are more ftrongly expos'd by the Author's having made Annius himself confefs the first, and ridicule the laft.

As the Scenery of this Poem changes, and new Characters appear, the ingenious. Author has follow'd the dramatick Rule, of fhewing the Humour of each Character the ftronger, by fhewing a contraft Character to it. Annius has an opponent Connoifeur in Mummius, a Virtuofo in Syrian Coins and Egyptian Mummies; but the two Characters which will please you moft, are a Virtuofo Florift, and Virtuofo Butterfly-Fancier; they are defcrib'd among

A Tribe, with Weeds and Shells fantastick crown'd.
They have a great Cause to try, and appeal to the
Goddess:

The first thus open'd: Hear thy Suppliant's Call,
-Great Queen, and Mother of us all!
Fair, from its humble Bed, I rear'd this Flow'r ;
Suckled, and chear'd with Air, and Sun, and Show'r.
Soft on the Paper Ruff its Leaves I spread,
Bright with the gilded Bottom tipp'd its Head;
Then thron'd in Glass, and nam'd it Caroline,
Each Maid cry'd charming! and each Youth divine!
Did Nature's Pencil ever blend fuch Rays,
Such vary'd Light in one promifcuous Blaze?
Now proftrate, dead, behold that Caroline!
No Maid cries charming! and no Youth divine!
And, lo! the Wretch whofe vile, whofe infect Luft
Laid this gay Daughter of the Spring in Dust;
O punish him! or to the Elyfian Shades
Difmifs my Soul! where no Carnation fades!

The pathetick Exclamation of the Supplicant is rai-
fed with a pleasing Air of Solemnity, which is ftill
heighten❜d by,
VOL. II.

R

He

He ceas'd, and wept.

His Adverfary's plain Behaviour and narrative Speech are finely contrafted to the Paffions being affected, and the Luxuriancy of Defcription in the foregoing Quotation:

-With Innocence of Mien

Th'accus'd ftood forth, and thus addrefs'd the Queen:
Of all th' enamell'd Race, whofe filv'ry Wing
Waves to the tepid Zephyrs of the Spring,
Or fwims along the fluid Atmosphere,
One brighter fhin'd; this Child of Heat and Air
I faw, and started from its vernal Bow'r
The rifing Game, and chas'd from Flow'r to Flow'r;
It fled, I follow'd; now in Hope, now Pain;
It stopp'd, I ftopp'd; it mov'd, Imov'd again:
At laft it fix'd-('twas on what Plant it pleas'd).
And where it fix'd, the beauteous Bird I feiz'd:
Rofe or Carnation was below my Care,
I meddle, Goddefs, only in my Sphere;
I tell the naked Fact without Difguife,
And to excufe it need but fhew my Prize;
Whofe Spoils this Paper offers to your Eye,
Fair, e'en in Death, this peerless Butterfly.

After this Contest the Goddess applauds them both ; and, in a Speech, fhe recommends it to the Investigators of Nature to amuse themselves only in Trifles. -From hence the Author introduces an admirable Satire on Triflers in Philofophy and Religion :

My Sons! (fhe anfwer'd) both have done your Live happy both, and long promote our Arts. [Parts: But hear a Mother, when the recommends To your fraternal Care, our fleeping Friends.

The

The common Soul, of Heav'ns more frugal Make,
Serves but to keep Fools pert, and Knaves awake:
A drowzy Watchman that juft gives a Knock,
And breaks our Reft, to tell us what's o'Clock.
Yet by fome Object ev'ry Brain is stirr'd;
The Dull may waken to a Humming Bird;
The moft Reclufe, difcreetly open'd, find
Congenial Matter in the Coekle-kind;
The Mind in Metaphyficks at a Lofs,
May wander in a Wildernefs of Mofs;
The Head, that turns at fuper-lunar Things,
Poiz'd with a Tail, may fteer on Wilkin's Wings.
O! would the Sons of Men once think their Eyes
And Reason giv'n them but to ftudy Flies!
See Nature in fome partial narrow Shape,
And let the Author of the Whole escape:
Learn but to trifle; or, who moft obferve,
To wonder at their Maker, not to ferve.

*

Be that my Tafk, (replies a gloomy Clerk,
Sworn Foe to Myft'ry, yet divinely dark;
Whose pious Hope afpires to fee the Day
When moral Evidence fhall quite decay)
Let others creep by timid Steps, and flow,
On plain Experience lay Foundations low,
By common Senfe to common Knowledge bred,
And last, to Nature's Cause thro' Nature led.
All-feeing in thy Mifts, we want no Guide,
Mother of Arrogance, and Source of Pride!

The laft Scene of the Poem (to keep to my dramatick Parallel) which is to produce the Catastrophe, R 2 ends

* One of the firft Projectors of the Royal Society, who among many enlarg'd and useful Notions, entertain'd the extravagant Hope of a Poffibility to fly to the Moon; which has put fome volatile Genius's upon making Wings for that Purpofe.

ends with great Propriety. The Stage is full of all the Goddess's Votaries, whom the receives with Pleasure; to teftify which an old Wizard presents them with the Cup of Self Love, i

Which whofo taftes, forgets his former Friends,
Sire, Ancestor, himself: One cafts his Eyes
Up to a Star, and, like Endymion, dies;
A Feather fhooting from another's Head,
Extracts his Brain, and Principle is fled;
Loft is his God, his Country, every Thing,
And nothing left but Homage to a King.
The vulgar Herd turn off to roll with Hogs,
To run with Horses, or to hunt with Dogs;
But fad Example! never to escape
Their Infamy, ftill keep the human Shape.

After having defcrib'd the endowing them with Impudence, Stupidity, Self-conceit, venal Intereft, Degeneracy, Luxury, and affected Wisdom,

Then bleffing all, Go, Children of my Care,
To Practice now, from Theory repair ;
All my Commands are eafy, fhort, and full,
My Sons, be proud, be selfish, and be dull:
Guard my Prerogative, affert my Throne ;
This Nod confirms each Privilege your own.

Which is for Dukes, Earls, and Lords, to perfonate Running-Footmen, Fockies, Stage-Coachmen, and Flddlers, &c.

The Conclufion of this Poem the Author has made like that of our modern dramatick Pieces,without any Conclufion at all.-Deeft Finis may feem an odd Expreffion, but the Annotator thus explains it: It is impoffible to lament fufficiently the Lofs of << the

the reft of this Poem: It is to be hop'd, however, "that the Poet compleated it, and that it will not "be loft to Pofterity, if we may trust a Hint given "in one of his Satires.

Publish the present Age, but where the Text
Is Vice too high, referve it for the next."

As you have feen fome Pieces on the Stage end in a univerfal Groan, or Chorus of Yawns, our Author concludes his Poem with an univerfal Yawn, and both are the Effects of Dulness.

She yawn'd,all Nature nods: What Mortal can refift the Yawn of Gods?.. Churches and Chapels inftantly it reach'd, (St. James's firft, for leaden G-lb-t preach'd) Then catch'd the Schools, the Hall fcarce kept awake, The Convocation gap'd, but could not speak; Loft was the Nation's Senfe, nor could be found, While the long folemn Unifon went round; Wide and more wide it spread o'er all the Realm; Ev'n Palinurus nodded at the Helm;

The Vapour mild o'er each Committee crept,
Unfinish'd Treaties in each Office flept;
And chieflefs Armies doz'd out the Campaign,
And Navies yawn'd for Orders on the Main."

And now having gone over this Poem in a general Manner, we beg to be more particular. Speaking of Dulness, he gives one more Pufh at the Laureat: Soft on her Lap her Laureat Son reclines.

And before we are advanc'd one hundred Lines in the Poem, Narciffus and his Flatterer are taken Notice of: