Sepulchral Lies, our holy walls to grace, 45 And New-year Odes, and all the Grub-street race. Where, in nice balance, truth with gold fhe weighs, Here he beholds the Chaos dark and deep, How hints, like fpawn, fcarce quick in embryo lie, Here one poor word an hundred clenches makes, "Rifing in clouded majesty.”-------- Milton, B. IV. 2. 48. --that knows no fears Of hiffes, blows, or want or loss of ears.] "Quem neque pauperies, neque mors, neque vincula torrent." v. 55. Here fee beholds the Chaos dark and deep, Where nameless Something, &c.] Hor. 55 60 65 That is to fay, unformed things, which are either made into poems, or plays, as the bookfellers or the players bid most. the following in Garth's Difpenfary, canto vi. Thefe lines allude to Within the chambers of the globe they spy "The beds where fleeping vegetables lie, the gladiummons of a genial ray Unbinds the glebe, and calls them out to day." v. 64. And ductile Dulness, &c.] A parody on a verfe in Garth How tragedy and Comedy embrace; All thefe, and more, the cloud-compelling Queen 70 75 80 85 And with her own fools-colours gilds them all. Now Night defcending, the proud fcene was o'er, VARIATIONS. v. 85.] In the former editions: 'Twas on the day when Thorold, rich and grave. 90 95 Much Sir Geo. Thorold, Lord Mayor of London in the year 1720. v. 79. ------ the loud-compelling Queen.] From Homer's epithet of Jupiter, νεφεληγερέτα Ζευς. REMARKS. v. 9o. But liv'd in Settle's numbers one day more.] Settle was poet to the city of London. His office was to compofe yearly Panegyrics upon the Lord Mayors, and verfes to be spoken in the Pageants, but that part of the fhows being at length frugally abolished, the employment of City. poet ceafed; fo that upon Settle's demite there was no fucceffor to that place. 100 Much the revolves their arts, their ancient praise, In each the marks her image full expreft, REMARKS. Bayes, v. 98. John Heywood.] Whofe Interludes were printed in the time of Henry VIII. v. 103. ------old Pryn in reflefs Daniel.] The first edition had it, She faw in Norton all his father fhine. A great mistake! for Daniel De Foe had parts, but Norton de Foe was a wretched writer, and never attempted poetry. Much more justly is Daniel himself made fucceffor to W. Pryn, both of whom wrote verfes as well as politics; as appears by the poem De Jure Divino, &c. of De Foe, and by these lines in Cowley's Mifcellanies, on the other: One lately did not fear "(Without the Mufes' leave) to plant verfe here. "Brave Jerfey Mufe! and he's, for his high ftyle, And both thefe authors had a refemblance in their fates as well as their writings, having been alike fentenced to the pillory. v. 104. And Eufden eke out, &c.] Laurence Eufden, Poet-laureate. Mr. Jacob gives a catalogue of fome few only of his works, which are very numerous. Mr. Cooke, in his Battle of Poets, faith of him, "Eufden, a laurel'd bard, by Fortune rais'd, "By very few was read, by fewer prais'd." v. 105. Like Tate's poor page.] Nahum Tate was Poet-laureate, a cold writer of no invention; but fometimes tranflated tolerably when befriended by Mr. Dryden. In his fecond part of Abfalom and Ahithopef are above two hundred admirable lines together of that great hand, which ftrongly thine through the infipidity of the rest. Something parelle! may be obferved of another author here mentioned. VARIATIONS. v. 108. But chief in Bayes's, &c. In the former edition thus: Bayes, form'd by Nature Stage and Town to blefs, 115 Blafphem'd his gods, the dice, and damn'd his fate; 120 125 That flip'd through cracks and zigzags of the head; How here he fip'd, how there he plunder'd snug, Here lay poor Fletcher's half-eat scenes, and here There hapless Shakespeare, yet of Tibbald fore, REMARKS. 130 v. 109. Bayes, form'd by Nature, &c.] It is hoped the Poet here hath done full juftice to his Hero's character, which it were a great mistake to imagine was wholly funk in stupidity: he is allowed to have fupported it with a wonderful mixture of vivacity. This character is heightened according to his own defire, in a letter he wrote to our Author: "Pert VARIATIONS. 2. 121. Round him much embryo, &c.] In the former editions thus: IMITATIONS. Var. He rolled his eyes, that witness'd huge difmay.] · 66 round he throws his eyes, -- "That witness'd huge afflition and difmay." and Milt. Book I The progrefs of a bad poet in his thoughts, being (like the progrefs of the Devilin Milton) through a chaos, might probably fuggeft this imitation. |