In comely rank call ev'ry merit forth, Imprint on ev'ry act its standard worth.]
[Footnote 108: The whole tribe of the "good and just," who obtain any fame at all, are said by Pope to get more than they deserve. For this notion there is certainly no foundation, unless he meant that the fact of desiring reputation deprived virtue of the title to it.]
Therewithal there came anone Another huge companye, Of good folke-- What did this Eolus, but he Took out his black trump of brass, That fouler than the devil was: And gan this trumpe for to blowe, As all the world should overthrowe. Throughout every regione Went this foule trumpes soune, As swift as pellet out of gunne, When fire is in the powder runne. And such a smoke gan oute wende, Out of the foule trumpes ende, &c.--POPE.]
[Footnote 110: In his account of the reception given by Fame to her various suppliants, Pope is detailing the manner in which praise and blame are dispensed in this world, and it is a departure from reality to consign the entire race of conquerors to oblivion. However little they may deserve fame, they at least obtain it. The inconsistency is the more glaring that when he describes the temple in the opening of the poem, he tells us that,
Within stood heroes, who through loud alarms, In bloody fields pursued renown in arms.
I saw anone the fifth route, That to this lady gan loute, And down on knees anone to fall, And to her they besoughten all, To hiden their good workes eke, And said, they yeven not a leke For no fame ne such renowne; For they for contemplacyoune, And Goddes love hadde ywrought, Ne of fame would they ought.--POPE.]
What, quoth she, and be ye wood? And wene ye for to do good, And for to have of it no fame? Have ye despite to have my name? Nay, ye shall lien everichone: Blowe they trump, and that anone (Quoth she) thou Eolus yhote, And ring these folkes works be note, That all the world may of it hear; And he gan blow their loos so cleare, In his golden clarioune, Through the world went the soune, All so kenely, and eke so soft, That their fame was blowen aloft.--POPE.
Pope makes everybody obtain fame who seeks to avoid it, which is absurd. Chaucer keeps to truth. The first company came,