BOOK K III. UT in her Temple's laft recess inclos'd, BUT On Dulness' lap th' Anointed head repos'd. Him close she curtains round with Vapours blue, Then raptures high the feat of Senfe o'erflow, And now, on Fancy's eafy wing convey'd, ΙΟ S 15 Her REMARK S. * VER. 5, 6, etc.] Hereby is intimated that the following Vision is no more than the chimera of the dreamer's brain, and not a real or intended fatire on the prefent age, doubtlefs more learned, more enlightened, and more abounding with great Geniuses in Divinity, Politics, and whatever arts and sciences, than all the preceding. For fear of any fuch mistake of our Poet's honeft meaning, he hath again, at the end of the Vifion, repeated this monition, faying that it all passed through the Ivory gate, which (according to the Ancients) denoteth Fallity. SCRIBL. How much the good Scriblerus was miftaken, may be feen from the fourth Book, which, it is plain from hence, he had never seen. BENTL. This allegory is extremely juft, no conformation of the mind so much fubjecting it to real Madness, as that which produces real Dulness. Hence we find the religious (as well as the poetica!) Enthufiafts of all ages were Her treffes ftaring from poetic dreams, And never wash'd, but in Castalia's ftreams, (Once fwan of Thames, tho' now he fings no more.) Benlowes +, propitious ftill to Blockheads, bows; And Shadwell nods the Poppy on his brows. Here, in a dusky vale where Lethe rolls, Old Bavius fits ||, to dip poetic souls, 21 And ever, in their natural state, most heavy and lumpish; but on the least application of beat, they ran like lead, which of all metals falls quickest into fufion. Whereas fire in a Genius is truly Promethean, it hurts not its conflituent parts, but only fits it (as it does well tempered steel) for the neceffary impreffions of art. But the common people have been taught (I do not know on what foundation) to regard Lunacy as a mark of Wit, just as the Turks and our modern Methodils do of Holiness. But if the cause of Madnefs affigned by a great Philofopher be true, it will unavoidably fall upon the dunces. He fuppofes it to be the dwelling over long on one subject or idea. Now as this attention is occasioned either by grief or study, it will be fixed by Dulness; which hath not quickness enough to comprehend what it seeks, nor force and vigour enough to divert the imagination from the object it laments. * John Taylor the Water-poet, an honest man, who owns he learned not fo much as the Accidence: A rare example of modesty in a poet! "I must confefs I do want eloquence, "And never scarce did learn my Accidence; "For having got from possum to pisset, "I there was gravel'd, could no farther get. He wrote fourscore books in the reign of James I. and Charles I. and afterwards (like Edward Ward) kept an Alehoufe in Long Acre. He died in 1654. † A country gentleman, famous for his own bad poetry, and for patronizing bad poets, as may be seen from many Dedications of Quarles and others to him. Some of these anagram'd his rame Benlores into benevolus: to veri fy which, he spent his whole estate upon them. Shadwell took opium for many years, and died of too large a dose, in the year 1692. Bavius was an ancient poet, celebrated by Virgil for the like caufe as Bays by our author, though not in so christian like a manner: for heathenifhly it is declared by Virgil of Eavius, that he ought to be hated and detested for his evil works; Qui Bavium non odit; whereas we have often had occa fion to obferve our poet's great Good Nature and Mercifulness thro' the whole courfe of this Poem. SCRIBL. Mr. 25 And blunt the fenfe, and fit it for a skull Of folid proof, impenetrably dull : Inftant, when dipt, away they wing their flight, As thick as eggs at Ward in pillory †. By 30 Wond'ring he gaz'd: When lo! a Sage appears, 35 his broad shoulders known, and length of ears, VOL. II. I i Known Mr. Dennis warmly contends, that Bavius was no inconfiderable author; nay, that He and Mævius had (even in Auguftus's days) a very formida"ble party at Rome, who thought them much fuperior to Virgil and Horace: For (faith he) I cannot believe they would have fixed that eternal "brand upon them, if they had not been coxcombs in more than ordinary "credit." Rem. on Pr. Arthur, part ii. c. a. An argument which, if this poem should laft, will conduce to the honour of the gentlemen of the Dunciad. * Bookfellers, Printers for any body.-The allegory of the fouls of the dull coming forth in the form of books, dreffed in calf s leather, and being let abroad in vast numbers by Bookfellers, is fufficiently intelligible. ↑ John Ward of Hackney, Efq; Member of Parliament, being convicted of forgery, was first expelled the Houfe, and then fentenced to the Pillory on the 17th of February 1727. Mr. Curl (having likewise stood there) looks upon the mention of fuch a Gentleman in a fatire, as a great a&t of barbarity, Key to the Dunc. 3d edit, p. 16. And another author reafons thus upon it. Durgen, 8vo. p. 11, 12. "How unworthy is it of Chriftion Charity to ani"mate the rabble to abuse a zvortby man in fuch a fituation? What could move "the Poet thus to mention a brave sufferer, a gallant prifoner, expofed to the "view of all mankind! It was laying afide his Senfes, it was committing & "Crime, for which the Law is deficient not to punith him! nay, a Crime ` "which Man can fearce forgive, or Time efface! nothing furely could have induced him to it but being bribed by a great Lady," etc. to whom this brave, honeft, worthy gentleman was guilty of no offence but forgery, proved in open court.) But it is evident, this verfe could not be meant of him; it being notorious, that no eggs were thrown at that gentleman. Perhaps therefore it might be intended of Mr. Edward Ward the poet, when he food there. This is a "fophifticated reading. I think I may venture to affirm all the Copyifts are mistaken here: I believe I may fay the fame of the Critics; Dennis, Known by the band and fuit which Settle wore Dennis, Oldmixon, Welted have paffed it in filence. I have also flumbled at it, and wondered how an error fo manifeft could efcape fuch accurate perfons. I dare affert it proceeded originally from the inadvertency of fonie Tranfcriber, whofe head ran on the pillory, mentioned two lines before; it is therefore amazing that Mr. Curl himself should overlook it! Yet that Scholiaft takes not the least notice hereof. That the learned Mist also read it thus, is plain from his ranging this passage among those in which our author was blamed for personal Satire on a Man's face (whereof doubtless he might take the ear to be a part;) fo likewise Concannen, Ralph, the Flying Post, and all the herd of Commentators.-Tota armenta fequuntur. A very little fagacity (which all these gentlemen therefore wanted) will reftore us to the true fenfe of the Poet, thus, By bis broad fhoulders known, and length of years. See how eafy a change; of one fingle letter! That Mr. Settle was old, is most certain; but he was (happily) a stranger to the Pillory. This note partly Mr. THEOBALD's, partly SCRIBL. * Elkanah Settle was once a writer in vogue as well as Cibber, both for Dramatic Poetry and Politics. Mr. Dennis tells us, that " he was a formid"able rival to Mr. Dryden, and that in the University of Cambridge there ❝ were those who gave him the preference.” Mr. Welfted goes yet farther in his behalf: "Poor Settle was formerly the mighty rival of Dryden; nay, "for many years, bore his reputation above him." Pref. to his Poems, 8vo. p. 31. And Mr. Milbourne cried out, “How little was Dryden able, even "when his blood run high, to defend himself against Mr. Settle!" Notes on Dryd. Virg. p. 175. These are comfortable opinions! and no wonder fome authors indulge them. He was author or publisher of many noted pamphlets in the time of king Charles II, He answered all Dryden's political poems, and being cried up on one fide, fucceeded not a little in his Tragedy of the Empress of Morocco (the first that was ever printed with Cuts.) "Upon this he grew infolent, the Wits writ against his Play, he replied, and the Town judged he had "the better. In short, Settle was then thought a very formidable rival to "Mr. Dryden; and not only the Town, but the University of Cambridge, "was divided which to prefer; and in both places the younger fort inclined to Elkanah," Dennis, Pref. to Rem. on Hom. Thou, A Thou, yet unborn, haft touch'd this facred fhore; 45 How many Dutchmen fhe vouchfaf'd to thrid ? 50 35 Roll all their tides, then back their circles bring; Suck the thread in, then yield it out again : Afcend this hill +, whofe cloudy point commands Boeotia lay under the ridicule of the Wits formerly, as Ireland does now; tho' it produced one of the greatest Poets and one of the greatest Generals of Greece. The fcenes of this vifion are remarkable for the order of their appearance. Firft, from v. 67 to 73, those places of the globe are fhewn where Science never rofe; then from ver. 74 to 83, those where he was destroyed by Tyranny; from ver. 85 to 95, by inundations of Barbarians; from ver. 96 to 106, by Superftition, Then Rome, the Mistress of Arts, defcribed in her degeneracy; and laftly Britain, the scene of the action of the poem ; which furnishes the occafion of drawing out the Progeny of Dulness in review. Almost the whole Southern and Northern Continent wrapt in igno̟ rance. |