Amaz'd, confus'd, he found his pow'r expir'd, 145 Refign'd to fate, and with a figh retir'd. The Peer now spreads the glitt'ring Forfex wide, T' inclose the Lock; now joins it, to divide. Ev'n then, before the fatal engine clos'd, A wretched Sylph too fondly interpos'd; 150 VER. 147.] VARIATIONS. Firft he expands the glitt'ring Forfex wide T'inclose the Lock; then joins it to divide: The meeting points the facred hair dissever, From the fair head, for ever, and for ever. All that is between was added afterwards. NOTES. The POPE. VER. 152. But airy fubftance] See Milton, lib. vi. of Satan cut afunder by the Angel Michael. POPE. This line is an admirable parody on that paffage of Milton, which, perhaps oddly enough, defcribes Satan wounded: "The griding fword, with discontinuous wound, Pafs'd thro' him; but th' etherial fubftance clos'd, The parodies are some of the most exquifite parts of this poem. That which follows from the "Dum juga montis aper," of Virgil, contains fome of the most artful ftrokes of fatire, and the moft poignant ridicule imaginable. The introduction of frequent parodies on serious and folemn paffages of Homer and Virgil, gives much life and spirit to heroicomic poetry. "Tu dors, Prelat? tu dors?" in Boileau, is the " Euders Alge vie" of Homer, and is full of humour. The wife of the barber talks in the language of Dido in her expoftulations to her Æneas, at the beginning of the second Canto of the Lutrin. Pope's parodies of Sarpedon in Homer, and of the defcription The meeting points the facred hair diffever 154 Then flash'd the living light'ning from her eyes, Let wreaths of triumph now my temples twine, Or the small pillow grace a Lady's bed, NOTES. 160 165 While description of Achilles's fceptre, together with the scales of Jupiter, from Homer, Virgil, and Milton, are judiciously introduced in their feveral places; are perhaps fuperior to those Boileau or Garth have used, and are worked up with peculiar pleafantry. The mind of the reader is engaged by novelty, when it fo unexpectedly finds a thought or object it had been accustomed to furvey in another form, fuddenly arrayed in a ridiculous garb. A mixture also of comic and ridiculous images, with fuch as are serious and important, adds no fmall beauty to this fpecies of poetry, when real and imaginary diftreffes are coupled together. "Not youthful kings, in battle seiz'd alive, Not fcornful virgins who their charms furvive," &c. Which is much fuperior to a fimilar paffage in the Difpenfary, Canto v. WARTON. VER. 165. Atalantis] A famous book written about that time by a woman: full of Court and Party fcandal; and in a loose effeminacy of style and fentiment, which well-fuited the debauched taste of the better vulgar. WARBURTON. Mrs. While vifits shall be paid on folemn days, When num'rous wax-lights in bright order blaze, Steel could the labour of the Gods destroy, NOTES. Mrs. Manley, the author of it, was the daughter of Sir Roger Manley, Governor of Guernsey, and the author of the firft volume of the famous Turkish Spy, published, from his papers, by Dr. Midgley. She was known and admired by all the wits of the times. She wrote three plays; Lucius, the laft, 1717, was dedicated to Sir Richard Steele, with whom she had quarrelled fome time before. He wrote the prologue to it, and Prior the epilogue. She was alfo celebrated by Lord Lanfdown. She died in the house of Alderman Barber, Swift's friend; and was said to have been the mistress of the Alderman. WARTON. VFR. 163, 170.] IMITATIONS. "Dum juga montis aper, fluvios dum piscis amabit, VIRG. VER. 177.] "Ille quoque eversus mons eft, &c. Quid faciant crines, cum ferro talia cedant ?” THE RAPE OF THE LOCK. CANTO IV. BUT anxious cares the penfive nymph oppress'd, Not tyrants fierce that unrepenting die, For, that fad moment, when the Sylphs withdrew, And Ariel weeping from Belinda flew, Umbriel, a dusky, melancholy sprite, As ever fully'd the fair face of light, VARIATIONS. Down VER. 11. For, that fad moment, &c.] All the lines from hence to the 94th verse, that describe the house of Spleen, are not in the first Edition; instead of them followed only these, While her rack'd Soul repofe and peace requires, The fierce Thalestris fans the rifing fires. And continued at the 94th verse of this Canto. POPE. IMITATIONS. VER. 1.]"At regina gravi," &c. VIRG. Eneid. iv. Porz. Down to the central earth, his proper scene, Repair'd to fearch the gloomy Cave of Spleen. Pain at her fide, and Megrim at her head. Two handmaids wait the throne: alike in place, But diff'ring far in figure and in face. 15 20 24 Here stood Ill-nature like an ancient maid, Her wrinkled form in black and white array'd! VER. 16. Cave of Spleen.] NOTES. "Thro' me ye pass to Spleen's terrific dome, Thro' me, to Difcontent's eternal home! By fullen humour or vaxations ftrife; And here thro' scenes of endless vapour hurl'd, 30 Practis'd Are punish'd in the forms they plagu'd the world; All ye who enter, every hope forego!" It is thus Mr. Hayley, in allufion to Dante's ftriking infcription over hell gate, begins his defcription of the dwelling of Spleen. She and her attendants are afterwards painted with force and spirit in the next 200 verses, and more. His mild and engaging Serena, her prim and four aunt Penelope, and the good old Squire, are admirable portraits. WARTON. |