minds over their readers, without so much as a cry of ‘Heads below!’
Pope’s translation of the Iliad was his first great undertaking, and he worked at it like a Trojan. It was published by subscription for two guineas; that is, the first part was. His friends were set to work to collect subscribers. Caryll alone got thirty-eight. Pope fully entered into this. He was always alive to the value of his wares, and despised the foppery of those of his literary friends who would not make money out of their books, but would do so out of their country. He writes to Caryll:
‘But I am in good earnest of late, too much a man of business to mind metaphors and similes. I find subscribing much superior to writing, and there is a sort of little epigram I more especially delight in, after the manner of rondeaus, which begin and end all in the same words, namely—“Received” and “A. Pope.” These epigrams end smartly, and each of them is tagged with two guineas. Of these, as I have learnt, you have composed several ready for me to set my name to.’
This is certainly much better than that trumpery walk in the moonshine. Pope had not at this time joined the Tories, and both
parties subscribed. He cleared over £5,000 by the Iliad. Over the Odyssey he slackened, and employed two inferior wits to do half the books; but even after paying his journeymen he made nearly £4,000 over the Odyssey. Well might he write in later life—
‘Since, thanks to Homer, I do live and thrive.’
Pope was amongst the first of prosperous authors, and heads the clan of cunning fellows who have turned their lyrical cry into consols, and their odes into acres.
Of the merits of this great work it is not necessary to speak at length. Mr. Edmund Yates tells a pleasant story of how one day, when an old school Homer lay on his table, Shirley Brooks sauntered in, and taking the book up, laid it down again, dryly observing:
‘Ah! I see you have Homer’s Iliad! Well, I believe it is the best.’ And so it is. Homer’s Iliad is the best, and Pope’s Homer’s Iliad is the second best. Whose is the third best is controversy.
Pope knew next to no Greek, but then he did not work upon the Greek text. He had Chapman’s translation ever at his elbow, also the version of John Ogilby, which had appeared