Happier thy fortunes! like a rolling stone, The sure forerunner of her gentle sway: VARIATIONS. Ver. 295. Safe in its heaviness, &c.] In the former Edit. Too safe in inborn heaviness to stray; And lick up ev'ry blockhead in the way. Thy Dragons, Magistrates, and Peers, shall taste, Till raised from booths, &c. REMARKS. 295 300 W. life of an author. Many universal comparisons there are by which misery is expressed. We talk of a man teased like a bear at the stake, tormented like a toad under a harrow, or hunted like a dog with a stick tied to his tail: all these are indeed states of uneasiness; but what are they to the life of an author! Of an author worried by critics, tormented by his bookseller, and hunted by his creditors. Yet such must be the case of many among the retailers of knowledge, while they continue thus to swarm over the land; and whether it be by propagation or contagion, produce new writers to heighten the general distress, to increase confusion, and hasten famine." Ver. 297. Thee shall the Patriot, thee the Courtier, taste,] It stood in the first edition with blanks, ** and **. Concanen was sure," they must needs mean nobody but King GEORGE and Queen CAROLINE; and said he would insist it was so, till the Poet cleared himself by filling up the blanks otherwise, agreeably to the context, and consistent with his Allegiance." Pref. to a Collection of verses, essays, letters, &c. against Mr. P. printed for A. Moor, p. 6. W. Ver. 301. Already Opera] The Italian Opera is said to owe 305 Let her thy heart, next Drabs and Dice, engage, REMARKS. 310 its origin to a sacred drama, entitled, Conversione de S. Paölo, set to music by Francisco Beverini, a most celebrated composer at that time, and represented before Cardinal Riario, nephew to Pope Sixtus IV. in the Carnival Season of 1480. This was followed by another at the Carnival at Venice, 1485. But in this latter drama, was a mixture of comic characters, lawyers, physicians, ladies, servants, merchants, &c. though on a serious subject, and entitled, La Verita Raminga. Ver. 305. Polypheme] He translated the Italian Opera of Polifemo; but unfortunately lost the whole jest of the story. The Cyclops asks Ulysses his name, who tells him his name is Noma: after his eye is put out, he roars and calls the Brother Cyclops to his aid: they inquire who has hurt him? he answers Noman ; whereupon they all go away again. Our ingenious Translator made Ulysses answer, I take no name, whereby all that followed became unintelligible. Hence it appears that Mr. Cibber (who values himself on subscribing to the English Translation of Homer's Iliad) had not that merit with respect to the Odyssey, or he might have been better instructed in the Greek Pun-ology. W. Ver. 308, 309. Faustus, Pluto, &c.] Names of miserable Farces, which it was the custom to act at the end of the best Tragedies, to spoil the digestion of the audience. W. Ver. 312. ensure it but for Fire.] In Tibbald's Farce of Proserpine, a corn-field was set on fire: whereupon the other playhouse had a barn burnt down for the recreation of the spectators. They also rivalled each other in shewing the burnings of hell-fire, in Dr. Faustus. W. Another Eschylus appears! prepare 315 For new abortions, all Th' Augustus born to bring Saturnian times. 320 REMARKS. Ver. 313. Another Eschylus appears!] It is reported of Eschylus, that when his tragedy of the Furies was acted, the audience were so terrified that the children fell into fits, and the big-bellied women miscarried. W. On mentioning this abortive attempt of Tibbald to translate the Prometheus, one cannot forbear thinking of the spirited and faithful translation which Mr. Potter has given us of this great Father of the Greek Tragedy. Ver. 315. like Semele's,] See Ovid. Met. iii. W. It seems strange, that a writer of Congreve's good and classical taste should choose Semele for the subject of a drama, where the catastrophe is so very absurd: the stage direction in the last act is-" As the cloud which contains Jupiter is arrived just over the canopy of Semele, a sudden and great flash of lightning breaks forth, and a clap of loud thunder is heard; when at one instant Semele, with the palace, and the whole scene, disappears, and Jupiter reascends swiftly." It was with justice he took, for a motto to his Opera, these words of Seneca-" A natura discedimus, populo nos damus, nullius rei bono auctori, & in hac re, sicut in omnibus, inconstantissimo." I wonder Pope mentioned the story of Semele, as his friend Congreve had introduced it on the stage. IMITATIONS. Ver. 319, 320. This, this is he, foretold by ancient rhymes: Th' Augustus, &c.] "Hic vir, hic est, tibi quem promitti sæpius audis, Augustus Cæsar, divum genus; aurea condet Secula qui rursus Latio, regnata per arva Saturno quondam" Virg. Æneid. vi. Saturnian here relates to the age of Lead, mentioned book. i. ver. 26. W. Signs following signs lead on the mighty year! 325 VARIATIONS. Ver. 323. See, see, our own, &c.] In the former Edit. And Pope's, translating three whole years with Broome, REMARKS. W. Ver. 325. On Poets' Tombs see Benson's titles writ !] W-m Benson (Surveyer of the Buildings to his Majesty King George I.) gave in a report to the Lords, that their House and the Paintedchamber adjoining were in immediate danger of falling. Whereupon the Lords met in a committee to appoint some other place to sit in, while the house should be taken down. But it being proposed to cause some other builders first to inspect it, they found it in very good condition. The Lords, upon this, were going upon an address to the King against Benson, for such a misrepresentation; but the earl of Sunderland, then secretary, gave them an assurance that his Majesty would remove him, which was done accordingly. In favour of this man, the famous Sir Christopher Wren, who had been Architect to the crown for above fifty years, who built most of the Churches in London, laid the first stone of St. Paul's, and lived to finish it, had been displaced from his employment at the age of near ninety years. W. Ver. 326. Ambrose Philips] "He was (saith Mr. JACOB) one While Wren with sorrow to the grave descends, Gay dies unpension'd with a hundred friends, 330 REMARKS. of the wits at Button's, and a justice of the peace:" but he hath since met with higher preferment in Ireland; and a much greater character we have of him in Mr. Gildon's Complete Art of Poetry, vol. i. 157. p. "Indeed he confesses, he dares not set him quite on the same foot with Virgil; lest it should seem flattery: but he is much mistaken if posterity does not afford him a greater esteem than he at present enjoys." He endeavoured to create some misunderstanding between our Author and Mr. Addison, whom also soon after he abused as much. His constant cry was, that Mr. P. was an Enemy to the government; and in particular he was the avowed author of a report very industriously spread, that he had a hand in a party-paper called the Examiner: a falsehood well known to those yet living, who had the direction and publication of it. W. He proceeded to grosser insults, says Dr. Johnson, and hung up a rod at Button's, with which he threatened to chastise Pope, who appears to be extremely exasperated. It was an honour to Philips to be joined with so excellent a prelate as Dr. Boulter in writing the Freethinker; who, when he was made Primate of Ireland, did not forgot the companion of his labours, but took him to Ireland as partaker of his fortune; and making him his secretary, added such preferments as enabled him to represent the country of Armagh in parliament. Ver. 328. While Jones' and Boyle's united labours fall:] At the time when this poem was written, the Banqueting-house of Whitehall, the church and piazza of Covent-garden, and the palace and chapel of Somerset-house, the works of the famous Inigo Jones, had been for many years so neglected, as to be in danger of ruin. The portico of Covent-garden church had been just then restored and beautified at the expense of the Earl of Burlington; who, at the same time, by his publication of the designs of that great Master and Palladio, as well as by many noble buildings of his own, revived the true taste of Architecture in this Kingdom. W. Ver. 329. While Wren] "The length of his life enriched the reigns of several princes, and disgraced the last of them. A variety of knowledge proclaims the universality, a multiplicity of |
