As thick as bees o'er vernal bloffoms fly, Wondering he gaz'd: When lo! a Sage ap- By his broad shoulders known, and length of ears, nay, a RIMARKS. 35 40 50 All as the veft, appear'd the wearer's frame, REMARKS. 55 60 Ver. 34. Ward in Pillory.] John Ward of Hackney, Efq. Member of Parliament, being convicted of forgery, was firft expelled the Houfe, and then fentenced to the Pillory on the 17th of February 1727. Mr. Curll (having likewife ftood there) looks upon the mention of fuch a Gentleman in a fatire, as a great act of barbarity, Key to the Dunc. 3d Edit p. 16. And another author rea1ons thus upon it. Durgen, 8vo. p. 11, 12. "How unworthy is it of Chriftian Charity to ani"mate the rabble to abuse a worthy man in such a "fituation? What could move the Poet thus to * mention a brave fufferer, a gallant prifoner, ex"pofed to the view of all mankind! It was laying afide his Senfes, it was committing a Crime for "which the Law is deficient not to punish him! Crime which man can fcarce forgive, "or Time efface! nothing furely could have induced him to it but being bribed by a great Lady, &c." (to whom this brave, honeft, wor thy Gentleman was guilty of no offence but Forgery, proved in open Court.) But it is evident, Ver. 37. Settle] Elkanah Settle was once a this verfe could not be meant of him; it being no-Writer in vogue as well as Cibber, both for Dratorious, that no Eggs were thrown at that Gentle-matic Poetry and Politics. Mr. Dennis tells us, man. Perhaps therefore it might be intended that he was a formidable rival to Mr. Dryden, of Mr. Edward Ward the Poet, when he ftood "and that in the Univerfity of Cambridge there there. "were those who gave him the preference.' Ver. 36. and length of ears,] This is a fophifti- Mr. Welfted goes yet farther in his behalf: "Poor cated reading. I think I may venture to affirm all "Settle was formerly the Mighty rival of Dryden; the Copyifts are mistaken here: I believe I may nay, for many years, bore his reputation above fay the fame of the Critics; Dennis, Oldmixon," him Pref. to his Poems, 8vo. p. 31. And Welfted, have pafied it in filence. I have alfo Mr.Milbourne cried out, "How little was Dryden ftumbled at it, and wondered how an error fo mani-able, even when his blood run high, to defend fest could escape fuch accurate perfons. I dare affert, it proceeded originally from the inadvertency of fome Tranfcriber, whofe head ran on the Pillory, mentioned two lines before; it is therefore amazing that Mr. Curll himfelf fhould overlook it! Yet that Scholiaft takes not the leaft notice hereof. That the learned Mist alfo read it thus, is plain from his ranging this paflage among thofe in which our author was blamed for perfonal Satire on' a Man's face (whereof doubtlefs he might take the ear to be a part ;) fo likewife Concanen, Ralph," the Flying Poft, and all the herd of Commentators. Tota armenta fequuntur. himself against Mr. Settle!" Notes on Dryd. Virg. p. 175. These are comfortable opinions; and no wonder fome authors indulge them. He was author and publisher of many noted pamphlets in the time of King Charles II. He anfwered all Dryden's political poems! and being cried up on one fide, fucceeded not a little in his Tragedy of the Empress of Morocco [the fit that was ever printed with cuts.] "Upon this he grew "infolent, the Wits writ against his Play, he replied, and the Town judged he had the bet << ter. In short, Settle was then thought a very formidable rival to Mr. Dryden; and not only A very little fagacity (which all these gentlemen" the Town but the University of Cambridge was therefore wanted) will reftore to us the true fenfe of divided which to prefer; and in both places the the Poet thus: "younger fort inclined to Elkanah." Dennis, Pref. to Rem. on Hom. Far caftward caft thine eye, from whence the Sun And orient Science their bright courfe begun: One god-like Monarch all that pride confounds, 75 He, whofe long Wall the wandering Tartar bounds; Heavens! what a pile! whole ages perish there, And one bright blaze turns Learning into air. Thence to the fouth extend thy gladden'd eyes; How little, mark! that portion of the ball, 80 85 93 Lo! Rome herfelf, proud mistress now no more Of arts, but thundering againft heathen lore; REMARKS. Ver. 75. Chi Ho-am ti Emperor of China, the fame who built the great wall between China and Tartary, destroyed all the books and learned men of that empire. REMARKS. by him for teaching Grammar and Literature, and explaining the Poets; because (fays this Pope) "In uno fe ore cum Jovis laudibus Christi laudes non "capiunt: Et quam grave refandumque fit Epifco"pis canere quod nec Laico religiofo conveniat, ipfe "confidera." He is faid, among the reft, to have burned Livy; "Quia in fuperftitionibus et facris Romanorum perpetuo verfatur." The fame Pope is accufed by Voffius, and others, of having caufed the noble monuments of the old Roman magnificence to be destroyed, left those who come to Rome should give more attention to Triumphal Arches, &c. than to holy things. Bayle, Dict. Ver. 81, 82. The Caliph, Omar I. having con- Ver. 109. Till Peter's keys some christen'd Jove quered Egypt, caufed his General to burn the Ptolo-adorn,] After the government of Rome devolved to mean Library, on the gates of which was this Infcription, PTXHE IATPEION, the Phyfic of the Soul. Ver. 96. The foil that arts and infant letters bore)] Phenicia, Syria, &c. where Letters are faid to have been invented. In these countries Mahomet began his conquefts. Ver 102. thundering against heathen lore ;] A ftrong inftance of this pious rage is placed to Pope Gregory's account John of Salisbury gives a very odd encomium of this Pope, at the fame time that he mentions one of the strongest effects of this excess of zeal in him: " Doctor fanctiffimus ille Gregorius, qui melleo prædicationis imbre totam rigavit et in"ebriavit ecclefiam; non modo Mathefin juffit ab aula, fed, ut traditur a majoribus, incendio edit probatæ lectionis fcripta, Palatinus quæcunque " tenebat Apollo." And in another place: "Fertur beatus Gregorius bibliothecam combufliffe "gentilem; quo divinæ pagina gratior effet locus, "et major authoritas, et diligentia ftudiofior," De fiderius, Archbishop of Vienna, was sharply reproved the Popes, their zeal was for fome time exerted in demolishing the heathen Temples and Statues, fo that the Goths fcarce deftroyed more monuments of Antiquity out of rage, than thefe out of devotion. At length they fpared fome of the Temples, by converting them to Churches; and fome of the Statues, by modifying them into images of Saints. In much later times, it was thought neceffary to change the ftatues of Apollo and Pallas, on the tomb of Sannazarius, into David and Judith; the Lyre cafily became a Harp, and the Gorgon's head turned to that of Holofernes. Ver. 117, 118, Happy! had Eafter never been!] Wars in England anciently, about the right time of celebrating Eafter. Ver. 126. Dove like, she gathers] This is fulfilled in the fourth book. Ver. 128. What aids, what armies to affert her caufe!] i. e. Of Poets, Antiquaries, Critics, Divines, Freethinkers. But as this Revolution is only here fet on foot by the first of these Claffes, the Poets, they only are here particularly celebrated, and they Lo, P-p-le's brow, tremendous to the town, 135 See all her progeny, illustrious fight! 145 A fecond fee, by meeker manners known, REMARKS. only properly fall under the Care and Review of this Collegue of Dulness, the Laureat. The others, who finish the great work, are referved for the fourth book, where the Goddess herfelf appears in full glory. Each Cygnet fweet, of Bath and Tunbridge race, 159 164 Silence, ye Wolves! while Ralph to Cynthia howls, And makes Night hideous-Answer him, ye Owls ! REMARKS. hence, gentle reader! thou may'ft beware, when thou giveft thy money to fuch Authors, not to flatter thyfelf that thy motives are Good-nature, or Charity. Ver. 152. Horneck and Roome]. These two were virulent Party-writers, worthily coupled toge ther, and one would think prophetically, fince, after the publishing of this piece, the former dying, the latter fucceeded him in Honour and Employment. The firft was Philip Horneck, Author of a Billingf gate Paper called The High German Doctor. EdVer. 149. Jacob, the fcourge of Grammar, mark ward Roome was fon of an Undertaker for Funerals with awe ;]This Gentleman is fon of a confide- in Fleetftreet, and writ fome of the papers called "rable Mafter of Romfey in Southamptonshire, Pafquin, where by malicious Inuendoes, he endeaand bred to the Law under a very eminent At-voured to reprefent our Author guilty of malevolent "torney: Who, between his more laborious ftudies, "has diverted himself with Poetry. He is a great admirer of Poets and their works, which has occafioned hirn to try his genius that way-He has "writ in profe the Lives of the Poets, Effays, and a great many Law books, The Accomplished "Conveyancer, Modern Juftice, &c. GILES JACOB of himself, Lives of the Poets, vol. i. He very grofsly, and unprovoked, abused in that book the Author's Friend, Mr. Gay. practices with a great man then under profecution of Parliament. Of this man was made the following Epigram: "You ask why Roome diverts you with his jokes, Ple was the author of fome vile Plays and Pama Ver. 153. Goode,] an ill-natured Critic, who writ a fatire on our Author, called The mock Ælop, and many anonymous Libels in News-papers for hire. general. There may feem fome error in these verses, Mr. Jacob having proved our Author to have a Refpect Ver. 156. Whofe tuneful whistling makes the for him, by this undeniable argument. "He had waters pafs:] There were feveral fucceffions of "once a Regard for my Judgment, otherwife he thefe forts of minor poets at Tunbridge, Bath, &c. "never would have fubfcribed two Guineas to me, finging the praife of the Annuals flourishing for that "for one fmall book in octavo." Jacob's Letter to feafon; whofe names indeed would be nameless, and Dennis, printed in Dennis's Remarks on the Dun-therefore the Poet flurs them over with others in ciad, p. 49. Therefore I should think the appellation of Blunderbufs to Mr. Jacob, like that of Thunderbolt to Scipio, was meant in his honour. Mr. Dennis argues the fame way. "My writ-he writ a fwearing piece called Sawney, very abusive ings having made great impreffion on the minds of ail fenfible men, Mr. P. repented, and to give "proof of his Repentance, fubfcribed to my two "Volumes of Letters." Ibid. p. 8o. We should hence believe, the Name of Mr. Dennis hath alfo crept into this poem by fome mistake. But from Ver. 165. Ralph] James Ralph, a name inferted after the first editions, not known to our author till of Dr. Swift, Mr. Gay, and himself. These lines allude to a thing of his, intitled Night, a Poem. This low writer attended his own works with panegyrics in the Journals, and once in particular praised himself highly above Mr. Addifon, in wretched remarks upon that Author's Account of English Poets printed in a London Journal, Sept. 1728. He was Whereas had they followed the Example of thofe wholly illiterate, and knew no language, not even microfcopes of wit, Kufter, Burman, and their falFrench. Being advised to read the rules of drama-owers, in verbal criticifm on the learned Languages, tic poetry before he began a play, he filed and re- their acuteness and induftry might have raifed them a plied, "Shakespeare writ without rules." He end- name equal to the most famous of the Scholiaits. ed at laft in the common fink of all fuch writers, a We cannot therefore but lament the late Apoftafy of political News-paper, to which he was recommended the Prebendary of Rochester, who beginning in fo by his friend Arnal, and received a fmall pittance for good a train, has now turned short to write comments on the FIRE-SIDE, and DREAMS upon Shakefpeare; where we find the fpirit of Oldmixon, Gildon, and Dennis, all revived in his belaboured obSCRIBL. pay. Ver. 168. Morris,] Eefileel. See Book ii. Ver. 169. Flow, Welfted, &c.] Of this author fee the Remark on Eook ii. v. But (to be impartial) add to it the following different character of him: 209. fervations. Here Scriblerus, in this affair of the FIRE-SIDE, I want thy ufual candour. It is true Mr. Upton did write notes upon it, but wsth all the honour and good faith in the world. He took it to be a Panegyric on his Patron. This it is to have to do with wits; a commerce unworthy a Scholiaft of fo folid ARIST. learning. Ver. 173. Ah, Dennis, &c.] The reader, who has feen, through the course of these notes, what■ conftant attendance Mr. Dennis paid to our Author and all his works, may perhaps wonder he should be mentioned but twice, and fo flightly touched, in this But in truth he looked upon him with fome poem. eitcem, for having (more generously than all the left) fet his name to fuch writings. He was alfo a very old man at this time. By his own account of himfelf in Mr. Jacob's Lives, he must have been above that he was fenior to Mr. D'Urfey, who hitherto of threefcore, and happily lived many years after. Sa all our Poets enjoyed the longest bodily life. Mr. Welfted had, in his youth, raifed fo great expectations of his future genius, that there was a kind of ftruggle between the most eminent of the two Universities, which should have the honour of his education. To compound this he (civilly) became a member of both, and after having paffed fome time at the one, he removed to the other. From thence he returned to town, where he became the darling Expectation of all the polite Writers, whofe encouragement he acknowledged in his occafional poems, in a manner that will make no fmall part of the Fame of his protectors. It also appears from his Works, that he was happy in the patronage of the oft illuftrious characters of the prefent age-Encouraged by fuch a Combination in his favour, he published a book of poems, fame in the Ovidian, fome in the Horatian manner; in both which the moft Exquifite Judges pronounce he even rivalled his mafters-His love-verfes have rescued that way of writing from contempt-In his tranflations, he has given us the very foul and fpirit of his author. His Ode-his Epistle-his Verfes-his Love-taleall, are the most perfect things in all poctry. WEL-Buckingham, and Bishop of Rochefter. They alfo STED of himself, Char. of the Times, 8vo, 1728, flate the Iliad, intituled, Homerides, by Sir Iliad. joined in a piece against his firft undertaking to tranpage 23, 24. It should not be forgot for his honour, that he received at one time the fum of five Doggrel, printed 1715. hundred pounds for fecret fervice, among the other excellent authors hired to write anonymoufly for the miniftry. See Report of the Secret Committee, &c. in 1742. Ver. 179. Behold yon pair, &c.] One of thefe was Author of a weekly paper called The Grumbler, in which Mr. Pupe was abufed with the Duke of as the other was concerned in another called Pafquin, Of the other works of thefe Gentlemen the world has heard no more, than it would of Mr. Pope's, had their united laudable endeavours difcouraged him from pursuing his ftudies. How few good works had ever appeared (fince men of true merit are always the leaft prefuming) had there been always fuch champions to stifle them in their concep Ver. 173. Ah Dennis Gildon ah '] Thefe men became the public fcorn by a mere mistake of their tents, They would needs tarn critics of their own country writers (just as Ariftotle and Longinus did oftion? And were it not better for the public, that a thers), and difcourfe upon the beauties and defects of Compoûtion: How parts relate to parts, and they to whole; million of montters fhould come into the world, which are fure to die as foon as born, than that the ferpents fhould ftrangle one Hercules in his Cradle ? The union of thefe two authors ave occafion to this Epigram: Like all their merits, like rewards they share, 185 "But who is he, in clofet clofe y-pent, 190 But, where each Science lifts its modern type, 195 REMARKS. Burnet and Ducket, friends in fpite, Thus Amphibiena (I have read) "None knows which leads or which is led, "For both heads are but Tails." 200 After many Editions of this poem, the author thought fit to omit the names of these two perfons, whofe injury to him was of fo old a date. Ver. 184. That fhines a Conful, this Commiffoner.] Such places were given at this time to fuch fort of Writers. How fluent nonfenfe trickles from his tongue! REMARKS. "his genius leading him freely to dispute all propo Ver. 187. myfter wight,] Uncouth mortal. Ver. 188. Wormius hight.] Let not this name, purely fictitious, be conceited to mean the learned Olaus Wormius; much lefs (as it was unwarrantably foifted into the furreptitious editions) our own" Antiquary Mr. Thomas Hearne, who had no way" aggrieved our Poet, but on the contrary published" many curious tracts which he hath to his great contentment perufed. Ver. 192. Wits, who, like owls, &c.] Thefe few lines exactly defcribe the right verbal critic: the darker his author is, the better he is pleafed; like the famous Quack Doctor, who put up in his bills, he delighted in matters of difficulty. Somebody faid well of these men, that their heads were libraries oet, of order. Ver. 199. lo! Henley ftands, &c.] J. Henley the Orator; he preached on the Sundays upon Theological matters, and on the Wednesdays upon all other fciences. Each auditor paid one fhilling. He declaimed fome years against the greatest perfons, and occafionally did our author that honour. WEL STED, in Oratory Tranfactions, N. 1. published by Henley himself, gives the following account of him: "He was born at Melton Mowbray in Leicesterfhire. From his own Parish fchool he went to: St. John's College in Cambridge. He began there to be uneafy; for it fhocked him to find he "was commanded to believe against his own judg-, ment in points of Religion, Philosophy, &c. for it as menaces, infults, or fatires, but ftill proceeded, "matured his bold fcheme, and put the Church, and all that in danger." WELSTED, Narrative in Orat. Tranfact. N. 1. After having food fome Profecutions, he turned his rhetoric to buffoonery upon all public and private occurrences. All this paffed in the fame room; where fometimes he broke jefts, and fometimes that bread which he called the Primitive Eucharift — This wonderful perfon ftruck Medals, which he difperfed as Tickets to his fubfcribers: the device a ftar rifing to the meridian, with this motto, AD SVMMA; and below, INVENIAM VIAM AVT FACIAM. This man had an hundred pounds a year given him for the fecret fervice of a weekly paper of unintelligible nonfenfe, called the Hyp-Doctor. Ver. 204. Sherlock, Hare, Gibfon,] Bishops of Sabury, Chichester, and London; whofe Sermons and Paftoral Letters did honour to their country as well as ftations. Ver. 212. Of Toland, and Tindal, fee Book ii, |
