The maid's romantic wish, the chemist's flame, And now, on fancy's easy wing convey'd, In lofty madness meditating song; Her tresses staring from poetic dreams, And never wash'd, but in Castalia's streams. 19 (Once swan of Thames, though now he sings no more,, Benlowes, propitious still to blockheads, bows; And Shadwell nods the poppy on his brows REMARKS. Ver. 15. A slip-shod Sibyl.] This allegory is extremely just, no conformation of the mind so much subjecting it to real madness, as that which produces real dulness. flence we find the religious (as well as the poetical) enthusiasts of all ages were ever, in their natural state, most heavy and Jumpish; but on the least application of heat, they ran like lead, which of all metals falls quickest into fusion. Whereas fire in a genius is truly Promethean; it hurts not its constituent parts, but only fits it (as it does well-tempered steel) for the necessary impressions of art. But the common people have been taught (I do not know on what foundation) to regard lunacy as a mark of wit, just as the Turks and our modern Methodists do of holiness. But if the cause of madness assigned by a great philosopher be true, it will unavoidably fall upon the dunces. He supposes it to be the dwelling over-long on one object or idea. Now as this attention is occasioned either by grief or study, it will be fixed by dulness: which hath not quickness enough to compre hend what it seeks, nor force and vigour enough to divert the imagination from the object it laments. Ver. 19. Taylor.] John Taylor, the water poet, an honest man, who owns he learned not so much us the accidence: a rare example of modesty in a poet! 'I must confess I do want eloquence, I there was gravell'd, could no farther get. He wrote fourscore books in the reign of James I. and Char.es I. and afterwards (like Edward Ward) kept an ale house in Long-acre. He died in 1654. Ver. 21. Benlowes,] A country gentleman, famous for his own bad poetry, and for patronizing bad poets, as may Here, in a dusky vale where Lethe rolls, And blunt the sense, and fit it for a skull Of solid proof, impenetrably dull: Instant, when dipp'd, away they wing their flight, REMARKS. 30 be seen from many dedications of Quarles and others to him. Some of these anagramed his name Benlows into Benevolus: to verify which, he spent his whole estate upon them. Ver. 22. And Shadwell nods the poppy, &c.] Shadwell took opium for many years; and died of too large a dose, in the year 1692. Ver. 24. Old Bavius sits.] Bavius was an ancient poet, celebrated by Virgil for the like causes as Bays by our author, though not in so Christian-like a manner: for heathenishly it is declared by Virgil of Bavius, that he ought to be nated and detested for his evil works; qui Bavium non odit: whereas we have often had occasion to observe our poet's great good nature and mercifulness through the whole course of this poem. Scribl. Ver. 28. Brown and Meers] Booksellers, printers for any body. The allegory of the souls of the dull coming forth in the form of books, dressed in calf's leather, and being let abroad in vast numbers by booksellers, is sufficiently intelligible. Ver. 34. Ward in pillory.] John Ward, of Hackney, Esq. member of parliament, being convicted of forgery, was first expelled the house, and then sentenced to the pillory on the 17th of February, 1727. Mr. Curl (having likewise stood there) looks upon the mention of such a gentleman in a satire, as a great act of barbarity, Key to Dune. 3d edit. p 16. And another author reasons thus upon it: Durgen. 8vo p. 11, 12. How unworthy is it of Christian charity to animate the rabble to abuse a worthy man in such a situation' What could move the poot thus to mention a brave sufferer, ▲ gallant prisoner, exposed to the view of all mankind? I was laying aside his senses, it was committing a crune for which the law is deficient not to punish him; nay, a crime Wondering he gazed; when, lo! a sage appears, By his broad shoulders known, and length of ears, Known by the band and suit which Settle wore (His only suit) for twice three years before: All as the vest, appear'd the wearer's frame, Old in new state, another, yet the same. Bland and familiar as in life, begun Thus the great father to the greater on: Oh born to see what none can see awake! Behold the wonders of the oblivious lake! REMARKS. 40 which man can scarce forgive, or time efface! nothing surely could have induced him to it but being bribed by a great lady,' &c. (to whom this brave, honest, worthy gentleman was guilty of no offence but forgery, proved in open court.) But it is evident this verse could not be meant of him; it being notorious that no eggs were thrown at that gentleman. Perhaps, therefore, it might be intended of Mr. Edward Ward, the poet, when he stood there. Ver. 36. And length of ears,] This is a sophisticated reading. I think I may venture to affirm all the copyists are mistaken here: I believe I may say the same of the critics; Dennis, Oldmixon, Welsted, have passed it in silence. I have also stumbled at it, and wondered how an error so manifest could escape such accurate persons. I dare assert, it proceeded originally from the inadvertency of some transcriber, whose head ran on the pillory, mentioned two lines before; it is therefore amazing that Mr. Curll himself should overlook it! Yet that scholiast takes not the least notice hereof. That the learned Mist also read it thus, is plain from his ranging this passage among those in which our author was blamed for personal satire on a man's face (whereof doubtless he might take the ear to be a part;) so likewise Concanen, Ralph, the Flying Post, and all the herd of commentators-Tota armenta sequuntur. A very little sagacity (which all these gentlemen, therefore wanted) will restore to us the true sense of the poet thus: 'By his broad shoulders known, and length of years.' See how easy a change of one single letter! That Mr. Settle was old, is most certain; but he was (happily) a stranger to the pillory. This note is partly Mr. Theobald's, partly Seribl. Ver. 37. Settle.] Elkanah Settle was once a writer in vogue as well as Cibber, both for dramatic poetry and politics. Mr. Dennis tells us, that he was a formidable rival to Mr. Dryden, and that in the university of Cambridge there Thou, yet unborn, hast touch'd this sacred shore, How many Dutchmen she vouchsafed to thrid } Roll all their tides, then back their circles bring; REMARKS. 56 60 were those who gave him the preference.' Mr. Welsted goes yet farther in his behalf! Poor Settle was formerly the mighty rival of Dryden; nay, for many years, bore his repu tation above him.' Pref. to his Poems, 8vo. p. 31. And Mr. Milbourne cried out, 'How little was Dryden able, even when his blood run high, to defend himself against Mr. Settle: Notes on Dryd. Virg. p. 175. These are comfortable opinions; and no wonder some authors indulge them. He was author or publisher of many noted pamphlets, in the time of king Charles II. He answered all Dryden's po litical poems; and being cried up on one side, succeeded not a little in his tragedy of the Empress of Morocco, the first that was ever printed with cuts. Upon this he grew insolent, the wits writ against his play, he replied, and the town judged he had the better. In short, Settle was then thought a very formidable rival to Mr. Dryden; and not only the town, but the university of Cambridge was divided which to prefer; and in both places the younger sort inclined to El kanah.' Dennis, Pref. to Rem. on Hom. Ver. 50. Might from Boeotian, &c.] Boeotia lay under the ridicule of the wits formerly, as Ireland does now: though it produced one of the greatest poets and one of the reatest generals of Greece: 'Bootum crasso jurarcs aëre natum.'-Hor. Old scenes of glory, times long cast behind, Ascend this hill, whose cloudy point commands Her boundless empire over seas and lands: See, round the poles, where keener spangles shine, Where spices smoke, beneath the burning line, (Earth's wide extremes,) her sable flag display'd, And all the nations cover'd in her shade! 70 Far eastward cast thine eye, from whence the sun How little, mark! that portion of the ball, 80 90 REMARKS. Vor. 75. Chi Ho-am-ti, emperor of China, the same who built the great wall between China and Tartary, destroyed all the books and learned men of that empire. Ver. 81, 82. The caliph, Omar I. having conquered Egypt, caused his general to burn the Ptolemaan library, on the gates of which was this inscription, VOL. II. The physic of the soul. |