The vulgar herd turn off to roll with Hogs, To run with Horfes, or to hunt with Dogs; REMARKS. .525 530 Of this duty another celebrated French Author fpeaks, indeed, a little more disrespectfully; which for that reason, we shall not translate, but give in his own words, "L'Amour de la Patrie, "le grand motif des prémiers Heros, n'eft plus regardé que "comme une Chimêre ; l'idée du Service du Roi, etendüe jus« qu'à l'oubli de tout autre Principe, tient lieu de ce qu'on "appelloit autrefois Grandeur d'Ame & Fidelité." Boulainvilliers Hift. des Anciens Parlements de France, &c. VER. 528. fill keep the buman fhape.] The effects of the Magus's Cup, by which is allegorized a total corruption of heart, are just contrary to that of Circe, which only represents the fudden plunging into pleasures. Her's, therefore, took away the fhape, and left the human mind; his takes away the mind, and leaves the human shape. VER. 529. But she, good Goddess, &c.] The only comfort people can receive, must be owing in fome fhape or other to Dulness; which makes fome ftupid, others impudent, gives Self-conceit to fome, upon the Flatteries of their dependants, prefents the falfe colours of Intereft to others, and bufies or amufes the reft with idle Pleasures or Senfuality, till they become easy under any infamy. Each of which fpecies is here hadowed under Allegorical perfons. VER. 532. Cibberian forebead, or Cimmerian gloom.] i. e. She communicates to them of her own Virtue, or of her Royal Collegues. The Cibberian forehead being to fit them for Self Kind Self-conceit to fome her glass applies, On others Int'reft her gay liv'ry flings, Great C**, H**, P**, R**, K*, 535 540 545 Why all your Toils? your Sons have learn'd to fing. How quick Ambition haftes to ridicule! The Sire is made a Peer, the Son a Fool. REMARK 9. conceit, Self-Intereft, &c. and the Cimmerian gloom, for the Pleafures of Opera and the Table. SCRIBL. VER. 544. The balm of Dulness] The true Balm of Dulness, called by the Greek Phyficians Kohanela, is a Sovereign remedy against Inanity, and has its poetic name from the Goddess herself. Its ancient Difpenfators were her Poets; and for that reafon our Author, Book ii, v. 207. calls it the Poets bealing balm: but it is now got into as many hands as Goddard's Drops or Daffy'a Elixir. It is prepared by the Clergy, as appears from several places of this poem: And by ver. 534, 535, it seems as if the Nobility had it made up in their own houfes. This, which Opera is here faid to administer, is but a spurious fort. See my Differtation on the Silphium of the Antients, BENTL On fome, a Priest fuccinct in amice white Attends; all flesh is nothing in his fight! 550 Beeves, at his touch, at once to jelly túrn, And the huge Boar is fhrunk into an Urn: REMARK S. 555 VER. 553. The board with fpecious Miracles he loads, «] Scriblerus feems at a lofs in this place. Speciofa miracula (fays he) according to Horace, were the monftrous fables of the Cyclops, Læftrygons, Scylla, &c. What relation have these to the transformation of Hares into Larks, or of Pigeons into Toads? I fhall tell thee. The Læftrygons fpitted Men upon Spears, as we do Larks upon Skewers: and the fair Pigeon turned to a Toad is fimilar to the fair Virgin Scylla ending in a filthy beaft. But here is the difficulty, why Pigeons in fo fhocking a fhape fhould be brought to a Table. Hares indeed might be cut into Larks at a fecond dreffing, out of frugality: Yet that feems no probable motive, when we confider the extravagance before-mentioned, of diffolving whole Oxen and Boars into a fmall vial of Jelly; nay it is exprefly faid, that all Flesh is nothing in his fight. I have fearched in Apicius, Pliny, and the Feast of Trimalchio, in vain: I can only refolve it into fome myfterious fuperftitious Rite, as it is faid to be done by a Priest, and foon after called a Sacrifice, attended (as all ancient facrifices were) with Libation and Song. SCRIBL. This good Scholiaft, not being acquainted with modern Luxury, was ignorant that these were only the miracles of French Cookery, and that particularly Pigeons en crapeau were a common dish. VER. 556. Seve and Verdeur] French Terms relating to Wines, which fignify their flavour and poignancy. Et je gagerois que chez le Commandeur 2 Dépreaux. What cannot copious Sacrifice atone? Thy Treufles, Perigord! thy Hams, Bayonne? Wash Bladen white, and expiate Hays's, ftain. 569 KNIGHT lifts the head, for what are crouds undone, To three effential Partridges in one? Gone ev'ry blush, and filent all reproach, Contending Princes mount them in their Coach. REMARKS. 566 St. Evremont has a very pathetic Letter to a Nobleman in difgrace, advising him to seek Comfort in a good Table, and particularly to be attentive to thefe Qualities in his Champaigne. VER. 560. Bladen-Hays] Names of Gamefters. Bladen is a black man. ROBERT KNIGHT Cafhier of the South-fea Company, who fled from England in 1720 (afterwards par doned in 1742.)-These lived with the utmost magnificence at Paris, and kept open Tables frequented by perfons of the first Quality of England, and even by Princes of the Blood of France. Ibid. Bladen, &c.] The former Note of Bladen is a black man,. is very abfurd. The Manufcript here partly obliterated, and doubtless could only have been, Wash Blackmoors white, alluding to a known Proverb. SCRIBL. VER. 567. Her children firft of more diftinguish'd fort, Who ftudy Shakespeare at the Inns of Court.] Ill would that Scholiaft difcharge his duty, who fhould neglect to honour those whom DULNESS has diftinguished: or fuffer them to lie forgotten, when their rare modefty would have left Impale a Glow-worm, or Vertú profefs, Shine in the dignity of F. R. S. RIMARK S. 570 them nameless. Let us not, therefore, overlook the Services which have been done her Cause, by one Mr. Thomas EDWARDS, a Gentleman, as he is pleased to call himself, of Lincoln's Inn; but, in reality, a Gentleman only of the Dunciad; or, to speak him better, in the plain language of our honeft Ancestors to fuch Mushrooms, A Gentleman of the laft Edition: who nobly eluding the folicitude of his careful Father, very early retained himself in the cause of Dulness against Shakespear, and with the wit and learning of his Ancestor Tom Thimble in the Rehearsal, and with the air of good nature and politeness of Caliban in the Tempeft, hath now happily finished the Dunce's progrefs, in perfonal abuse. For a Libeller is nothing but a Grub-street Critic run to Seed. Lamentable is the Dulness of the Gentlemen of the Dunciad. This Fungofo and his friends, who are Gentlemen, have exclaimed much against us for reflecting on his birth, in the words, a Gentleman of the laft Edition, which we hereby declare concern not his birth but his adoption only: And mean no more than that he is become a Gentleman of the laft Edition of the Dunciad. Since Gentlemen, then, are fo captious, we think it proper to declare, that Mr. Thomas Thimble, who is here faid to be Mr. Thomas Edwards's Ancestor, is only related to him by the Mufe's fide. SCRIBL. This Tribe of Men, which Scriblerus has here fo well exemplified, our Poet hath elsewhere admirably characterized in that happy line, A brain of Feathers, and a heart of Lead. For the fatire extends much further than to the person who occafioned it, and takes in the whole fpecies of those on whom a good Education (to fit them for fome useful and learned profession) has been bestowed in vain. That worthless Band Of ever liftlefs Loit'rers, that attend No caufe, no truft, no duty, and no Friend. Who, with an understanding too diffipated and futile for the |