Hence hymning Tyburn's elegiac lines, Hence Journals, Medleys, Merc'ries, MAGA ZINES: VARIATIONS. VER. 41. in the former Edd. Hence hymning Tyburn's elegiac Lay, VER. 42. Alludes to the annual Songs compofed to Mufic on St. Cecilia's Feast. REMARK S. in the character of Proteus was defigned Sophiftam, Magum, Politicum, præfertim rebus omnibus fefe accommodantem. Which in English is, A political writer, a Libeller, and a Difputer, writing indifferently for or against every Party in the ftate, every Sect in religion, and every Character in private life. See my Fables of Ovid explained. ABBE BANIER. VER. 40. Curl's chafte prefs, and Lintot's rubric post:] Two bookfellers, of whom fee Book ii. The former was fined by the Court of King's Bench for publishing obscene Books; the latter ufually adorned his fhop with titles in red letters. VER. 41. Hence hymning Tyburn's elegiac lines,] It is an ancient English custom for the Malefactors to fing a Pfalm at their execution at Tyburn; and no lefs cuftomary to print Elegies on their deaths, at the fame time, or before. VER. 42. MAGAZINES:] The common names of those monstrous collections in profe, and verfe; where Dulness affumes all the various fhapes of Folly to draw in, and IMITATIONS. VER. 41, 42. Hence hymning Tyburn's-Hence, &c.] Genus unde Latinum, Albanique patres, atque altæ moenia Romæ. Virg. Æn.i. Sepulchral Lies, our holy walls to grace, And New-year Odes, and all the Grub-street race. 45 In clouded Majefty here Dulness shone; Four guardian Virtues, round, fupport her throne; REMARK S. cajole the Rabble. The eruption of every miferable Scribler; the dirty fcum of every ftagnant News-paper; the rags of worn-out Nonfenfe and Scandal, picked up from every Dunghill; under the title of Efays, Reflections, Queries, Songs, Epigrams, Riddles, &c. equally the difgrace_of_human Wit, Morality, and Common Senfe. P. *. VER. 43. Sepulchral Lies,] Is a just satire on the Flatteries and Falfhoods admitted to be infcribed on the walls of Churches, in Epitaphs; which occafioned the following Epigram, "Friend! in your Epitaphs, I'm griev'd, "So very much is faid: "One half will never be believ'd, "The other never read." VER. 44. New-year Odes,] Made by the Poet Laureate for the time being, to be fung at court on every New-year'sday, the words of which are happily drowned in the voices and inftruments. The New-year Odes of the Hero of this work were of a caft diftinguished from all that preceded him, and made a confpicuous part of his character as a writer, which doubtlefs induced our Author to mention them here fo particularly. VER. 45. In clouded Majefty here Dulness fhone ;] See this Cloud removed, or rolled back, or gathered up to her Head, book iv. ver. 17, 18. It is worth while to compare this defcription of the Majefty of Dulness in a state of peace and IMITATIONS. VER. 45. In clouded Majefty.] the Moon Rifing in clouded Majefty Milton, book iv, Fierce champion Fortitude, that knows no fears Poetic Justice, with her lifted fcale, Where, in nice balance, truth with gold fhe weighs, And solid pudding against empty praise. REMARK S. tranquillity, with that more busy scene where the mounts the throne in triumph, and is not fo much fupported by her own Virtues, as by the princely consciousness of having destroyed all other. VER. 50. Who bunger, and who thirst, &c.] "This is an allufion to a text in Scripture, which fhews, in Mr. "Pope, a delight in profanenefs," faid Curl upon this place. But it is very familiar with Shakespear to allude to paffages of Scripture. Out of a great number I will felect a few, in which he not only alludes to, but quotes the very Text from holy Writ. In All's well that ends well, I am no great Nebuchadnezzar, I have not much skill in grafs. Ibid. They are for the flowery way that leads to the broad gate and the great fire, Matt. vii. 13. In Much ado about nothing, All, all, and moreover God faw him when he was hid in the Garden, Gen. iii. 8. (in a very jocose scene.) In Love's labour loft, he talks of Samfon's carrying the Gates on his back; in the Merry Wives of Windfor, of Goliath and the weaver's beam; and in Henry IV. Falstaff's foldiers are compared to Lazarus and the prodigal fon.The first part of this note is VER. 48. IMITATIONS. that knows no fears Of hiffes, blows, or want, or lofs of ears:] Quem neque pauperies, neque mors, neque vincula terrent. Hor. Glitt'ring with ice here hoary hills are seen, 75 In cold December fragrant chaplets blow, And with her own fools-colours gilds them all. VARIATIONS. VER. 85. in the former Editions, 'Twas on the day when Thorold, rich and grave. Sir George Thorold, Lord Mayor of London in the year 1720. REMARK S. cient to impregnate the foil.These fix verfes reprefent the inconfiftencies in the defcriptions of poets, who heap together all glittering and gawdy images, though incompatible in one season, or in one scene. See the Guardian, N° 40. parag. 6. See alfo Eufden's whole works, if to be found. It would not have been unpleasant to have given Examples of all thefe fpecies of bad writing from thefe Authors, but that it is already done in our Treatife of the Bathos. VER. 83. Sees momentary monsters rife and fall, SCRIBL And with her own fools-colours gilds them all.] i. e. Sets off unnatural conceptions in falfe and tumid expreffion. IMITATIONS. VER. 79. The cloud-compelling Queen.] From Homer's Epithet of Jupiter, νεφεληγερέτα Ζευς. "Twas on the day, when ** rich and grave, 85 Like Cimon, triumph'd both on land and wave: (Pomps without guilt, of bloodlefs fwords and maces, Glad chains, warm furs, broad banners, and broad faces) Now Night descending, the proud fcene was o'er, But liv'd, in Settle's numbers, one day more. 90. REMARK S. VER. 85, 86. 'Twas on the day, when ** rich and grave, Like Cimon, triumph'd] Viz. a Lord Mayor's Day, his name the author had left in blanks, but most certainly could never be that which the Editor foifted in formerly, and which no way agrees with the chronology of the poem. BENTL. The proceffion of a Lord Mayor is made partly by land, and partly by water.- Cimon, the famous Athenian General, obtained a victory by fea, and another by land, on the fame day, over the Perfians and Barbarians. VER. 88. Glad Chains.] The Ignorance of these 'Moderns! This was altered in one edition to Gold Chains, fhewing more regard to the metal of which the chains of Aldermen are made, than to the beauty of the Latinifm and Græcifm, nay of figurative speech itself: Lætas fegetes, glad, for making glad, &c. SCRIBL: VER. 90. But liv'd, in Settle's numbers, one day more.] A beautiful manner of speaking, ufual with poets in praise of poetry, in which kind nothing is finer than thofe lines of Mr. Addifon : "Sometimes, misguided by the tuneful throng, "Dumb are their fountains, and their channels dry; "And in the smooth description murmur still." Ibid. But liv'd, in Settle's numbers, one day more.] Settle |