St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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64 IGNATIAN the child is Christ. As there were many Jews residing at Rome at that time, it is quite probable that Virgil heard of their expectation of the Messiah. In the pages of other ancient authors, moreover, we read of a general expectation throughout Italy of one who would introduce the second Golden Era. In his Pollio, without any definite person in view, Virgil may have given voice to this general hope. Dur- ing the time of the early Church, it was commonly believed that Virgil was the unconscious instrument of inspired prophecy. It is generally admitted now that though he drew his in- spiration from the Cumean Sibyl and that she in her tum may have been inspired by the sacred writings, Virgil him- self had no direct intention of referring to a supernatural birth. True, he speaks of the Virgin and of the Child sent down from Heaven and characterizes him as a Prince of Peace and delays upon the benefit of his reign, still, strangely significant as the expressions are and gratifying as it would be to trace the source of his inspiration to the prophetic writers, we must be content with admiring the beauty which his poem has by reason of its similarity to what might have been written had he really been, as he only probably was, inspired by the reading of Messianic prophe- cies. We must look to Pope's imitation of Virgil if we want to enjoy a pastoral dealing directly with the birth of Christ. The Latin poet, whatever his inspiration, gives us a pic- ture of a helpless child, and calls upon the heathen deities to be propitious. Pope, with a deep sense of the Divinity, addresses himself directly to the Child: Swift Hy the years, and rise the expected morn! O spring to life, auspicious Babe, be born! See, Nature hastes her earliest wreaths to bring, With all the incense of the breathing spring, See lofty Lebanon his head advance, See nodding forests on the mountain danceg See spicy clouds from lowly Saron rise And Carmel's flowering top perfume the skies!

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POPE'S MESSIAH 63 sympathy is- with the life and traditions of'the country peo- ple. His style as a pastoral poet tends to follow that of Vir- gil more closely than that of the idylls of Theocritus. The pastoral made its first impressions on English poetry in the 16th century. In Italy and Spain it made more rapid strides, completely outdistancing England, which at the close of the century noted a great poverty of original pas- torals among her literary achievements. The English love of country life soon overcame this- lead, for in a short time her poets forged ahead and overtook their rivals. The great strife between Phillips and Pope led to the highest development that the pastoral attained at the hands of an English author. Gay with his Shepherd's Week stands at the head of British pastoral writers, the Gentle Shepherd by Ramsay may be characterized the last true pastoral from the pen of an English poet. Pope's Messiah is a close imitation of Virgil's Pollio, the famous fourth Eclogue in which the poet treats of the expected birth of a child who is to become the Regenerator of his race and times. In the Messiah, Pope exemplifies the full development of his powers. This poem has a more pleasing 'effect than his other works, due no doubt, to the sublime Subject. The poetic translation of Isaias could hardly be more beautiful, though we must admit that he often robs the Prophet of his majestic grandeur. In explaining the poem Pope says: I have endeavored in this translation of Virgil's 'Pollio' to show the reader how far superior are the images and descriptions of the Prophet than the Poet. He certainly gives us an imitation of Virgil, in fact some of his verses are almost direct translations of the Latin poem. Unlike Milton, who was also wont to f1lch from the ancient authors, Pope does not merely take the style and fit another thought to it,-though in this poem it is essential that he adopt the thought,-but boldly makes his own the style, the theme, and not unfrequently whole expressions of Virgil. The ,wonderful child-subject of Virgil's poem has been discussed by critics, ancient and modern. Some consider that

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POPE'S' MESSIAH 65 The boldness of the figures, the beauty and sublimity of the sentiments and the gracefulness with which Pope renders them into English are ample justification of the poet's claim that the images and descriptions of the prophet, are far superior to those of the poet. Pope moreover had another advantage over Virgil even if we were to concede that the latter had drawn his thoughts from Isaias either directly, which is not at all probable or indirectly, through the Sibyl, which according to some is probable. John the Baptist lived and preached and spoke so glowingly of the coming Messias, after Virgil was in the tomb. That Pope availed himself of this additional advantage will appear in the following lines: Hark! a glad voice the lonely desert cheers: Prepare the way! a God, a God appears! A God, a God! the vocal hills reply, The rocks proclaim the approaching Deity. Lo earth receives Him from the bending skies! Sink down ye mountains and ye valleys riseg With heads declined, ye cedars, homage payg Be smooth, ye rocks, ye rapid floods give way! Thus in announcing the coming of the Child, Pope has a decided advantage over his pagan model by reason of his more thorough and more extensive acquaintance with the inspired writings. In describing the benefits which are to follow upon His birth Pope is again at an advantage. The ancient bard, wrapt up in pagan expectations, sings of the sturdy ploughman releasing his oxen from the yoke, of the ram changing the color of his fleece now into sweet-blushing purple, now into saffron hue, while Pope delays upon the attributes of Christ, the Prince of Peace. If No more shall nation against nation rise, Nor ardent warriors meet with hateful eyes, Nor fields with gleaming steel be covered o'er, The brazen trumpets kindle rage no more, But useless lances into scythes shall bend, And the broad falchion in a plowshare end. To gain a more complete idea of this beautiful poem, we may divide the Messiah into three parts or phases.