Another Phoebus, thy own Phoebus, reigns, The gathering number, as it moves along, Who, gently drawn, and struggling less and less, Nor absent they, no members of her state, 70 On two unequal crutches propt he came, When Dulness, smiling-thus revive the wits! 120 Let standard authors thus, like trophies borne, A page, a grave, that they can call their own; 80 On passive paper, or on solid brick: 90 100 And while on Fame's triumphant car they ride, 130 Now crowds on crowds around the goddess press, Each eager to present the first address. Dunce scorning dunce behold the next advance, REMARKS. Ver. 113. The decent knight.] An eminent person who was about to publish a very pompous edition of a great author at his own expense. Ver. 115, &c.] These four lines were printed in a separate leaf by Mr. Pope in the last edition, which he himself gave, of the Dunciad, with directions to the printer, to put this leaf into its place as soon as Sir T. H.'s Shakspeare should be published. Ver. 119. Thus revive,' &c.] The goddess applauds the practice of tacking the obscure names of persons not eminent in any branch of learning, to those of the most distinguished writers; either by printing editions of their works with impertinent alterations of their text, as in former in There march'd the bard and blockhead side by stances; or by setting up monuments disgraced with their side, Who rhym'd for hire, and patroniz'd for pride. REMARKS. own vile names and inscriptions, as in the latter. Ver. 128. A page, a grave,] For what less than a grave can be granted to a dead author! or what less than a page can be allowed a living one? Tbid. A page,] Pagina, not pedissequus. A page of a book, not a servant, follower, or attendant; no poet having had a page since the death of Mr. Thomas Durfey. Scribl. Ver. 131. So by each bard an alderman, &c.] Vide the Tombs of the Poets, editio Westmonasteriensis. ment erected for Butler by alderman Barber. Ibid. -an alderman shall sit,] Alluding to the monu Ver. 132. A heavy lord shall bang at every wit.] How unnatural an image, and how ill supported! saith Aristarchus. Had it been, A heavy wit shall hang at every lord, something might have been said, in an age so distinguished Ver. 76 to 101. It ought to be observed that here are three for well-judging patrons. For lord, then, read lond; that is, classes in this assembly. The first, of men absolutely and of debts here, and of commentaries hereafter. To this puravowedly dull, who naturally adhere to the goddess, and are pose, conspicuous is the case of the poor author of Hudibras, imaged in the simile of the bees about their queen. The whose body, long since weighed down to the grave by a load second involuntarily drawn to her, though not caring to own of debts, has lately had a more unmerciful load of commen her influence; from ver. 81 to 90. The third, of such as, taries laid upon his spirit; wherein the editor has achieved though not members of her state, yet advance her service more than Virgil himself, when he turned critic, could boast by flattering Dulness, cultivating mistaken talents, patronis-of, which was only, that he had picked gold out of another ing vile scribblers, discouraging living merit, or setting up man's dung; whereas the editor has picked it out of his for wits, and men of taste in arts they understand not; from own. ver. 91 to 101. Ver. 108. -bow'd from side to side:] As being of no one Scribl. Aristarchus thinks the common reading right: and that the author himself had been struggling, and but just shaken off his load, when he wrote the following epigram: My lord complains, that Pope, stark mad with gardens, To stick the doctor's chair into the throne, When lo! a spectre rose, whose index-hand Words are man's province, words we teach alone. 150 To ask, to guess, to know, as they commence, 180 Prompt at the call, around the goddess roll Nor wert thou, Isis! wanting to the day, [Though Christ-church long kept prudishly away.] Each staunch polemic, stubborn as a rock, Each fierce logician, still expelling Locke, Came whip and spur, and dash'd through thin and thick 160 On German Crouzaz, and Dutch Burgersdyck. REMARKS. 200 some old homily, were talked, written, and preached into vogue in that inglorious reign." Ver. 194. Though Christ-church, &c.] This line is doubtless spurious, and foisted in by the impertinence of the edi170 tor; and accordingly we have put it in between hooks. For I affirm this college came as early as any other, by its proper deputies; nor did any college pay homage to Dulness in its whole body. Bentl. 'Oh,' cried the goddess, for some pedant reign! Some gentle James, to bless the land again; Ver. 137, 138. REMARKS. Dunce scorning dunce behold the next advance, This is not to be ascribed so much to the different manners Scribl. Ver. 151. Like the Samian Letter.] The letter Y used by Pythagoras, as an emblem of the different roads of virtue and vice. Ver. 196. Still expelling Locke.] In the year 1703 there was a meeting of the heads of the University of Oxford, to censure Mr. Locke's Essay on Human Understanding, and to forbid the reading of it. See his Letters in the last edition. Ver. 198. On German Crouzaz, and Dutch Burgersdyck.] There seems to be an improbability that the doctors and heads of houses should ride on horseback, who of late days being gouty or unwieldy, have kept their coaches. But these are horses of great strength, and fit to carry any weight, as their German and Dutch extraction may manfest; and very famous we may conclude, being honoured with names, as were the horses Pegasus and Bucephalus. Scribl. of this eminent scholiast, and must own that nothing can be Though I have the greatest deference to the penetration of criticism, which directs us to keep the literal sense, when more natural than his interpretation, or juster than that rule absurdity in supposing a logician on horseback,) yet still I no apparent absurdity accompanies it (and sure there is no must needs think the hackneys here celebrated were not real horses, nor even Centaurs, which, for the sake of the learnforced to find them four legs, but downright plain men, ed Chiron, I should rather be inclined to think, if I were though logicians: and only thus metamorphosed by a rule where he calls Clavius, Un esprit pesant, lourd, sans subof rhetoric, of which Cardinal Perron gives us an example, 'Et tibi quæ Samios diduxit litera ramos.'-Pers. tilite, ni gentilesse, un gros cheval d'Allemagne.' Here I profess to go opposite to the whole stream of comVer. 174. That master-piece of man.] Viz. an epigram.mentators. I think the poet only aimed, though awkwardly, The famous Dr. South declared a perfect epigram to be as at an elegant Græcism in this representation; for in that landifficult a performance as an epic poem. And the critics guage the word '05 (horse) was often prefixed to others, say, An epic poem is the greatest work human nature is to denote greatness of strength; as aboм, capable of." γλώσσον, ιππομαραθρον, and particularly ΙΙΟΓΝΩΜΩΝ, Ver. 176. Some gentle James, &c.] Wilson tells us that a great connoisseur, which comes nearest to the case in this king, James the first, took upon himself to teach the hand. Scip. Maff. Latin tongue to Car, earl of Somerset; and that Gondomar, Ver. 199. The streams.] The river Cam, running by the the Spanish ambassador, would speak false Latin to him, walls of these colleges, which are particularly famous for on purpose to give him the pleasure of correcting it, whereby their skill in disputation. he wrought himself into his good graces. Ver. 202. Sleeps in port,] Viz. 'Now retired into harThis great prince was the first who assumed the title of bour, after the tempests that had long agitated his society." Sacred Majesty, which his loyal clergy transferred from So Scriblerus. But the learned Scipio Maffei understands it God to him. The principles of passive obedience and non- of a certain wine called Port, from Oporto, a city of Porturesistance,' says the author of the Dissertation on Parties, gal, of which this professor invited him to drink abundantly. Letter 8, which before his time had skulked, perhaps in Scip. Maff. De Compotationibus Academicis. [And to the 210 Before them march'd that awful Aristarch; Let Freind affect to speak as Terence spoke, REMARKS. For me, what Virgil, Pliny may deny Or chew'd by blind old scholiasts o'er and o'er, 230 Are things which Kuster, Burnham, Wasse shall see 'Ah think not, mistress! more true dulness lies opinion of Maffei inclineth the sagacious annotator on Dr. Scribl. Ver 214. Critics like me-] Alluding to two famous editions of Horace and Milton; whose richest veins of poetry he had prodigally reduced to the poorest and most beggarly prose.-Verily the learned scholiast is grievously mistaken. Aristarchus is not boasting here of the wonders of his art in annihilating the sublime; but of the usefulness of it, in reducing the turgid to its proper class; the words make it prose again,' plainly showing that prose it was, though ashamed of its original, and therefore to prose it should return. Indeed, much it is to be lamented that Dulness doth not confine her critics to this useful task; and commission them to dismount what Aristophanes calls PS Capova, all prose on horse-back. Scribl. Ver. 216. Author of something yet more great than letter;] Alluding to those granimarians, such as Palamedes and Simonides, who invented single letters. But Aristarchus, who had found out a double one, was therefore wor thy of double honour. Scribl. Ver. 217, 218. While towering o'er your alphabet, like Saul.-Stands, our digamma,] Alludes to the boasted restoration of the Eolie digamma, in his long pro ected edition of Homer. He calls it something more than letter, from the enormous figure it would make among the other letters, being one gamma, set upon the shoulders of another. 240 250 Plague with dispute, or persecute with rhyme. 260 REMARKS. 270 had it in their choice to comment either on Virgil or Manilius, Pliny or Solinus, have chosen the worse author, the more freely to display their critical capacity. Ver. 220. Of Me or Te.] It was a serious dispute, about which the learned were much divided, and some treatises written: had it been about meum and tuum it could not be more contested, than whether at the end of the first Ode of Horace, to read, Me doctarum hedere præmia frontium, Ver. 228, &c. Suidas, Gellius, Stobæus.] The first a or Te doctarum hedera-By this the learned scholiast would dictionary-writer, a collector of impertinent facts and barseem to insinuate that the dispute was not about meum and barous words; the second a minute critic; the third an autuum, which is a mistake: for as a venerable sage observ-thor, who gave his common place book to the public, where eth, words are the counters of wise men, but the money of we happen to find much mince-meat of old books. fools; so that we see their property was indeed concerned. Ver. 245, 246. Barrow, Atterbury.] Isaac Barrow, master of Trinity, Francis Atterbury, dean of Christ church, Ver. 222. Or give up Cicero to C or K.] Grammatical both great geniuses and eloquent preachers; one more condisputes about the manner of pronouncing Cicero's name in versant in the sublime geometry, the other in classical learoGreek. It is a dispute whether in Latin the name of Hering; but who equally made it their care to advance the pomagoras should end in as or a. Quintilian quotes Cicero as writing it, Hermagora, which Bentley rejects, and says, Quintilian must be mistaken, Cicero could not write it so, find that in this case he would not believe Cicero himself. These are his very words: Ego vero Ciceronem ita scripsisse ne Ciceroni quidem affirmanti crediderim.-Epist. ad Mill. in fin. Frag. Menand. et Phil. Scribl. Ver. 223, 224. Freind-Alsop.] Dr. Robert Freind, master of Westminster-school, and canon of Christ-churchDr. Anthony Alsop, a happy imitator of the Horatian style, Ver. 226. Manilius and Solinus.] Some critics having lite arts in their several societies. Ver. 272. Laced governor.] Why laced? Because gold and silver are necessary trimming to denote the dress of a person of rank, and the governor must be supposed so in foreign countries, to be admitted into courts and other places of fair reception. But how comes Aristarchus to know at sight that this governor came from France? Know? Why, by the laced coat. Scribl. Ibid. Whore, pupil, and laced governor.] Some critics have objected to the order here, being of opinion that the governor should have the precedence before the whore, if Walker! our hat'-nor more he deign'd to say, In flow'd at once a gay embroider'd race, But chief her shrine where naked Venus keeps, Receive, great empress! thy accomplish'd son; Prop thine, O empress! like each neighbour throne, 300 And make a long posterity thy own.' Pleased, she accepts the hero and the dame, Love-whispering woods, and lute resounding waves; No cause, no trust, no duty, and no friend. REMARKS. Thee too, my Paridel! she mark'd thee there, REMARKS. 340 not before the pupil. But were he so placed, it might be thought to insinuate that the governor led the pupil to the whore; and were the pupil placed first, he might be supposed to lead the governor to her. But our impartial poet, as he much erudition and learned conjecture: the blessing of a is drawing their picture, represen's them in the order in which they are generally seen; namely, the pupil between the whore and the governor; but placeth the whore first, as she usually governs both the other. rake signifying no more than that he might be a rake; the effects of a thing for the thing itself, a common figure. The careful mother only wished her son might be a rake, as well knowing that its attendant blessings would follow of course. Ver. 307. But chief, &c.] These two lines, in their force of imagery and colouring, emulate and equal the pencil of Rubens. Ver. 280. As if he saw St. James's.] Reflecting on the disrespectful and indecent behaviour of several forward young persons in the presence, so offensive to all serious men, and to none more than the good Scriblerus. Ver. 308. And Cupids ride the lion of the deeps;] The Ver. 281. The attendant orator.] The governor above winged lion, the arms of Venice. This republic, heretofore said. The poet gives him no particular name: being un-the most considerable in Europe, for her naval force and the willing, I presume, to offend or to do injustice to any, by extent of her commerce; now illustrious for her carnivals. celebrating one only with whom this character agrees, in Ver. 318. Greatly daring dined:] It being, indeed, no preference to so many who equally deserve it. Scribl. small risk to eat through those extraordinary composiVer. 284. A dauntless infant! never scared with God.]tions, whose disguised ingredients are generally unknown to 1. e. brought up in the enlarged principles of modern educa- the guests, and highly inflammatory and unwholesome. tion; whose great point is, to keep the infant mind free from Ver. 324. With nothing but a solo in his head;] With the prejudices of opinion, and the growing spirit unbroken nothing but a solo? Why, if it be a solo, how should there by terrifying names. Amongst the happy consequences of be any thing else? Palpable tautology! Read boldly an this reformed discipline, it is not the least that we have opera, which is enough of conscience for such a bead as has never afterwards any occasion for the priest, whose trade, lost all its Latin. as a modern wit informs us, is only to finish what the nurse Ver. 326. Jansen, Fleetwood, Cibber.] Three very emiScribl. nent persons, all managers of plays: who, though not goVer. 286. The blessing of a rake.] Scriblerus is here vernors by profession, had, each in his way, concerned themmuch at a loss to find out what this blessing should be. He selves in the education of youth; and regulated their wits, is sometimes tempted to imagine it might be the mar- their morals, or their finances, at that period of their age rying a great fortune: but this again, for the vulgarity of it, which is the most important, their entrance into the polite he rejects, as something uncommon seemed to be prayed world. Of the last of these, and his talents for this end, see for: and after many strange conceits, not at all to the ho- Book i. ver. 199, &c. began. nour of the fair sex, he at length rests in this, that it was, that her son might pass for a wit: in which opinion he for tifies himself by ver. 316, where the orator, speaking of his pupil, says that be Bentl. Ver. 331. Her too receive, &c.] This confirms what the learned Scriblerus advanced in his note on ver. 272, that the governor, as well as the pupil, had a particular interest in this lady. Intrigued with glory, and with spirit whored, Ver. 341. Thee too, my Paride!!] The poet seems to speak of this young gentleman with great affection. The which seems to insinuate that her prayer was heard. Here name is taken from Spenser, who gives it to a wandering the good scholiast, as, indeed, every where else, lays open courtly 'squire, that travelled about for the same reason for the very soul of modern criticism, while he makes his own which many young 'squires are now fond of travelling, and ignorance of a poetical expression hold open the door to especially to Paris. And heard thy everlasting yawn confess But Annius, crafty seer, with ebon wand, 351 380 True, he had wit, to make their value rise : Where bask on sunny banks the simple sheep, Grant, gracious goddess! grant me still to cheat; Ver. 363. Attys and Cecrops.] The first king of Athens, of whom it is hard to suppose any coins are extant; but not so improbable as what follows, that there should be any of Mahomet, who forbade all images; and the story of whose pigeon was a monkish fable. Nevertheless, one of these Anniuses made a counterfeit medal of that impostor, now in the collection of a learned nobleman. The goddess, smiling, seem'd to give consent; So back to Pollio, hand in hand they went. 390 The first thus open'd: 'Hear thy suppliant's call, 410 He ceased, and wept. With innocence of mien, The accused stood forth, and thus address'd the queen: 'Of all the enamell'd race, whose silvery wing 421 Waves to the tepid zephyrs of the spring, REMARKS. Ver. 371. Mummius.] This name is not merely an allusion to the Mummius he was so fond of, but probably referred to the Roman general of that name, who burned Corinth, and committed the curious statues to the captain of a ship, assuring him, that if they were lost or broken, he met two physicians, of whom he demanded assistance. One should procure others to be made in their stead;' by which advised purgations, the other vomits. In this uncertainty it should seem (whatever may be pretended) that Mummius he took neither, but pursued his way to Lyons, where he was no virtuoso. found his ancient friend the famous physician and antiquary Ibid. Fool-renown'd,] A compound epithet in the Greek Dufour, to whom he related his adventure. Dufour, withmanner, renowned by fools, or renowned for making fools. out staying to inquire about the uneasy symptoms of the Ver. 372. Cheops.] A king of Egypt whose body was burthen he carried, first asked him, whether the medals certainly to be known, as being buried alone in his pyramid, were of the higher empire? He assured him they were. and is therefore more genuine than any of the Cleopatras. Dufour was ravished with the hope of possessing so rare a This royal mummy, being stolen by a wild Arab, was pur-treasure; he bargained with him on the spot for the most chased by the consul of Alexandria, and transmitted to the curious of them, and was to recover them at his own expense. museum of Mummius; for proof of which he brings a pas Ver. 387. Witness great Ammon!] Jupiter Ammon is sage in Sandy's Travels, where that accurate and learned called to witness, as the father of Alexander, to whom those voyager assures us that he saw the sepulchre empty, which kings succeeded in the division of the Macedonian empire, agrees exactly, saith he, with the time of the theft above- and whose horns they wore on their medals. mentioned. But he omits to observe that Herodotus tells Ver. 394. Douglas.] A physician of great learning and the same thing of it in his time. no less taste; above all, curious in what related to Horace, Ver. 375. Speak'st thou of Syrian princes? &c.] The of whom he collected every edition, translation, and comstrange story following, which may be taken for a fiction of ment, to the number of several hundred volumes. the poet, is justified by a true relation in Spon's Voyages. Ver. 409. And named it Caroline:] It is a compliment Vaillant (who wrote the History of the Syrian kings as it is which the florists usually pay to princes and great persons, to be found on medals) coming from the Levant, where he to give their names to the most curious flowers of their had been collecting various coins, and being pursued by a raising: some have been very jealous of vindicating this hocorsair of Sallee, swallowed down twenty gold medals. A nour, but none more than that ambitious gardener at Hamsudden borasque freed him from the rover, and he got to me:smith, who caused his favourite to be painted on his Land with them in his belly. On his road to Avignon he sign, with this inscription: This is my Queen Caroline. |