On his GROTTO at Twickenham, COMPOSED OF Marbles, Sparrs, Gemms, Ores, and Minerals. TH HOU who fhalt ftop, where Thames' tranf- Shines a broad Mirrour thro' the shadowy Cave; VARIATIONS. After v. 6. in the MS, You see that Island's wealth, where, only free, 5 i. e. Britain is the only place on the globe which feels not Tyranny even to its very entrails. Alluding to the condemnation of Criminals to the Mines, one of the inflictions of civil justice in moft Countries. The thought was exceeding natural and proper in this place, where the Poet was defcribing a Grotto incrufted and adorned with all forts of Minerals collected, by the means of commerce, from the four quarters of the Globe. On bis Grotto.] The improving and finishing his Grott was the favourite amusement of his declining Years; and the beauty of his poetic genius, in the difpofition and ornaments of this romantic recefs, appears to as much advantage as in his best contrived Poems. Approach. Great NATURE ftudioufly behold! Let fuch, fuch only, tread this facred Floor, VARIATIONS, 9 VER. II. Where British fighs from dying Wyndham fole,] In his M. it was thus, To Wyndham's breaft the patriot-paffions stole, which made the whole allude to a certain Anecdote of not much confequence to any but the parties concerned. VER. 9. Egerian Grott] Alluding to Numa's projecting his fyftem of Politics in this Grott, affifted, as he gave out, by the Goddess Ægeria. то Mrs. M. B. on her BIRTH-DAY. H be thou bleft with all that Heav'n can send, Not with those Toys the female world admire, With added years if Life bring nothing new, Let Joy or Ease, let Affluence or Content, VARIATIONS. VER. 15. Originally thus in the MS. And oh fince Death must that fair frame destroy, In fome foft dream may thy mild foul remove, To Mr. THOMAS SOUTHERN, R On his Birth-day, 1742. ESIGN'D to live, prepar'd to die, This day Tom's fair account has run 5 10 May Toм, whom heav'n fent down to raise 15 VER. 5. A table] He was invited to dine on his birth-day with this Nobleman, who had prepared for him the entertainment of which the bill of fare is here fet down. VER. 8. Prefents her barp] The harp is generally wove on the Irish Linen; fuch as Table-cloths, etc. VER. 16. The price of prologues and of plays,] This alludes to a story Mr. Southern told of Dryden, about the fame time, Be ev'ry birth-day more a winner, 20 time, to Mr. P. and Mr. W. When Southern first wrote for the stage, Dryden was fo famous for his Prologues, that the players would act nothing without that decoration. His usual price till then had been four guineas: But when Southern came to him for the Prologue he had bespoke, Dryden told him he muft have fix guineas for it; " which (faid he) young man, is "out of no disrespect to you; but the Players have had my goods "too cheap."-We now look upon these Prologues with the fame admiration that the Virtuofi do on the Apothecaries pots painted by Raphael. |