How could Devotion b touch the country pews, C Verse chears their leisure, Verse affifts their work, 235 And feels that grace his pray'r befought in vain ; d 240 Our rural Ancestors, with little bleft, Patient of labour when the end was reft, Indulg'd the day that hous'd their annual grain, With feasts, and off'rings, and a thankful strain : The joy their wives, their fons, and fervants fhare, Eafe of their toil, and part'ners of their care: The laugh, the jeft, attendants on the bowl, Smooth'd ev'ry brow, and open'd ev'ry foul: With growing years the pleafing Licence grew, And Taunts alternate innocently few. f But Times corrupt, and Nature, ill-inclin'd, 246 250 Who felt the wrong, or fear'd it, took th' alarm, 255 Appeal'd to Law, and Juftice lent her arm. NOTES. mired in these Poems, owe lefs to the liberty of imitating, than to the fuperior genius of the imitator. VER. 259. Most warp'd to Flatt'ry's fide, etc.] Thefe two lines (notwithstanding the reference) are an addition to the Original. They feemed neceffary to compleat the History of the rife and progrefs of Wit; and, if attended to, will be feen to make much for the argument the Poet is upon, viz. the recommendation of Poetry to the protestion of the Magiftrate. And is, therefore, what Horace would have chosen to say, had he reflected on it. VER. 263. We conquer'd France, etc.] The inftance the Poet here gives, to answer that in the Original, is not fo happy. However, it might be faid with truth, that our F h At length, by wholfome 1 dread of statutes bound, The Poets learn'd to please, and not to wound: i Moft warp'd to Flatt'ry's fide; but fome, more nice, Preferv'd the freedom, and forbore the vice. Hence Satire rofe, that juft the medium hit, And heals with Morals what it hurts with Wit. 260 * We conquer'd France, but felt our Captive's charms; Her Arts victorious triumph'd o'er our Arms; Britain to soft refinements less a foe, 1 Wit grew polite, and Numbers learn'd to flow. And fplay-foot verfe, remain'd, and will remain. When the tir'd Nation " breath'd from civil war. NOTES. 265 } 270 Intrigues on the Continent brought us acquainted with the provincial Poets, and produced Chaucer. Only I wonder, when he had fuch an example before him, of a Bard who fo greatly polished the rufticity of his age, he did not ufe it to paraphrase the sense of Defluxit numerus Saturnius, et grave virus VER. 267. Waller was smooth;] Mr. Waller, about this time with the Earl of Dorfet, Mr. Godolphin, and others, tranflated the Pompey of Corneille; and the more correct French Poets began to be in reputation, P. Tentavit quoque rem, fi digne vertere poffet: P Nam fpirat tragicum fatis, et feliciter audet: Sed turpem putat infcite metuitque lituram. Creditur, ex medio quia res arceffit, habere Sudoris minimum; sed habet Comoedia tanto Plus oneris, quanto veniae minus. afpice, Plautus t Quo pacto partes tutetur amantis ephebi, Ut patris attenti, lenonis ut infidiofi: VER. 290. Aftræa,] A Name taken by Mrs. Behn, Authorefs of feveral obfcene Plays, etc. P. Ibid. The stage how loosely does Afræa tread,] The fine 1 Show'd us that France had something to admire. 275 And fluent Shakespear fcarce effac'd a line. The labour greater, as th' indulgence less °. t How Van wants grace, who never wanted wit! ' The stage how loosely does Aftræa tread, Who fairly puts all Characters to bed! And idle Cibber, how he breaks the laws, X W To make poor Pinky eat with vast applause ! O you! whom Vanity's light bark conveys NOTES. 280 285 290 295 metaphor of non aftri&to, greatly improved by the happy ambiguity of the word loafely VER. 296. O you! whom Vanity's light bark conveys,1 * L |