Lento Samnites ad lumina prima duello.
Difcedo Alcaeus puncto illius; ille meo quis?
Quis, nifi Callimachus? fi plus adposcere vifus ;
Fit Mimnermus, et optivo cognomine crefcit.
Multa fero, ut placem genus irritabile vatum,
Cum fcribo, et fupplex populi fuffragia capto:
Idem, finitis ftudiis, et mente recepta,
Obturem patulas impune legentibus aures.

• Ridentur mala qui componunt carmina : ve

rum

Gaudent fcribentes, et fe venerantur, et ultro,
Si taceas, laudant; quidquid fcripfere, beati.
At qui legitimum cupiet feciffe poema,

Cum tabulis animum cenforis fumet honefti:
Audebit quaecunque parem fplendoris habebunt,
Et fine pondere erunt, et honore indigna ferentur,
Verba movere loco; quamvis invita recedant,
Et verfentur adhuc intra penetralia Vestae:
› Obscurata diu populo bonus eruet, atque
Proferet in lucem fpeciofa vocabula rerum,
Quae prifcis memorata Catonibus atque Cethegis,
Nunc fitus informis premit et deferta vetuftas :

NOTES.

VER. 167. Command old words, that long have flept, to wake] The imagery is here very fublime. It turns the Poet to a Magician evoking the dead from their fepulchres,

"Or, I'm content, allow me Dryden's ftrains, 145
"And you fhall rife up Otway for your pains."
Much do I fuffer, much, to keep in peace
This jealous, waspish, wrong-head, rhiming race;
And much muft flatter, if the whim should bite
To court applause by printing what I write:
But let the Fit pass o'er, I'm wife enough,
To ftop my ears to their confounded stuff.

150

• In vain, bad Rhimers all mankind reject, They treat themselves with most profound refpect; 'Tis to small purpose that you hold your tongue, 155 Each prais'd within, is happy all day long,

But how feverely with themselves proceed

The men, who write fuch Verse as we can read?

1

Their own ftrict Judges, not a word they spare

That wants or force, or light, or weight, or care, 160 Howe'er unwillingly it quits its place,

;

Nay tho' at Court (perhaps) it may find grace:
Such they'll degrade; and fometimes, in its ftead,
? In downright charity revive the dead;
Mark where a bold expreffive phrase appears,
Bright thro' the rubbish of fome hundred years;
Command old words that long have flept, to wake,
Words, that wife Bacon, or brave Rawleigh fpake;

NOTES.

Et mugire folum, manifque exire fepulchris.

Horace has not the fame force;

Proferet in lucem Speciofa vocabula rerum.

165

Adfcifcet nova, quae genitor produxerit ufus :
Vehemens et liquidus, puroque fimillimus amni,
Fundet opes, Latiumque beabit divite lingua :
Luxuriantia compefcet: nimis afpera fano
Levabit cultu, virtute carentia tollet:
Ludentis fpeciem dabit, et torquebitur, ut qui
Nunc Satyrum, nunc agrèftem Cyclopa movetur.
Praetulerim fcriptor delirus inersque videri,

Dum mea delectent mala me, vel denique fallant,
Quam fapere, et ringi. Fuit haud ignobilis Argus,
Qui fe credebat miros audire tragoedos,

NOTES.

VER. 170. For Ufe will father what's begot by Senfe] A very fine and happy improvement on the expreffion, it not on the thought, of his original.

VER. 175. But how no mercy to an empty line ;] To fuch, our Poet was always inexorable. Unless it was

once, when in the full blaze of his glory, he chofe to sacrifice to envy, in that devoted and execrable line, in one of the beft tranflated books of the Odyffey,

"Close to the Cliff with both his hands he clung,
"And fuck adherent, and fufpended hung.

The small critics could never have fupported themselves without the confolation of such a verse; to which indeed ever fince the whole tribe of Scriblers

with both their hands have clung,

And fuck adherent, and fufpended hung.

Or bid the new be English, ages hence,

(For Use will father what's begot by Senfe)

170

Then polish all, with so much life and ease,
You think 'tis Nature, and a knack to please:
"But ease in writing flows from Art, not chance
"As thofe move easiest who have learn'd to dance.

If fuch the plague and pains to write by rule, 180
Better (fay I) be pleas'd, and play the fool;
Call, if you will, bad rhiming a disease,
It gives men happiness, or leaves them ease.

NOTES.

But there is a fet of still lower Creatures than these, at the tail of which is one EDWARDS, who can make shift to fubfift even on a Printer's blunder. The late Editor of Shakespear gave order to the corrector of the press, that all Mr. Pope's notes fhould be printed in their places. In one of these there was mention made, as they fay, of fome Italian novels (I forget whofe) in which Dec. and Nov. were printed thus contractedly. But the printers of the late edition lengthen'd them into December and November, and, in this condition, they are charged upon the Editor by this Edwards. Now, was the man such a Dunce to make his criticism with good faith, he is much to be pitied; was he fuch a Knave to make it without, he is much more to be pitied.

* N

In vacuo laetus feffor plauforque theatro:

Caetera qui vitae fervaret munia recto

More; bonus fane vicinus, amabilis hofpes,

Comis in uxorem; posset qui ignofcere servis,
Et figno laefo non infanire lagenae:

Poffet qui rupem, et puteum vitare patentem.
Hic ubi cognatorum opibus curifque refectus,
Expulit elleboro morbum bilemque meraco,
Et redit ad fefe: Pol me occidiftis, amici,
Non fervaftis, ait; cui fic extorta voluptas,
Et demtus per vim mentis gratiffinus error.

• Nimirum fapere eft abjectis utile nugis,

Et tempeftivum pueris concedere ludum ;

NOTES.

VER. 184. There liv'd in primo Georgii, etc.] The imitation of this ftory of the Madman is as much fuperior to his original, in the fine and easy manner of telling, as that of Lucullus's Soldier comes fhort of it. It is true the turn