370 POPE. 



world : &quot; &quot; We have little else to do left us but to represent 

 the common sense of mankind, in more strong, more 

 beautiful, or more uncommon lights.&quot; I think he has 

 here touched exactly the point of Pope s merit, and, in 

 doing so, tacitly excludes him from the position of poet, in 

 the highest sense. Take two of Jeremy Taylor s prose 

 sentences about the Countess of Carbery, the lady in 

 Milton s &quot; Comus : &quot; &quot; The religion of this excellent lady 

 was of another constitution ; it took root downward in 

 humility, and brought forth fruit upward in the substantial 

 graces of a Christian, in charity and justice, in chastity and 

 modesty, in fair friendships and sweetness of society. . . . 

 And though she had the greatest judgment, and the greatest 

 experience of things and persons I ever yet knew in a 

 person of her youth and sex and circumstances, yet, as if 

 she knew nothing of it, she had the meanest opinion of 

 herself, and like a fair taper, when she shined to all the 

 room, yet round about her station she had cast a shadow 

 and a cloud, and she shined to everybody but herself.&quot; 

 This is poetry, though not in verse. The plays of the 

 elder dramatists are not without examples of weak and 

 vile women, but they are not without noble ones either. 

 Take these verses of Chapman, for example : 



&quot; Let no man value at a little price 

 A virtuous woman s counsel : her winged spirit, 

 Is feathered oftentimes with noble words 

 And like her beauty, ravishing and pure ; 

 The weaker body, still the stronger soul. 

 O, what a treasure is a virtuous wife, 

 Discreet and loving. Not one gift on earth 

 Makes a man s life so nighly bound to heaven. 

 She gives him double forces to endure 

 And to enjoy, being one with him, 

 Feeling his joys and griefs with equal sense : 

 If he fetch sighs, she draws her breath as short ; 

 If he lament, she melts herself in tears ; 

 If he be glad, she triumphs ; if he stir, 

 She moves his way, in all things his sweet ape, 

 Himself divinely varied without change. 

 All store without her leaves a man but poor, 

 And with her poverty is exceeding store.&quot; 



