I know he hates the Pigeon-house and Farm, And more, in time of war, has done us harm:

But all his hate on trivial points depends; 2420
Give up our forms, and we fhall foon be friends.
For Pigeons' flesh he seems not much to care;
Cram'd Chickens are a more delicious fare.
On this high potentate, without delay,
I wifh you would confer the fovereign fway: 2425
Petition him to accept the government,
And let a fplendid embaffy be fent.

This pithy fpeech prevail'd, and all agreed, Old enmities forgot, the Buzzard fhould fuc

ceed.

Their welcome fuit was granted foon as

heard,

2430

His lodgings furnish'd, and a train prepar'd, With B's upon their breast, appointed for his

guard.

He came, and crown'd with great folemnity, God fave king Buzzard was the general cry.

tion; and he thought oppofition the fwifteft way to preferment. It is certain King James hated him, not without reafon, and would have made him feel his refentment, if he had not retired to the Prince of Orange, with whom he returned to England in 1688. The bishop has revenged himself, by calling Dryden, in the Hiftory of his own Times, a monster of impurity, and by mentioning him in his Reflections on Varillas, with a contempt to which he was infinitely fuperior. DERRICK. Ver. 2418. I know he hates &c.] I know he haunts &c. Orig. edit. TODD.

A portly prince, and goodly to the fight, He feem'd a fon of Anach for his height: 2436

Ver. 2435. A portly prince,] This character of Buzzard was intended to ridicule bishop Burnet, who had attacked Dryden for a tranflation of Varillas. Montague and Prior make their Bays fpeak thus of this paffage:-"The excellence of a fable is in the length of it. Efop indeed, like a flave as he was, made little, fhort, fimple stories, with a dry moral at the end of them, and could not form any noble design. But here, I give you fa ble upon fable; and after you are fatisfied with beafts in the first courfe, ferve you up with a delicate dish of fowl for the fecond: now I was at all this pains to abufe one particular perfon; for I'gad I'll tell you what a trick he ferved me: I was once tranflating a very good French author, but being fomething long about it, as you know a man is not always in the humour; what does this Jack do, but puts out an answer to my friend before I had half finished the tranflation; fo there was three whole months loft upon his account. But I think I have my revenge on him fufficiently, for I let all the world know that he is a tall, broad-backed, lufty fellow, of a brown complexion, fair behaviour. a fluent tongue, and taking amongst the women; and to top it all, that he's much a scholar, more a wit, and owns but two facraments. Don't you think this fellow will hang himself? But, befides, I have fo nick't his character in a name, as will make you split. I call him - I'gad I won't tell you, unless you

remember what I faid of him.
Smith. Why that he was much a scholar, and more a wit.
Bayes. Right, and his name is Buzzard, Ha! ha! ha!
Dr. J. WARTON.

Ibid. A portly prince,] This violent and cutting fatire on bishop Burnet, which approaches the very verge of downright and difgufting ribaldry, muft be accounted for (I will not fay apologized) by the bishop's having called Dryden a monster of impiety, for the obfcenities, blafphemies, and falfhoods, with which he faid our author's works abounded. Burnet's own character appears every day to be more and more approved, and brightened by calm examination. His Hiftory of his own Time, allowing, perhaps, that it is written in too careless and familiar a ftyle, yet abounds in moft curious facts that otherwife would have been unknown, and this very familiarity is pleafing. His History of the Reformation is furely a moft valuable and important work, and one of the moft decifive blows Popery ever received. His Expofition of the Articles is fenfible, acute, and candid; with a laudable endeavour to free them from fome

Like those whom ftature did to crowns prefer: Black-brow'd, and bluff, like Homer's Jupiter: Broad-back'd, and brawny-built for love's delight;

2439

A prophet form'd to make a female profelyte. A theologue more by need than genial bent; By breeding fharp, by nature confident. Intereft in all his actions was difcern'd;

More learn'd than honeft, more a wit than learn'd:

2445

Or forc'd by fear, or by his profit led,
Or both conjoin'd, his native clime he fled :
But brought the virtues of his heaven along :
A fair behaviour, and a fluent tongue.
And yet with all his arts he could not thrive ;
The most unlucky parafite alive.

2450

Loud praises to prepare his paths he fent,
And then himself purfued his compliment;
But by reverse of fortune chas'd away,
His gifts no longer than their author stay: 2454

feeming abfurdities and contradictions. And his fhort account of Lord Rochester a most useful, pious, narrative.

and instructive little
Dr. J. WARTON.
Than natural bent.
TODD.

by nature confident.] By nation confident.

TODD.

conjoin'd, his native clime he fled :] The

Or both his own

unhappy clime &c.

Todd.

a fluent tongue.] Flattering. Orig.

TODD.

Ver. 2448. edit.

He shakes the duft against the ungrateful race,
And leaves the stench of ordures in the place.
Oft has he flatter'd and blasphem'd the fame ;
For in his rage he spares no Sovereign's name :
The hero and the tyrant change their style
By the fame measure that they frown or smile.
When well receiv'd by hofpitable foes,
The kindness he returns, is to expose:
For courtefies, though undeferv'd and great,
No gratitude in felon-minds beget;

2461

As tribute to his wit, the churl receives the

treat.

2465

His praise of foes is venomously nice;
So touch'd, it turns a virtue to a vice:
"A Greek, and bountiful, forewarns us
twice."

Seven facraments he wifely does difown,
Because he knows Confeffion ftands for one;
Where fins to facred filence are convey'd, 2471
And not for fear, or love, to be betray'd:
But he, uncall'd, his patron to controul,
Divulg'd the fecret whispers of his foul;
Stood forth the accufing Satan of his crimes,
And offer'd to the Moloch of the times.
Prompt to affail, and careless of defence,
Invulnerable in his impudence,

He dares the world; and eager of a name,
He thrusts about, and justles into fame,

2476

2480

Frontlefs, and fatire-proof, he fcowers the streets,
And runs an Indian-muck at all he meets.
So fond of loud report, that not to mifs
Of being known (his laft and utmost blifs)
He rather would be known for what he is.

Such was, and is the Captain of the Test,
Though half his virtues are not here exprefs'd;
The modefty of fame conceals the reft.
The fpleenful Pigeons never could create
A prince more proper to revenge their hate: 2490
Indeed, more proper to revenge, than fave;
A king, whom in his wrath the Almighty gave:
For all the grace the landlord had allow'd,
But made the Buzzard and the Pigeons
proud;

Gave time to fix their friends, and to feduce the crowd.

They long their fellow-fubjects to inthral,
Their patron's promife into queftion call,

2495

And vainly think he meant to make them lords of all.

2500

Falfe fears their leaders fail'd not to fuggeft, As if the Doves were to be difpoffefs'd; Nor fighs, nor groans, nor gogling eyes did

want;

For now the Pigeons too had learn'd to cant. The houfe of prayer is ftock'd with large increafe;

Nor doors, nor windows can contain the press: