Ev'n (n) Radcliff's doctors travel firft to France, Nor dare to practise, till they've learn'd to dance. Who builds a bridge that never drove a pile? 185 (Should Ripley venture, all the world would smile) But (o) thofe who cannot write, and those who can, All rhyme, and fcrawl, and fcribble, to a man. Yet, Sir, (p) reflect, the mischief is not great; Thefe madmen never hurt the church or itate: 190 Sometimes the folly benefits mankind; And rarely (q) av'rice taints the tuneful mind. He ne'er rebels, or plots, like other men: (s) Flight of cashiers, or mobs, he'll never mind; Non audet, nifi qui didicit, dare: quod medicorum eft, Promittunt [n] medici: tractant fabrilia fabri: [o] Scribimus indocti doctique poemata paffim. [p] Hic error tamenet levis hæc infania, quantas Virtutes habeat, fic collige: vatis [q] avarus Non temere eft animus: [r] verfus amat, hoc ftudet unum; Detrimenta, [s] fugas fervorum, incendia ridet; NOTES. Ibid. Ward try'd on puppies, and the poor, his drop:] It was the poet's purpofe to do Mr Ward honour in affigning to him that medical aphorifm of regular practice, Periculum faciamus in corpore vili. Of Of little use the man you may suppose, Who fays in verfe what others fay in profe; Yet let me fhow, a poet's of fome weight, And (x) (tho' no foldier) useful to the state. (y) What will a child learn fooner than a fong? What better teach a Foreigner the tongue? 206 What's long or fhort, each accent where to place, And speak in public with fome fort of grace. I scarce can think him fuch a worthless thing, Unless he praise some Monster of a King; Or virtue, or religion turn to fport, To please a lewd, or unbelieving Court. Unhappy Dryden !----In all Charles' days, Rofcommon only boafts unfpotted bays; 210 And in our own (excufe fome courtly strains) 215 No whiter page than Addison remains. [x] Militia quanquam piger et malus, utilis urbi: Si das hoc, parvis quoque rebus magna juvari; [y] Os tenerum pueri balbumque poeta figurat : K 3 NOTES. He Ver. 204. And [tho' no foldier] Horáce had not acquitted himself much to his credit in this capacity (non bene relicta parmula) in the battle of Philippi. It is manifeft he alludes to himself, in this whole account of a poet's character; but with an intermixture of irony: Vivit filiquis et panе fecundo has a relation to his Epicurism: os tenerum pueri, is ridicule: The nobler office of a poet follows: Torquet ab obfcœnis-Mox etiam pectus------Recte facta refert, etc. which the imitator has applyed where he thinks it more due than to himself. He hopes to be pardoned, if, as he is fincerely inclined to praise what deferves to be praised, he arraigns what deferves to be arraigned, in the 210th, 211th, and 212th verses. Ver. 215. excufe fome courtly ftrains] We are not to understand this as a difapprobation of Mr Addifon for celebra Book II. He (%) from the taste obfcene reclaims our youth, And fets the paffions on the fide of Truth, Forms the foft bofom with the gentlest art, And pours each human virtue in the heart. 220 Torquet [×] ab obscœnis jam nunc fermonibus au rem; Mox etiam pectus præceptis format amicis, NOTES. 'Let ting the virtues of the prefent royal family. It relates to a certain circumftance 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, who 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 anfwer his defign. Mr Addifon approved of this advice, and feemed difpofed 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 having it acted. How ever, 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 gave 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, 66 Britons, ARISE, be worth like this approv'd, "And how you have the virtue to be mov'd," he was much troubled, faid it would be called, stirring the people to rebellion; and earnestly begged he would foften it into fomething less obnoxious. On this account it Let Ireland tell, how wit upheld her caufe, Afperitatis, et invidiæ corrector et ira; Recte facta refert; [a] orientia tempora notis Inftruit exemplis ; [b] inopem folatur et ægrum. NOTES. 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 fucceffion, Mr Addifon thought fit to make a merit of CATO, as purpofely and directly written to oppofe 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, "Has gen'rous thoughts of Liberty inspir'd; "And, boldly rising for Britannia's laws, 66 Engag'd great Cato in her country's cause ; "On you fubmiffive wants. Ver. 126. the Idiot and the Poor.] A foundation for the maintenance of idiots, and a fund for affifting the poor, by lending fmall fums of money on demand. Ver. 239. Sternhold] One of the verfifiers of the old finging pfalms. He was a courtier, and Groom of the robes to Henry VIII. and of the bedchamber to Edward VI. Fuller, in his church-history, fays he was esteemed an excellent poet. K 4 The Book II. The (c) boys and girls whom charity maintains, Implore your help in thefe pathetic strains: How could devotion (d) touch the country-pews, Unless the gods beftow'd a proper Muse? Verie cheers their leifure, verfe affifts their work, Verfe prays for peace, or fings down (e) Pope and Turk. 336 The filenc'd preacher yields to potent strain, Caftis cum [c] pueris ignara puella mariti |