In the Speech which this formidable Spectre makes all the Errors of common fcholaftick Education are pointed out; none are more ftrongly or more juftly mark'd, than that univerfal Rule in our beft-modelled Schools and royal Foundations, of making all Boys make Verfes, as if we were to have a Nation of Rhymers, inftead of Men of good Understanding. The School-mafter very humorously fays of his Pupils;

Whate'er the Talents, or howe'er defign'd,
We hang one jingling Padlock on the Mind;
A Poet the first Day he dips his Quill;
And what the last ?-A very Poet still.
Pity! the Charm works only in our Wall;
Loft! loft! too foon, in yonder House or Hall.
There truant Wyndham ev'ry Mufe gave o❜er;
There Talbot funk, and was a Wit no more!
How fweet an Ovid Murray was, our Boast;
How many
Martials were in Pult'ney loft!
From this the Author introduces Remarks on verbal
Criticifm, and has very accurately depicted the Hat,
Form, Look, and Speech of the Mafter of Tri-ty=
Coll, Cambridge. A great Part of this Part of the
Satire is loft to moft Readers, by not knowing the
fecret Hiftory of the venerable Ariftarchus, and his
humble 'Squire Walkerus: Nor hath the profound
Scriblerus, in his Notes, fufficiently illuftrated Scipio
Maffiei's Remark, de Compotationibus Academicis.

From the Univerfity he changes the Scene to a modern fine Gentleman with his travelling Tutor, just arriv'd from his Tour; and the Doctor makes his Exit with,

But wherefore waste I Words! I fee advance,
Whore, Pupil, and lac'd Governor from France.

The

The learned Commentator on this Author has, contrary to modern Commentators, a Note worth tranfcribing;

Whore, Pupil, and lac'd Governor.

1

"Some Criticks have objected to the Order here, "being of Opinion, that the Governor should have "the Precedence before the Whore, if not before "the Pupil: But were he fo plac'd, it might be. "thought to infinuate, that the Governor led the "Pupil to the Whore; and were the Pupil plac'd "first, he might be fuppofed to lead the Governor "to her. But our impartial Poet, as he is drawing "their Pictures, reprefents them in the Order ia "which they are generally feen; namely, the Pupil "between the Whore and the Governor; but pla"ceth the Whore firft, as the ufually governs both "the other."

Thefe Characteristicks are very fevere on our Petit Maîtres, and their polite Governors, who make the Tour of Europe only to glean every Vice and Folly they meet with; but I am forry to fay the Poet has confin'd himself to Truth, and there have very lately been known fuch Tutors and fuch Pupils. The Speech of the Governor to Dulness, in Recommendation of his Charge, is a juft Cenfure on modern Education; I fhall quote only that Part, which defcribes his foreign Tour:

Intrepid then o'er Seas and Lands he flew,
Europe he faw, and Europe faw him too.
There all thy Gifts and Graces we difplay,
Thou, only thou, directing all our Way,
To where the Seine, obfequious as he runs,
Pours at great Bourbon's Feet her filken Sons:

Or

Or Tyber, now no longer Roman, rolls,
Vain of Italian Arts, Italian Souls;

To Ifles of Fragrance, lilly-filver'd Vales,
Diffufing Languor in the panting Gales;
To Lands of finging or of dancing Slaves,
Love-whifp'ring Woods, and lute-refounding Waves.
* But chief her Shrine where naked Venus keeps,
And Cupids ride the Lion of the Deeps.
Led by my Hand, he faunter'd Europe round,
And gather'd every Vice on Chriftian Ground;
Saw every Court, heard every King declare
His royal Senfe of Op'ras and the Fair.
The Stews and Palace equally explor'd,
Intrigu'd with Glory, and with Spirit whor'd.

This is, to the Shame of our young Gentry be it fpoke, too just a Defcription of their beginning and finishing their Travels; we have, however, fome Exceptions, and fome young Noblemen who have done an Honour to their Country abroad; and by acquiring a Knowledge of Men, of Commerce, of the Interefts and Tempers of foreign Courts, with the different Policies of different Nations, will be of Service to their Country at home. Lord Halifax in the House of Peers, and feveral Gentlemen in the Commons, are illuftrious Examples for the young British Gentry: Thefe have greatly ferv'd their Country in the Senate, at a Time of Life when most others employ theirs in Pleasure and Libertinifm.

After the Poets well-tim'd Cenfure on modern Education, he introduces a fhort but excellent Satire on a Sett of People, fome of which you meet with almoft in every Family; I mean the Indolents, to whom every Duty of Life, or neceffary Business of it, is a

Fatigue ;

Venice, whofe Arms are a flying Lyon.

Fatigue; on these Dulness sheds her Influence: You would be pleas'd at their Defcription. The Goddefs, fays the Poet,

-faw a lazy, lolling Sort,

Unknown at Church, at Senate, or at Court,
Of ever-liftlefs Loit'rers, that attend
No Caufe, no Truft, no Duty, and no Friend;
The too, my Paridel, fhe mark'd thee there,
Stretch'd on the Rack of a too-eafy Chair;
And heard thy everlasting Yawn confefs
The Pains and Penalties of Idlenefs.
She pitied, but her Pity only shed
Benigner Influence on thy nodding Head.

From this Species of Dulness the Author fhifts the Scene, which tho' it has been drawn by other Authors, is here reprefented with new Humour. As this Satire was intended to expofe Triflers in Arts and Sciences, and thofe who, thro' Affectation of Knowledge, were the Patrons of them, the Author could not fuffer our modern Antiquaries in Gems and Medals to pafs uncenfur'd. It is incredible what Inventions and Arts are practis'd to make Antiques which fome Perfons of Quality purchase at a high Rate, only becaufe they think they are antique, and they poffefs a little Bit of Copper or Silver, the like of which very few in the World have befides thenfelves. As particularly mark'd as the Character of Annius may feem, there are many of them to be feen at Cox's Auctions. The Name was taken from Annius the Monk of Viterbo, famous for many Impofitions and Forgeries of antient Manufcripts and Infcriptions; which he was prompted to by mere Vanity, but our Annius had a more fubftantial Motive. -Grant

Grant me ftill to cheat!

O may thy Cloud ftill cover the Deceit !
-Da, pulchra Laverna,

HOR.

Da mihi fallere.

Noctem peccatis & fraudibus objice nubem.

*

Some read Skill, but that is frivolous, for Annius hath that Skill already; or if he had not, Skill were not wanting to cheat fuch Perfons:

Annius, crafty Seer, with ebon Wand, And well-diffembled Em'rald on his Hand, Falfe as his Gems, and canker'd as his Coins, Came, cramm'd with Capons, from where Polio Soft as the wily Fox is feen to creep, [dines; Where bafks on funny Banks the fimple Sheep, Walks round and round, now prying here, now there; So he, but pious whisper'd first this Pray'r :

Grant, gracious Goddefs! grant me still to cheat, O! inay thy Cloud ftill cover the Deceit ! Thy choicer Mift on this Affembly fhed; But pour them thickest on the noblest Head: So fhall each Youth, affifted by our Eyes, See other Cæfars, other Homers rife; Thro' twilight Ages hunt th' Athenian Fowl, Which Calchis Gods and Mortals call an Owl. Now fee an Atys, now a Cecrops clear; Nay, Mahomet, with Pigeon at his Ear; Be rich in antient Brafs, tho' not in Gold, And keep his Lares, tho' his House be fold; To headless Phabe, his fair Bride poftpone ; Honour a Syrian Prince before his own; Lord of an Otho, if I vouch it true, Bleft in one Niger, 'till he knows of two.

These Impofitions of our Virtuofi, and the Credulity and Folly of those who become their Dupes,

are