Torquet ab obfcoenis jam nunc fermonibus aurem; Mox etiam pectus praeceptis format amicis, Afperitatis, et invidiae corrector, et irae; NOTES. VER. 213. Unhappy Dryden —In all Charles's days,-Rofcommon only boafts unfpotted bays ;] The fudden ftop after mentioning the name of Dryden has a great beauty. The Poet's tenderness for his Mafter is expreffed in the fecond line by making his cafe general; and his honour for him, in the first line, by making his cafe particular, as the only one that deserved pity. VER. 215. excufe fome Courtly strains] We are not to underftand this as a difapprobation of Mr. Addison for celebrating the virtues of the present Royal Family. It relates to a certain circumstance, in which he thought that amiable Poet did not act with the ingenuity that became his character. When Mr. Addison, in the year 1713, had finished his Cato, he brought it to Mr. Pope for his judgment. Our Poet, whe thought the fentiments excellent, but the action not enough theatrical, gave him his opinion fairly, and told him that he had better not bring it upon the Stage, but print it like a claffical performance, which would perfectly answer his defign. Mr. Addison approved of this advice; and feemed disposed to follow it. But foon after he came to Mr. Pope, and told him, that fome friends, whom he could not difoblige, infifted on his What's long or fhort, each accent where to place, 210 And in our own (excufe fome Courtly stains) 2 1 5 No whiter page than Addison remains. W He, w from the taste obscene reclaims our youth, And fets the Paffions on the fide of Truth, NOTES. gave having it acted. However he affured Mr. Pope that it was with no Party views, and defired him to fatisfy the Treasurer and the Secretary in that particular; and at the fame time him the Poem to carry to them for their perufal. Our Poet executed his commiffion in the most friendly manner; and the Play, and the project for bringing it upon the Stage, had their approbation and encouragement. Throughout the carriage of this whole affair, Mr. Addison was fo exceedingly afraid of party imputations, that when Mr. Pope, at his request, wrote the famous prologue to it, and had faid, Britons, ARISE, be worth like this approv'd, "And fhew you have the virtue to be mov'd. he was much troubled, faid it would be called, ftirring the people to rebellion; and earnestly begg'd he would soften it into fome thing lefs obnoxious. On this account it was altered, as it now ftands, to-Britons, attend,- though at the expence both of the fenfe and fpirit. Notwithstanding this, the very next year, when the present illuftrious Family came to the Succeffion, Mr. Addifon thought fit to make a merit VOL. IV. N Recte facta refert; orientia tempora notis Inftruit exemplis ; inopem folatur et aegrum. Caftis cum pueris ignara puella mariti NOTES. of CATO, as purposely and directly written to oppofe to the fchemes of a faction. His poem, to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, beginning in this manner, "The Mufe, that oft with facred raptures fir'd VER. 216. No whiter page than Addison remains,] Mr. Addison's literary character is much mistaken, as characters generally are when taken (as his has been) in the grofs. He was but an ordinary poet, and a worse critic. His verfes are heavy, and his judgment of Men and Books fuperficial. But in the pleasantry of comic adventures, and in the dignity of moral allegories, he is inimitable. Nature having joined in him, as fhe had done once before in Lucian (who wanted the other's. wisdom to make a right use of it) the fublime of Plato to the humour of Menander. Forms the foft bofom with the gentlest art, And pours each human Virtue in the heart. 220 X And stretch the Ray to Ages yet unborn. Not but there are, who merit other palms; Hopkins and Sternhold glad the heart with Pfalms: Ꮓ The Boys and Girls whom charity maintains, 2 3 1 Implore your help in these pathetic strains: NOTES. VER. 217. He from the taste obfcene, etc.] This, in imitation of his Original, refers to the true Poet, torquet ab obfcoenis, and likewise to Mr. Addison's papers in the Tatlers, Spectators, and Guardians; the character of which is given in the preceding note. But their excellence may be best gathered from their having procured fo long credit to that vaft heap of crude and indigefted things with which they are intermixed. VER. 226. the Idiot and the Poor.] A foundation for the maintenance of Idiots, and a Fund for affifting the Poor, by lending small fums of money on demand. VER. P. 1.229. Not but there are, etc.] Nothing can be more truly humorous or witty than all that follows to y 240. Yet the noble fobriety of the original, or, at least, the appearance of b Difceret unde preces, vatem ni Musa dediffet? Pofcit opem chorus, et praefentia numina fentit ; Coeleftes implorat aquas, docta prece blandus; Avertit morbos, metuenda pericula pellit; Impetrat et pacem, et locupletem frugibus annum. Carmine Dî fuperi placantur, carmine Manes. e Agricolae prifci, fortes, parvoque beati, Condita poft frumenta, levantes tempore festo Corpus et ipfum animum fpe finis dura ferentem, Cum fociis operum pueris et conjuge fida, Floribus et vino Genium memorem brevis aevi. f Verfibus alternis opprobria ruftica fudit; Libertafque recurrentes accepta per annos NOTES. fobriety, which is the fame thing here, is of a taste vaftly fuperior to it. VER. 230. Sternhold.] One of the verfifiers of the old finging pfalms. He was a Courtier, and Groom of the Robes to Hen. VIII. and of the Bedchamber to Edward VI. Fuller, in |
