ON MR. GAY IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY, 1732 Of Manners gentle, of Affect ons ! l"# In W t, a Man# S !

$l c t%, a &' l"( W t' nat )e *+!o+r te!$,r ng ) rt+o+s Rage, -or!," to "el g't at once an" las' t'e age( A.o)e Te!$tat on, n a lo/ Estate, An" +ncorr+$te", e),n a!ong t'e Great( A safe &o!$an on, an" an eas% -r en", 1n.la!," t'ro, 2 fe, la!ente" n t'% En". T'ese are T'% *ono+rs3 not t'at 'ere t'% B+st Is ! 4," / t' *eroes, or / t' 5 ngs t'% "+st# B+t t'at t'e Wort'% an" t'e Goo" s'all sa%, Str 7 ng t'e r $ens )e .oso!s889*ere9 l es GAY.

16

NOTES T*E RA;E O- T*E 2O&5 INTRO<1&TION In 1711 ;o$e, /'o 'a" =+st $+.l s'e" ' s ,Essa% on &r t c s!,, /as loo7 ng a.o+t for ne/ /orl"s to con>+er. A fort+nate c'ance t're/ n ' s /a% a s+.=ect e4actl% s+ te" to ' s tastes an" $o/ers. *e se ?e" +$on t, "as'e" off ' s f rst s7etc' n less t'an a fortn g't, an" $+.l s'e" t anon%!o+sl% n a ,M scellan%, ss+e" .% 2 ntot n 1712. B+t t'e t'e!e 'a" ta7en f r! root n ' s ! n". < ssat sf e" / t' ' s f rst treat!ent of t, 'e "eter! ne", aga nst t'e a") ce of t'e .est cr t c of t'e "a%, to recast t'e /or7, an" l ft t fro! a !ere soc et% ,=e+ ",es$r t, nto an ela.orate !oc78'ero c $oe!. *e " " so an" /on a co!$lete s+ccess. E)en %et, 'o/e)er, 'e /as not co!$letel% sat sf e" an" fro! t !e to t !e 'e a""e" a to+c' to ' s /or7 +nt l 'e f nall% $ro"+ce" t'e f n s'e" $ ct+re /' c' /e 7no/ as ,T'e Ra$e of t'e 2oc7,. As t stan"s, t s an al!ost fla/less !aster$ ece, a .r ll ant $ ct+re an" l g't8'earte" !oc7er% of t'e ga% soc et% of @+een Anne,s "a%, on t'e /'ole t'e !ost sat sfactor% creat on of ;o$e,s gen +s, an", $er'a$s, t'e .est e4a!$le of t'e !oc78'ero c n an% l terat+re. T'e occas on /' c' ga)e r se to ,T'e Ra$e of t'e 2oc7, 'as .een so often relate" t'at t re>+ res onl% a .r ef restate!ent. A!ong t'e &at'ol c fa! l es of @+een Anne,s "a%, /'o for!e" a l ttle soc et% of t'e r o/n, M ss Ara.ella -er!or /as a re gn ng .elle. In a %o+t'f+l frol c /' c' o)erste$$e" t'e .o+n"s of $ro$r et% 2or" ;etre, a %o+ng no.le!an of 'er ac>+a ntance, c+t off a loc7 of 'er 'a r. T'e la"% /as offen"e", t'e t/o fa! l es too7 +$ t'e >+arrel, a last ng estrange!ent, $oss .l% e)en a "+el, /as t'reatene". At t' s =+nct+re a co!!on fr en" of t'e t/o fa! l es, a Mr. &ar%ll, ne$'e/ of a /ell87no/n Aaco. te e4 le for /'o!

'e s so!et !es ! sta7en, s+ggeste" to ;o$e Bto /r te a $oe! to !a7e a =est of t,B an" so 7 ll t'e >+arrel / t' la+g'ter. ;o$e consente", /rote ' s f rst "raft of ,T'e Ra$e of t'e 2oc7,, an" $asse" t a.o+t n !an+scr $t. ;o$e sa%s ' !self t'at t 'a" ts effect n t'e t/o fa! l es# certa nl% not' ng !ore s 'ear" of t'e fe+". *o/ M ss -er!or rece )e" t'e $oe! s a l ttle +ncerta n. ;o$e co!$la ns n a letter /r tten so!e !ont's after t'e $oe! 'a" a$$eare" n $r nt t'at Bt'e cele.rate" la"% s offen"e".B Accor" ng to Ao'nson s'e l 7e" t'e )erses /ell eno+g' to s'o/ t'e! to 'er fr en"s, an" a n ece of 'ers sa " %ears after/ar" t'at Mr. ;o$e,s $ra se 'a" !a"e 'er a+nt B)er% tro+.leso!e an" conce te".B It s not !$ro.a.le t'at Bel n"a /as .ot' flattere" an" offen"e". <el g'te" / t' t'e $ra se of 'er .ea+t% s'e !a% none t'e less 'a)e felt calle" +$on to $la% t'e $art of t'e offen"e" la"% /'en t'e $oe! got a.o+t an" t'e r .al" / ts of t'e "a% .egan to rea" nto t "o+.le !ean ngs /' c' reflecte" +$on 'er re$+tat on. To soot'e 'er r+ffle" feel ngs ;o$e "e" cate" t'e secon" e" t on of t'e $oe! to 'er n a "el g'tf+l letter n /' c' 'e t'an7e" 'er for 'a) ng $er! tte" t'e $+.l cat on of t'e f rst e" t on to forestall an !$erfect co$% offere" to a .oo7seller, "eclare" t'at t'e c'aracter of Bel n"a rese!.le" 'er n not' ng .+t n .ea+t%, an" aff r!e" t'at 'e co+l" ne)er 'o$e t'at ' s $oe! s'o+l" $ass t'ro+g' t'e /orl" 'alf so +ncens+re" as s'e 'a" "one. It /o+l" see! t'at t'e !o"ern cr t cs /'o 'a)e +n"erta7en to c'a!$ on M ss -er!or aga nst /'at t'e% are $lease" to ter! t'e re)olt ng .e'a) or of t'e $oet are f g't ng a nee"less .attle. A $rett% g rl /'o /o+l" long s nce 'a)e .een forgotten sat as an +nconsc o+s !o"el to a great $oet# 'e !a"e 'er t'e central f g+re n a .r ll ant $ ct+re an" ren"ere" 'er na!e !!ortal. T'at s t'e /'ole stor%, an" /'en car$ ng cr t cs .eg n to searc' t'e $oe! for t'e !$ro$r et es of con"+ct to /' c' t'e% sa% ;o$e all+"e", one 'as .+t to ans/er n ;o$e,s o/n /or"s. If to 'er s'are so!e fe!ale errors fall, 2oo7 on 'er face, an" %o+,ll forget ,e! all. ;o$e,s state!ent n t'e "e" cat on t'at 'e 'a" .een force" nto $+.l s' ng t'e f rst "raft of t'e $oe! .efore ' s "es gn of enlarg ng t /as 'alf e4ec+te" s $ro.a.l% to .e ta7en, l 7e !an% of ' s state!ents, / t' a s+ff c ent gra n of salt. ;o$e 'a" a c+r o+s 'a. t of $rotest ng t'at 'e /as force" nto $+.l s' ng ' s letters, $oe!s, an" ot'er tr fles, !erel% to forestall t'e a$$earance of +na+t'or ?e" e" t ons. It s !ore l 7el% t'at t /as t'e +n"o+.te" s+ccess of ,T'e Ra$e of t'e 2oc7, n ts f rst for! /' c' ga)e ' ! t'e "ea of /or7 ng +$ t'e s7etc' nto a co!$lete !oc78'ero c $oe!. E4a!$les of s+c' a $oe! /ere fa! l ar eno+g' to ;o$e. Not to go .ac7 to t'e $se+"o8*o!er c !oc7 e$ c /' c' relates t'e .attle of t'e frogs an" ! ce, C "a n Ital% an" Bo lea+ n -rance, / t' .ot' of /'o! ;o$e, as t'e ,Essa% on &r t c s!, s'o/s, /as /ell ac>+a nte", 'a" "one /or7 of t' s 7 n". C "a,s "escr $t on of t'e ga!e of c'ess n ' s ,Scacc' a 2+"+s, certa nl% ga)e ' ! t'e !o"el for t'e ga!e of o!.re n t'e t' r" canto of ,T'e Ra$e of t'e 2oc7,# Bo lea+,s ,2+tr n, $ro.a.l% s+ggeste" to ' ! t'e "ea of +s ng t'e !oc78'ero c for t'e $+r$oses of sat re. No/ t /as a "og!a of t'e cr t cal cree" of t'e "a%, /' c' ;o$e "e)o+tl% acce$te", t'at e)er% e$ c !+st 'a)e a /ell8recogn ?e" B!ac' ner%.B Mac' ner%, as 'e 7 n"l% e4$la ne" to M ss -er!or, /as a Bter! n)ente" .% t'e cr t cs to s gn f% t'at $art /' c' t'e "e t es, angels, or "e!ons are !a"e to act n a $oe!,B n s'ort for t'e /'ole s+$ernat+ral ele!ent. S+c' !ac' ner% /as >+ te /ant ng n t'e f rst "raft of t'e Ra$e# t !+st .e s+$$l e" f t'e $oe! /as to .e a tr+e e$ c, e)en of t'e co! c 7 n". An" t'e !ac' ner% !+st .e of a nat+re /' c' /o+l" len" tself to t'e l g't sat r c tone of t'e $oe!. W'at /as t to .eD T'e e!$lo%!ent of

/'at /e !a% call &'r st an !ac' ner%, t'e angels an" "e) ls of Tasso an" M lton, /as, of co+rse, o+t of t'e >+est on. T'e e!$lo%!ent of t'e class c !ac' ner% /as al!ost as !$oss .le. It /o+l" 'a)e .een 'ar" for s+c' an a"! rer of t'e class cs as ;o$e to 'a)e ta7en t'e "e t es of Ol%!$+s ot'er/ se t'an ser o+sl%. An" e)en f 'e 'a" .een a.le to treat t'e! '+!oro+sl%, t'e '+!or /o+l" 'a)e .een a for! of .+rles>+e >+ te at )ar ance / t' /'at 'e 'a" set o+t to acco!$l s'. -or ;o$e,s $+r$ose, s$r ng ng nat+rall% fro! t'e occas on /' c' set ' ! to /r t ng t'e ,Ra$e,, /as not to .+rles>+e /'at /as nat+rall% loft% .% e4' . t ng t n a "egra"e" l g't, .+t to s'o/ t'e tr+e l ttleness of t'e tr ) al .% treat ng t n a gran" ose an" !oc78'ero c fas' on, to !a7e t'e >+arrel o)er t'e stolen loc7 r " c+lo+s .% ra s ng t to t'e $lane of t'e e$ c contest .efore t'e /alls of Tro%.