125 How will our fathers rise up in a rage, 135 (a) In days of eafe, when now the weary sword Was fheath'd, and Luxury with Charles restor'd; In ev'ry tatte of foreign courts improv'd, 66 All, by the king's example, liv'd and lov'd." 141 Vel quia nil [x] rectum, nifi quod placuit fibi, ducunt; Jam [y] Saliare Numa carmen qui laudat, et illud, beret, 1 Quod legeret tereretque viritim publicus ufus? [a] Ut primum pofitis nugari Gracia bellis NOTES. Ver. 142. A verfe of the Lord Lanfdown. Then 169 The fleepy eye, that spoke the melting foul. 150 But (f) Britain, changeful as a child at play, Now calls in princes, and now turns away. 156 Now Whig, now Tory, what we lov'd we hate; Now all for pleasure, now for church and state; Cœpit, et in vitium fortuna labier æqua; Nunc athletarum ftudiis, nunc arfit [b] equorum [c] Marmoris aut eboris fabros aut æris amavit; Sufpendit [d] picta vultum mentemque tabella; Nunc [e] tibicinibus, nunc eft gavifa tragœdis: [f] Sub nutrice puella velut fi luderet infans, NOTES. Ver. 143. In horsemanship t' excel,------And ev'ry flow'ry courtier writ romance.] The Duke of Newcastle's book of horfemanship; the romance of Partheniffa, by the Earl of Orrery, and most of the French romances translated by perfons of quality. Ver. 153. On each enervate string, etc.] The fiege of Rhodes by Sir William Davenant, the first opera sung in England. Ver. 158. Now all for pleasure, now for church and flate The first half of Charles the Second's reign was paffed in an abandoned diffoluteness of manners; the other half, in factious difputes about Popish plots and French prerogative. VOL. II. K New Now for prerogative, and now for laws; 160 (g) Time was, a fober Englishman would knock His fervants up, and rife by five o'clock, Inftruct his family in ev'ry rule, And fend his wife to church, his fon to school, Quod cupide petiit, mature plena reliquit. [g] Romæ dulce diu fuit, et folemne reclufa Mane domo vigilare, clienti promere jura; 66 66 66 66 66 66 NOTES. Ver. 160. Effects unhappy! from a noble cause,] i. e. the love of Liberty---Mr Voltaire, while in England, in a letter, dated October 15, 1726, writes thus to a friend in Paris. "I had a mind at first to print our poor Henry at my own expences in London; but the lofs of my money is a "fad ftop to my defign. I question if I shall try the way of fubfcriptions by the favour of the court. I am weary of courts. All that is king, or belongs to a king, frights my republican philofophy. I wont drink the leaft draught of flavery in the land of liberty. I have written freely to and I will always do fo, having no reafon to lay my"felf under any reftraint. I fear, I hope nothing from your country: all that I wish for, is to fee you one day here. I am entertaining myself with this pleasant hope. If it is but a dream, let me enjoy it: do not undeceive me: let me believe I shall have the pleasure to see you in London, drawing up the ftrong spirit of this unaccountable nation. You will tranflate their thoughts better when you live amongst them. You will fee a nation fond of their liberty, learned, witty, defpifing life and death, a nation of philofophers. Not but that there are fome fools in England. Every country has its madmen. It may be, French folly is plea "fanter than English madness, but by English wildom 66 66 66 66 66 "and English honesty is above yours." T. To (b) worship like his fathers, was his care; 165 175 180 (m) He ferv'd a 'prenticeship, who fets up fhop; Ward try'd on puppies, and the poor, his drop; K 2 Ev'n Scriptos [b] nominibus rectis expendere numos; ægro NOTES. Ver. 182. Ward] A famous Empiric, whofe pill and drop had feveral furprifing effects, and were one of the principal fubjects of writing and converfation at this time, Ev'n (7) Radcliff's doctors travel firft to France, Nor dare to practise, till they've learn'd to dance, Who builds a bridge that never drove a pile? 185 (Should Ripley venture, all the world would smile) But (o) those who cannot write, and those who can, All rhyme, and fcrawl, and fcribble, to a man. Yet, Sir, (p) reflect, the mifchief is not great; These madmen never hurt the church or ftate: 190 Sometimes the folly benefits mankind; And rarely (9) av'rice taints the tuneful mind. (s) Flight of cashiers, or mobs, he'll never mind; 200 Non audet, nifi qui didicit, dare: quod medicorum eft, Detrimenta, [s] fugas fervorum, incendia ridet; NOTES. Ibid. Ward try'd on puppies, and the poor, his drop:] It was the poet's purpofe to do Mr Ward honour in affigning to him that medical aphorifin of regular practice, Periculum faciamus in corpore vili. Of |