* Urit enim fulgore fuo, qui praegravat artes Infra fe pofitas: extinctus amabitur idem. h 1 Praefenti tibi maturos largimur honores, * Jurandafque tuum per numen ponimus aras, * Nil oriturum alias, nil ortum tale fatentes. Sed tuus hoc populus fapiens et justus in uno, *Te noftris ducibus, te Graiis anteferendo; NOTES. the common practice of those amongst us, who have diftinguished themfelves in the learned world, to afcribe the ill treatment they have met with, from thofe they endeavoured to oblige, to fo bad a cause as envy. But furely without reafon, for we find our Countrymen of the fame candid difpofition with the Athenians, as Socrates defcribes them in the Euthyphro of Plato; They are well content (fays he) to allow the Pretenfions of reputed eminence; it is only when a man will write and prefume to give a proof of it, that they grow angry. We, too, are as ready to allow the reputation of eminence, to those whose Modesty has made them decline giving us a fpecimen of their parts. A temper furely very diftant from Envy. We should not then afcribe that violent ferment which good men are apt to work themselves into, while they ftruggle to fupprefs the reputation of him who pretends to give a proof of what they are fo willing to take for granted, to any thing but an eager concern for the public welfare. Which, nothing better fecures than the fpeedy damping of The 20 great Alcides, ev'ry Labour past, Had ftill this Monster to fubdue at last. * Sure fate of all, beneath whose rising ray Each star of meaner merit fades away! Opprefs'd we feel the beam directly beat, Those Suns of Glory please not till they set. To thee, the World its prefent homage pays, The Harveft early, but mature the praise : h Great Friend of LIBERTY! in Kings a Name 25 Above all Greek, above all Roman Fame NOTES. Popularity; fo dangerous to the community, when joined to great Talents. SCRIBL. VER. 17. The great Alcides,] This inftance has not the fame grace here as in the Original, where it comes in well after thofe of Romulus, Bacchus, Caftor, and Pollux; though aukwardly after Edward and Henry. But it was for the fake of the beautiful thought in the next line; which yet does not equal the force of his Original. VER. 21. Oppress'd we feel, &c.] "Les hommes, nez IN"GRATS et JALOUX" (fays an ingenious French Writer, with becoming indignation)" ne pardonnent pas ceux qui pré"tend à leur admiration: de la mériter ils en font un crime, "qu'ils puniffent par des calomnies, des critiques ameres, et des "mépris affectez. La Pofterité le vengera de fes oppreffeurs, "en le comblant de louanges, tandis que fes imbecilles de"tracteurs, ces hommes vils, qui pour être oubliez, n'ont VOL. IV. L 1 Caetera nequaquam fimili ratione modoque Aeftimat; et, nifi quae terris femota fuifque Sic fautor veterum, ut tabulas peccare vetantes Quas bis quinque viri fanxerunt, foederá regum, Vel Gabiis vel cum rigidis aequata Sabinis, Pontificum libros, annofa volumina Vatum, m Dictitet Albano Mufas in monte locutas. Si, quia" Graiorum funt antiquiffima quaeque Scripta vel optima, Romani penfantur eadem Scriptores trutina; non eft quod multa loquamur: Nil intra eft oleam, nil extra eft in nuce duri. Venimus ad fummum fortunae: pingimus, atque Pfallimus, et luctamur Acbivis doctius unctis. Si meliora dies, ut vina, poemata reddit ; NOTES. 66 pas befoin de ceffer d'être, refteront pour jamais plongez "dans l'oubli." VER. 38. And beaftly Skelton, &c.] Skelton, Poet Laureat to Henry VIII. a volume of whofe verfes has been lately re printed, confifting almost wholly of ribaldry, obfcenity, and feurrilous language. P. VER. 40. Chrift's kirk of the Green ;] A Ballad made by a King of Scotland. P. Juft in one inftance, be it yet confeft Your People, Sir, are partial in the rest: Foes to all living worth except your own, And Advocates for folly dead and gone. Authors, like coins, grow dear as they grow old; 35 It is the Ruft we value, not the Gold. 'Chaucer's worst ribaldry is learn'd by rote, And beastly Skelton Heads of Houses quote: One likes no language but the Faery Queen; A Scot will fight for Chrift's Kirk of the Green; 40 And each true Briton is to Ben fo civil, "He fwears the Muses met him at the Devil. Tho' justly "Greece her eldest sons admires, Why should not We be wiser than our fires? In ev'ry Public Virtue we excell; 45 We build, we paint, we fing, we dance as well, NOTE 9. *50 VER. 42. the Mufes met him] This inftance of the People's ill tafte was both well chofen, and happily expreffed. Johnfon's talents were learning, judgment, and industry, rather than wit, or natural genius. VER. 42. met him at the Devil] The Devil Tavern, where Ben Johnson held his Poetical Club. P. Scire velim, chartis pretium quotus arroget annus. 8 Eft vetus atque probus,' centum qui perficit annos. t Qui vel menfe brevi, vel toto eft junior anno. Utor permiffo, caudaeque pilos ut " equinae Paulatim vello: et demo unum, demo et item unum ; Dum cadat elufus ratione" ruentis acervi, Qui redit in faftos, et virtutcm aeftimat annis, Miraturque nihil, nifi quod' Libitina facravit.... Ennius et fapiens, et fortis, et alter Homerus, NOTE S. VER. 68. Below a Garland only on a Bier.] The thought is beautiful, and alludes to the old practice of our Ancestors, of covering the Bier (on which the dead were carried to their interment) with Garlands. A manly and pious custom, which arofe from the antient practice of rewarding Victors; and from thence was brought into the Church, and applied to thofe who had fought the good fight of the Apofle. VER. 69. Shakespear] Shakespear and Ben Johnson may truly be fai i not much to have thought of this Immortality; the one, in many pieces compofed in hafte for the Stage; the other in his latter works in general, which Dryden called his Dotages. P. Dryden does, indeed, call them fo, but very |