These Fate referv'd to grace thy reign divine,
Foreseen by me, but ah; withheld from mine.
In Lud's old walls though long I rul'd, renown'd
Far as loud Bow's stupendous bells refound;
Though my own Aldermen conferr'd the bays,

275

To me committing their eternal Praise,
Their full-fed Heroes, their pacific Mayors,
Their annual trophies, and their monthly wars :
Though long my Party built on me their hopes,
For writing Pamphlets, and for roasting Popes :

280

Yet

VARIATION.

After ver. 284. in the former Ed. followed,
Different our parties, but with equal grace
The Goddess smiles on Whig and Tory race.
'Tis the fame rope of several ends they twist;
To Dulness, Ridpath is as dear as Mist.

REMARKS.

Ver. 266, 267. Booth and Cibber were joint managers of the Theatre in Drury-lane.

Ver. 268. On grinning dragons thou shalt mount the wind.] In his Letter to Mr. P. Mr. C. folemnly declares this not to be literally true. We hope therefore the reader will understand it allegorically only.

Ver. 282. Annual trophies on the Lord-Mayor's day; and monthly wars in the Artillery ground.

Ver. 283. Though long my party] Settle, like most Party-writers, was very uncertain in his political principles. He was employed to hold the pen in the Character of a popish successor, but afterwards printed his Narrative on the other side. He had managed the ceremony of a famous Pope-burning on Nov. 17, 1680; then became a trooper in King James's army, at Hounflow-heath. After the Revolution he kept a booth at Bartho

Yet lo! in me what authors have to brag on!
Reduc'd at last to hiss in my own dragon.
Avert it, heaven! that thou, my Cibber, e'er
Should'st wag a ferpent-tail in Smithfield fair!
Like the vile fstraw that's blown about the streets,
The needy Poet sticks to all he meets,
Coach'd, carted, trod upon, now loose, now fast,
And carry'd off in some Dog's tail at last.
Happier thy fortunes! like a rolling stone,
Thy giddy dulness still shall lumber on,
Safe in its heaviness, shall never stray,
But lick up every blockhead in the way.
Thee shall the Patriot, thee the Courtier taste,
And every year be duller than the last,

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 290. In former Ed.

285

290

295

Till

In the Dog's tail his progress ends at last. Ver. 295. Safe in its heaviness, &c.] in the former Ed.

Too fafe in inborn heaviness to stray;

And lick up every blockhead in the way.

Thy Dragons, Magistrates and Peers shall taste,
And from each shew rife duller than the last.

Till rais'd from booths, &c.

REMARKS.

Bartholomew-fair, where, in the droll called St. George for England, he acted in his old age in a Dragon of green leather of his own invention; he was at last taken into the Charter-house, and there died, aged fixty years.

Ver. 297. Thee shall the patriot, thee the Courtier taste,] It stood in the first édition with blanks,

**

and

1

Till rais'd from booths, to Theatre, to Court,
Her feat imperial Dulness shall transport.
Already Opera prepares the way,

The fure fore-runner of her gentle sway;
Let her thy heart, next Drabs and Dice, engage,
The third mad paffion of thy doting age.
Teach thou the warbling Polypheme to roar,
And scream thyself as none e'er scream'd before!
To aid our caufe, if Heaven thou canst not bend,
Hell thou shalt move; for Faustus is our friend:

300

305

Pluto

VARIATION.

Ver. 303-306. Added with the new Hero.

REMARKS.

and **. Concanen was fure " they must needs mean "no body but King GEORGE and Queen CARO"LINE; and said he would insist it was so, till the poet " cleared himself by filling up the blanks otherwise, "agreeably to the context, and confistent with his alle"giance." Pref. to a Collection of verset, essays, letters, &c. against Mr. P. printed for A. Moor, p. 6.

Ver. 305. Polypheme) He translated the Italian Opera of Polifemo; but unfortunately loft the whole jest of the story. The Cyclops afks Ulysses his name, who tells him his name is Noman: After his eye is put out, he roars and calls the Brother Cyclops to his aid: They enquire who has hurt him? he answers Noman: whereupon they all go away again. Our ingenious Tranflator made Ulyffes answer, I take no name; whereby all that followed became unintelligible. Hence it appears that Mr. Cibber (who values himself on subscribing to the English Translation of Homer's Iliad) had not that merit with respect to the Odyssey, or he might have been better instructed in the Greek Punnology.

Pluto with Cato thou for this shalt join,
And link the Mourning Bride to Proferpine.
Grubstreet! thy fall should men and Gods conspire,
Thy stage shall stand, ensure it but from Fire.

310

Another Æfchylus appears! prepare
For new abortions, all ye pregnant fair!
In flames, like Semele's, be brought to bed,
While opening Hell spouts wild-fire at your head.
Now, Bavius, take the Poppy from thy brow,
And place it here! here, all ye Heroes, bow!
This, this is he, foretold by ancient rhymes :
Th' Augustus born to bring Saturnian times.
Signs following figns lead on the mighty year;
See! the dull stars roll round and re-appear.
See, see, our own true Phœbus wears thy bays!
Our Midas fits Lord Chancellor of Plays !

315

320

On

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 323. See, fee, our own, &c.] In the former Ed.
Beneath his reign, shall Eusden wear the bays,
Cibber prefide Lord Chancellor of Plays,
Benson sole judge of Architecture fit,
And Namby Pamby be preferr'd for Wit!
I fee th' unfinish'd Dormitory wall,
I fee the Savoy totter to her fall;

Hibernian Politics, O Swift! thy doom,
And Pope's, translating three whole years with

Broome.

Proceed, great days! &c.

REMARKS.

Ver. 308, 309. Faustus, Pluto, &c.] Names of miferable Farces, which it was the custom to act at the end of the best Tragedies, to spoil the digeftion of the audience.

325

On Poets' Tombs see Benson's titles writ!
Lo! Ambrofe Philips is preferr'd for Wit!

REMARKS.

See

Ver. 312. ensure it but from Fire.] In Tibbald's farce of Proferpine, a corn-field was set on fire: whereupon the other playhouse had a barn burnt down for the recreation of the spectators. They also rivalled each other in showing the burnings of hell-fire, in Dr. Faustus.

Ver. 313. Another Æschylus appears!) It is reported of Æschylus, that when his tragedy of the Furies was acted, the audience were so terrified that the children fell into fits, and the big-bellied women mifcarried.

Ver. 325. On Poets Tombs fee Benfon's titles writ!] W-m Benfon (Surveyor of the Buildings to his Majesty K. George I.) gave in a report to the Lords, that their house and the Painted-chamber adjoining were in immediate danger of falling. Whereupon the Lords met in a committee to appoint some other place to fit in, while the house should be taken down. But it being proposed to cause some other builders firft to inspect it, they found it in very good condition. The Lords, upon this, were going upon an address to the King against Benson, for fuch a misrepresentation; but the Earl of Sunderland, then secretary, gave them an afsurance that his Majesty would remove him, which was done accordingly. In favour of this man, the famous Sir Christopher Wren, who had been Architect to the crown for above fifty years, who built most of the Churches in London, laid the first stone of St. Paul's, and lived to finish it, had been displaced from his employment at the age of near ninety years.

Ver. 326. Ambrofe Philips] "He was (faith Mr. "JACOB) one of the wits at Button's, and a justice of "the peace:" But he hath fince met with higher preferment in Ireland: and a much greater character we have of him in Mr. Gildon's Complete art of Poetry,