But for the wits of either Charles's days, In the dry defert of a thousand lines, Cr (r) lengthen'd thought that gleams through many a page, Has fanctify'd whole poems for an age. (s) I lofe my patience, and I own it too, 115 120 (t) On Avon's bank, where flow'rs eternal blow, If I but afk, if any weed can grow; One tragic fentence if I dare deride, Which (u) Betterton's grave action dignify'd, Or well-mouth'd Booth with emphafis proclaims, (Tho' but, perhaps, a mufter-roll of names), Pulchraque, et exactis minimum diftantia, miror: [] Indignior quidquam reprehendi, non quia craffe Compofitum, illepideve putetur, fed quia nuper; How 125 How will our fathers rise up in a rage, 135 (a) In days of ease, when now the weary sword Was fheath'd, and Luxury with Charles reftor'd; In ev'ry taste of foreign courts improv'd, "All, by the king's example, liv'd and lov'd." 141 Vel quia nil [x] rectum, nifi quod placuit fibi, ducunt; Vel quia turpe putant parere minoribus, et quæ Imberbi didicere, fenes perdenda fateri. Jam [y] Saliare Numa carmen qui laudat, et illud, Quod mecum ignorat, folus vult scire videri; Ingeniis non ille favet plauditque fepultis, Noftra fed impugnat, nos noftraque lividus odit. [x] Quod fi tam Græcis novitas invifa fuiffet, Quam nobis; quid nunc effet vetus? aut quid haberet, Quod legeret tereretque viritim publicus ufus? [a] U primum pofitis nugari Gracia bellis NOTES. Ver. 142. A verfe of the Lord Lansdown. Then 169 The fleepy eye, that spoke the melting foul. 150 But (f) Britain, changeful as a child at play, Now calls in princes, and now turns away. 156 Now Whig, now Tory, what we lov'd we hate; Now all for pleasure, now for church and ftate; Coepit, et in vitium fortuna labier æqua; Nunc athletarum ftudiis, nunc arfit [b] equorum [c] Marmoris aut eboris fabros aut æris amavit; Sufpendit [d] picta vultum mentemque tabella; Nunc [e] tibicinibus, nunc eft gavifa tragœdis: [f] Sub nutrice puella velut fi luderet infans, NOTES. Ver. 143. In horsemanship t' excel,------And ev'ry flow'ry courtier writ romance.] The Duke of Newcastle's book of horsemanship; the romance of Partheniffa, by the Earl of Orrery, and most of the French romances tranflated by per fons of quality. Ver. 153. On each enervate firing, etc.] The fiege of Rhodes by Sir William Davenant, the first opera fung in England. Ver. 158. Now all for pleasure, now for church and state; The first half of Charles the Second's reign was paffed in an abandoned diffoluteness of manners; the other half, in factious disputes about Popish plots and French prerogative. Now Now for prerogative, and now for laws; 160 (g) Time was, a fober Englishman would knock His fervants up, and rife by five o'clock, Inftruct his family in ev'ry rule, And fend his wife to church, his fon to fchool, Quod cupide petiit, mature plena reliquit. [g] Romæ dulce diu fuit, et folemne reclufa Mane domo vigilare, clienti promere jura; 66 66 66 66 66 NOTES: Ver. 160. Effects unhappy! from a noble caufe,] i. e. the love of Liberty---Mr Voltaire, while in England, in a letter, dated October 15, 1726, writes thus to a friend in Paris. "I had a mind at first to print our poor Henry at my own expences in London; but the lofs of my money is a "fad ftop to my defign. I queftion if I fhall try the way of fubfcriptions by the favour of the court. I am weary of courts. All that is king, or belongs to a king, frights my republican philofophy. I wont drink the leaft draught of flavery in the land of liberty. I have written freely to and I will always do so, having no reafon to lay my“self under any restraint. I fear, I hope nothing from your country: all that I wish for, is to fee you one day here. I am entertaining myself with this pleasant hope. If it is "but a dream, let me enjoy it: do not undeceive me : let me believe I shall have the pleasure to see you in London, drawing up the strong spirit of this unaccountable nation. You will tranflate their thoughts better when you live 66 amongit them. You will fee a nation fond of their liberty, "learned, witty, defpifing life and death, a nation of philofo66 phers. Not but that there are fome fools in England. Every country has its madmen. It may be, French folly is plea"fanter than English madness, but by English wildom "and English honesty is above yours.” 66 66 66 66 T. To (b) worship like his fathers, was his care; 165 175 Sons, fires, and grandfires, all will wear the bays, K 2 Ev'n Scriptos [b] nominibus rectis expendere numos; ægro NOTES. Ver. 182. Ward] A famous Empiric, whofe pill and drop had feveral furprifing effects, and were one of the principal subjects of writing and converfation at this time, |