the fcene fhifts, and a vast number of miracles and prodigies appear, utterly furprizing and unknown to the King himself, till they are explained to be the wonders of his own reign now commencing. On this fubject Settle breaks into a congratulation, yet not unmixed with concern, that his own times were but the types of these. He prophecies how first the nation fhall be over-run with Farces, Operas, and Shows; and the throne of Dulness advanced over both the Theatres; then how her fons fhall prefide in the feats of Arts and Sciences, till in conclufion all fhall return to their original Chaos: A fcene, of which the prefent Action of the Dunciad is but a Type or Foretafle, giving a Glympfe, or Pifgah-fight of the promised Fulness of her Glory; the accomplishment whereof will, in all probability, hereafter be the Theme of many other and greater

Dunciads.

BOOK III.

BUT in her Temple's last recess inclos'd,

5

On Dulness' lap th' Anointed head repos'd. Him close fhe curtain'd round with vapours blue, And foft befprinkled with Cimmerian dew. Then raptures high the feat of sense o'erflow, Which only heads refin'd from reafon know. Hence, from the straw where Bedlam's Prophet nods, He hears loud Oracles, and talks with Gods: Hence the Fool's paradife, the Statesman's scheme, The air-built Caftle, and the golden Dream, The Maid's romantic wish, the Chymift's flame, And Poet's vision of eternal fame.

And now, on Fancy's eafy wing convey'd, The King defcended to th' Elyzian Shade. There, in a dufky vale where Lethe rolls,

Old Bavius fits, to dip poetic Souls,

And blunt the fenfe, and fit it for a fcull

Of folid proof, impenetrably dull :

ΙΟ

15

Instant when dipt, away they wing their flight,
Where Brown and Mears unbar the gates of Light,
Demand new bodies, and in Calf's array,

Rush to the world, impatient for the day.
Millions and millions on these banks he views,
Thick as the stars of night, and morning dews,

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As

As thick as bees o'er vernal bloffoms fly,
As thick as eggs at Ward in Pillory.

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30

Wond'ring he gaz'd: When lo! a Sage appears, By his broad shoulders known, and length of ears, Known by the band and suit which Settle wore, (His only fuit) for twice three years before: All as the veft, appear'd the wearer's frame, Old in new state, another yet the fame. Bland and familiar as in life, begun Thus the great Father to the greater Son.

Oh born to see what none can fee awake! Behold the wonders of th' oblivious Lake.

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Thou, yet unborn, haft touch'd this facred fhore;
The hand of Bavius drench'd thee o'er and o'er.
But blind to former, as to future Fate,
What mortal knows his pre-existent state?
Who knows how long, thy transmigrating foul
Might from Baotian to Baotian roll!
How many Dutchmen fhe vouchfaf'd to thrid ?
How many stages thro' old Monks she rid?
And all who fince, in mild benighted days,

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45

Mix'd the Owl's ivy with the Poet's bays?
As man's mæanders to the vital spring

Roll all their tydes, then back their circles bring;
Or whirligigs, twirl'd round by skilful swain,
Suck the thread in, then yield it out again:
All nonsense thus, of old or modern date,

Shall in thee center, from thee circulate.
For this, our Queen unfolds to vision true
Thy mental eye, for thou haft much to view:

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Old

Old fcenes of glory, times long cast behind

Shall first recall'd, rufh forward to thy mind;
Then ftretch thy fight o'er all her rifing reign,
And let the past and future fire thy brain.

Afcend this hill, whofe cloudy point commands Her boundless empire over feas and lands. See round the Poles where keener fpangles fhine, Where fpices fmoke beneath the burning Line, Earth's wide extreams) her fable flag display'd; And all the nations cover'd in her fhade!

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60

66

Far eastward caft thine eye, from whence the Sun And orient Science at a birth begun. One god-like Monarch all that pride confounds, He, whose long wall the wand'ring Tartar bounds. Heav'ns! what a pile? whole ages perish there : And one bright blaze turns Learning into air.

Thence to the fouth extend thy gladden'd eyes; There rival flames with equal glory rife, From thelves to fhelves fee greedy Vulcan roll, Antick up all their Phyfick of the foul.

Tow little, mark! that portion of the ball,

ke, faint at best, the beams of Science fall ;
Son as they dawn, from Hyperborean skies,
Empady'd dark, what clouds of Vandals rife!
Lo where Mæotis fleeps, and hardly flows
The freezing Tanais thro' a waste of snows,
The North by myriads pours her mighty fons,
Great nurfe of Goths, of Alans, and of Huns.
See Alaric's ftern port! the martial frame
Of Genferic! and Attila's dread name!

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75

80

See,

See, the bold Oftrogoths on Latium fall;
See, the fierce Vifigoths on Spain and Gaul.
See, where the morning gilds the palmy shore
(The foil that arts and infant letters bore)
His conqu❜ring tribes th' Arabian prophet draws,
And faving Ignorance enthrones by Laws.
See Christians, Jews, one heavy fabbath keep;
And all the Western world believe and sleep.

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90

Lo Rome herself, proud mistress now no more
Of arts, but thund'ring against heathen lore;
Her gray-hair'd Synods damning books unread, 95
And Bacon trembling for his brazen head;

Padua with fighs beholds her Livy burn,
And ev❜n th' Antipodes Virgilius mourn.

See, the Cirque falls, th' unpillar'd Temple nods,
Streets pav'd with Heroes, Tyber choak'd with Gods:
Till Peter's keys fome chriften'd Jove adorn,
And Pan to Mofes lends his pagan horn;
See graceless Venus to a Virgin turn'd,

Or Phidias broken, and Apelles burn'd.

ΙΟΙ

Behold yon' Ifle, by Palmers, Pilgrims trod, 105. Men bearded, bald, cowl'd, uncowl'd, fhod, unshod, Peel'd, patch'd, and pyebald, linfey-woolfey brothers, Grave mummers! sleeveless some, and shirtless others. That once was Britain-Happy! had she seen No fiercer fons, had Eafter never been! In peace, great Goddess, ever be ador'd; How keen the war, if Dulness draw the sword? Thus vifit not thy own! on this bleft age Oh spread thy Influence, but reftrain thy Rage.

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And