But 'faith your very friends will foon be fore; P. See Sir ROBERT !---hum-- And never laugh---for all my life to come? 03 NOTES. 30 Seen Ver. 24. Patriots there are, etc.] This appellation was generally given to thofe 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 phrafe, by common use, appropriated to the first minifter. Ver. 29. Seen him I have, etc.] This and other ftrokes of commendation in the following poem, as well as his regard to him on all occafions, were in acknowledgment of a certain service the minifter had done a prieft at Mr Pope's folicitation. Our poet, when he was about feventeen, 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 last leave of him. Southcot with great affection and folicitude applied to Dr Radcliffe for his advice. And not content with that, he rode down poft, to Mr Pope, who was then an hundred miles from London, with the Doctor's directions; which had the defired 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 Seen him, uncumber'd with the venal tribe, He does not think me what he thinks mankind. F. Why yes: with scripture still you may be free; A horse-laugh, if you please, at honefty; A joke on JEKYL, or fome odd Old Whig Who never chang'd his principle, or wig: A patriot is a fool in ev'ry age, 40 Whom all Lord Chamberlains allow the stage: These nothing hurts; they keep their fashion still, And wear their strange old virtue, as they will. NOTES. 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] Thefe two verses were originally in the poem, though omitted in all the first edi tions. Ver. 37. Why yes: with fcripture fill you may be free ;] Thus the man commonly called Mother Ofborne, who was in the minister'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 probity. He fometimes voted against the court, which drew upon him the laugh here defcribed of ONE who beftowed it equally upon religion and honefty. He died a few months after the publication of this poem. "His prince, that writes in verfe, and has his ear?" бо Sets half the world, God knows, against the rest; P. Dear Sir, forgive the prejudice of youth: NOTES. Ver. 47. Why, anfwer, Lyttleton,] George Lyttleton, fecretary to the Prince of Wales, diftinguished both for his writings and speeches in the fpirit of Liberty. Ver. 51. Sejanus, Wolfey,] The one the wicked minifter of Tiberius; the other of Henry VIII. The writers against the Court ufually beftowed these and other odious names on the Minister, without diftinction, and in the most injurious manner. See Dial. ii. ver. 137. Ibid. Fleury,] Cardinal, and minifter to Louis XV. It was a patriot fashion, at that time, to cry up his wisdom and honesty. Ver. 56. So much the better, you may laugh the more.] Their for nefs being a clear indication of their wanting the frequent repetition of this discipline.. 04 Come Come, harmless characters that no one hit; 65 And all the well-whipt cream of courtly fenfe, 70 NOTES. 75 80 And Ver. 66. Henley-Ofborne] See them in their places in the Dunciad. Ver. 69. The gracious dew] Alludes to fome court-fermons, and florid panegyrical fpeeches; particularly one very full of puerilities and flatteries; which afterwards got into an address in the fame pretty Ityle; and was laftly ferved up in an epitaph, between Latin and English, published by its author. Ver. 80. Carolina] Queen-confort to King George II. She died in 1737. Her death gave occafion, as is obferved, above, to many indiscreet and mean performances unworthy of her memory, whofe laft moments manifefted the utmoft courage and refolution. How highly our poet thought of that truly great perfonage, may be feen by one of his letters to Mr Allen, written at that time; in which, amongst others equally refpectful, are the following words: "The Queen thowed, by the confeffion of all about her, the utmoft firmness and temper to her laft moments, and through the course of great torments. And hail her paffage to the realms of rest, No Gazetteer more innocent than I-- And let, a God's name, ev'ry fool and knave 85 NOTES. What character hiftorians will allow her, I do not know; but all her domestic fervants, and those nearest her, give her the best teftimony, that of fincere tears." Ver. 84. No Gazetteer more innocent than I.] The Gazetteer is one of the low appendices to the Secretary of State's office, to write the government's news-paper, published by authority. Sir Richard Steele had once this poft. And he defcribes the condition of it very well, in The Apology for bimfelf and his writings, "My next appearance as a writer was in the quality of the loweft minifter of state, to wit, in the office of gazetteer; where I worked faithfully, according to order, without ever erring against the rule observed by all minifters, to keep that paper very innocent and very infipid. It was to the reproaches I heard every gazetteday against the writer of it, that I owe the fortitude of be ing remarkably negligent of what people fay which I do not deserve." Ver, 92, Immortal S---k and grave De---re!] A title given that Lord by King James II. He was of the bedchamber to King William; he was fo to King George I. and II. This Lord was very skilful in all the forms of the House, in which he discharged himself with great gravity. 05 These |