Alexander Pope springs eternal: how the bard of Britain defied 18th century sectarianism

Art: Portrait of Alexander Pope by Jonathan Richardson

Portrait of Alexander Pope by Jonathan Richardson

Niall MacMonagle

You’ve quoted him, perhaps, without knowing it – but Alexander Pope, born on this day, May 21, in 1688, tells us that ‘Fools rush in where angels fear to tread’, that ‘A little knowledge is a dangerous thing’.