Save just at dinner-then prefers, no doubt, 80 85 What made (fay Montagne, or more fage Char ron!) Otho a warrior, Cromwell a buffoon? VARIATIONS. A per After Ver. 86. in the former Editions, Triumphant leaders, at an army's head, Hemm'd round with glories, pilfer cloth or bread; NOTES. mer, "is a mysterious carriage of the body to cover the defects of the mind."" Gravity," fays the latter, " is indeed only the rind, or bark, of wisdom; but it preferves it." VER. 81. Patritio's high defert,] Meaning Lord Godolphin, of whom, fays Prior, in an original letter that I have seen, “as the wife Earl of Godolphin told me when he turned me out for having ferved him ;-Things change, times change, and men change." Though he was a great gamester, yet he was an able and honest minifter. VER. 87. What made] One of the reasons that makes Montagne fo agreeable a writer is, that he gives so strong a picture of the . way of life of a country gentleman in the reign of Henry III. The defcriptions of his caftle, of his library, of his travels, of his entertainments, of his diet and drefs, are particularly pleafing. Malebranche and Pascal have feverely and justly cenfured his scepticism. Peter Charron contracted a very strict friendship with him, A perjur'd Prince, a leaden Saint revere, 90 NOTES. The him, infomuch that Montagne permitted him by his will to bear his arms. In his Book of Wisdom, which was published at Bourdeaux in the year 1601, he has inferted a great number of Montagne's fentiments. This treatise has been loudly blamed for its freedom by many writers of France, and particularly Garaffe the Jefuit. Bayle has remarked, in oppofition to these cenfurers, that, of a hundred thousand readers, there are hardly three to be found in any age who are well qualified to judge of a book, wherein the ideas of an exact and metaphyfical reasoning are fet in oppofition to the most common opinions. Pope has borrowed many fenfible remarks from Charron, of whom Bolingbroke was particularly fond. Who would imagine, from the boldness of Hobbes's fentiments, that he was naturally a great coward. VER. 89. A perjur'd Prince,] Louis XI. of France wore in his hat a leaden image of the Virgin Mary, which, when he fwore by, he feared to break his oath. P. VER. 90. A godlefs Regent tremble at a Star?] Philip Duke of Orleans, Regent in the minority of Louis XV. superstitious in judicial aftrology, though an unbeliever in all religion. P. The fame has been obferved of many other politicians. The Italians, in general, are not more noted for their refined politics, than for their attachment to the dotages of Aftrology, under the influence of Atheism. It may be worth while to inquire into the cause of fo fingular a phenomenon, as it may probably do honour to Religion. These men observing (and none have equal opportunities of fo doing) how perpetually public events fall out befides their expectation, and contrary to the best laid schemes of worldly policy, cannot but confefs that human affairs are ordered by fome power extrinfical. To acknowledge a God and his Providence, would be next to introducing a morality destructive of that civil fyftem which they think neceffary for the government of the world. They have recourse therefore to that abfurd scheme of power which rules by no other law than Fate or Deftiny. W. The Duke of Orleans, here pointed at, was an infidel and a libertine, and at the fame time, as well as Bouranvilliers and Cardan, who calculated the nativity of Jefus Chrift, was a bigotted believer The throne a Bigot keep, a Genius quit, Know, GoD and NATURE only are the fame: 95 II. In vain the Sage, with retrofpective eye, Would from th' apparent What conclude the Why, That what we chanc'd was what we meant to do. IOL Some plunge in bus'ness, others fhave their crowns: To eafe the Soul of one oppreffive weight, 105 This quits an Empire, that embroils a State: The NOTES. believer in judicial aftrology; he was faid to be the author, which however has been doubted, of many of thofe flimfy fongs, nugæ canore, to which the language and manners of France feem to be peculiarly adapted. He knew mankind. "Quiconque eft fans honneur et fans humeur, eft un courtifan parfaite," was one of his favourite fayings. VER. 91. The throne a Bigot keep, a Genius quit,] Philip V. of Spain, who, after renouncing the throne for Religion, resumed it to gratify his Queen; and Victor Amadeus II. King of Sardinia, who refigned the Crown, and trying to re-affume it, was imprisoned till his death. VER. 93. Europe a Woman, Child, or Dotard rule, And just her wifeft monarch made a fool?] P. The Czarina, the King of France, the Pope, and the above-mentioned King of Sardinia. W. VER. 95. GOD and NATURE] It is not very clear what is precifely meant by Nature in this paffage. ΠΙΟ The fame aduft complexion has impell'd 115 He dreads a death-bed like the meaneft flave; Who reasons wifely is not therefore wise, But grant that Actions beft discover man; You balance not the many in the dark. 125 Alas! NOTES. VER. 107. The fame aduft complexion has impell'd Charles to the Convent, Philip to the Field.] Philip II. was of an atrabilaire complexion. He derived it from his father Charles V. whofe health, the hiftorians of his life tell us, was frequently disordered by bilious fevers. But what was most extraordinary, the fame complexion not only drove them variously, but made each act contrary to his character; Charles, who was an active man when he retired into a Convent; Philip, who was a man of the closet when he the battle of St. Quintin. gave All that wants to be known of this Emperor's character learned from Robertfon's admirable History. W. may be Alas! in truth the man but chang'd his mind, NOTES. Afk VER. 127. Alas! in truth] "For the destruction of a kingdom,” said a man of wit, "nothing more is sometimes requifite than a bad digestion of the prime minifter." The Grand Seignior offered to affift Henry IV. against his rebellious fubjects, not for any deep political reason, but only because he hated the word League. It is a fault in Davila, as well as Tacitus, never to ascribe great events to whim, caprice, private paffions, and petty caufes. The Treaty of Utrecht was occafioned, it is faid, by a quarrel betwixt the Duchefs of Marlborough and Queen Anne about a pair of gloves. The expedition to the island of Ré was undertaken to gratify a foolish and romantic paffion of the Duke of Buckingham. The coquetry of the daughter of Count Julien introduced the Saracens into Spain. It is for the honour of many great events, as of many great families, that their origins should be concealed. Bayle, in his Thoughts on the Comet, tome ii. p. 214. has collected a number of entertaining inftances to confirm this truth," that mighty rivers, which defolate or fertilize great tracts of land, issue sometimes from a small and dirty fountain." Hear the fentiments of one who was well acquainted with life and bufinefs. "I have been frequently affured," fays Swift, "that politics were nothing but common fenfe; which, as it was the only true thing they fpoke, fo it was the only thing they could have wished I should not believe. I have been affured, by men long practised in business, that the fecrets of a court are much fewer than we generally fuppofe; and I hold it for the greatest secret of a court, that they are fo. I could produce innumerable instances, from my own memory and observation, of events imputed to the profound skill and address of the minister, which in reality were either the mere effect of negligence, weakness, humour, paffion, or pride; or, at best, but the natural course of things left to themselves." Free Thoughts on the State of Affairs, 1714. What was the cause of the Reformation in England, "When Love could teach a monarch to be wise, And Gofpel-truth first dawn'd from Bullen's eyes?" But Burnet gravely labours to prove, that the king had a scruple of |