Would he oblige me? let me only find, He does not think me what he thinks mankind. 35 F. Why yes with Scripture ftill you may be free; A Horfe laugh, if you please, at Honesty; A Joke on JEKYL, or fome odd Old Whig Whom all Lord Chamberlains allow the Stage: 40 45 If any afk you," Who's the Man, so near "His Prince, that writés in Verfe, and has his ear?" Why, anfwer, LYTTLETON, and I'll engage The worthy Youth shall ne'er be in a rage: NOTES. originally in the poem, though omitted in all the first editions. P. VER. 37. Why yes: with Scripture fill you may be free ;] Thus the Man commonly called Mother Ofborn, who was in the Minister's pay, and wrote Journals; for one Paper in behalf of Sir Robert, had frequently two against J. C. VER. 39. A Joke on Jekyl] Sir Jofeph Jekyl, Mafter of the Rolls, a true Whig in his principles, and a man of the utmost probity. He fometimes voted against the Court, which drew upon him the laugh here described of ONE who bestowed it equally upon Religion and Honesty. He died a few months after the publication of this poem. P. VER. 43. Thefe nothing hurts ;] i. e. offends. VER. 47. Why, anfwer, Lyttleton,] George Lyttelton, 50 But were his Verfes vile, his Whisper base, Sets half the world, God knows, against the rest; At Senfe and Virtue, balance all agen. And charitably comfort Knave and Fool. P. Dear Sir, forgive the Prejudice of Youth: Adieu Distinction, Satire, Warmth, and Truth! NOTES. 56 60 Secretary to the Prince of Wales, diftinguished both for his writings and speeches in the spirit of Liberty. P. VER. 51. Sejanus, Wolfey.] The one the wicked minifter of Tiberius; the other, of Henry VIII. The writers against the Court ufually bestowed thefe and other odious names on the Minister, without diftinction, and in the most injurious manner. See Dial. II. ✯ 137. P. Ibid. Fleury,] Cardinal: and Minifter to Louis XV. It was a Patriot fashion, at that time, to cry up his wifdom and honefty. P. Come, harmless Characters that no one hit; 65 70 So Latin, yet fo English all the while, As, tho' the Pride of Middleton and Bland, NOTES. 75 80 VER. 66. Henley-Ofborn,] See them in their places in the Dunciad. P. VER. 69. The gracious Dew] Alludes to fome court fermons, and florid panegyrical ípeeches; particularly one very full of puerilities and flatteries; which afterwards got into an addrefs in the fame pretty style; and was lastly Terved up in an Epitaph, between Latin and English, publithed by its author. P. VER. 76. All Boys may read, and Girls may understand! ] i. e. full of fchool-book phrafes and Anglicisms. VER. 78, Nation's Senfe ;] The cant of Politics at that time. VBR. 82. Carolina] Queen confort to King George II. And hail her paffage to the Realms of Reft, All Parts perform'd, and all her Children bleft! No Gazetteer more innocent than I And let, a God's-name, ev'ry Fool and Knave 85 Would you know when! exactly when they fall. 90 But let all Satire in all Changes fpare Immortal S―k, and grave De NOTES. re. She died in 1737. Her death gave occafion, as is observed above, to many indifcreet and mean performances unworthy of her memory, whose last moments manifested the utmost courage and refolution. P. How highly our Poet thought of that truly great perfonage may be seen by one of his letters to Mr. Allen, written at that time; in which, amongst others, equally ref pectful, are the following words: "The Queen thewed, by the confeffion of all about her, the utmost firmness "and temper to her laft moments, and through the course "of great torments. What character hiftorians will al"low her, I do not know; but all her domeftic fervants, "and those nearest her, give her the best testimony, that "of fincere tears." VER. 92. Immortal S-k, and grave De-re !] A title given that Lord by King James II. He was of the Bedchamber to King William; he was fo to King George I. he was fo to King George II. This Lord was very skilful 3 Silent and foft, as Saints remove to Heav'n, NOTES. 95 in all the forms of the House, in which he discharged himself with great gravity. P. VER. 97. There, where no Paffion, etc.] The excellent writer De l'Esprit des Loix gives the following character of the Spirit of Courts, and the Principle of Monarchies: "Qu'on life ce que les Hiftoriens de tous les tems ont dit fur la Cour des Monarques; qu'on fe rapelle les con"verfations des hommes de tous les Païs fur le miferable "caractère des COURTISANS; ce ne font point des choses "de fpeculation, mais d'une trifte expérience. L'ambi ' tion dans l'oifiveté, la baffeffe dans l'orgueil, le defir de s'enrichir fans travail, l'averfion pour la vérité; la fa"terie, la trahifon, la perfidie, l'abandon de tous fes engagemens, le mepris des devoirs du Citoyen, la crainte "de la vertu du Prince, l'efperance de fes foibleffes, et plus, que tout cela, LE RIDICULE PERPETUEL JETTE SUR LA VERTU, font, je crois, le Caractère de la plupart des Courtisans marqué dans tous les lieux et dans "tous les tems. Or il est très mal-aifé que les Principaux "d'un Etat foient malhonnêtes gens, et que les inferieurs foient gens-de-bien, que ceux-là foyent trompeurs, & que ceux-ci confentent à n'être que dupes. Que fi dans le Peuple il fe trouve quelque malheureux honnêtehomme, le Cardinal de Richelieu dans fon Teftament politique infinue, qu'un Monarque doit fe garder de s'en "fervir. Tant-il eft vrai que la Vertu n'est pas le reffort "de ce Gouvernment." |