150 In golden Chains the willing World the draws, NOTES. and her Proftitution, they all in a body threw themfelves at her feet, as flaves at the footstool of their Miftrefs. In a word, there was no man, of what condition foever, that shewed the Jeaft diflike of fo monftrous an elevation. In the mean time, Theodora's first care was to fill her Coffers, which the foon did, with immenfe wealth. To this end, Juftinian and fhe pretended to differ in their principles. The one protected the blue, and the other, the green faction; till in a long courfe of intrigue, by fometimes giving up the one to plunder and confifcation, and fometimes the other, they left nothing to either party. See Procop. Anec. c. ix.-X. VER. 148. And hers the Gofpel is, and hers the Laws,] i. e. She difpofed of the honours of both. VER. 149. fearlet head] Alluding to the fearlet Whore of the Apocalypfe. In Soldier, Churchman, Patriot, Man in Pow'r, See, all our Nobles begging to be Slaves! The Wit of Cheats, the Courage of a Whore, 165 All, all look up, with reverential Awe, At Crimes that 'scape, or triumph o'er the Law: While Truth, Worth, Wifdom, daily they decry-- Yet may this Verse (if such a Verse remain) Show, there was one who held it in difdain. NOTES. VER. 164. See, all our fools afpiring to be Knaves!] This will always be the cafe when knavery is in fashion, becaufe fools always dread the being unfashionable. VER. 165. The Wit of Cheats, the Courage of a Whore,— Ave what ten thousand envy and adore:] And no wonder, for the wit of Cheats being the evafion of Juftice, and the Courage of a Whore the contempt for reputation; thefe emancipate men from the two tyrannical reftraints upon free fpirits, fear of punishment, and dread of shame. SCRIBL. P. Not yet, my Friend! to morrow 'faith' it may; And for that very cause I print to day. Feign what I will, and paint it e'er so strong, NOTES. VER. 1. Paxton] Late follicitor to the Treasury. VER. 8. Feign what I will, etc.] The Poet has here introduced an oblique apology for himself with great art. You attack perfonal characters, fay his enemies. No, replies he, I paint merely from my invention; and, to prevent a likeness, I then aggravate the features. But alas! the growth of vice F. Yet none but you by Name the guilty lash; Ev'n Guthry faves half Newgate by a Dash. 11 Spare then the Perfon, and expose the Vice. P. How, Sir! not damn the Sharper, but the Dice? 16 Ye Tradesmen, vile, in Army, Court, or Hall! P. Why that's the thing you bid me not to do. Who ftarv'd a Sifter, who forfwore a Debt, 20 I never nam'd; the Town's enquiring yet. P. See, now I keep the Secret, and not you! NOTES. is fo monftroufly fudden, that it rifes up to a refemblance before I can get from the prefs. VER 11. Ev'n Guthry] The Ordinary of Newgate, who publishes the memoirs of the Malefactors, and is often prevailed upon to be fo tender of their reputation, as to set down no more than the initials of their name. P. VER. 13. How, Sir! not damn the Sharper, but the Dice?] The liveliness of the reply may excufe the bad reasoning; otherwife the dice, tho' they rhyme to vice, can never stand for it, which his argument requires they fhould do. For the dice are only the inftruments of fraud; but the question is not, whether the inftrument, but whether the act committed by it, fhould be expofed, inftead of the perfon. The bribing Statesman---F. Hold, too high you go. P. The brib'd Elector---F. There you stoop too low. 25 P. I fain would please you, if I knew with what; Tell me, which Knave is lawful Game, which not? Muft great Offenders, once escap'd the Crown, Like Royal Harts, be never more run down? Admit your Law to spare the Knight requires, 30 As Beafts of Nature may we hunt the Squires? NOTES. VER. 26. I fain would pleafe you, if I knew with what ;-Tell me, which Knave is lawful Game, which not?] I have observed, that our author has invented, and introduced into his writings, a new fpecies of the fublime, by heightening it with wit. There is a fpecies of elegance in his works (of which these lines are an inftance) almost as peculiar to him, which he has produced by employing the fimpleft and triteft phrases to prevent stiffness, and yet, by a fupreme effort of his art, giving them the dignity of the choiceft. Quintilian was fo fenfible of the luftre which this throws upon true eloquence under a masterly direction, and of the prejudices against it from the difficulty of fucceeding in it; that he fays, Utinam-et verba in ufu quotidiano pofita minus timeremus. VER. 28. Muft great Offenders, etc.] The cafe is archly put. Those who escape public juftice being the particular property of the Satirift. VER. 29. like Royal Harts, etc.] Alluding to the old Gamelaws, when our Kings spent all the time they could spare from human flaughter, in Woods and Forefts. VER. 31. As Beafts of Nature may we hunt the Squires ?] The expreffion is rough, like the fubject, but na reflection: For if beafts of Nature, then not beafts of their own making; a fault too frequently objected to country Squires. However, the Latin is nobler, Ferae natura, Things uncivilized, and free, Ferat, |