eyes:

"Kind Self-conceit to fome her glafs applies,
"Which no one looks in with another's
"But as the Flatt'rer or Dependant paint,
"Beholds himself a Patriot, Chief, or Saint."

The poetical imagery in the following lines is exceedingly beautiful, and the fentiment juft.

"On others Int'reft her gay liv'ry flings,
"Int'reft, that waves on Party-colour'd wings:
"Turn'd to the Sun, the cafts a thousand
"dyes,

"And, as the turns, the colours fall or rife."

The reft are reprefented, with great fpirit and poignancy, in the difplay of their various offices, by which the fons of Dulnefs are prepared for the titles and degrees which the goddefs confers upon them.

Having thus diftinguished them, fhe bestows her bleffing on them; and, in a fhort speech, the recommends it to them to repair from theory to practice.

"All my commands are cafy, fhort, and "full:

My Sons! be proud, be felfifh, and be "dull."

She then particularizes the fervices fhe expects from each, and concludes her fpeech with a yawn of fuch marvellous efficacy, that it lulls and compofes all orders of men throughout the

kingdom, and the poem ends with the reftoration of Night and Chaos.

The following lines, which are prophetic of this restoration, are at once poetical, philofophical, and pious

"She comes! fhe comes! the fable Throne "behold

"Of Night primaeval, and of Chaos old!
"Before her, Fancy's gilded clouds decay,
“And all its varying Rain-bows die away.
"Wit fhoots in vain its momentary fires,
"The meteor drops, and in a flash expires.
"As one by one, at dread Medea's ftrain,
"The fick'ning ftars fade off th' ethereal
plain;

"As Argus' eyes, by Hermes' wand oppreft,
"Clos'd one by one to everlasting reft;
"Thus at her felt approach, and fecret might,
"Art after Art goes out, and all is Night.
"See fkulking Truth, to her old cavern fled,
"Mountains of Cafuiftry heap'd o'er her head!
"Philofophy, that lean'd on Heav'n before,
"Shrinks to her fecond Caufe, and is no more.
"Phyfic of Metaphyfic begs defence,
"And Metaphyfic calls for aid on Senfe!
"See Mystery to Mathematics fly!

"In vain! they gaze, turn giddy, rave, and
"die.

Religion blushing veils her facred fires,
And unawares Morality expires."

It is to be wished that the poem had concluded with these admirable lines, which convey fo keen and just a cenfure on the vifionary raptures of the late noble author of the Characteristics. The fix fucceeding lines*, which close the piece, are little more than a repetition, or amplification of what was before more forcibly expreffed.

But upon the whole, this book may be esteemed as one of the choiceft of our author's compofitions. The plan of it, as the Editor obferves, was artfully contrived to fhew that the defects of a fashionable education, naturally led to, and ended in, Free-thinking. This plan is conducted throughout with the true spirit of indignant satire, and with the most glorious and laudable defign, which can animate a great geniusThat of advancing the ends of virtue and religion t.

*Nor public Flame, nor private, dares to shine;
"Nur human Spark is left, nor Glimple aivine!
"Lo! thy dread Empire, CHAOS! is reftor'd,

Light dies before thy uncreating word:

"Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall ;.. "And univerfal Daiknefs buries All."

It

+ Our author was apprehenfive that this fatire on travelling, virtuofofhip, and freethinking, would raile a ftorm against him, which he humorously prophecies in a letter to his friend Mr. Bethel.

66

"One of my amufements has been writing a poem, part "of which is to abuse Travelling; you have made me have a quarrel to it, even when it was for a good reafon, and ([ hope) will be attended with a good effect, which it rarely "is in the cafes I have fatirized it for. I little thought three

"months

It is to be regretted therefore, as has been obferved, that the beauties of this book, fhould be lavished to adorn a poem, which has perfonal fatire for its chief object.

The infignificant dunces and malevolent critics expofed in this piece, are falling into oblivion; and when their characters are wholly forgotten, the Dunciad will become in a great degree uninteresting.

Even the hero of the poem, who with matchless effrontery, affected to be infenfible to just reproof, is now fcarcely remembered; fo tranfient is the memory of pertnefs and vanity.

It is to be wished, that our author had never defcended to have beftowed fo much attention on an object fo unworthy of his pen, and on whom the most pointed and juft fatire could produce fo little good effec.

Cibber was in his nature incorrigible. He was endued with fo little nice fenfibility and

"months ago to have drawn the whole polite world upon "me (as I formerly did the Dunces of a lower fpecies) as I "certainly fhall, whenever I publifh this poem. An army "of Virtuofi, Medalifts, Ciceroni, Roval Society-men, "Schools, Univerfities, even Florifts, Free-thinkers, and "Free-mafons, will encompafs me with fury: It will be "once more concurrere bellum atque virum. But a good con"fcience, a bold fpirit, a zeal for truth, at whatsoever ex"pence, of whatever pretenders to fcience, or of all impo"fition, either literary, moral, or poetical, these animited "me, and thefe will fupport me."

moral delicacy, that so far from blushing at the detection of his vices and follies, the perfection of his abilities confifted in making them the inftruments, by which he attracted the notice of mankind.

It is not to be wondered, that a man thus totally exempt from all fenfe of fhame, and whose highest vanity was to divert the rabble, fhould gain a contemptible party of laughers on his fide.

This Cibber did. To the force of keen fatire and poignant ridicule, he oppofed licentious ribaldry, and pitiful buffoonery *. But though

*The just contempt in which Mr. POPE held the author of this ribaldry, appears in one of his letters to Mr. Bethel, where, fpeaking of the Dunciad, he says

"That poem has not done me, or my quiet, the least harm, only it provoked Cibber to write a very foolish and impudent letter; which have no caufe to be forry for; and perhaps next winter I fhall be thought to be glad of: but I lay in my claim to you, to teftify for me, that if he "fhould chance to die before a new and improved edition

of the Dunciad comes out, I have already actually written, "(before, and not after his death) all I fhall ever fay about him."

He farther expreffes his contempt of the Laureat, though in a more jocular manner, in another letter to the fame Gentleman, dated from Bath, where a certain princess at that time refided.

"Cibber," fays he, "is here to celebrate her; and he writes his verfes now, in fuch a manner, that no body can use them as they were wont to do; for no body will, " on certain occafions, ufe a pane of gla."

the