Calm ev'ry thought, inspirit ev'ry grace, VARIATIONS. VER. 15. Originally thus in the MS. And oh fince Death must that fair frame destroy, In fome foft dream may thy mild foul remove, 15 TO MR. THOMAS SOUTHERN, ON HIS BIRTH DAY, 1742. RESIGN'D to live, prepar❜d to die, And Ireland, mother of sweet fingers, NOTES. VER. 3. This day Tom's] This amiable writer lived the longest, and died one of the richest, of all our poets. In 1737, Mr. Gray, writing to a friend, fays very agreeably, "We have here old Mr. Southern, who often comes to fee us; he is now seventyfeven years old, and has almost wholly loft his memory; but is as agreeable an old man as can be, at least I perfuade myself so, when I look at him, and think of Ifabella and Oroonoko." He was certainly a great mafter of the pathetic; and in the latter part of his life became fenfible of the impropriety he had been guilty of in mixing Tragedy with Comedy. He was the first play-writer that had the benefit of a third night. He told Dryden that he once had cleared seven hundred pounds by one of his plays. WARTON. VER. 6. A table,] Mr. Southern was invited to dine on his birthday with this nobleman (Lord Orrery), who had prepared for him the entertainment of which the bill of fare is here fet down. WARBURTON. VER. 8. Prefents her Harp] The Harp is generally wove on the Irish linen; fuch as table-cloths, &c. WARBURTON. The feast, his tow'ring genius marks In yonder wild goofe and the larks! May Toм, whom heav'n fent down to raise Be ev'ry birth-day more a winner, NOTES. 10 15 20 VER. 16. The price of Prologues and of Plays,] This alludes to a story Mr. Southern told of Dryden, about the fame time, to Mr. P. and Mr. W.-When Southern first wrote for the ftage, Dryden was fo famous for his Prologues, that the Players would act nothing without that decoration. His ufual price till then had been four guineas; but when Southern came to him for the Prologue he had bespoke, Dryden told him he must have fix guineas for it; "which (faid he) young man, is out of no disrespect to you, but the Players have had my goods too cheap."-We now look upon these Prologues with the fame admiration that the Virtuofi do on the Apothecaries' pots painted by Raphael. WARBURTON. ROXANA, OR THE DRAWING-ROOM. AN ECLOGUE. ROXANA from the court returning late, Was it for this, that I these roses wear? This King, I never could attend too foon; I miss'd my pray❜rs, to get me dress'd by noon. My paffions, pleasures, all that e'er was mine: Left operas, and went to filthy plays : BB 4 6 10 15 20 Sermons Sermons I fought, and with a mien fevere, Ah, royal Princefs! for whofe fake I loft The reputation, which fo dear had cost; When bloom and beauty bid me fhew my face, Now near thee, constant, I each night abide, 30 To all the foreigners a goodly fhow. Oft had your drawing-room been fadly thin, 35 And merchants wives clofe by your fide had been; Corrupts our virgins, and our youth enfnares; NOTES. 45 I know VER. 26. What-dye-call-it] Gay's farce, fo called. VER. 31. foreigners] The attendants of George the Firft, from Hanover. |