Equal in wit, and equally polite, "But who is he, in closet close y-pent, As thou preferv'ft the dulness of the past! REMARKS. 185 190 There, The union of these two authors gave occafion to this Epigram: "Burnet and Ducket, friends in fpite, "Came hiffing out in verse; "Both were fo forward, each would write, "So dull, each hung an A "Thus Amphiboena (I have read) After "At either end affails; "None knows which leads or which is led, many Editions of this poem, the Author thought fit to omit the names of thefe two perfons, whofe injury to him was of fo old a date. Ver. 184. That fhines a Conful, this Commiffioner.] Such places were given at this time to fuch fort of Writers. Ver. 187. myfter wight,] Uncouth mortal. Ver. 188. Wormius hight.] Let not this name, purely fictitious, be conceited to mean the learned Õlaus Wormius; much lefs (as it was unwarrantably foifted into the furreptitious editions) our own Antiquary Mr. Thomas Hearne, who had no way aggrieved our Poet, but on the contrary published many curious tracts which he hath to his great contentment perused. There, dim-in clouds, the poring Scholiafts mark, But, where each Science lifts its modern type, While proud Philofophy repines to show, Imbrown'd with native bronze, lo! Henley stands, And proud Philofophy with breeches tore, REMARKS. 195 200 How Ver. 192. Wits, who, like owls, &c.] Thefe few lines exactly defcribe the right verbal critic: the darker his author is, the better he is pleafed; like the famous Quack Doctor, who put up in his bills, he delighted in matters of difficulty. Somebody faid well of these men, that their heads were Libraries out of Order. Ver. 199. lo! Henley ftands, &c.] J. Henley the Orator; he preached on the Sundays upon Theological matters, and on the Wednesdays upon all other feiences. Each auditor paid one filling. He declaimed fome years against the greateft perfons, and occafionally did our author that honour. WELSTED, in Oratory Transactions, N. 1. published by Henley himfelf, gives the following account of him. "He was born at Melton«Mowbray in Leicestershire. From his own Parish "fchool he went to St. John's College in Cambridge. "He How fluent nonsense trickles from his tongue! How sweet the periods, neither faid, nor fung! REMARKS. Still "He began there to be uneafy; for it fhocked him to "find he was commanded to believe against his own "judgment in points of Religion, Philofophy, &c. for "his genius leading him freely to dispute all propofi❝tions, and call all points to account, he was impa"tient under thofe fetters of the free-born mind.-Be❝ing admitted to Priest's orders, he found the examin"ation very fhort and fuperficial, and that it was not ne"ceffary to conform to the Chriftian religion, in order "either to Deaconfhip or Priesthood." He came to town, and, after having for fome years been a writer for Bookfellers, he had an ambition to be so for Minifters of State. The only reafon he did not rise in the Church, we are told, "was the envy of others, and a "difrelish entertained of him, because he was not qua❝lified to be a complete Spaniel." However, he offered the fervice of his pen to two great men, of opinions and interefts directly opposite; by both of whom being rejected, he fet up a new Project, and styled himself the Reftorer of ancient Eloquence. He thought" it as "lawful to take a licence from the King and Parlia"ment in one place, as another; at Hickes's Hall, as "at Doctor's Commons; fo fet up his Oratory in New"port-market, Butcher-row. There (fays his friend) he had the affurance to form a plan, which no mortal "ever thought of; he had fuccefs againft all oppofi"tion; challenged his adverfaries to fair difputations, "and none would difpute with him; writ, read, and "ftudied twelve hours a day; compofed three differta"tions a week on all fubjects; undertook to teach in "one year what schools and universities teach in five; "was not terrified by menaces, infults, or fatires, but "Atill proceeded, matured his bold scheme, and put the "Church, Still break the benches, Henley! with thy ftrain, 205 210 Yet VARIATIONS. Ver. 204. In former Ed. While K**, B**, W**, preach in vain. Here too, great Woolfton! here exalt thy throne, REMARKS. "Church, and all that in danger." WELSTED, Narrative in Orat. Tranfa&t. N. 1. After having stood fome Profecutions, he turned his rhetoric to buffoonry upon all public and private occurrences. All this paffed in the fame room; where fometimes he broke jefts, and fometimes that bread which he called the Primitive Eucharift.-This wonderful perfon ftruck Medals, which he difperfed as Tickets to his fubfcribers: the device, a star rifing to the meridian, with this motto, AD SVMMA; and below, INVENIAM VIAM AVT FACIAM. This man had an hundred pounds a-year given him for the secret service of a weekly paper of unintelligible nonfenfe, called the Hyp-Doctor. Ver. 204. Sherlock, Hare, Gibson,] Bishops of Salisbury, Chichester, and London; whofe Sermons and VOL. III. Paftoral Yet oh, my fons, a father's words attend: (So may the fates preferve the years you lend) 'Tis yours, a Bacon or a Locke to blame, A Newton's genius, or a Milton's flame: VARIATION. Ver. 216. In former Ed. - or a Seraph's flame. REMARKS. 215 But Paftoral Letters did honour to their country as well as ftations. Ver. 212. Of Toland, and Tindal, fee Book ii. Tho. Woolfton was an impious madman, who wrote in a most infolent style against the Miracles of the Gofpel, in the years 1726, &c. Ver. 213. Yet oh, my fons, &c.] The caution against Blafphemy here given by a departed Son of Duinefs to his yet exifting brethren, is, as the Poet rightly intimates, not out of tenderness to the ears of others, but their own. And fo we fee that when that danger is removed, on the open establishment of the Goddefs in the fourth book, fhe encourages her fons, and they beg affiftance to pollute the Source of Light itself, with the fame virulence they had before done the pureft emanations from it. Ver. 215. 'Tis yours, a Bacon or a Locke to blame, A NEWTON's genius, or a Milton's flame:] Thankfully received, and freely used, is this gracious licence by the beloved difciple of that Prince of Cabaliftic dunces, the tremendous Hutchinfon. Hear with what honeft plainnefs he treateth our great Geo'meter. "As to mathematical demonftration (faith he) "founded upon the proportions of lines and circles to “each other, and the ringing of changes upon figures, "these have no more to do with the greatest part of philofophy, than they have with the Man in the Moon. “Indeed, |