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Whirlpools and storms his circling arm invest,
With all the might of gravitation bleft.
No crab more active in the dirty dance,
Downward to climb, and backward to advance.
He brings up half the bottom on his head,
And loudly claims the Journals and the Lead.

Sudden, a burst of thunder fhook the flood:

295

300

Lo Smedley rofe in majesty of mud!
Shaking the horrors of his ample brows,
And each ferocious feature grim with ooze.
Greater he looks, and more than mortal stares; 305
Then thus the wonders of the deep declares.

First he relates, how finking to the chin,
Smit with his mien, the mud-nymphs fuck'd him in:
How young Lutetia, fofter than the down,
Nigrina black, and Merdamante brown,
Vy'd for his love in jetty bow'rs below;
As Hylas fair was ravish'd long ago.

310

Then fung, how shown him by the nut-brown maids A branch of Styx here rifes from the Shades,

That tinctur'd as it runs with Lethe's ftreams, 315 And wafting vapours from the land of Dreams, (As under feas Alphaus' fecret fluice

Bears Pifa's offerings to his Arethuse)

Pours into Thames: Each City bowl is full

Of the mixt wave, and all who drink grow dull. 320
How to the banks where bards departed doze,
They led him foft; how all the bards arofe,
Taylor, fweet Swan of Thames, majestic bows,
And Shadwell nods the poppy on his brows;

While Milbourn there, deputed by the rest,
Gave him the caflock, furcingle, and vest;

325

And "Take (he faid) these robes which once were mine, Dulness is facred in a found Divine."

330

He ceas'd, and fhow'd the robe; the crowd confefs The rev'rend Flamen in his lengthen'd drefs. Slow moves the Goddefs from the fable flood, (Her Priest preceding) thro' the gates of Lud. Her Critics there fhe fummons, and proclaims A gentler exercise to clofe the games. Here you!

!in whose grave heads, as equal scales, I weigh what author's heavinefs prevails;

336

Which moft conduce to footh the foul in flumbers,
My Henley's periods, or my Blackmore's numbers?
Attend the trial we propose to make:

If there be man who o'er fuch works can wake, 340
Sleep's all fubduing charms who dares defy,
And boasts Ulyffes' ear with Argus' eye;
To him we grant our amplest pow'rs to fit
Judge of all present, paft, and future wit,
To cavil, cenfure, dictate, right or wrong,
Full, and eternal privilege of tongue.

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345

Three Cambridge Sophs and three pert Templars

came,

The fame their talents, and their tastes the same,

Each prompt to query, answer, and debate,

And fmit with love of Poefy and Prate,

350

The pond'rous books two gentle readers bring,

The heroes fit; the vulgar form a ring.

The

The clam'rous crowd is hufh'd with mugs of Mum, Till all tun'd equal, fend a genʼral hum.

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Then mount the clerks, and in one lazy tone,
Thro' the long, heavy, painful page, drawl on;
Soft creeping, words on words, the sense compose,
At ev'ry line, they stretch, they yawn, they doze.
As to foft gales top-heavy pines bow low
Their heads, and lift them as they ceafe to blow;
Thus oft they rear, and oft the head decline,
As breathe, or paufe, by fits, the airs divine:
And now to this fide, now to that, they nod,
As verse, or profe, infuse the drowzy God.
Thrice Budgel aim'd to speak, but thrice supprest
By potent Arthur, knock'd his chin and breast. 366
Toland and Tindal, prompt at priests to jeer,
Yet filent bow'd to Christ's No kingdom here.
Who fate the nearest, by the words o'ercome
Slept first, the diftant nodded to the hum.

370

Then down are roll'd the books; stretch'd o'er'em lies
Each gentle clerk, and mutt'ring feals his eyes.
At what a Dutchman plumps into the lakes,
One circle first, and then a fecond makes,
What Dulness dropt among her fons imprest

375

Like motion, from one circle to the rest;

So from the mid-most the nutation spreads

Round, and more round, o'er all the fea of heads.

At last Centlivre felt her voice to fail,

Motteux himself unfinish'd left his tale,

380

Boyer the State, and Law the Stage gave o'er,

Nor Kelsey talk'd, nor Nafo whisper'd more;

Norton,

Norton, from Daniel and Oftræa fprung,

Blefs'd with his father's front, and mother's tongue,

Hung filent down his never-blushing head;

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And all was hufh'd, as Folly's felf lay dead.
Thus the foft gifts of Sleep conclude the day,
And stretch'd on bulks, as ufual, Poets lay.
Why should I fing what bards the nightly Muse
Did flumbring vifit, and convey to stews: 390
Who prouder march'd, with magistrates in state,
To fome fam'd round-house, ever open gate:
How Laurus lay inspir'd beside a sink,

And to mere mortals feem'd a Priest in drink: While others, timely, to the neighbouring Fleet 395 (Haunt of the Muses) made their safe retreat.

THE END OF THE SECOND BOOK.

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AFTER the other perfons are difpofed in their proper places of reft, the Goddess transports the King to her Temple, and there lays him to flumber with his head on her lap; a pofition of marvellous virtue, which caufes all the Vifions of wild enthufiafts, projectors, politicians, inamoratos, cafile-builders, chymists, and poets. He is immediately carried on the wings of Fancy to the Elyzian shade; where on the banks of Lethe the fouls of the dull are dipped by Bavius, before their entrance into this world. There he is met by the ghost of Settle, and by him made acquainted with the wonders of the place, and with thofe which he is himself defined to perform. He takes him to a Mount of Vifion, from whence he fhews him the past triumphs of the Empire of Dulness, then the prefent, and lafily the future: How fmall a part of the world was ever conquered by Science, how foon those conquefts were flopped, and thofe very nations again reduced to her dominion. Then distinguishing the Island of Great Britain, fhews by what aids, and by what perfons, it fhall be forthwith brought to her empire. Thefe he caufes to pass in review before his eyes, defcribing each by his proper figure, character, and qualifications. On a fudden

the

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