his opinion in im-—9— portant matters of state, she did not give him a high and remunerative office. When she died in 1603, he applied to her successor, James I, the son of Mary was gradually success. ful, In 1613 he was ap pointed attorney gene ral and in 1618 he beca- ‘me at last Lonrd Chan- cellor, a position his fa- ther had held 50 years previously, But in 1621 hhe was accused of ha- ving accepted bribes and was condemned to pay a very heavy fine and to be imprisoned. The King, however, af- ter a shore time Of ar- rest (four days!) gran- red him an amnesty. (There is a founded sus- picion, that Bacon had divided his spoils with the ruler himself). During the last five years of his life (in retire- ment) he wrote che famous History of Henry VIL, and published a third and enlarged edition of his Essays. FRANCIS BACON 6—Jobn Milton (1608-1674). His grandfather, Richard Milton, was a sturdy Catholic, but Richard’s son, John Milton, Senior,Se the poct’s father, turned Protestant, when a student at Oxford, Joun Mirron, Junior, the poet, saw first the light of day in London, on December 9th, 1608, His father practised the profession of scrivener, something li- Ke norary public and agent for arranging loans, etc. At the same time he was a good musician who even composed some motets. ‘Thus young John learned music and poetry from his very infancy. His first private teacher was a Presbyterian cler- gyman, a Scotchman. John also attended St, Paul's Public school and when just 16 years of age, he went to Cambridge as student of Christ's College. There he remained seven years and five months, gaining the degres of M. A. (Magister Artium). His nick ‘name at college was: The Lady. : During these years he wrote a number of poems in Latin. In the meantime his father had retired from business and lived in a small village, not far from Windsor (1632-1638). John stayed with his Parents until 1637, studying with great perseveran- ce Greek and Latin authors, music, mathematics and something of Natural Sciences. He also wrote some poems in English. When his mother had died in 1637, he resolved to go travelling. He went first to Paris, then cros- sing the Alps, he visited Florence, where he remai- ned ewo months. Then hie proceeded to Rome It is re- corded that whilst there, he was invited one day to dinner with the English Jesuit Fathers, Whilst in Naples he received notice, that civil war had broken ‘out in his home country between the King, Charles Tand the House of Commons, in league with thesn aritans. John burried home. He had been absent shout a year and a half, After his return, he lived mostly in London, ing tutor to some boys. In the religious stri- of these times, he ded furiously the of the Puritans, iting several pam- lets in their defence. In the summer of 643, the poet suddenly London, without te- g anybody, why or eto he was going. When he reappeared ger abont a month he g lady, seventeen of age, who be- his wife soon wards. But on- one of two months cer, she fell home- ick and begged to be allowed co pay a short visit hher parents. She left London and did not recurn. er family belonged to the party of the King who then had good hopes to conquer his enemies. In his rage, Milton wrote a pamphlet, in which advocated the licimess of divorce. In the years ving he published other pamphlets: on the li- of the Press and in general advocated the prin- jes of radical democracy. In the meantime Charles I had been decisively q— 36 — defeated by the revolutionary army under the: lea dership of Oliver Cromwell and at last was taken prisoner. About the same time the family of his young wife proposed to Milton, to be reconciled to her. He agreed. ‘Thereupon she returned to him and stayed with him until her death. The poet even allowed her family to live in his house, for a year of two, when they had fled to. London after the battle of Naseby. At that time Milton was busy writing a History of England and collecting mate- rial for a Latin dictionary and a book on systematic theology. When in 1649 the King was condemned to death by Cromwell and his partisans and beheaded (the first example of this kind in European history, to be followed in 1793 by the French!). Milton pu- blished a pamphlet, in which he tried to prove that, the execution of the King was quite lawful, since he had been a tyrant etc. As a reward for his firm ad- herence to the cause of Cromwell and the Puritans, he was appointed Foreign Secretary to the.govern- ‘ment, with a salary of about one thousand pounds a year. But not so long afterwards his eyes began to trouble him, and in 1652 he became totally blind, so that he had to engage an assistant, to whom he dictated his letters. In the same year his only son died and two years afterwards also his wife, leav- ing him three daughters, the eldest of them being only six years old. In order to provide a mother for his children, he married agajn, but his second wife died in child- bed, scarcely a year afterwards, ‘When Oliver Cromwell, the Protector (meaning,a= solute dictator!"") died in 1658, public opinion d ‘rapidly, and already in 1660 the son of the former King occupied the throne as Charles 11. Shortly afterwards the blind poet was arrested by order of the new parliament, and only the In- enmity Bill of Charles IL saved him from being nged. Since the three daughters, being gradually grown p, behaved very badly towards the blind father, friends helped him to find a third wife, whom ‘married in 1663. ‘During the last fifteon years of his life the blind produced the three great masterpieces of En- h epic poetry which made him the most famous o-Saxon author —after Shakespeare—, name- aradise Lost, Paradise Regained and Samson istes. ‘After the poet’s death on November 8th, 1674, a aw-suit ensued between his widow and the three wghters about the inheritance, which had to be ed by the judge. The poet’s brother, Christo- sher, returned to the Catholic Church at the time James TL. Jobn Dryden (1631-1700) Journ was the eldest of 14 children, His father, Sir ismus Dryden, received his first name (Eras us), because his grandfather —they say— d been acquainted personally with the famous xanist, when he visited England at the time of . Thomas Morus. ‘The Dryden family belonged to the prominent ies of Northamtonshire. They were known to < convinced Puritans and antimonarchial. o=a John was educated in Westminster school and afterwards studied at ‘Trinity college, Cambridge, where he took his B. A. degree in 1654. ‘The first verses from his pea, that appeared ia print (1649), were written in memory of a school friend, Henry, son of the earl of Huntingdon. ‘When John’s father died in 1654, he left him only a smail inheritance, worth about 60 pounds a year. In order to increase this small income, he became —it is selated— secretary to one of his cousins, who was chamberlain to Cromwell. In 1659. he published a number of poems Heroic Stanzas in ‘memory of the deceased Protector, which were much admired. But that he was not, or not any more, a fanatical Puritan, he showed in the following year, when he composed another collection of poems As- traca Redux: (Astraea is the goddess of the golden, age!), celebrating the return of the King (Char- les II). By the Puritans all theaters had been closed, but they reopened when the Stuarts returned. So Dry- den began to write dramas, especially comedies, prin- cipally perhaps in order to increase his meager ca- pital. On of them, called The Wild Gallant, was acted in February 1663, Samuel Pepys, the author of th famous Diary, who attended the perfomance, calls it: “...s0 poor a thing, as I ever saw in my life". With another of Dryden's comedies Rival La- dies, however, he was well pleased. But Mr. Pepys is not always reliable in his literary judgements, so, when he says: “...to the King’s Theater, where we saw Midsummor Nigth’s Dream (one of finest comedies of Shakespeare) which I had not seen be-aiS fore, not shall ever see again, for it is the most insi- pid, ridiculous play that I ever saw in my life”. ‘With his friend, Sir Robert Howard, Dryden yperated in the composition of a tragedy The Indian Queen, which was played in January 1664. it was a great success. At about the same time the had married his friend’s sister: Lady Eliza. eth Howard. ‘In 1665, the year in which the great plague ra- ‘vaged England, just like most other European coun- ‘es, and in which all theaters were closed, Dry- lived in a house of his father-in-law, the earl Berkshire. There he wrote his Essay of Drama- ic Poesie, Five years later he was made Poet Laureate —a title first given to Ben Jonson— and granted an sual pension of 300 pounds. ‘When, however, in 1688, King James II was ex- pelled from England, because he was sus} to the British to become again Catholics, the poet ost his title and annuity and again had to work hard for his living. In the meantime his wife and his three sons had joined the Roman Catholic Church, The father fol- ed their example in 1685. Shortly after his conversion he wrote a lengthy in form of an allegory: The Hind and the “anther, in. which he describes the Church as a milk- ite bind, immortal and unchanged. The panther is Protestantism. ‘This allegory was very much admired by a Catho- ic boy, who did not rest until he had paid a visit to the famous author, shorely before the latter's death in 1700. This boy's name is Alexander Pope.a 8—Alexander Pope (1688-1744), The boy who visited John Dryden in Wills's coffeehouse, where a select few surrounded the grand old man during the last years of his life, was destined to be his successor as the most prominent poetical author of the first half of the 18th century. Since the parents of ALEXANDER Pops were staunch Catholics, the boy was not admitted to any public school or college, owing to the so called Penal Laws against the Catholics. But his father was a well-to-do linendraper and therefor enabled to en- ‘gage for his precocious child private tutors. A priest who lived hidden in the neighborhood of the parene’s residence gave him the first lessons in Latin and Greek; later on he also learned Ereach and Italian. Owing to his too great addiction to studies, he fell sick, but was partly cured by the then famous phy- sician Joha Radcliffe, who advised diet and bodily exercise. In spite of all, Alexander retained a kind oF corporal deformity which molested him much all through life. He began early to try his hand at poetry. Ic ig related that already as a boy of fifteen, he had written an epic poem. Its title was: Alexander, the hero of Rhodes. ‘At that time his father had retired from busi« ness and lived at Binfield in Windsor forest. In the neighborhood lived also some other Catholic fami- lies who encouraged Alexander much in his youth- ful endeavors. By one of them he was, as a young tan of seventeen, introduced into circles of litera- ty men in London, who much admired the youth- ful prodigy.ees One of his London friends called his attention to French critical literature and thus originated his fiest well known publication Essay on Criticism. But even before that he had composed and published a Version of Chaucer’s Merchant's Tale, He was then 21 years of age. ‘The Rape of the Lock followed soon thereafter. Tewas a kind of comical epic poem with a good deal of satire. A considerable number of similar, half tarnest, half jocose poems followed by and by. In 1613 Pope became acquainted with Dean Swift, the most famous satirist of English literature. With Some other friends they formed a literary society, Svhose object consisted in waging war against dun- ces, in the literary sense of the word. ‘Pope's hief employment for twelve years consis- ted in producing a translation of old Homer (1713- 1725). This work was also a financial success, be- ‘cause he gained by it 8.000 pounds sterling — Som that made him independent as regards his pe- Cuniary necessities. He bought a house in Twicken- ham, near London, where his aged parents lived in company with ¢heit famous son. ‘The death of his father in 1717 and of his mother in 1733, affected him very much. Pope never married, but his lifelong friend- ship with Miss Martha Blount was often commen: ted upon. Together with Swift who finished Gulliver's ‘Travels in 1725, and other members of their litera- ry club he cooperated in the publication of Miscel- lanies in Prose and Verse. Famous productions of his owa during the last fifteen years of his life are: Dumciad, the Bssays on