The Goddefs has no fooner expreffed this favourite wifh, than fhe is addreffed by a gloomy Sceptic, who undertakes to relieve Dulnefs from any apprehenfions that her fons will ever apply their thoughts to any ufeful or extenfive views of nature. In this addrefs, the poet has admirably expofed the abfurd principles, and deplo rable condition, of minute philofophers and freethinkers. Says the vain-glorious Sceptic "Let others creep by timid steps, and flow, "On plain Experience lay foundations low, By common fenfe to common knowledge 66 "bred, "And laft, to Nature's Caufe thro' Nature led. "All-seeing in thy mists, we want no guide, "Mother of Arrogance, and Source of Pride! "We nobly take the high Priori Road, "And reafon downward, till we doubt of God: "Find Virtue local, all Relation fcorn, In these excellent lines, which are animated with the most pointed fatire, the poet has happily contrived to inculcate the principles of found philofophy and true piety. The children of Dulnefs, thus tutored and accomplished, are prefented to her in a body by Silenus the Epicurean philofopher, and are then allowed to taste of the cup, which is handed to them by Magus the minister to the Goddefs, and which is no fooner tafted, than it occafions a total oblivion of all obligations divine, civil, moral, and rational. The effects of this cup are defcribed in a vein of exquifite raillery. 66 One casts his eyes Up to a Star, and like Endymion dies : "A Feather, fhooting from another's head, "Extracts his brain; and Principle is fled; "Loft is his God, his Country, ev'ry thing; "And nothing left but Homage to a King! "The vulgar herd turn off to roll with Hogs "To run with Horfes, or to hunt with Dogs." Thefe myfteries being over, Dulness, ever attentive to the welfare of her children, affigns each to the guidance of a proper conductor. These attendants are humorously defcribed, under the characters of Impudence, Stupefaction, Self-conceit, Self-intereft, Pleafure, Epicurifm, &c. who apply themfelves to the exercife of their feveral functions. "Kind Self-conceit to fome her glafs applies, "Which no one looks in with another's eyes: "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 sentiment just. "On others Int'reft her gay liv'ry flings, "Int'reft, that waves on Party-colour'd wings: "Turn'd to the Sun, fhe cafts a thousand "dyes, And, as the turns, the colours fall or rife." The reft are reprefented, with great spirit and poignancy, in the display of their various offices, by which the fons of Dulness are prepared for the titles and degrees which the goddess confers upon them. Having thus diftinguished them, fhe bestows her bleffing on them; and, in a short speech, fhe recommends it to them to repair from theory to practice. "All my commands are eafy, fhort, and "full: "My Sons! be proud, be felfish, and be "dull." She then particularizes the fervices fhe expects from each, and concludes her speech 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 shoots in vain its momentary fires, "The meteor drops, and in a flash expires. "As one by one, at dread Medea's strain, "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 secret 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 Myftery to Mathematics fly! "In vain!" they gaze, turn giddy, rave, and "die. "Religion blufhing veils her facred fires, "And unawares Morality expires." It is to be wished that the poem had concluded with thefe 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 fatire, and with the moft glorious and laudable defign, which can animate a great geniusThat of advancing the ends of virtue and religion t. It * "Nor public Flame, nor private, dares to fhine; 66 Light dies before thy uncreating word : "Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall; + Our author was apprehenfive that this fatire on travelJing, virtuofofhip, and freethinking, would raile a ftorm againft him, which he humorously prophecies in a letter to his friend Mr. Bethel. "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 reason, 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 |