Perhaps more high fome daring Son may foar,
Lift to add one Monarch more--

Strive to my
Perhaps

*

*

*.

But here the ftops, fhe yawns, fhe nods:
What Mortal can refift the Yawn of Gods?

The Poet always expreffes a very particular Regard for filent Dunces, and has here provided, that in cafe they will not waken or open to a HummingBird, or a Cockle-fhell, yet, at worft they may be Free Masons, where Taciturnity is the only effential Qualification.

It must be obferved, that Mr. Pope always kept in Memory his Enmity to Mr. Cibber, for he did not eafily forgive or forget any Injuries done to him, or by him imagin'd to be done, and juft before the Election for the Laureat, he wrote, and made it

Appendix to the DUNCIAD.

TH

HE Time of the Election of a Poet Laureat being now at Hand, it may be proper to give fome Account of the Rites and Ceremonies antiently used at that Solemnity, and only discontinued through the Neglect and Degeneracy of later Times. Thefe we have extracted from an Hiftorian of undoubted Credit, a reverend Bishop, the learned Paulus fovius; and are the fame that were practifed under the Pontificate of Leo X, the great Reftorer of Learning.

}

As we now fee an Age and a Court, that for the Encouragement of Poetry rivals, if not exceeds, that of this famous Pope; we cannot but wish a Re

floration

ftoration of all its Honours to Poefy; the rather, fince there are so many parallel Circumftances in the Perfox who was then honour'd with the Laurel, and in him, who (in all Probability) is now to wear it.

I shall translate my Author exactly as I find it in the 82d Chapter of his Elogia Vir. Doct. He begins with the Character of the Poet himfelf, who was the Original and Father of all Laureats, and called Camillo. He was a plain Country-man of Apulia, (whether a Shepherd or Thresher, is not material.)

This Man (fays fovius) excited by the Fame of "the great Encouragement given to Poets at Court,

<s

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and the high Honour in which they were held, "came to the City, bringing a ftrange Kind of Lyre "in his Hand, and at leaft fome twenty thoufand Verfes. All the Wits and Criticks of the Court "flock'd about him, delighted to fee a Clown, with a ruddy, hale Complexion, and in his own long "Hair, fo top-full of Poetry; and at the first Sight -"of him, all agreed, he was born to be Poet Lau"reat. * He had a moft hearty Welcome, in an Ifland of the River Tyber (an agreeable Place, "not unlike our Richmond) where he was firft made "to eat and drink plentifully, and to repeat his Verfes

to every Body. Then they adorn'd him with a new and elegant Garland, compofed of Vine-Leaves Laurel, and Braffica (a Sort of Cabbage) fo com"pofed, fays my Author emblematically, ut tam

fales, quàm lepidè ejus Temulentia Brafficæ remedia "cohibendi notaretur. He was then faluted by com"mon Confent with the Title of Archi-poeta, or "Arch-Poet, in the Stile of thofe Days, in ours, "Poet Laureat. This Honour the poor Man re

Appulus prepingui vultu alacer, & prolixe comatus, omnino dignus fefta Laurea videretur.

"ceiv'd with the most fenfible Demonftrations of "Joy, his Eyes drunk with Tears of Gladnefs.† "Next, the publick Acclamation was exprefs'd in "a Canticle, which is yet tranfmitted to us, as follows;

Salve, brafficæ virens corona, "Et Lauro, Archi-poeta, pampinoque, "Dignus principis auribus Leonis. All hail, Arch-poet without Peer! Vine, Bay or Cabbage, fit to wear, And worthy of thy Prince's Ear.

From hence, he was conducted in Pomp to the Capitol of Rome, mounted on an Elephant, through the Shouts of the Populace, where the Ceremony ended.

The Hiftorian tells us farther, "That at his In"troduction to Leo, he not only poured forth Ver

fes innumerable, like a Torrent, but alfo fung "them open Mouth. Nor was he only once intro"duc'd, or on ftated Days (like our Laureats) but "made a Companion to his Mafter, and entertain'd "as one of the Inftruments of his most elegant Pleafures. When the Prince was at Table, the Poet "had his Place at the Window. When the Prince "had half eaten his Meat, he gave with his own "Hands the reft to the Poet. When the Poet

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drank, it was out of the Prince's own Flaggon, "infomuch (fays the Hiftorian) that thro' fo great "good Eating and Drinking, he contracted a most "terrible Gout." Sorry I am to relate what follows, but that I cannot leave my Reader's Curiofity unfatisfied in the Catastrophe of this extraordinary' Man. To use my Author's Words, which are remarkable,

+ Manantibus præ gaudio occulis. Semefis opfoniis.

markable, mortuo Leone, profligatifque Poetis, &c. "When Leo dy'd, and Poets were no more" (for I would not understand profligatis literally, as if Poets then were profligate) this unhappy Laureat was forthwith reduced to return to his Country, where oppreffed with old Age and Want, he miferably perifh'd in a common Hofpital.

We fee from this fad Conclufion (which may be of Example to the Poets of our Time) that it were happier to meet with no Encouragement at all, to remain at the Plow, or other lawful Occupation, than to be elected above their Condition, and taken out of the common Means of Life, without a furer Support than the temporary, or at beft, mortal Favours of the Great. It was doubtlefs for this Confideration, that when the Royal Bounty was lately extended to a Rural Genius, Care was taken to fettle it upon him for Life. And it hath been the Practice of our Princes, never to remove from the Station of Poet Laureat any Man who hath once been chofen, tho' never so much greater Geniuses might arife in his Time. A noble Inftance, how much the Charity of our Monarchs hath exceeded their Love of Fame.

To come now to the Intent of this Paper. We have here the whole antient Ceremonial of the Laureat In the first Place, the Crown is to be mix'd with Vine-leaves, as the Vine is the Plant of Bacchus, and full as effential to the Honour, as the Butt of Sack to the Salary.

Secondly, the Braffica must be made ufe of, as a Qualifier of the former. It feems the Cabbage was antiently accounted a Remedy for Drunkenness, (a Power which the French now afcribe to the Onion, and ftile a Soupe made of it, Soupe d'Ivrogne) I would recommend a large Mixture of the Braffica, if Mr. Dennis be chofen; but if Mr. Tibbald, it is

not

not fo neceffary, unless the Cabbage be fuppos'd to fignify the fame Thing with Refpect to Poets, as to Taylors, viz. fealing. I fhould judge it not amifs to add another Plant to this Garland, to wit, Ivy: Not only as it antiently belong'd to Poets in general; but as it is emblematical of the three Virtues of a CourtPoet in particular; it is creeping, dirty, and dangling.

In the next Place, a Canticle must be compofed and fung, in Laud and Praise of the new Poet. If Mr. CIBBER be laureated, it is my Opinion no Man can write this but himfelf: And no Man, I am fure, can fing it fo affectingly. But what this Canticle fhould be, either in his or the other Candidate's Cafe, I fhall not pretend to determine.

Thirdly, there ought to be a publick Show, or Entry of the Poet: To fettle the Order or Proceffion of which, Mr. Anftis and Mr. DENNIS ought to have a Conference. I apprehend here two Difficulties: One of procuring an Elephant; the other, of teaching the Poet to ride him: Therefore I fhould imagine the next Animal in Size or Dignity would do beft; either a Mule or a large Afs; particularly if that noble one could be had, whofe Portraiture makes fo great an Ornament of the Dunciad; and which (unless I am mif-inform'd) is yet in the Park of a Nobleman near this City:Unless Mr. CIBBER be the Man; who may, with great Propriety and Beauty, ride on a Dragon, if he goes by Land; or if he chofe the Water, upon one of his own Swans from Cæfar in Egypt.

We have spoken fufficiently of the Ceremony: let us now speak of the Qualifications and Privileges of the Laureat. First, we fee he must be able to make Verfes extempore, and to pour forth innumerable, if requir'd: In this I doubt Mr. TIBBALD. Secondly, he ought to fing, and intrepidly, patula ore:

Here