EPILOGUE FR. TO THE SATIRE S. Written in MDCC XXXVIII. DIALOGUE NOT I. OT twice a twelve-month you appear in Print, And when it comes, the Court fee nothing in't. VARIATIONS. After 2. in the MS. You don't, I hope, pretend to quit the trade, NOTES. VER. 1. Not twice a twelve-month.etc.] These two lines are from Horace; and the only lines that are fo in the whole Poem; being meant to give a handle to that which follows in the cha racter of an impertinent Cenfurer, 'Tis all from Horace; etc. P. VER. 2. the Court fee nothing in't.] He chofe this expreffion for the fake of its elegant and fatiric ambiguity. His writings abound in them. You grow correct, that once with Rapture writ, 5 Why now, this moment, don't I see you steal? "Tis all from Horace; Horace long before ye Said, "Tories call'd himWhig, and Whigs a Tory;" And taught his Romans, in much better metre, "To laugh at Fools who put their truft in Peter." But Horace, Sir, was delicate, was nice; Bubo obferves, he lafh'd no fort of Vice: II Horace would fay, Sir Billy ferv'd the Crown, Blunt could do Bus'nefs, H-ggins knew the Town; VARIATIONS. P. Sir, what I write, fhould be correctly writ. NOTES. VER. 9. And taught his Romans, in much better metre, "To laugh at Fools who put their truft in Peter."] The general turn of the thought is from Boileau, Avant lui, Juvénal avoit dit en Latin, Qu'on eft affis à l'aife aux fermons de Cotin. But the irony in the first line, and the fatirical equivoque in the fecond, mark them for his own. His making the objector fay, that Horace excelled him in writing verfe, is pleasant. And the ambiguity of putting their trust in Peter, infinuates that Horace and he had frequently laughed at that specific folly, arifing from indolence, which still disposes men to intruft their spiritual and temporal concerns to the abfolute disposal of any fanctified or unfanctified cheat, bearing the name of PETER. VER. 12. Bubo obferves,] Some guilty perfon very fond of making such an observation. P. In Sappho touch the Failings of the Sex, 15 Could pleafe at Court, and make AUGUSTUS smile: An artful Manager, that crept between 21 His Friend and Shame, and was a kind of Screen. NOTES. VER. 14. H-ggins] Formerly Jaylor of the Fleet prison, enriched himself by many exactions, for which he was tried and expelled. P. VER. 18. Who cropt our Ears,] Said to be executed by the Captain of a Spanish fhip on one Jenkins a Captain of an Englifh one. He cut off his ears, and bid him carry them to the King his master. VER. 22. Sereen.]· Omne vafer vitium ridenti Flaccus amico P. P. Tangit, et admiffus circum præcordia ludit Perf. Ibid. Screen.] A metaphor peculiarly appropriated to a certain perfon in power. P. VER. 24. Patriots there are, &c.] This appellation was geherally given to those in oppofition to the Court. Though fome of them (which our author hints at) had views too mean and interested to deserve that name. VER. 26. The Great man] A phrase, by common use, appropriated to the first minifter. P. P P. See Sir ROBERT!--- hum And never laugh--- for all my life to come? NOTES. VER. 29. Seen him I have, etc.] This and other strokes of commendation in the following poem, as well as his regard to him on all occafions, were in acknowledgment of a certain fervice the Minifter had done a Prieft at Mr. Pope's folicitation. Our Poet, when he was about seventeen, had a very ill fever in the country, which, it was feared, would end fatally. In this condition, he wrote to Southcot, a Priest of his acquaintance, then in town, to take his laft leave of him. Southcot with great affection and folicitude applied to Dr. Radcliffe for his advice. And not content with that, he rode down post, to Mr. Pope, who was then an hundred miles from London, with the Doctor's directions; which had the desired effect. A long time after this, Southcot, who had an intereft in the Court of France, writing to a common acquaintance in England, informed him that there was a good abbey near Avignon, which he had credit enough to get, were it not from an apprehenfion that his promotion would give umbrage to the English Court, to which he (Southcot) by his intrigues in the Pretender's fervice, was become very obnoxious. The perfon to whom this was written happening to acquaint Mr. Pope with the cafe, he immediately wrote to Sir Robert Walpole about it; begged that this embargo might be taken off; and acquainted him with the grounds of folicitation: That he was indebted to Southcot for his life, and he must discharge his obligation, either here or in purgatory. The Minifter received the application favourably, and with much good-nature wrote to his brother, then in France, to remove this obftruction. In confequence of which Southcot got the abbey. Mr. Pope ever after retained a grateful fenfe of his civility. VER. 31. Seen him, uncumber'd] These two verses were Would he oblige me? let me only find, He does not think me what he thinks mankind. NOTES. 40 originally in the poem, though omitted in all the first edi tions. P. VER. 34. what he thinks mankind.] This requeft feems fomewhat abfurd: but not more fo than the principle it refers to. That great Minifter, it feems, thought all mankind Rogues; and that every one had his price. It was ufually given as a proof of his penetration, and extenfive knowledge of the world. Others perhaps would think it an instance of a narrow underflanding, that, from a few of Rochefaucault's maxims, and the corrupt practice of those he commonly conversed with, would thus boldly pronounce upon the character of his Species. It is certain, that a Keeper of Newgate, who should make the fame conclufion, would be heartily laughed at. VER. 37. Why yes: with Scripture &c.] A fcribler, whose only chance for reputation is the falling in with the fashion, is apt to employ this infamous expedient for the prefervation of his fleeting existence. But a true Genius could not do a foolisher thing, or fooner defeat his own aim. The fage Boileau used to fay on this occafion, "Une ouvrage fevere peut bien plaire "aux libertins; mais un ouvrage trop libre ne plaira jamais "aux personnes feveres." Ibid. Why yes: with Scripture ftill you may be free;] Thus the Man commonly called Mother Ofborn, who was in the Minifter's pay, and wrote Journals; for one Paper in behalf of Sir Robert, had frequently two against J. C. VER. 39. A Joke on Jekyl,] Sir Joseph Jekyl, Master of the Rolls, a true Whig in his principles, and a man of the utmost |
