SATIRE IV. WELL; I may now receive *, and die. My fin Indeed is great, but yet I have been in A Purgatory, fuch as fear'd Hell is A Recreation, and scant map of this. My mind, neither with pride's itch, nor hath been Poyfon'd with love to fee or to be feen, go I had no fuit there, nor new fuit to fhow, NOTES. As *More fhort, fevere, and pointed, than Pope's paraphrastical lines. VER. 7. The Poet's hell,] He has here with great prudence corrected the licentious expreffion of his Original. W. VER. 10. Nor the vain itch t'admire, or be admir'd;] Courtiers have the fame pride in admiring, which Poets have in being admired. For VANITY is often as much gratified in paying our Court to our fuperiors, as in receiving it from our inferiors. W. VER. 13. Had no new verses, nor new fuit to fhow;] Infinuating that Court-poetry, like Court-clothes, only comes thither in honour of the Sovereign; and ferves but to fupply a day's converfation. W. VER. 14. The Dev'l would] This addition is mean. And line below, 26. is perhaps the greatest violation of harmony Pope has SATIRE IV. WELL, if it be my time to quit the stage, I die in charity with fool and knave, With foolish pride my heart was never fir'd, Could not but think, to pay his fine was odd, As prone to ill, as negligent of good, 5 ΤΟ 15 20 As NOTES. ever been guilty of, by beginning the Verfe with the word Noah. And line 17, his fine was odd, seems to be very exceptionable. VER. 19. So was I punifb'd,] Thus in former editions: Such was my Fate, whom Heav'n adjudged, Pope As vain, as witlefs, and as falfe, as they Which dwell in Court, for once going that way. Therefore I fuffer'd this; towards me did run Than Africk Monsters, Guianaes rarities, His cloathes were ftrange, tho' coarse, and black, tho' bare. Sleeveless his jerkin was, and it had been Velvet, but 'twas now (fo much ground was feen) NOTES. Become Pope made many alterations in this Satire, and seems to have taken pains in correcting it. Line 65, and fucceedings one, stood thus: Well met, he cries, and happy fure for each, Line 86 flood as follows: Obliging Sir, I love you I profefs, But wish you lik'd Retreat a little lefs, So much alone, to speak plain truth between us, As deep in debt, without a thought to pay, Who live at Court, for going once that way! The fun e'er got, or flimy Nilus bore, 25 Or Sloan or Woodward's wondrous fhelves con tain, Nay, all that lying Travellers can feign. The watch would hardly let him pass at noon, At night would fwear him dropt out of the Moon. One, whom the mob, when next we find or make A popish plot, fhall for a Jefuit take, And the wife Justice, starting from his chair, Cry, By your Priesthood tell me what you are? 31 35 Tho' coarfe, was rev'rend, and tho' bare, was black: The fuit, if by the fashion one might guess, But mere tuff-taffety what now remain'd; 40 NOTES. Our Line 154, ran thus: Shows Poland's Intereft, takes the Primate's Part. Dr. Johnson speaks, methinks, too flightingly of these Imitations of Donne, when he fays, "That Pope feems to have known their imbecillity." Become Tufftaffaty; and our children fhall See it plain rash a while, then nought at all. tongues, And only knoweth what to all States belongs, Me to hear this, yet I must be content With his tongue, in his tongue call'd Complement : Jovius, or Surius, or both together. He names me, and comes to me; I whisper, God, How have I finn'd, that thy wrath's furious Rod, This fellow, chuseth me! He faith, Sir, I love your judgment, whom do you prefer Said that I thought Calepine's Dictionary. NOTES. Nay, VER. 68. The King's, faid I.] " This fneer," faid the ingenious Mr. Wilkes," is really indecent. The good Bishop who published an edition of his works, ought, in the mild limbo of his Comment. ary, to have softened the severity of this paffage." VER. 71. Onflow,] By an affected gravity, and a folemn and important air, he prefided for many years over the House of Com mons; but not with the ability, knowledge, patience, prudence, and |