Book 3. Lo, sneering Goode, half malice and half whim,'53 A fiend in glee, ridiculously grim... Each cygnet sweet, of Bath and Tunbridge race, Silence, ye wolves! while Ralph to Cynthia And makes night hideous-Answer him, ye owls! 166 REMARKS. You ask why Roome diverts you with his jokes, The jest is lost unless he prints his face. Popple was the author of some vile plays and pamphlets. He published abuses on our author in a paper called The Prompter. W. 153 Goode.] An ill-natured critic, who writ a satire on our author, called The Mock Esop, and many anonymous libels in newspapers, for hire. W. 165- Ralph.] James Ralph, a name inserted after the first editions, not known to our author till he writ a swearingpiece called Sawney, very abusive of Dr. Swift, Mr. Gay, and himself. These lines alluded to a thing of his entitled Night, a poem. This low writer attended his own works with panegyrics in the Journals, and once in particular praised himself highly above Mr. Addison, in wretched remarks upon that author's account of English Poets printed IMITATIONS. 166 And makes night hideous- 1 Visit thus the glimpes of the moon, SHAKS. Sense, speech, and measure, living tongues and Let all give way-and Morris may be read. 'Behold yon pair, in strict embraces join'd ;179 How like in manners, and how like in mind! REMARKS. in a London Journal, Sept. 17, 1728. He was wholly illiterate, and knew no language, not even French. Being advised to read the rules of dramatic poetry before he began a play, he smiled, and replied, Shakspeare writ without rules. He ended at last in the common sink of all such writers, a political newspaper, to which he was recommended by his friend Arnall, and received a small pittance for pay. IMITATIONS. W. 149 Flow. Welsted, flow! &c.] Parody on Denham, Cooper's Hill: 'O could I flow like thee, and make thy stream Though deep, yet clear; though gentle, yet not dull: 177 Embrace, embrace, my sons! be foes no more!] VIRG. Æn. VI. Ne tanta animis assuescite bella, 179 Behold yon pair, in strict embraces join'd.] Equal in wit, and equally polite, Shall this a Pasquin, that a Grumbler write ; 185 But who is he, in closet close y-pent, As thou preserv'st the dnlness of the past! 'But, where each science lifts its modern type, History her pot, divinity her pipe, While proud philosophy repines to show, Dishonest sight! his breeches rent below, Imbrown'd with native bronze, lo! Henley stands," Tuning his voice, and balancing his hands. REMARKS. 199 199-lo! Henley stands, &c.] J. Henley, the orator; he preached on the Sundays upon theological matters, and on the Wednesdays upon all other sciences. Each auditor paid one shilling. He declaimed some years against the greatest persons, and occasionally did our author that honour. W. VIRG. Æn. VI. IMITATIONS. 'Illæ autem, paribus quas fulgere cernis in armis, And in En. V. Euryalus, forma insignis viridique juventa, Nisus amore pio pueri.' 185 But who is he, &c.] VIRG. Æn. VI. questions and answers in this manner, of Numa: Quis procul ille autem ramis insignis olivæ, Sacra ferens?-nosco crines, incanaque menta,' &c. How fluent nonsense trickles from his tongue! O worthy thou of Egypt's wise abodes, 212 'Yet, oh, my sons! a father's words attend: (So may the fates preserve the ears you lend) 'Tis yours a Bacon or a Locke to blame, A Newton's genius, or a Milton's flame : But, oh! with one, immortal one, dispense, The source of Newton's light, of Bacon's sense. Content, each emanation of his fires That beams on earth, each virtue he inspires, Each art he prompts, each charm he can create, Whate'er he gives, are giv'n for you to hate. Persist, by all divine in man unaw'd, But" learn, ye Dunces! not to scorn your God". 224 REMARKS. 304-Sherlock,--Hare,-Gibson.] Bishops of Salisbury, Chichester, and London; whose Sermons and Pastoral Letters did honour to their country as well as stations. * 219 Of Toland and Tindat, see Book II. ver. 399, Thomas Woolston was an impious madman, who wrote, in a most insolent style, against the miracles of the Gospel. IMITATIONS. 224-Learn, ye Dunces! not to scorn your God.] W. VIRG. Thus he, for then a ray of reason stole Half through the solid darkness of his soul; But soon the cloud return'd—and thus the sire: "See now what Dulness and her sons admire! See what the charms that smite the simple heart, Not touch'd by nature, and not reach'd by art." His never-blushing head he turn'd aside, (Not half so pleas'd when Goodman prophesied) And look'd, and saw a sable sorcerer rise, Swift to whose hand a winged volume flies : All sudden, gorgons hiss, and dragons glare, And ten-horn'd fiends and giants rush to war: Hell rises, heaven descends, and dance on earth: 237 Gods, imps, and monsters, music, rage, and mirth, A fire, a jig, a battle, and a ball, Till one wide conflagration swallows all. Thence a new world to nature's laws unknown, Breaks out refulgent, with a heaven its own; Another Cynthia her new journey runs, And other planets circle other suns. 244 The forests dance, the rivers upward rise, And last, to give the whole creation grace, REMARKS. 237 These absurdities were actually brought on the stage by Theobald, in his Rape of Proserpine; but they were never encouraged by Cibber. IMITATIONS. 944 And other planets.] 6- Solemque suum, sua sidera norunt.' VIRG. En. VI. 246 Whales sport in woods, and dolphins in the skies.] 'Delphinum sylvis appingit, fluctibus aprum.' HOR. |