And now to this side, now to that they noo. As Verse or Prose infuse the drowsy Goo. Dunciad, Book II HIG BOOK II. IG H on a gorgeous feat, that far outfhone, REMARK 3. TWO things there are, upon the fuppofition of which the very basis of all verbal criticism is founded and fupported: The first, that an Author could never fail to use the best word on every occafion; the fecond, that a Critic cannot chufe but know which that is. This being granted, whenever any word doth not fully content us, we take upon us to conclude, first, that the au- | thor could never have used it; and, fecondly, that he must have ufed that very one, which we conjecture in its ftead. We cannot, therefore, enough admire the learned Scriblerus for his alteration of the text in the two laft veries of the preceding book,, which in all the former editions flood thus: Hoarfe thunder to its bottom hook the bog, And the loud nation croak'd, God fave king Log. He has, with great judgment, tranfpofed these two epithets; putting boarfe to the nation, and loud to the thunder: And this being evidently the true reading, he vouchsafed not fo much as to mention the former; for which affertion of the juft right of a Critic, he merits the acknowledgment of all found Commen tators. VER. 2. Henley's gilt tub,] The pulpit of a Diffenter is ufually called a tub; but that of Mr Orator Henley was covered with velvet, and adorned with gold. He had alfo a fair altar, and over it is this extraordinary infeription, The primitive Eucharist. See the history of this perfon, book iii. IMITATIONS. VER. 1. High on a gorgeous feat] Parody of Milton. book ii. Out hone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind, Or that where on her Curls the public pours, REMARK S. Ver. 2. or Fleckno's Irish throne,] Richard Fleckno was an Irish priest, but had laid afide (as himself expreffed it) the mechanic part of priesthood. He printed fome plays, poems, letters, and travels. I doubt not, our author took occafion to mention him in respect to the Poem of ir Dryden, to which this bears fome resemblance, though of a character more different from it than that of the AEneid from the Iliad, or the Lutrin of Boileau from the Defait de Bouts rimées of Sarazin. It may be just worth mentioning, that the Eminence from whence the ancient Sophifts entertained their auditors, was called by the pompous name of a Throne;—ἐπὶ πρόνω τινὸς ὑψηλε μαλα σοφισικῶς καὶ σοβαρῶς. Themiftius, Orat i. VER. 3. Or that where on her Curls the public pours,] Edmund Curl stood in the pillory at Charing-crofs, in March 1727-8. "This (faith Edmund Curl) is a falfe Affertion-I had in"deed the corporal punishment of what the Gentlemen of the long Robe are pleafed jocofely to call mounting the Roftrum "for one hour: but that scene of action was not in the month "of March, but in February." [Curliad, 12mo p. 19.] And of the Hiftory of his being toft in a Blanket, he faith, Here, "Scrib"lerus! thou leefeth in what thou afferteft concerning the blan"ket; it was not a blanket, but a rug." p 25. Much in the famé manner Mr Cibber remonstrated, that his Brothers, at Bedlam, mentioned Book i. were not Brazen, but Blocks; yet our author let it pass unaltered, as a trifle that no way altered the relationhip. We should think (gentle Reader) that we but ill performed our part, if we corrected not as well our own errors now, as formerly thofe of the Printer. Since what moved us to this Work, was folely the love of Truth, not in the leaft any Vain glory, or Defire to contend with Great Authors. And further, our Mif takes, we conceive, will the rather be pardoned, as fcarce poffible to be avoided in writing of fuch Perfons and Works as do. ever fhun the Light. However, that we may not any way foften or extenuate the fame, we give them thee in the very words of our Antagonists: not defending, but retracting them from our heart, and craving excufe of the Parties offended: For furely in this Work, it hath been above all things our defire, to provoke no Man. SCRIBL. 5 Great Cibber fate: the proud Panaffian fneer, New age their dulness, and new bronze their face. 10 Heav'ns twinkling Sparks draw light, and point their horns. Not with more glee, by hands Pontific crown'd, With scarlet hats wide-waving circled round, Rome in her Capitol faw Querno fit, Thron'd on seven hills, the Antichrift of wit. And now the Queen, to glad her fons, proclaims By herald Hawkers high heroic Games. They fummon all her Race: An endless band Pours forth, and leaves unpeopled half the land REMARK S. 15 20 VER. 15. Rome in her Capitol faw Querno fit,] Camillo Querno was of Apulia, who hearing the great Encouragement which Leo X. gave to poets, travelled to Rome with a harp in his hand, and fung to it twenty thousand verfes of a poem called Alexias. He was introduced as a Buffoon to Leo, and promoted to the honour of the Laurel; a jelt which the court of Rome and the Pope himself entered into fo far, as to caufe him ride on an elephant to the Capitol, and to hold a folemn festival on his coronation; at which it is recorded the Poet himself was fo transported as to weep for joy. He was ever after a conftant frequenter of the Pope's table, drank abundantly, and poured forth verfes without number. PAULUS JOVIUS, Elog. Vir. doct. cap. lxxxii. Some idea of his poetry is given by Fam. Strada, in his Prolufions. * See Life of C. C. chap. vi. p. 149. VOL. II. A motley mixture! in long wigs, in bags, In filks, and crapes, in garters, and in rags, Amid that area wide they took their stand, 25 Where the tall may-pole once o'er-look'd the Strand, But now (fo ANNE and Piety ordain) A Church collects the faints of Drury-lane. With Authors, Stationers obey'd the call, (The field of glory is a field for all.) 30 Glory and gain, th' induftrious tribe provoke ; A Poet's form fhe plac'd before their eyes, 35 And bad the nimblest racer seize the prize; IMITATIONS. VER. 2.35. A Poet's form she plac'd before their eyes,] This is what Juno does to deceive Turnus Æn. x. Tum Dea nube cava, tenuem fine viribus umbram In faciem Æneæ (vifu mirabile monstrum!) Divini affimilat capitis Dat fine mente fonum Dat inania verba, The reader will obferve how exactly fome of these verses fuit with their allegorical application here to a plagiary: There seems to me a great propriety in this Epifode, where fuch an one is imaged by a phantom that deludes the grafp of the expecting * Bookfeller. |