Episode 1 of 2
Revelation of Terminal Illness
- When
- 17 July 1734
- Where
- Unspecified correspondence location
John Arbuthnot informed Alexander Pope of his terminal illness in a letter dated 17 July 1734, prompting the poem's composition.
On 17 July 1734, physician John Arbuthnot wrote to Alexander Pope to disclose that he had a terminal illness. This communication occurred in 1734 and served as the catalyst for Pope to compose the satirical epistle addressed to his friend.
Sources
- Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-26
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.