On parchment scraps y-fed, and Wormius hight 1. As thou preserv'st the dulness of the past! "There, dim in clouds, the poring Scholiasts mark, For ever reading, never to be read! 190 "But, where each Science lifts its modern type, 195 Hist'ry her Pot, Divinity her Pipe, While proud Philosophy repines to show, Embrown'd with native bronze, lo! Henley stands 3, A decent priest, where monkeys were the gods! 'such myster wight' would be sense.] Myster wight] Uncouth mortal. F. Wormius hight.] Let not this name, purely fictitious, be conceited to mean the learned Olaus Wormius; much less (as it was unwarrantably foisted into the surreptitious editions) our own Antiquary Mr Thomas Hearne, who had no way aggrieved our Poet, but on the contrary published many curious tracts which he hath to his great contentment perused. P. [Part om.] hight] "In Cumberland they say to hight, for to promise, or vow; but HIGHT, usually signifies was called; and so it does in the North even to this day, notwithstanding what is done in Cumberland." Hearne. P. [The old hâtan means to call and to promise (German heissen, verheissen.)] Wits, who, like owls, &c.] These few lines exactly describe the right verbal critic: The darker his author is, the better he is pleased; like the famous Quack Doctor, who put up in his bills, he delighted in matters of difficulty. Some body said well of these men, that their heads were Libraries out of order. P. 3 lo! Henley stands, &c.] J. Henley the Orator; he preached on the Sundays upon Theological matters, and on the Wednesdays upon all other sciences. Each auditor paid one shilling. He declaimed some years against the greatest 200 205 210 215 persons, and occasionally did our Author that honour. After having stood some Prosecutions, he turned his rhetoric to buffoonery upon all publick and private occurrences. This man had an hundred pounds a year given him for the secret service of a weekly paper of unintelligible nonsense, called the Hyp-Doctor. P. [Part om.] [John Henley, a native of Leicestershire, had graduated at Cambridge; but set up a scheme of Universology on his own account, establishing his 'Oratory' in a wooden booth in Newport market in 1726. Three years later he removed his pulpit to the corner of Lincoln's Inn Fields, and though subjected to a prosecution for profaning the clerical character, continued his exhibitions till the middle of the century. See Wright's Caric. Hist. of the Georges, and Jesse, George Selwyn and his Contemporaries, Vol. 1., where Henley is said to have been a man of real learning and of poetical talent. He died in 1756.] 4 Sherlock, Hare, Gibson,] Bishops of Salisbury, Chichester, and London; whose Sermons and Pastoral Letters did honour to their country as well as stations. P. 5 Of Toland and Tindal, see Book 11. [v. 399]. Tho. Woolston was an impious madman, who wrote in a most insolent style against the Miracles of the Gospel, in the years 1726, &c. P. A Newton's genius, or a Milton's flame: The source of Newton's Light, of Bacon's Sense. That beams on earth, each Virtue he inspires, 220 But, Learn, ye DUNCES! not to scorn your God 1."" 225 230 235 Hell rises, Heav'n descends, and dance on Earth 4: 240 'Till one wide conflagration swallows all. Thence a new world to Nature's laws unknown, And other planets circle other suns. The forests dance, the rivers upward rise, 245 Whales sport in woods, and dolphins in the skies; And last, to give the whole creation grace, Lo! one vast Egg produces human race. Joy fills his soul, joy innocent of thought; 'What pow'r,' he cries, what pow'r these wonders wrought?' 250 "Son, what thou seek'st is in thee! Look, and find 1 But, Learn, ye Dunces! not to scorn your God.'] Virg. Æn. vi. [v. 619]. The hardest lesson a Dunce can learn. For being bred to scorn what he does not understand, that which he understands least he will be apt to scorn most. Of which, to the disgrace of all Government, and (in the Poet's opinion) even of that of DULNESS herself, we have had a late example in a book intitled, Philosophical Essays concerning human Understanding. P. 'not to scorn your God."] See this subject pursued in Book IV. P. 2 (Not half so pleas'd when Goodman prophesy'd] Mr Cibber tells us, in his Life, p. 149, that Goodman being at the rehearsal of a play, in which he had a part, clapped him on the shoulder and cried, "If he does not make a good actor, I'll be d-d.”—And (says Mr Cibber) I make it a question, whether Alexander himself, or Charles the Twelfth of Sweden, when at the head of their first victorious armies, could feel a greater_transport in their bosoms than I did in mine. P. 3 a sable Sorc'rer] Dr Faustus, the subject of a set of Farces, which lasted in vogue two or three seasons, in which both Play-houses strove to outdo each other for some years. All the extravagances in the sixteen lines following were introduced on the Stage, and frequented by persons of the first quality in England, to the twentieth and thirtieth time. P. [Probably revivals of Mountfort's harlequinade founded on Marlowe's tragedy.] Hell rises, Heav'n descends, and dance on Earth:] This monstrous absurdity was actually represented in Tibbald's Rape of Proserpine. P. 5 Lo! one vast Egg] In another of these Farces, Harlequin is hatched upon the stage out of a large Egg. P. Each monster meets his likeness in thy mind. 255 260 265 On grinning dragons thou shalt mount the wind 5. Here shouts all Drury, there all Lincoln's-inn 6; 270 "And are these wonders, Son, to thee unknown? 1 Immortal Rich!] Mr John Rich, Master of the Theatre Royal in Covent-garden, was the first that excelled this way. P. 2 [Join their dark encounter in mid-air. Milton, Par. Lost, II. v. 718.] 3 Booth and Cibber were joint managers of the Theatre in Drury-lane. P. 4 [as Harlequin.] 5 On grinning dragons thou shalt mount the wind.] In his Letter to Mr P. Mr C. solemnly declares this not to be literally true. We hope therefore the reader will understand it allegorically only. P. [The Theatre called the Duke's was built in Portugal Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, at the time of the Restoration. It was here Rich first brought out his harlequinades; but soon after his removal it was closed (1737.)] 7 After ver. 274 in the former Edd, followed: For works like these let deathless Journals tell "None but thyself can be thy parallel." Warburton. Var. None but thyself can be thy parallel] A marvellous line of Theobald; unless the Play 275 280 called the Double Falsehood be (as he would have it believed) Shakespear's. P. 8 Annual trophies, on the Lord-mayor's day; and monthly wars in the Artillery-ground. P. 9 Tho' long my Party] Settle, like most Party-writers, was very uncertain in his political principles. He was employed to hold the pen in the Character of a popish successor, but afterwards printed his Narrative on the other side. He had managed the ceremony of a famous Popeburning on Nov. 17, 1680; then became a trooper in King James's army, at Hounslow-heath. After the Revolution he kept a booth at Bartholomewfair, where, in the droll called St George for England, he acted in his old age in a Dragon of green leather of his own invention; he was at last taken into the Charter-house, and there died, aged sixty years. P. [Carruthers observes that Settle was really seventy-six at the time of his death (1724).] 10 After ver. 284 in the former Edd. followed: 'Diff'rent our parties, but with equal grace The Goddess smiles on Whig and Tory race.' Warburton. Yet lo! in me what authors have to brag on! 285 Like the vile straw that's blown about the streets, 200 Coach'd, carted, trod upon, now loose, now fast, The third mad passion of thy doting age. 305 To aid our cause, if Heav'n thou can'st not bend, 310 315 "Now, Bavius, take the poppy from thy brow, Thee shall the Patriot, thee the Courtier taste,] It stood in the first edition with blanks * * and **. Concanen was sure "they must needs mean no body but King GEORGE and Queen CAROLINE; and said he would insist it was so, till the Poet cleared himself by filling up the blanks otherwise, agreeably to the context, and consistent with his allegiance." P. 2 Polypheme] He translated the Italian Opera of Polifemo; but unfortunately lost the whole jest of the story. P. [Part om.] 3 Faustus, Pluto, &c.] Names of miserable Farces, which it was the custom to act at the end of the best Tragedies, to spoil the digestion of the audience. P. 4 [Congreve's tragedy.] 320 5 ensure it but from Fire.] In Tibbald's farce of Proserpine, a corn-field was set on fire: whereupon the other play-house had a barn burnt down for the recreation of the spectators. They also rival'd each other in showing the burnings of hell-fire, in Dr Faustus. P. 6 Another Eschylus appears!] It is reported of Eschylus, that when his Tragedy of the Furies was acted, the audience were so terrified that the children fell into fits. P. 7 like Semele's,] See Ovid, Met. 111. P. 9 Ver. 323. See, see, our own &c.] In the former Edd.: 'Beneath his reign shall Eusden wear the bays, Our Midas sits Lord Chancellor of Plays! 325 330 Cibber preside Lord Chancellor of plays, I see the Savoy totter to her fall; [As to Ripley, Sir Robert Walpole's architect who, according to Wakefield, was employed in repairing Whitehall, cf. Moral Essays, Ep. IV. v. 18 and note.] 4 [Sir Christopher Wren died in 1723, at the age of 91. 'The length of his life enriched the And Pope's, translating three whole years with reigns of several princes, and disgraced the last 1 On Poets' Tombs see Benson's Titles writ!] W-m Benson (Surveyor of the Buildings to his Majesty King George I.) gave in a report to the Lords, that their House and the Painted-chamber adjoining were in immediate danger of falling. Whereupon the Lords met in a committee to appoint some other place to sit in, while the House should be taken down. But it being proposed to cause some other builders first to inspect it, they found it in very good condition. In favour of this man, the famous Sir Christopher Wren, who had been Architect to the Crown for above fifty years, who built most of the churches in London, laid the first stone of St Paul's, and lived to finish it, had been displaced from his employment at the age of near ninety years. P. [Part om.] 2 Ambrose Philips] "He was (saith Mr JA COB) one of the wits at Button's and a justice of the peace;" But he hath since met with higher preferment in Ireland. He endeavoured to create some misunderstanding between our Author and Mr Addison, whom also soon after he abused as much. His constant cry was, that Mr P. was an Enemy to the government; and in particular he was the avowed author of a report very industriously spread, that he had a hand in a Partypaper called the Examiner: A falsehood wellknown to those yet living, who had the direction and publication of it. P. [As to the reasons for Pope's aversion from A. P. see Introductory Memoir, pp. xv, xxviii.] 3 While Jones' and Boyle's united Labours fall;] At the time when this poem was written, the banqueting-house at White-hall, the church and piazza of Covent-garden, and the palace and chapel of Somerset-house, the works of the famous Inigo Jones, had been for many years so neglected, as to be in danger of ruin. The portico of Covent-garden church had been just then restored and beautified at the expense of the earl of Burlington and [Richard Boyle]; who, at the same time, by his publication of the designs of that great Master and Palladio, as well as by many noble buildings of his own, revived the true taste of Architecture in this kingdoin. P. of them.' Horace Walpole, Anecdotes of Printing, quoted by Warton.] 5 Gay dies unpension'd &c.] See Mr Gay's fable of the Hare and many Friends. This gentleman was early in the friendship of our Author, which continued to his death. He wrote several works of humour with great success, the Shepherd's Week, Trivia, the What-d'ye-call-it, Fables; and, lastly, the celebrated Beggar's Opera; a piece of satire which hits all tastes and degrees of men, from those of the highest quality to the very rabble. That verse of Horace, Primores populi arripuit, populumque tributim, could never be so justly applied as to this. The vast success of it was unprecedented, and almost incredible: What is related of the wonderful effects of the ancient music or tragedy hardly came up to it: Sophocles and Euripides were less followed and famous. It was acted in London sixtythree days, uninterrupted; and renewed the next season with equal applauses. It spread into all the great towns of England, was played in many places to the thirtieth and fortieth time, at Bath and Bristol fifty, &c. It made its progress into Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, where it was performed twenty-four days together: It was last acted in Minorca. The fame of it was not confined to the Author only; the ladies carried about with them the favourite songs of it in fans; and houses were furnished with it in screens. The person who acted Polly, till then obscure, became all at once the favourite of the town; her pictures were engraved, and sold in great numbers; her life written, books of letters and verses to her published; and pamphlets made even of her sayings and jests. Furthermore, it drove out of England, for that season, the Italian Opera, which had carried all before it for ten years. That idol of the Nobility and people, which the great Critic Mr Dennis by the labours and outcries of a whole life could not overthrow, was demolished by a single stroke of this gentleman's pen. This happened in the year 1728. Yet so great was his modesty, that he constantly prefixed to all the editions of it this motto, Nos hæc novimus esse nihil. P. [See Epitaph No. xii. and Introductory Memoir, p. xxvi.] |