the son of poor parents at Cremona (see line 707), which therefore the
poet says, would be next in fame to Mantua, the birthplace of Virgil as
it was next to it in place.

"Mantua vae miserae nimium vicina Cremona."--Virg.]

[Line 714: Boileau.--An illustrious French poet (1636-1711),
who wrote a poem on the Art of Poetry, which is copiously imitated by
Pope in this poem.]

[Lines 723, 724: Refers to the Duke of Buckingham's _Essay on
Poetry_ which had been eulogized also by Dryden and Dr. Garth.]

[Line 725: Roscommon, the Earl of, a poet, who has the honor
to be the first critic who praised Milton's _Paradise Lost_, died
1684.]

[Line 729: Walsh.--An indifferent writer, to whom Pope owed a
good deal, died 1710.]