A Purgatory, fuch as fear'd Hell is A Recreation, and scant map of this NOTES. To be particular in them would require the invention of that great Writer, or, what would be ftill more ufeful, the patience of his readers. I fhall therefore confine myself to our own Ifland; where we have no need to fear a scarcity of flaughter. It is obferved, by our politer neighbours, that we delight in blood; and have our killing Heroes of every species: no wonder then that our Schools fhould be full of murders like our Stage. Who has not heard how Milton flew Salmafius? and how Charles the firft, though a King, condefcended, with equal arms, to give the death's wound to Henderfon? In our own times, Locke flew Bishop Stillingfleet; and still later, Clarke, without a fufficient reafon, dispatched the philofopher Leibnitz. The laft, yet not the leaft confiderable of thefe fcenes of flaugher, was the fall of Pope under the conquering hand of Cibber which truly, I regard in no other light than a decifive victory obtained by Profe over Poetry. : I just before took notice of one difference in this species of Murder from all others, that we have not observed it to be pursued either by divine or civil juftice: There is yet another, which is, that thefe Murders walk the town, to use Milton's expreffion, without even the flender attendance of a Gloft. It is true, that this fingularity feems but the confequence of the other; for when neither divine nor civil juftice. will take notice of the crime, of what ufe is a Ghoft? who has ever been understood as the harbinger to quicken the refentment of the one, and to denounce the coming vengeance of the other. In a word, all these unhappy victims of literary rage, for ought I could ever learn, may be truly faid to have riven up the Ghost, and to have flept very quietly with their Fathers. To this perhaps it may be objected, That it is well known fome of them have rifen again; and to the infinite vexation of their Murderers. This is not to be denied: but then it is as true, that these were not properly Ghet I've had my Purgatory here betimes, And paid for all my fatires, all my rhimes. 5 The Poet's hell, its tortures, fiends, and flames, To this were trifles, toys and empty names. NOTES. but only what the French call, Revenans. To explain myfelf. Cardan, as unsubstantial and as difficult to be laid hold on as a School Subt.ly, had been so hacked and mangled by Julius Cæfar Scaliger, that he expired under his pen. Julius, in the preface to his next book, had the fingular humanity to wcep over the afhes of his flaughtered enemy, and to curfe the fatal ftroke which had deprived the world of so incomparable a man. But what was his furprife, when fix years afterwards he heard all Italy refounding with the praises of their returning Hero; who, to prove himself alive, had just published a new piece of Philofophy. Not Banquo's Ghost, "With twenty mortal murders on his Crown," could more affray the bloody-minded Macbeth, than did this appearance of his Rival diforder our victorious Prince of Verona, fo unexpectedly pushed again from his fool of Science. Another inftance was nearer home. The learned Bickerstaffe had pronounced the death of Partridge the Almanacmaker; who deceafed accordingly: Bnt having been long well with the Stars, he was allowed, and accordingly took the advantage to come back with them, in their annual revolutions; though in no very good humour, as you may well fuppofe, with his murderer. But it was truly edifying to fee with what temper that rare Scholar bore the feeming impeachment of his art, under all the infults of an incenfed Philoma h, double dipt both in Styx and Lethe. He answered none of his unpolite cavils; but, with great meekness, endeavoured to account philofophically for fo odd a phænomenon as the post existence of an Almanac-maker. The ufe to be made of all that has been faid is only this; to try at length to civilize Letters, and to cultivate Learning with humanity. Our ideas have lately undergone a great My mind, neither with pride's itch, nor hath been Poyfon'd with love to fee or to be seen, my fin of going) to think me As prone to all ill, and of good as forgetfull, as proud, luftfull, and as much in debt, As vain, as witlefs, and as falfe, as they Which dwell in Court, for once going that way. Therefore I fuffer'd this; towards me did run A thing more strange, than on Nile's flime the Sun E'er bred, or all which into Noah's Ark came: A thing which would have pos'd Adam to name: NOTES. change. Why then fhould not our tempers? Formerly every fancy was an article of faith; and every defence bore the air of an Auto de Fé. At prefent all things are beheld with a philofophic eye. Herefies are now treated as blunders; and Blafphemies as mere barbarities of Speech. Our Genius likewife concurs with our Tafle to foften the ferocity of Polemics, to banish the combats a outrance, and to fit us for that gentler kind of fkirmish which courteous Knights-errant used to call FER EMOUCE'. ARIST. VER. 7. The Poet's hell,] He has here with great prudence corrected the licentious expreffion of his Original. With foolish pride my heart was never fir'd, Nor the vain itch t'admire, or be admir'd; 10 15 I hop'd for no commiffion from his Grace; NOTES. VER. 10. Nor the vain itch t' admire, cr be admir'd;] Courtiers have the fame pride in admiring which Poets have in being admired. For VANITY is as often gratified in paying our Court to our fuperiors, as in receiving it from our inferiors. VER 13. Had no new verjes nor new fuit to fhow;] Infinuating that Court-poetry and Court-clothes only come thither in honour of the Sovereign; and only ferve to fupply a day's converfation, Stranger than seven Antiquaries ftudies, cry, Sir, by your Priesthood, tell me what you are? His cloathes were strange, tho' coarse, and black, tho' bare. Sleeveless his jerkin was, and it had been And only knoweth what to all States belongs, |