Fair as before her works she stands confefs’d, In flowers and pearls by bounteous Kirkall dress’d. 160 The Goddess then : “Who beft can send on high “ The falient spout, far streaming to the sky; “ His be yon Juno of majestic fize, “ With cow-like udders, and with ox-like eyes. « This China Jordan let the chief o'ercome 165 “ Replenish, not ingloriously, at home."

Olborne and Curll accept the glorious strife, (Though this his Son dissuades, and that his Wife.)

One

66

REMARKS.

12mo,

Ver. 160. Kirkall,] the name of an Engraver. Some of this Lady's works were printed in four volumes in

with her picture thus dressed up before them. Ver. 167. Osborne, Thomas! A bookseller in Gray's Inn, very well qualified by his impudence to act this part; therefore placed here instead of a less deserving predecessor. (Chapman, the publisher of Mrs. Haywood's New Utopia, &c.] This man published advertisements for a year together, pretending to sell Mr. Pope's Subscription books of Homer's Iliad at half the price : Of which book he had none, but cut to the fize of them (which was Quarto) the common books in folio, without Copper-plates, on a worse paper,

and above half the value.

Upon this advertisement the Gazetteer harangued thus, July 6, 1739, “ How melancholy must it be to a Writer to be so unhappy as to see his works hawked for « sale in a manner fo fatal to his fame! How, with hou nour to yourself, and Justice to your Subscribers, can " this be done! What an Ingratitude to be charged on “ the Only honeft Poet that lived in 1738! and than

never

One on his manly confidence relies,
One on his vigour and superior size.

170 First Olborne lean'd against his letter'd poft: It rose, and labour'd to a curve at most. So Jove's bright bow displays its watery round (Sure fign, that no fpectator shall be drown'd). A second effort brought but new disgrace,

175 The wild Meander wash'd the Artist's face: Thus the small jett, which hasty hands unlock, Spirts in the gardener's eyes who turns the cock. Not so from shameless Curll; impetuous spread The stream, and smoking flourish'd o'er his head. 180 So (fam'd like thee for turbulence and horns) Eridanus his humble fountain scorns; Through half the heavens he pours th' exalted urn; His rapid waters in their passage burn.

Swift

REMARKS.

« whom Virtue has not had a fhriller Trumpeter for

many ages! That you were once generally admired " and esteemed, can be denied by none; but that you “ and your works are now despised, is verified by this “ fact:" which being utterly false, did not indeed much humble the Author, but drew this just chastisement on the Bookseller.

Ver. 183. Through half the heavens he pours th' exalted urn;] In a manuscript Dunciad (where are some marginal corrections of foine gentlemen some time des ceased) I have found another reading of these lines, thus,

“ And lifts his urn, through half the heavens to flow; “ His rapid waters in their passage glow,

Swift as it mounts, all follow with their eyes: 185 Still happy impudence obtains the prize. Thou triumph'ft, Victor of the high-wrought day, And the pleas'd dame, foft smiling, lead's away.

Osborne,

REMARKS.

:

This I cannot but think the right: Tor, firit, though the difference between burn and glow may feem not very material to others, to me I confess the latter has an elegance, a je ne fçay quoy, which is much easier to be conceived' than explained. Secondly, every reader of our poet must have observed how frequently he uses this word glow in other parts of his works : To instance only in his Homer :

(1.) Iliad ix. ver. 726.-With one resentment glows. (2.) Iliad xi. ver. 626.-There the battle glows. (3.) Ibid. ver. 985.---The closing flesh that instant

ceas'd to glow. (4.) Iliad xii. ver. 45.–Encompass'd Hector glows. (5.) Ibid. ver. 475.-His beating breast with gene

rous ardour glows. (6.) Iliad xviii. ver. 591.--Another part glow'd with

refulgent arms. (7.) Ibid. ver. 654. - And curl'd on silver props in order glow.

I am afraid of growing too luxuriant in examples, or I could stretch this catalogue to a great extent; but there are enough to prove his fondness for this beautiful word, which, therefore, let all future editions replace here.

I am aware, after all, that burn is the proper word to convey an idea of what was faid to be Mr. Curll's condition at this time : But from that very reason I infer the direct contrary. For surely every lover of our author will conclude" he had more humanity than to insult a man on such a misfortune or calamity, which could never befal him purely by his own fault, but from an unhappy communication with anoiher. This note is half Mr. i heobald, half SCRIBL. VOL. III.

L

a

Osborne, through perfect modesty o'ercome,
Crown'd with the Jordan, walks contented home. 190

But now for Authors nobler palms remain ;
Room for my Lord ! three Jockeys in his train ;
Six huntsmen with a shout precede his chair :
He grins, and looks broad nonsense with a stare.
His Honour's meaning Dulness thus exprest, 195

He wins this Patron, who can tickle best."

He chinks his purse, and takes his feat of state : With ready quills the Dedicators wait; Now at his head the dextrous task commence, And, instant, fancy feels th' imputed sense; Now gentle touches wanton o'er his face, He struts Adonis, and affects grimace : Rolli the feather to his ear conveys, Then his nice taste directs our Operas : Bentley his mouth with classic flattery opes, 205 And the puff’d orator bursts out in tropes.

Bat VARIATION. Ver. 205. In former Ed. Welsted.

200

REMARKS.

Ver. 203. Paolo Antonio Rolli,) an Italian Poet, and writer of many Operas in that Language, which, partly by the help of his genius, prevailed in England near twenty years. He taught Italian to fome fine Gentlemen, who affected to direct the Operas.

Ver. 205. Bentley his mouth, &c.] Not spoken of the famous Dr. Richard Bentley, but of one Tho. Bentley, a small critic, who aped his uncle in a little Horace. The great one was intended to be dedicated to the Lord Halifax, but (on a change of the Ministry) was given to the Earl of Oxford; for which reason the little one. was dedicated to his son the Lord Harley.

But Welsted most the Poet's healing balm
Strives to extract from his soft, giving palm;
Unlucky Welfted! thy unfeeling master,
The more thou ticklest, gripes his fist the faster.

210 While

VARIATIONS. Ver. 207. in the first Edit.

But Oldmixon the Poet's healing balm, &c. And again in ver. 209. Unlucky Oldmixon !

REMARKS Ver. 207. Welsted] Leonard Welfted, author of the Triumvirate, or a Letter in verse from Palæmon to Celia at Bath, which was meant for a satire on Mr. P. and some of his friends about the year 1718. He writ other things which we cannot remember. Smedley, in his Metamorphosis of Scriblerus, mentions one, the Hymn of a Gentleman to his Creator : And there was another in praise either of a Cellar, or a Garret. L. W. characterized in the Lepa Bríbe's, or the Art of Sinking, as a Didapper, and after as an Eel, is said to be this person, by Dennis, Daily Journal of May 11, 1728. "He was also characterized under another animal, a Mole, by the author of the ensuing Simile, which was handed about at the same time :

“ Dear Welíted, mark, in dirty hole,
“ That painful animal, a Mole:
“ Above ground never born to grow ;
“ What mighty stir it keeps below!
“ To make a Mole-hill all his ftrife!
“ It digs, pokes, undermines for life.
“ How proud a little dirt to spread;
“ Conscious of nothing o'er its head!
“ Till, labouring on for want of eyes,

“ It blunders into Light and dies." You have hiin again in book iii. ver. 169.