But Welfted moft the Poet's healing balm The more thou tickleft, gripes his fift the faster. 210 VARIATIONS. VER. 207. in the first Ed. But Oldmixon the Poet's healing balm, &c. REMARKS. "behold a War (alas! how much too long an one!) brought at length to an end, on the most just and most "honourable Conditions. Oh Day eternally to be memo"rated! wherein all the Terrors of his Country were "ended, and a PEACE (long wifh'd for by almost all Europe) was restored by HARLEY, the Love and Delight "of the People of England,". But that this Gentleman can write in a different style, may be seen in a letter he printed to Mr. Pope, wherein feveral Noble Lords are treated in a most extraordinary language, particularly the Lord Bolingbroke abused for that very PEACE which he here makes the fingle work of the Earl of Oxford, directed by God Almighty. VER. 207. Welfted] Leonard Welfted, author of The Triumvirate, or a Letter in verse from Palæmon to Celia at Bath, which was meant for a fatire on Mr. P. and fome of his friends about the year 1718. He writ other things which we cannot remember. Smedley, in his Metamorphofis of Scriblerus, mentions one, the Hymn of a Gentleman to his Creator: And there was another in praise either of a Cellar, or a Garret. L. W. characterized in the treatise Пepì Báles, or the Art of Sinking, as a Didapper, and after as an Eel, is faid to be this person, by Dennis, Daily Journal of May 11, 1728. He was allo characterized under another animal, a Mole, by the author of the enfuing Simile, which was handed about at the fame time: While thus each hand promotes the pleasing pain, What force have pious vows! The Queen of Love REMARKS. "Dear Welfted, mark, in a dirty hole, You have him again in book iii. ver. 169. 216 220 VER. 213. A youth unknown to Phabus, &c.] The fatire of this Episode being levelled at the base flatteries of authors to worthlefs wealth or greatnefs, concludes here with an excellent leffon to fuch men: That altho' their pens and praises were as exquifite as they conceit of themfelves, yet (even in their own mercenary views) a creature unlettered, who ferveth the paffions, or pimpeth to the pleasures, of fuch vain, braggart, puft Nobility, shall with those patrons be much more inward, and of them much higher rewarded. SCRIBL. 225 Now turn to diff'rent sports (the Goddess cries) And learn, my fons, the wond'rous pow'r of Noife.. To move, to raife, to ravifh ev'ry heart, With Shakespear's nature, or with Johnson's art, Let others aim: 'Tis yours to shake the foul With thunder rumbling from the mustard bowl, With horns and trumpets now to madness fwell, Now fink in forrows with a tolling bell! Such happy arts attention can command, When fancy flags, and fenfe is at a stand. Improve we these. Three Cat-calls be the bribe Of him, whose chatt'ring fhames the Monkey tribe: REMARKS. 230 VER. 226. With Thunder rumbling from the muftard bowl,] The old way of making Thunder and Mustard were the fame; but fince, it is more advantageously performed by troughs of wood with ftops in them. Whether Mr. Dennis was the inventor of that improvement, I know not; but it is certain, that being once at a Tragedy of a new author, he fell into a great paffion at hearing fome, and cried, 'Sdeath! that is my Thunder." VER. 228.-with a tolling bell;] A mechanical help to the Pathetic, not unufeful to the modern writers of Tragedy. VER. 231. Three Cat-calls] Certain mufical inftruments ufed by one fort of Critics to confound the Poets of the Theatre. IMITATIONS. VER. 223, 225. To move, to raife, &c. Let others aim: 'Tis yours to shake, &c.} Excudent alii fpirantia mollius æra, Credo equidem, vivos ducent de marmore vultus, &c. And his this Drum, whofe hoarfe heroic base 240 Now thousand tongues are heard in one loud din : The Monkey-mimics rufh difcordant in; 236 'Twas chatt'ring, grinning, mouthing, jabb'ring all, And Noise and Norton, Brangling and Breval, Dennis and Diffonance, and captious Art, And Snip-fnap fhort, and Interruption fmart, And Demonftration thin, and Thefes thick, And Major, Minor, and Conclufion quick. Hold (cry'd the Queen) a Cat-call each fhall win; Equal your merits! equal is your din! But that this well-difputed game may end, Sound forth, my Brayers, and the welkin rend. As when the long-ear'd milky mothers wait At fome fick mifer's triple-bolted gate, For their defrauded, abfent foals they make A moan fo loud, that all the gild awake; REMARK S. 245 250 VER. 238. Norton,] See ver. 417.-J. Durant Breval, Author of a very extraordinary Book of Travels, and fome Poems. See before, Note on ver. 126. IMITATIONS. VER. 243. A Cat-call each to win, &c.] Non noftrum inter vos tantas componere lites, Et vitula tu dignus, & hic. Virg. Ecl. iii. VER. 247. As when the &c.] A Simile with a long tail, in the manner of Homer. Sore fighs fir Gilbert, ftarting at the bray, There Webster! peal'd thy voice, and Whitefield! thine. But far o'er all, fonorous Blackmore's ftrain; REMARK S. VER. 258. Webfler-and Whitefield] The one the writer of a News-paper called the Weekly Mifcellany; the other a Field-preacher. The Enthufiaft thought the only means of advancing Religion was by the New.birth of fpiritual madness: The Bigott, by the old death of fire and faggot and therefore they agreed in this, though in no other earthly thing, to abufe all the fober Clergy. From the small fuccefs of these two extraordinary perfons, we may learn how little hurtful Bigotry and Enthusiasm are, while the civil Magistrate prüdently forbears to lend his power to the one, to be employed against the other. W IMITATIONS. VER. 260. Bray back to him again.] A figure of fpeech taken from Virgil. Et vox affenfu nemorum ingeminata remugit. Georg. iii. He hears his num'rous herds low o'er the plain, While neighb'ring hills low back to them again. Cowley. The poet here celebrated, Sir R. B. delighted much in the word bray, which he endeavoured to ennoble by ap VOL. V. G |