She comes! fhe comes! the fable Throne behold REMARKS. 630 635 640 Philo Ver. 629. She comes! fhe comes! &c.] Here the Mufe, like Jove's Eagle, after a fudden stoop at ignoble game, foareth again to the fkies. As Prophecy hath ever been one of the chief provinces of Poefy, our Poet here foretells from what we feel, what we are to fear; and in the style of other prophets, hath used the future tenfe for the preterit: fince what he fays fhall be, is already to be feen, in the writings of fome even of our moft adored authors, in Divinity, Philofophy, Phyfics, Metaphyfics, &c. who are too good indeed to be named in fuch company. Ibid. The fable Throne behold] The fable Thrones of Night and Chaos, here reprefented as advancing to extinguish the light of the Sciences, in the first place blot out the Colours of Fancy, and damp the fire of Wit, before they proceed to their work. Ver. 641. Truth to her old cavern fled.] Alluding to the faying of Democritus, That Truth lay at the bot S 4 tom Philofophy, that lean'd on Heaven before, Shrinks to her fecond caufe, and is no more. 645 And Metaphyfic calls for aid on Senfe! See Mystery to Mathematics fly! In vain! they gaze, turn giddy, rave, and die, And unawares Morality expires. 650 Nor VARIATIONS. Ver. 643. in the former Ed. it stood thus, And this was intended as a cenfure of the Newtonian philofophy. For the poet had been misled by the prejudices of foreigners, as if that philofophy had recurred to the occult qualities of Ariftotle. This was the idea he received of it from a man educated much abroad, who had read every thing, but every thing fuperficially. Had his excellent friend Dr. A. been confulted in this matter, it is certain that fo unjuft a reflection had never difcredited fo noble a fatire. When I hinted to him how he had been impofed upon, he changed the lines with great pleafure into a compliment (as they now ftand) on that divine genius, and a fatire on the folly by which he the Poet himself had been misled. REMARKS. tom of a deep well, from whence he had drawn her: Though Butler says, He first put her in, before he drew her out. Ver. 649. Religion blushing veils her facred fires,] Blushing as well at the memory of the past overflow of Dulness, when the barbarous learning of fo many ages was wholly employed in corrupting the fimplicity, and defiling Nor public Flame, nor private, dares to shine: Lo! thy dread Empire, CHAOS! is reftor'd, Light dies before thy uncreating word: Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall; REMARKS. 655 defiling the purity of Religion, as at the view of these her falfe fupports in the prefent; of which it would be endlefs to recount the particulars. However, amidst the extinction of all other Lights, the is faid only to withdraw hers! as hers alone in its own nature is unextinguishable and eternal. Ver. 650. And unawares Morality expires.] It appears from hence that our Poet was of very different fentiments from the Author of the Characteristics, who has written a formal treatife on Virtue, to prove it not only real but durable, without the fupport of Religion. The word Unawares alludes to the confidence of thofe men, who fuppofe that Morality would flourish beft without it, and confequently to the furprize fuch would be in (if any fuch there are) who indeed love Virtue, and yet do all they can to root out the Religion of their Country. THE END OF THE FOURTH BOOK. WHEKEA certain Haberdashers of Points and Particles, being inftigated by the spirit of Pride, and aluming to themfelves the name of Critics and Reftorers, have taken upon them to adulterate the common and current fenfe of our Glorious Ancestors, Poets of this Realm, by clipping, coining, defacing the images, miring their own bale alloy, or otherwife falffying the fame, which they puhlich, urter, and vend as genuine: The laid Haberdathers having no right thereto, as neither heirs, executors, administrators, affigns, or in any fort related to fuch Poets, to all or any of them: Now we, having carefully |