P. III. THESE were the poor Inventions of men devoid of Taste, and yet abfurdly aiming at Fame by thefe despicable whims. Quitting the paths of Simplicity and Truth (of which 'tis probable they were wholly ignorant) they afpired, like Ropedancers, to Merit, which only lay in the difficulty. The Wings, the Axes, the Altars, &c. were wretched Forms, into which they tortured poor Words, just as poor Trees in our Gardens were formerly mangled into Giants, Flower-Pots, Peacocks, Obeliscs, &c. WHOEVER remembers that ACROSTICS, in Verfification, are formed from the Initial Letter of every Verfe, will fee the Force and Ingenuity of the following description. Firm and compact, in three fair Colums wove, O're the Smooth plain the bold ACROSTICS move: HIGH o're the reft THE TOW'RING LEA- Ch.XI. DERS RISE, With LIMBS GIGANTIC and SUPERIOR SIZE. CHRONOGRAMS, by a different conceit, were not confined to INITIAL LETTERS, but, as they were to defcribe Dates, THE NUMERAL LETTERS, in whatever part of the Word they flood, were diftinguished from other Letters by being written in CAPITALS. FOR example, I would mark by a CHRONOGRAM the Date 1506. I take for the purpose the following Words, -feriam fidera vertice; and by a strange Elevation of CAPITALS I compel even Horace to give me the Date required. -feriaM fiDera VertIce, MDVI. THE Ingenious Author, whom I have quoted before, thus admirably describes this fecond species of folly. Not P. III. Not thus the loofer CHRONOGRAMS prepare Careless their Troops, undifciplin'd to War; With RANK IRREGULAR, CONFUS'D they Stand, THE CHIEFTAINS MINGLING with the vnlgar band. IF I have dwelt too long on these trifles, it is not fo much for their merit (of which they have none) as for thofe elegant Lines, in which they are fo well described. ON the fame motive I conclude this Chapter with felecting a few more Lines from the fame ingenious Poem. To join thefe Squadrons, o'er the champain came A numerous race, of no ignoble name ; Son, And falfe CONUNDRUM, and infidious PUN; FUSTIAN, FUSTIAN, who fcarcely deigns to tread the Ch.XI. ground, And RONDEAU, wheeling in repeated round. On their fair ftandards, by the winds difplay'd, EGGS, ALTARS, WINGS, PIPES, AXES were pourtray'd*. * See THE SCRIBLERIAD, (Book II. V. 151, &c.) of my valuable Friend, Mr. Cambridge of Twickenham. CHAP. P. III. CHA P. XII. PAUL the Venetian, and SIR JOHN MAN- a great Lawyer · his valuable Book, addreft to his Pupil, the Prince of Wales -KING'S COLLEGE CHAPEL in Cambridge, FOUNDED HENRY THE SIXTH. "TW BY WAS during this middle Period lived those celebrated celebrated Travellers, PAUL THE VENETIAN, and our Countryman, SIR JOHN MANDEVILLE. WE have mentioned CHAUCER before them, tho' he flourished after both; for Chaucer lived till paft the year 1400, PAUL began his Travels in the year 1272, and MAUDEVILLE began his in the year 1322. The Reason is, Chaucer has been arranged with the Poets, already spoken of. MARC |