Notes

1] Published in February 1735, but completed by January 1733. The characters of Philomede (69-86), Atossa (115-50) and Chloe (157-80) as well as lines 181-98 were first added to the poem in 1744. There is, however, reason to believe that some or all of these portions of the poem were part of the original text, but were suppressed by Pope because they involved people still living in 1735. The Epistle stands in a tradition of poems on women, including Juvenal's Satire VI and Boileau's Satire X. It was also included as part of Pope's larger plan (see introductory note to Epistle to Burlington above). The lady to whom the epistle is dedicated is usually identified as Martha Blount, a lifelong friend of the poet. Martha (1690-1763) and her elder sister Teresa (b. 1688) were members of an old Catholic family. Pope met the sisters in 1711 and carried on a flirtation with them until 1718. After that, it was generally believed that Martha, who spent much time with the poet, was his mistress. His devotion to her was constant.
"[Pope] That their particular characters are not so strongly marked as those of men, seldom so fixed and still more inconsistent with themselves."

7-13] "[Pope] Attitudes in which several ladies affected to be drawn, and sometimes one lady in them all--The poet's politeness and complaisance to the sex is observable in this instance, amongst others, that whereas in the Characters of Men he has sometimes made use of real names, in the Characters of Women always fictitious."

16] romantic: "fantastic, extravagant, quixotic" (OED).

20] Cynthia: pronounced as two syllables; a name attributed to Queen Elizabeth I by court poets; in classical literature, a name given to Diana.

21] Rufa: Redhead.

23] Locke: see Epistle to Burlington, line 139.

24] Sappho: Lady Mary Wortley Montagu; see Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot.

29] Silia: the meaning of the name remains uncertain.

31] Calista: "fairest" but suggesting both Callisto, an Arcadian nymph, made pregnant by Zeus, and Callista, the guilty heroine of The Fair Penitent, a "she-tragedy" by Rowe.
nice: punctilious, with a suggestion of contempt. Cf. line 205 and Rape of the Lock, IV, 124.

32] Simplicius. Although there was a fictional Simplicius, Pope here only means "simple-minded."

37] Papillia: < Latin papilo (butterfly).

45] Calypso: the nymph who kept Odysseus on her island for eight years. The name means "one who conceals something."

53] Narcissa: from Narcissus, the Greek youth with whom Echo fell in love. Because he had repulsed her, Aphrodite punished him by making him fall in love with his own image. The love was so powerful that it led to his despair and death, when he was changed into the flower that bears his name.

54] wash: lotions for hair and skin.

57] trim: "nearly = guise, aspect" (OED).

63] Taylor: Jeremy Taylor's Holy Living and Holy Dying was a popular seventeenth-century devotional work. Book of Martyrs: John Foxe's Actes and Monuments.

64] citron: citron water, flavoured with brandy and a peel of citron or lemon.
his Grace: probably in the sense of any duke, although sometimes identified with Philip, Duke of Wharton.
Chartres: Francis Chartres, "a man infamous for all manner of vices," a gambler, and bawdy house operator, twice condemned for rape.

70] punk: whore.

73] fault: pronounced to rhyme with ought.

78] Tallboy: the booby young lover in The Jovial Crew, a comedy by Richard Brome.
Charles: used generically for the typical footman.

79] Helluo: in Latin, a glutton.

83] Philomele: "laughter-loving," the Homeric epithet for Aphrodite.

87] Floria: "blonde."

92] Lucretia: Cf. Essay on Man, note on line 208.
Rosamonda: Cf., Rape of the Lock, note on V, 136.

101] Simo: "old man," modelled on the old men in Terence's and Plautus's plays.

107] her Grace: some duchess not identified.

108] charming: feminine slang.

111] draught: pronounced to rhyme with thought.

115] Atossa. The historical Atossa was the daughter of Cyrus and Cambyses. Pope applies the portrait generally, but it is developed from the figure of Katherine, Duchess of Buckinghamshire (1682-1743), an arrogant, quarrelsome, eccentric female, though of some energy, intelligence, and public spirit.

130] well: in her good graces.

155] equal: unmixed, uniform.
knack: trick (from low slang).

157] Chloe: another type portrait.

164] decencies: proprieties.

182] varnish'd out: presumably meaning the painting is complete.
a Queen: Queen Caroline (1683-1737), a firm Whig supporter and friend of Lord Harvey (see Epistle to Arbuthnot).

193] Queensbury: Catherine Hyde, Duchess of Queensbury (1700-77), one of the most beautiful women of the eighteenth century.

194] Helen: Helen of Troy, whose beauty caused the Trojan wars.

197] draught: drawing, sketch of a picture.

198] Mah'met: "[Pope] Servant to the late king, George I, said to be the son of a Turkish Bassa, whom he took at the siege of Buda, and constantly kept about his person."
Parson Hale: Dr. Stephen Hales (1677-1761), clergyman and famous physiologist, a close personal friend of Pope's.

211] "[Pope] This is occasioned partly by their Nature, partly by their education, and in some degree by necessity."

212] fault: see note to line 73.

219] queens: with a pun on quean.

240] night: visiting night.

251] Ring: cf. Rape of the Lock, note on I, 44.

257] temper: equanimity.

266] tickets: lottery tickets; codille: cf. Rape of the Lock, note on III, 27-100.

267] Spleen: cf. Rape of the Lock, IV. 268.
China: with a pun.

282] toasts: "the name of a lady being supposed to flavour a bumper like a spiced toast in a drink" (OED).
queens: in all likelihood, with a pun.

283] Phoebus: Apollo.

289] Wit and gold refines. Apollo, god of poetry, ripens Wit and as god of the sun it was believed he ripened minds.

Other poems by Alexander Pope