Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Seen him, uncumber'd with the Venal tribe,
Smile without Art, and win without a Bribe.
Would he oblige me? let me only find,
He does not think me what he thinks mankind.
Come, come, at all I laugh he laughs, no doubt; 35
The only diff'rence is, I dare laugh out.

F. Why yes with Scripture ftill you may be

free;

A Horse-laugh, if you please, at Honefty;

NOTES.

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 the 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] These two verfes were originally in the Poem, though omitted in all the firft edi

[blocks in formation]

VER. 34. what he thinks mankind. This request appears fomewhat abfurd: but not more fo than the principle it refers

That great Minifter, it feems, thought all mankind. Rogues; and that every one had his price. It was usually given as a proof of his penetration, and extensive knowledge of the world. Others perhaps would think it the mark of a narrow capacity; which, from a few of Rochfaucault's maxim, and the corrupt practice of thofe he commonly converfed with, would thus boldly pronounce upon the character of his fpecies. It is certain, that a Keeper of Newgate, who fhould make the fame conclufion, would be heartily laughed

at.

VER. 37. Why yes: with Scripture, &c.] A fcribler, whose only chance for reputation is the falling in with the fashion, is apt to employ this infamous expedient for the preservation of a tranfitory name. But a true Genius could not do a

A Joke on JEKYL, or fome odd Old Whig
Who never chang'd his Principle, or Wig: 40
A Patriot is a Fool in ev'ry age,

Whom all Lord Chamberlains allow the Stage:
These nothing hurts; they keep their Fashion still,
And wear their strange old Virtue, as they will.
If any afk
Who's the Man fo near, 45
"His Prince, that writes in Verfe, and has his

you,

"ear ?"

Why, anfwer, LYTTELTON, and I'll engage
The worthy Youth shall ne'er be in a rage:
But were his Verses vile, his Whisper base,
You'd quickly find him in Lord Fanny's cafe. 50

NOTES.

foolisher thing, or fooner defeat his own aim. The fage Boileau ufed to fay on this occafion, "Une ouvrage fevere "peut bien plaire aux libertins; mais une ouvrage trop libre "ne plaira jamais aux perfonnes feveres."

Ibid. Why yes with Scripture still you may be free;] Thus the Man, commonly called Mother Ofborne, who was in the Minifter'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 Jofeph 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 bestowed it equally upon Religion and Honefty. He died a few months after the publication of this Poem.

VER. 43. Theje nothing hurts;] i. e. offends.

P.

VER. 47. Why, anfixer, Lyttelton,] George Lyttelton, Secretary to the Prince of Wales, diftinguished both for his writings, and fpeeches in the fpirit of liberty. P.

1

Sejanus, Wolfey, hurt not honeft FLEURY,
But well may put fome Statesman in a fury.

Laugh then at any, but at Fools or Foes; These you but anger, and you mend not those. Laugh at your Friends, and, if your Friends are fore,

55

So much the better, you may laugh the

more.

To Vice and Folly to confine the jest,
Sets half the world, God knows, against the rest;
Did not the Sneer of more impartial men
At Senfe and Virtue, balance all agen.
Judicious Wits spread wide the Ridicule,
And charitably comfort Knave and Fool.

бо

P. Dear Sir, forgive the Prejudice of Youth: Adieu Distinction, Satire, Warmth, and Truth! Come, harmless Characters that no one hit; 65 Come, Henley's Oratory, Ofborn's Wit!

NOTES.

VER. 51. Sejanus, Wolfey,] The one the wicked minister of Tiberius; the other of Henry VIII. The writers against the Court ufually bestowed these and other odious names on the Minifter, without diftinction, and in the most injurious manner. See Dial. II. ver. 137. P.

Ibid. Fleury,] Cardinal: and Minister to Louis XV. It was a Patriot-fashion, at that time, to cry up his wisdom and honesty.

P.

VER. 66. Henley-Ofborn,] See them in their places in the Dunciad.

P.

The Honey dropping from Favonio's tongue, The Flow'rs of Bubo, and the Flow of Y-ng! The gracious Dew of Pulpit Eloquence,

And all the well-whipt Cream of Courtly Sense, That firft was H-vy's, F-'s next, and then 71 The S-te's, and then H-vy's once agen.

NOTES.

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 addrefs in the fame pretty ftyle; and was laftly ferved up in an Epitaph, between Latin and English, published by its au

[blocks in formation]

Ibid. The gr cious Dew of Pu'p't El quence,] Our moral Bard was no great adept in Theology, nor did he enter into the depths of Pulpit Eloquence. This rendered his judgment of things, on certain occafions, but flight and fuperficial. It is plain here he gibeth at this mafter-ftroke of Pulpit Eloquence: but Mafter Doctor Thomas Playfere might have taught him better. This eminent Court Divine, in his Spittel jermon preached in the year 1595, layeth open the whole Mystery The voice of a Preacher (faith he, himselfe a powerfull Preacher) ought to be the voice of a Crier, "which fhould not pipe to make the People dance, but mourne to make them weep. Hence it is, that in the oulde "law, none that was blinde, or had anie blemishe in his eye, might ferve at the Aulter; becaufe for that impediment in "his eye he could not well fhew his inwarde forrowing by "his outward to ping. And when they offered up their "firit-borne, who was ordinarily in every family their Prieste, "or their Prea her, they offered alfo with him a paire of "turtle doves or two younge pigeons. That paire of tur"tle doves did fignify a paire of mournfull eyes; thofe two

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

O come, that eafy, Ciceronian ftyle,

So Latin, yet fo English all the while,

As, tho' the Pride of Middleton and Bland, 75
All Boys may read, and Girls may understand!
Then might I fing, without the leaft offence,
And all I fung should be the Nation's Sense;
Or teach the melancholy Mufe to mourn,

Hang the fad Verfe on CAROLINA's Urn,

80

NOTES.

66 younge pigeons did fignifie likewife two weeping eyes: And "at that offering they prayed for their firft-borne, that af"terwards he might have fuch eyes himfelfe. For indeed, 66 as Austin witneffeth, THERE IS MORE GOOD TO BE DONE "with fighing than with speaking, with weeping than with "words. Plus gemitibus quam fermonibus, plus fletu quam "affatu."

SCRIBL.

VER. 76. All Boys may read, and Girls may understand!] i. e. full of school-book phrafes and Anglicifms.

VER. 78. Nation's Senfe;] The cant of Politics at that time.

VER. 80. Carolina] Queen confort to king George II. She died in 1737. Her death gave occafion, as is obferved above, to many indifcreet and mean performances unworthy of her memory, whose last moments manifested the utmost courage and refolution.

P.

How highly our Poet thought of that truly great perfonage may be seen by one of his Letters to Mr. Allen, written at that time; in which, amongst others, equally respectful, are the following words; "The Queen fhewed, by the confeffion "of all about her, the utmost firmnefs and temper to her "laft moments, and through the courfe of great torments. "What character hiftorians will allow her, I do not know;

« ZurückWeiter »