Such, such emotions should in Britons rise, If there's a Senior, who contemns this age; Let him to night his just assistance lend, And be the Critic's, Briton's, Old Man's Friend. 10 15 19 MACER: A CHARACTER. [First printed in the Miscellanies of Swift and Pope (1727), and interpreted by Warton to mean James Moore-Smythe (see Dunciad, Bk. II. v. 50). But Bowles thinks it more likely that the character was intended for Ambrose Philips, called 'lean Philips' by Pope (see Farewell to London, p. 472); who 'borrowed' a play from the French, and 'translated' the Persian tales. Mr Carruthers completes the identification by showing a note prefixed to this character on its first publication and speaking of Macer's advertisements for a Miscellany in 1713, to refer to such an advertisement actually issued by Philips in the London Gazette in 1715. As to Philips, see Dunciad, Bk. III. v. 326, et al.] W THEN simple Macer, now of high renown, [The borrowed play, The Distrest Mother, was, as Carruthers says, from Racine, not, as Bowles says, from Voltaire. It is the Andromaque, and the epilogue was ascribed to Addison.] 5 ΤΟ 2 [John Crown, who wrote 12 tragedies, 6 comedies, and a masque, in little more than a quarter of a century, died about 1698. As a sample of a borrow'd play, see Geneste's account of Crown's version of Part I. of Henry VI.] So some coarse Country Wench, almost decay'd, 15 20 25 UMBRA. [From the Miscellanies. The original of the character has been variously sought in Walter Carey (a F. R. S. and Whig official), Charles Johnson and Ambrose Philips. Umbra' must in no case be confounded with the 'Lord Umbra' of the Satires.] H LOSE to the best known Author Umbra sits, TO MR JOHN MOORE, Author of the celebrated Worm-Powder. [From the OW much, egregious Moore, are we 1 [Button's coffee-house in Covent Garden was the resort of Addison's circle.] 2 [Charles Johnson, a second-rate dramatist. Miscellanies.] Man is a very Worm by birth, 5 10 15 That Woman is a Worm, we find E'er since our Grandam's evil; The Learn'd themselves we Book-worms name, The Blockhead is a Slow-worm; The Nymph whose Tail is all on Flame, Is aptly term'd a Glow-worm: The Fops are painted Butterflies, That flutter for a Day; First from a Worm they take their Rise, And in a Worm decay. The Flatterer an Ear-wig grows; Thus Worms suit all Conditions; Misers are Muck - worms, Silk-worms Beaux, And Death-watches Physicians. That Statesmen have the Worm, is seen, That gnaws them Night and Day. Ah Moore! thy Skill were well employ'd, The Worm that never dies! O learned Friend of Abchurch-Lane1, Since Worms shall eat ev'n thee. Our Fate thou only canst adjourn SANDYS' GHOST; OR A PROPER NEW BALLAD ON THE NEW OVID'S METAMORPHOSES. AS IT WAS INTENDED TO BE TRANSLATED BY PERSONS OF QUALITY. [From the Miscellanies. It is obviously not by Gay (see St. 13). Sir Walter Scott, quoted by Roscoe, explains the ballad to refer to a translation of the Metamorphoses published by Sir Samuel Garth (and written by several hands, of which Pope's was one), to supersede the old translation of George Sandys, who died in 1643.] VE Lords and Commons, Men of Hear how a Ghost in dead of Night, Wit, YE And Pleasure about Town; Read this ere you translate one Bit Of Books of high Renown. Beware of Latin Authors all! Nor think your Verses Sterling, Though with a Golden Pen you scrawl, And scribble in a Berlin: For not the Desk with silver Nails, With saucer Eyes of Fire, In woeful wise did sore affright A Wit and courtly 'Squire. Rare Imp of Phœbus, hopeful Youth Ah! why did he write Poetry, That hereto was so civil; And sell his soul for vanity, To Rhyming and the Devil? 1 [Abchurch (properly Upchurch) Lane, Lombard Street.] A Desk he had of curious Work, Now as he scratch'd to fetch up Thought, With Whiskers, Band, and Pantaloon, "What Fenton will not do, nor Gay, Nor Congreve, Rowe, nor Stanyan, "Let W-rw-k's Muse with Ash-t join?, "Ho! Master Sam," quoth Sandys' sprite," "I hear the Beat of Jacob's Drums3, See first the merry P comes 4 In Haste, without his Garter. "Then Lords and Lordlings, 'Squires and Knights, Wits, Witlings, Prigs, and Peers! Garth at St James's, and at White's, Beats up for Volunteers. "Ye Ladies too draw forth your pen, 10 "Now, Tonson, list thy Forces all, "A Metamorphosis more strange To what' (quoth 'squire) 'shall Ovid change?' THE TRANSLATOR. Egbert SangeR served his apprenticeship with Jacob Tonson, and succeeded Bernard Lintot in his shop at Middle Temple Gate, Fleet Street. Lintot printed Ozell's translation of Perrault's Characters, and Sanger his translation of Boileau's Lutrin, recommended by Rowe, in 1709. Warton. ZELL11, at Sanger's call, invoked his Muse- OF His numbers such as Sanger's self might use. 5 ΤΟ THE THREE GENTLE SHEPHERDS. F gentle Philips will I ever sing, OF With gentle Philips shall the valleys ring. And from all wits that have a knack, God save ye3. 5 ΤΟ LINES WRITTEN IN WINDSOR FOREST. [LETTER to a Lady (Martha Blount) in Bowles, dated by Carruthers, LL hail, once pleasing, once inspiring shade! ALL Scene of my youthful loves and happier hours! And gently press'd my hand, and said "Be ours!- At Court thou may'st be liked, but nothing gain: 5 4 [These four lines seem to have suggested Canning's well-known epigram on Hiley and Bragge.] 5 Curll said, that in prose he was equal to Pope; but that in verse Pope had merely a particular knack. Bowles. |