But lofty Lintot in the circle rofe:
"This prize is mine; who tempt it are my foes;
"With me began this genius, and shall end.”
He spoke and who with Lintot shall contend?

:

Fear held them mute. Alone, untaught to fear, Stood dauntless Curll; "Behold that rival here !

REMARKS.

55

The

need of vindicating half a dozen verfes to himself, which every reader had done for him; fince the name itself is not fpelled Moore, but More; and laftly, fince the learned Scriblerus has fo well proved the contrary.

Ver. 50. the phantom More.] It appears from hence, that this is not the name of a real perfon, but fictitious. More from gos, ftultus, μopia ftultitia, to reprefent the folly of a plagiary. Thus Erafmus, "Admonuit me "Mori cognomen tibi, quod tam ad Moriæ vocabulum "accedit quam es ipfe a re alienus." Dedication of Moriæ Encomium to Sir Tho. More; the farewell of which may be our author's to his plagiary, Vale, More! et moriam tuam gnaviter defende. Adieu! More! and be fure ftrongly to defend thy own folly. SCRIBE.

Ver. 53. But lofty Lintot] We enter here upon the epifode of the Bookfellers; Perfons, whofe names being more known and famous in the learned world than thofe of the Authors in this poem, do therefore need lefs explanation. The action of Mr. Lintot here imitates that of Dares in Virgil, rifing juft in this manner to lay hold on a Bull. This eminent Bookfeller printed the Rival Modes before-mentioned.

Ver. 58. Stood dauntless Curll;] We come now to a character of much respect, that of Mr. Edmund Curll. As a plain repetition of great actions is the best praise of them, we shall only say of this eminent man, that he carried the Trade many lengths beyond what it ever before had arrived at; and that he was the envy and admiration of all his profeffion. He poffeffed himself of

a com

"The race by vigour, not by vaunts, is won; "So take the hindmoft, Hell," (he faid) and run. 60 Swift

REMARKS.

a command over all authors whatever; he caused them to write what he pleased; they could not call their very Names their own. He was not only famous among thefe; he was taken notice of by the State, the Church, and the Law, and received particular marks of diftinction from each.

It will be owned that he is here introduced with all poffible dignity: He fpeaks like the intrepid Diomede; he runs like the swift-footed Achilles; if he falls, 'tis like the beloved Nifus; and (what Homer makes to be the chief of all praises) he is favoured of the Gods; he fays but three words, and his prayer is heard; a Goddefs conveys it to the feat of Jupiter: Though he lofes the prize, he gains the victory; the great Mother her felf comforts him, the infpires him with expedients, the honours him with an immortal prefent, (fuch as Achilles receives from Thetis, and Æneas from Venus) at once inftructive and prophetical: After this he is unrivaled and triumphant.

The tribute our author here pays him is a grateful return for feveral unmerited obligations: Many weighty animadverfions on the public affairs, and many excellent and diverting pieces on private perfons, has he given to his name. If ever he owed two verfes to any other, he owed Mr. Curll fome thousands. He was every day extending his fame, and enlarging his Writings Witnefs innumerable inftances; but it fall fuffice only to mention the Court Poems, which he meant to publish as the work of the true writer, a Lady of lity; but being firft threatened, and afterwards punished for it by Mr. Pope, he generously transferred it from her to him, and ever fince printed it in his name. The fingle time that ever he spoke to C. was on that affair, K 2

qua

and

Swift as a Bard the Bailiff leaves behind,

He left huge Lintot, and out-stript the wind.
As when a dab-chick waddles through the copfe
On feet and wings, and flies, and wades, and hops;
So labouring on, with fhoulders, hands, and head, 65
Wide as a wind-mill all his figure spread,
With arms expanded Bernard rows his state,
And left-legg'd Jacob feems to emulate.
Full in the middle way there stood a lake,

Which Curll's Corinna chanc'd that morn to make: 70
(Such was her wont, at early dawn to drop
Her evening cates before his neighbour's shop)

Here

VARIATION.

Ver. 67. With legs expanded Bernard urg'd the race, And feem'd to emulate great Jacob's pace.

REMARKS.

and to that happy incident he owed all the favour fince received from him: So true is the faying of Dr. Sydenham, "that any one fhall be, at fome time or other, the "better or the worse, for having but feen or spoken to a "good or bad man.'

Ver. 70. Curll's Corinna] This name, it feems, was taken by one Mrs. Thomas, who procured fome private letters of Mr. Pope, while almost a boy, to Mr. Cromwell, and fold them without the confent of either of thofe Gentlemen to Curll, who printed them in 12m0, 1727. He difcovered her to be the publisher, in his Key, p. 11. We only take this opportunity of mentioning the manner in which thofe letters got abroad, which the author was afhamed of as very trivial things, full not only of levities, but of wrong judgments of men and books, and only excufable from the youth and inexperience of the writer.

Here fortun'd Curll to flide; loud fhout the band,

And Bernard! Bernard! rings through all the Strand. Obscene with filth the Mifcreant lies bewray'd,

75

Fall'n in the plash his wickedness had laid :
Then firft (if Poets aught of truth declare)
The caitiff Vaticide conceiv'd a prayer,

Hear, Jove! whofe name my bards and I adore, As much at leaft as any God's, or more;

And him and his if more devotion warms,
Down with the Bible, up with the Pope's Arms.
A place there is, betwixt earth, air, and feas,
Where, from Ambrofia, Jove retires for ease.
There in his feat two fpacious vents appear,
On this he fits, to that he leans his ear,
And hears the various vows of fond mankind;
Some beg an eastern, fome a western wind:
All vain petitions, mounting to the sky,
With reams abundant this abode supply ;
Amus'd he reads, and then returns the bills
Sign'd with that Ichor which from Gods distils.

In office here fair Cloacina ftands,

And minifters to Jove with pureft hands.

Forth from the heap she pick'd her Votary's prayer, 95 And plac'd it next him, a distinction rare!

Oft had the Goddess heard her fervant's call,

From her black grottos near the Temple-wall,

REMARKS.

Listening

Ver. 82. Down with the Bible, up with the Pope's Arms.] The Bible, Curll's fign: the Crofs-keys, Lintot's.

Listening delighted to the jeft unclean
Of link-boys vile, and watermen obfcene;
Where as he fish'd her nether realms for Wit,
She oft had favour'd him, and favours yet.
Renew'd by ordure's fympathetic force,
As oil'd with magic juices for the course,
Vigorous he rifes; from th' effluvia ftrong,
Imbibes new life, and fcours and ftinks along;
Re-paffes Lintot, vindicates the race,

Nor heeds the brown dishonours of his face.
And now the Victor ftretch'd his eager hand
Where the tall Nothing stood, or feem'd to stand;
A shapeless fhade, it melted from his fight,
Like forms in clouds, or visions of the night,
To feize his papers, Curll, was next thy care;
His papers light, fly diverse, toft in air;
Songs, fonnets, Epigrams, the winds uplift,
And whisk them back to Evans, Young, and Swift.
Th' embroider'd fuit at least he deem'd his prey,
That fuit an unpay'd taylor fnatch'd away.

VARIATION.

Ver. 99-104. In former Ed. thus,

(Oft, as he fish'd her nether realms for wit, The Goddess favour'd him, and favours yet)

REMARKS.

Ver. 101. Where, as he fifh'd, &c.] See the preface to Swift's and Pope's Mifcellanies.

Ver. 116. Evans, Young, and Swift.] Some of those perfons, whofe writings, epigrams, or jefts he had owned. See note on ver. 50.