Of village beauties, pastorally sweet, trees The tall trees tremble at th' approach of Heav'n, And bow their salutation to the Sum, Who fosters all their foliage-These are thine, Yes, little Shipbourne, boast that these are thine And if-but oh!-aud if 'tis no disgrace, Nor shalt thou, Mereworth, remain unsung, Nor Chatham, tho' it is not thine to show Nor wou'd she weep, like Rachael, for her sons, THE HILLIAD: AN EPIC POEM. Pallas te hoc vulnere, Pallas Immolat, & pœnam scelerato ex sanguine sumit. VIRG. A LETTER TO A FRIEND AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE. I Dear * Am now to acknowledge several letters, which I lately received from you, without any return on my part. As I have been very much hurried of late with a multiplicity of affairs, I must beg you will not only be kind enough to overlook my past omission, but to indulge me for a little time longer. As soon as I am master of sufficient leisure, I will give you my sentiments without reserve, concerning the affair, about which you have thought proper to consult me; for the present I desire you will consider this as a receipt for your many favours, or a promissory note to discharge my debt of friendship as soon as possible. ?The seat of lord Vane. The design and colouring of a poem, such as you have planned, are not to be executed in a hurry, but with slow and careful touches, which will give that finishing to your piece, remarkab'e in every thing that comes from your hand, and which I could wish the precipitancy of my temper would permit me to aim at upon all occasions. I long to see you take a new flight to the regions of fame, not upon unequal wings, that sometimes rise to a degree of elevation, and then fall again, but with an uuiform tenour, like the bird in Virgil, Radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas. I have been now for about three weeks in this scene of smoke and dust, and I think the repub→ lic of letters seems to be lamentably upon the decline in this metropolis. Attornies clerks, and raw unexperienced boys, are the chief critics we have at present. With a supercilious look and peremptory voice, which they have caught from a few of their oracles, as dark and ignorant as themselves, these striplings take upon them to decide upon fable, character, language and sen. timent. Nescis, heu nescis dominæ fastidia Romæ ; With regard to writers, the town swarms with them, and the aim of them all is pretty much the same, viz. to elevate and surprise, as Mr. Bays says. At the head of these still continues the Inspector. As we frequently laughed together concerning this writer, when you were last in town, I need not here give you a description of his parts and genius. I remember you expressed great amazement at the reception his essays seemed to meet with in all our coffee-houses; but you must consider that there are artifices to gain success, as well as merit to deserve it. The former of these his Inspectorship is eminently possessed of, and sooner than fail, he will not hesitate, in order to make himself talked of at any rate, to become most glaringly ridiculous. This answers the purpose of the booksellers, as well perhaps as Attic wit, and hence it results that they are willing to continue him in their pay. In the packet, which I have sent to you by the stage coach, you will find a paper called the Impertinent, written by himself. In this curious piece he has not stopped at abusing his own dear person, which is the only subject he has not handled with his usual malice, and the rest of it is made a vehicle for invective against Mr. Fielding and me. It was ushered into the world in a pompous manner, as if intended to be conti[nued, but no second number was ever published, and to show you a further instance of his fallacy; he thence took occasion to triumph over a pretender to essay-writing, which he would fain insinuate, cannot be executed by any one but himself. This unfair dealing, so unworthy a man, who aspires to be a member of the serene republic of letters, induced me to wave for a time the design you know I was engaged in, in order to bestow a few lines upon this scribbler, who in my eyes is a disgrace to literature. In the first heat of my poetic fury, I formed the idea of another Dunciad, which I intended to call after the name of my hero, The Hilliad. The first book of it you will receive among other things, by the coach, and I shall be glad to be favoured with your opinion of it. 'upon this occasion to quote a passage from the Spectator, which I think pertinent to the present subject. "Every honest man ought to look upon himself as in a natural state of war with the libeller and lampooner, and to annoy them, wherever they fall in his way. This is but retaliating upon them, and treating them as they treat others." Thus thought the polite Mr. Addison in a case where he was not immediately concerned; and can you doubt what to do, when personally attacked? As soon as the hissing of the snake is heard, some means should be devised to crush him. The advice of Virgil is,-Cape saxa manu, cape robora pastor." If it conduces to your entertainment, I shall have gained my end; for though I have received such provocation from this man, I believe I sball never carry it any further. I really find some involuntary sensations of compassion for him, and I cannot help thinking, that, if he could keep within the bounds of decency and good manners, it would be a rare instance of I can tell you that your friends here expect what may be done by a fluency of periods, with- this of you, and we are all unanimous in thinkout genius, sense, or meaning. Though I am ing, that a man who has the honour of belongpersuaded he is quite incorrigible, I am still re-ing to this learned university, and to whom the luctant to publish that piece, for I would rather be commended to posterity by the elegant and amiable muses, than by the satyric sister, politely called by an eminent author, the least en-account, suffer himself to be trifled with, by so gaging of the Nine.' On this account I shall proceed no further 'till you have favoured me with your opinion, by which I will absolutely determine myself. I hope therefore you will peruse it as soon as you can with convenience, and return it to me by the stage. You may show it to Jack *****, and to Mr. ****. I am, with great sincerity, dear *****, your most obedient humble servant, London, 15th December, 1752. DEAR SMART, THE perusal of your poem has given me so much pleasure, that I cannot postpone thanking you for it, by the first opportunity that has offered. I have read it to the persons you desired I should, and they approve the design in the highest manner. I cannot conceive what should make you hesitate a moment about the publication, and to be free with you, you must not by any means suppress it. When I say this, I must observe, that I should be glad to see you better employed, than in the dissection of an insect; but since the work should be done by some body, and since you have made such a progress, I must take the liberty to insist, that you will not drop this undertaking. To speak in plain terms; I look upon it to be indispensably incumbent on you to bring the miscreant to poetic justice; it is what you owe to the cause of learning in general, to your Alma Mater, this university, and, let me add, it is what you owe to yourself. The world will absolve you from any imputation of ill-nature, when it is considered that the pen is drawn in defence of your own character. Give me leave prize, for displaying with a masterly hand the attributes of his Maker, has been adjudged for three years successively, should not, on any frigid and empty a writer. I would have you reflect that you lanched into the world, with many circumstances, that raised a general expectation of you, and the early approbation of such a genius as Mr. Pope, for your elegant version of his ode, made you considered as one, who might hereafter make a figure in the literary world; and let me recommend to you, not to let the laurel, yet green upon your brow, be torn off by the prophane hands of an unhallowed hireling. This, I think, as is observed al- / ready, you owe to yourself, and to that university, which has distinguished you with ho nour. Besides the motives of retaliation, which I have urged for the publication of your poem, I cannot help considering this matter in a moral light, and I must avow, that in my eyes it appears an action of very great merit. If to pull off the mask from an impostor, and detect him in his native colours to the view of a long-deluded public, may be looked upon as a service to mankind (as it certainly is) a better opportunity never can offer itself. In my opinion the cause of literature is in imminent danger of a total degeneracy, should this writer's diurnal productions meet with further encouragement. Without straining hard for it," I can perceive a corruption of taste diffusing itself, throughout the cities of London and Westminster. For a clear vein of thinking, easy nátural expression, and an intelligible style, this pretender has substituted brisk question and answer, pert, unmeaning periods, ungrammatical construction, unnatural metaphors, with a profusion of epithets, inconsistent for the most part with the real or figurative meaning of his words, and in short, all the masculine beauties of style are likely to be banished from among us by the continuation of his papers for almost two years together. Now, sir, I submit it to you, whether this may not lead on to a total depravity of sense and taste. Should the more sober at our coffee-houses be dazzled with false embellishment; should boys admire this unnatural flourishing; I do not in the least question, but the rising generation will be totally infected with this strange motley style, and thus antithesis and point will be the prevailing turn of the nation. It is to prevent a contagion of this sort, that Horace took the pen in hand; for this Quintilian favoured the world with his excellent work. The ingenious authors of France have always attended to this point. Truth, they insisted, is the very foundation of fine writing, and that no thought can be beautiful, which is not just, was their constant lesson. To enforce this and preserve a manly way of thinking Boileau lashed the scribblers of his time; and in our own country the Spectators, Tatlers, and Guardians have laboured for this end. To this we owe the Bathos, in which we find exposed, with the most delicate traits of satire, all false figures in writing, and finally to this we owe the Dunciad of Mr. Pope. These instances, dear Smart, are sufficient to justify your proceeding, and let me tell you, that a cultivation of taste is a point of more moment than perhaps may appear at first sight. In the course of my reading I have observed that a corruption in morals has always attended a decline of letters. Of this Mr. Pope seems to be sensible, and, hence we find in the conclusion of his Dunciad, the general progress of dulness over the land is the final coup de grace to every thing decent, every thing laudable, elegant and polite. Religion blushing veils her sacred fires, those who are, and those who are not acquaint ed with him. Even beauty and innocence were no safe-guards against his calumny, and the soft-eyed virgin was by him cruelly obliged to shed the tender tear. Upon the commencement of the CoventGarden Journal, Mr. Fielding declared an bumorous war against this writer, which was intended to be carried with an amicable pleasantry, in order to contribute to the entertainment of the town. It is recent in every body's memory, how the Inspector behaved upon that occasion. Conscious that there was not an atom of humour in his composition, he had recourse to his usual shifts, and instantly disclosed a pri vate conversation; by which he reduced him self to the alternative mentioned by Mr. Pope; "and if he lies not, must at least betray.' Through all Mr. Fielding's inimitable comic romances, we perceive no such thing as personal malice, no private character dragged into light; but every stroke is copied from the volume which nature has unfolded to him; every scene of life is by him represented in its natural colours, and every species of folly or humour is ridiculed with the most exquisite touches. A genius like this is perhaps more useful to mankind, than any class of writers; he serves to dispel all gloom from our minds, to work off our ill-humours by the gay sensations excited by a well directed pleasantry, and in a vein of mirth he leads his readers into the knowledge of human nature; the most useful and pleasing science we can apply to. And yet so deserving an author has been most grossly treated by this wild essayist; and, not to multiply instances, has he not attempted to raise tumults and divisions in our theatres, contrary to all decency and common sense, and contrary to the practice of all polite writers, whose chief aim has ever been to cherish harmony and good manners, and to diffuse through all ranks of people a just refinement of taste in all our public entertainments? I am aware that you may answer to what has been premised, that the man is not of consequence enough for all this, and you may ob- These considerations, dear sir, prompt you to serve to me, that at first setting out, I myself the blow, and will justify it when given. I becalled him by the figurative and typical appel- lieve, I may venture to add, never had poet so lation of an insect. But if an insect gets into inviting a subject for satire; Pope himself had the sunshine, and there blazes, shines and buzzes not so good an hero for his Dunciad. The first to the annoyance of those, who may be baskingworthy who sat in that throne, viz. Lewis Theoin the beams, it is time for the Muse's wing tobald of dull memory, employed himself in matbrush the thing away. In plain English, the rapidity, with which this writer went on in his progress, was so astonishing, that I really looked upon him to be reserved for the great instrument of dulness in the completion of her work, which certainly must be accomplished, unless a speedy stop be put to that inundation of nonsense and immorality with which he has overwhelmed the nation. ters of some utility, and, upon being dethroned, the person, who succeeded, was one, who formerly had some scattered rays of light; and in most of his comedies, though whimsical and extravagant, there are many strokes of drollery; not to mention that the Careless Husband is a finished piece. But in the hero of the Hilliad all the requisites seem to be united, without one single exI have mentioned immorality, nor will I re- ception. You remember, no doubt, that in the tract the word. Has he not attacked, malici- dissertation prefixed to the Dunciad the efficient ously attacked the reputations of many gentle- qualities of an hero for the little epic are menmen, to whom the world has been greatly obli- tioned to be vanity, impudence and debauchery. ged?-He did not brandish his goose-quill for These accomplishments, I apprehend, are glarany length of time, before he discharged a tor-ing in the person you have fixed upon. rent of abuse upon the reverend Mr. Francis, whose amiable character, and valuable transation of Horace, have endeared him both to As a single and notable instance of the two first, has he not upon all occasions joined himself to some celebrated name, such as the right honourable the earl of Orrery, or some other such exalted, character? I have frequently diverted myself by comparing this proceeding to the cruelty of a tyrant, who used to tie a living person to a dead carcass; and as to your hero's debauchery, there are, I am told, many pleasant instances of it. Add to these several subordinate qualifications; such as foppery, a surprising alacrity to get into scrapes, with a notable, facility of extricating himself, an amazing turn for politics, a wonderful knowledge of herbs, minerals and plants, and to crown all, a comfortable share of gentle dulness. This gentle dulness is not that impenetrable stupidity, which is remarkable in some men, but it is known by that countenance, which Dr. Garth calls, "demurely meek, insipidly It is known by a brisk volubility of speech, a lively manner of saying nothing through an entire paper, and upon all occasions, by a conscious simper, short insertions of witty remarks, the frequent exclamation of wonder, the self-applauding chit-chat, and the pleasant serene." repartee. Upon the whole, dear Smart, I cannot conceive what doubt can remain in your mind about the publication; it is conferring on him that ridicule, which his life, character, and actions deserve. I shall be in town in less than a fortnight, when I shall bring your poem with Ime, and if you will give me leave, I will help you to some notes, which I think will illustrate Thou god of jest. As the design of heroic poetry is to celebrate the virtues and noble achievements of truly great personages, and conduct them through a series of hardships to the completion of their wishes, so the little epic delights in representing, with an ironical drollery, the mock qualities of those, who, for the benefit of the laughing part of mankind, are pleased to become egregiously ridiculous, in an affected imitation of the truly renown'd worthies above-mentioned. Hence our poet calls upon Momus, at the first opening of his poem, to convert his hero into a jest. So that in the present case, it cannot be said, facit indignatio versum, but, if I may be allowed the expression, facit titillatio versum; which may serve to show our author's temper of mind is free from rancour, or ill-nature. Not And thou, fair Justice, of immortal line, NOTES VARIORUM. withstanding the great incentives he has had to prompt him to this undertaking, he is not actuated by the spirit of revenge; and to check the follies of fancy and humorous invention, he further invokes the goddess Themis, to administer strict, poetic justice, Shakes the pole.] Several cavils have been Quinbus Flestrin, raised against this passage. the unborn poet, is of opinion that it is brought in merely to eke out a verse; but though in many points I am inclined to look upon this critic as irrefragable, I must beg leave at present to appeal from his verdict; and tho' Horace lays it down as rule not to admire any thing, I cannot help enjoying so pleasing an operation of the mind upon this occasion. We are here presented with a grand idea, no less than Jupiter shaking his sides and the Heavens at the same time. The Pagan thunderer has often been said to agitate the pole with a nod, which in my mind gives too awful an image, whereas the one in question conveys an idea of him in good humour, and confirms what Mr. Orator Henley says, in his excellent tracts, that "the deity is a joyous being." MARTINUS MACULARIUS, M. D. Reg. Soc. Bur. &c. &c. Grafts the bays.] Much puzzle hath been occasioned among the naturalists concerning the engraftment here mentioned. Hill's Natural History of Trees and Plants, vol. 52.page 336, saith, it has been frequently attempted, but that the tree of dulness will not admit any such inoculation. He adds in page 339, that he himself tried the experiment for two years successively, but that the twig of laurel, like a feather in the state of electricity, drooped and died the moment he touched it. Notwithstanding this authority, it is well known that this operation has been performed by some choice spirits. Erasmus in his encomium on folly shows how it may be accomplished; in our own times Pope and Garth found means to do the same: and in the sequel of this work, we make no doubt but the stem here-mentioned will bear some luxuriant branches, like the tree in Virgil, Nec longum tempus, et ingens Exiit ad Cælum ramis felicibus arbos, Miraturque novas frondes et non sua Poma. Pimp,] An old English word for a mean fellow; see Chaucer and Spencer. Poel,] Quinbus Flestrin saith, with his usual importance, that this is the only piece of justice done to our hero in this work. To this assents the widow at Cuper's, who it seems is not a little proud of " the words by Dr. Hill, and the music by Lewis Granon, esq." This opinion is further confirmed by major England, who admires the pretty turns on Kitty and Kate, and Catherine Whose baseless fame by vanity is buoy'd, Say, Muse, what demon, foe to ease and truth, First from the mortar diagg'd th' adventrous youth, [men, And made him, 'mongst the scribbling sons of Change peace for war, the pestle for the pen? NOTES VARIORUM, and Katy, but from these venerable authorities, judicious reader, you may boldly dissent meo periculo. MART. MAC. Puffer,] Of this talent take a specimen. In a letter to himself he saith; "you have discovered many of the beauties of the ancients; they are obliged to you; we are obliged to you; were they alive they would thank you; we who are alive do thank you." His constant custom of running on in this manner, occasioned the following epigram, Hill puffs himself, forbear to chide; An insect vile and mean, Must first, he knows, be magnify'd Before it can be seen. 'Twas on a day (O may that day appear NOTES VARIORUM. at misrepresenting circumstances, for which vide all the Inspectors. May that day appear] This seems to be wrote with an eye to a beautiful passage in a very elegant poem; Ye gods, annihilate both space and time, The request is extremely modest, and I really wonder it was never complied with; but it must 'Pothecary, Play'r,] For both these, vide be said in favour of Mr. Smart, that he is still Woodward's letter, passim. Like the huge Earth.] The allusion here seems to be taken from Ovid, who describes the Earth fixed in the air, by its own stupidity, or vis inertia Pendebat in aere tellus, But, reader, dilate your imagination to take in the much greater idea our poet bere presents to you: consider the immense inanity of space, and the comparative nothingness of the globe, and you may attain an adequate conception of our hero's reputation, and the mighty basis it stands upon. It is worth observing here that our author, quasi aliud agens, displays at one touch of his pen more knowledge of the planetary system, than is to be found in all the volumes of the mathematicians. This note is partly by Macularius, and partly by Mr. Jinkyns, Philomath. Say, Muse,] Observe, gentle reader, how tenderly our author treats his hero throughout his whole poem; he does not here impute his ridiculous conduct, and all that train of errours which have attended his consummate vanity, to his own perverse inclination, but with greater candour insinuates that some demon, foe to Hillario's repose, first misled his youthful imagination; which is a kind of apology for his life and character. He is not the only one who has been seduced to his ruin in this manner, We read it in Pope, Some demon whisper'd, Visto have a taste. Hence then arise our hero's misfortunes; and that the demon above-mentioned was a foe to truth, will appear from Hillario's notable talent more reasonable in his demand, and it appears by the alteration in the style, that his scheme may be reduced to practice though the other is mighty fine in theory. The Inspector is of this opinion, and so is Monsieur de Scaizau, A tatter'd tap'stry] Our author has been extremely negligent upon this occasion, and has indolently omitted an opportunity of displaying his talent for poetic imagery. Homer has described the shield of Achilles with all the art of his imagination; Virgil has followed him in this point, and indeed both he and Ovid seem to be delighted when they have either a picture to describe, or some representation in the labours of the loom. Hence arises a double delight; we admire the work of the artificer, and the poet's account of it; and this pleasure Mr. Smart might have impressed upon his readers in this passage, as many things were wrought into the tapestry here mentioned. In one part our hero was administering to a patient, "and the fresh vomit runs for ever green." The theatre at May-fair made a conspicuous figure in the piece-the pit seemed to rise in an uproar-the gallery opened its rude throats-and apples, oranges and halfpence flew about our hero's ears.-The Mall in St. James's Park was displayed in a beautiful vista, and you might perceive Hillario with his janty air waddling along.-In Mary-le-Bone Fields, he was dancing round a glow worm, and finally the Rotunda at Ranelagh filled the eye with its magnificence, and in a corner of it stood a handsome young fellow holding a personage, dressed in blue silk, by the ear; "the very worsted still looked black and blue." There were many other curious figures, but out of a shameful laziness has our poet omitted them. POLYMETIS CANTABRIGIENSIS, |