THE King being proclaimed, the folemnity is graced with public Games and sports of various kinds; not inftituted by the Hero, as by Æneas in Virgil, but for greater honour by the Goddess in perfon (in like manner as the games Pythia, Ifthmia, &c. were anciently faid to be ordained by the Gods, and as Thetis herself appearing, according to Homer, Odyff. xxiv. proposed the prizes in honour of her fon Achilles). Hither flock the Poets and Critics, attended, as is but juft, with their Patrons and Bookfellers. The Goddess is first pleased, for her disport, to propofe games to the Bookfellers, and fetteth up the Phantom of a Poet, which they contend to overtake. The Races described, with their divers accidents. Next, the game for a Poetess. Then follow the Exercises for the Poets, of tickling, vociferating, diving: The first holds forth the arts and practices of Dedicators, the second of Disputants and fuftian Poets, the third of profound, dark, and dirty Party-writers. Laftly, Lastly, for the Critics, the Goddess proposes (with great propriety) an Exercise, not of their parts, but their patience, in hearing the works of two voluminous Authors, one in verse, and the other in profe, deliberately read, without fleeping: The various effects of which, with the feveral degrees and manners of their operation, are here fet forth; till the whole number, not of Critics only, but of spectators, actors, and all present, fall fast asleep; which naturally and neceffarily ends the games, BOOK H BOOK II. IGH on a gorgeous seat, that far out-shone REMARKS. Or TWO things there are, upon the fuppofition of which the very basis of all verbal criticism is founded and fupported: The first, that an Author could never fail to use the best word on every occafion; the fecond, that a Critic cannot chufe but know which that is. This being granted, whenever any word doth not fully content us, we take upon us to conclude, firft, that the author could never have used it; and, fecondly, that he must have used that very one, which we conjecture, in its ftead. We cannot, therefore, enough admire the learned Scriblerus for his alteration of the text in the two laft verfes of the preceding book, which in all the former editions ftood thus: Hoarse thunder to its bottom shook the bog, And the loud nation croak'd, God fave king Log. He has, with great judgment, tranfpofed these two epithets; putting hoarfe to the nation, and loud to the thunder: And this being evidently the true reading, he vouchfafed not fo much as to mention the former; for which affertion of the just right of a Critic he merits the acknowledgment of all found Commentators. Ver. 2. Henley's gilt tub,] The pulpit of a Diffenter is ufually called a tub; but that of Mr. Orator Henley was covered with velvet, and adorned with gold. He had also a fair altar, and over it this extraordinary infcription, The Primitive Eucharist.' See the history of this person, book iii. Or that where on her Curlls the Public pours, All bounteous, fragrant Grains and Golden showers, Great REMARKS. Ver. 2. or Fleckno's Irish throne,] Richard Fleckno was an Irish priest, but had laid afide (as himself expreffed it) the mechanic part of priesthood. He printed fome plays, poems, letters, and travels. I doubt not, our author took occafion to mention him in respect to the Poem of Mr. Dryden, to which this bears fome refemblance, though of a character more different from it than that of the Æneid from the Iliad, or the Lutrin of Boileau from the Defait de Bouts rimées of Sarazin. 'It may be just worth mentioning, that the Eminence from whence the ancient Sophifts entertained their auditors, was called by the pompous name of a Throne. Themiftius, Orat. i. Ver. 3. Or that where on her Curlls the Public pours,] Edmund Curll ftood in the pillory at Charingcrofs, in March 1727-8. "This (faith Edmund Curll) is a falfe Affertion-I had indeed the corporal punishment of what the Gentlemen of the long Robe "are pleafed jocofely to call mounting the Roftrum for "one hour: but that scene of action was not in the "month of March, but in February." [Curlliad, 12mo, p. 19.] And of the Hiftory of his being toft in a Blanket, he faith, "Here, Scriblerus! thou leefeth in “what thou afferteft concerning the blanket: it was "not a blanket, but a rug," p. 25. Much in the fame manner Mr. Cibber remonftrated, that his Brothers, at Bedlam, mentioned Book i. were not Brazen, but Blocks; yet our author let it pass unaltered, as a trifle that no way altered the relationship. We fhould think (gentle Reader) that we but ill performed our part, if we corrected not as well our own errors now, as formerly thofe of the Printer. Since what moved us to this Work, was folely, the Love of Truth, |