Bentley his mouth with claffic flatt'ry opes, 205 And the puff'd orator bursts out in tropes. REMARK 3. VER. 203. Paulo 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 ire the Operas VER. 205. Bentley his mouth, &c.] Not fpoken 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 Hallifax, but (on a change of the Miniftry) was given to the Earl of Oxford; for which reafon the little one was dedicated to his fon the Lord Harley. A tafte of his Claffic Elocution may be feen in his following Panegyric on the Peace of Utrecht. Cupimus Patrem tuum, fulgentiffimum illud Orbis Anglicani jubar, adorare! O ingens Reipublicæ noftræ columen! Ŏ fortunatam tanto Heroe Britanniam! Illi tali tantoque viro DEUM per Omnia adfuiffe, manumque ejus & mentem direxiffe, CERTISSIMUM EST. Hujus enim Unius ferme opera, æquiffimis & perhonorificis conditionibus, diuturno, heu nimium! bello, finem impofitum videmus. O Diem æterna memoria digniffimam! qua terrores Patrice omnes excidit, Pacemque diu exoptatam toti fere Europæ reftituit, ille Populi Anglicani Amor, Harleius. Thus critically (that is, verbally) translated : Thy Father, that moft refulgent star of the Anglican "Orb, we much defire to adore! O mighty Column of our "Republic! Oh Britain, fortunate in fuch an Hero! That "to fuch and fo great a Man GOD was ever present, in every thing, and all along directed both his hand and his 66 heart, is a Moft Abfolute Certainty! For it is in a manner "by the operation of this Man alone, that we behold a "War (alas! how much too long an one!) brought at 66 length to an end, on the most just and most honourable Con"ditions. Oh Day eternally to be memorated! wherein all the "Terrors of his Country were ended, and a PEACE (long "wifh'd for by almost all Europe) was reftored by HARLEY, "the Love and Delight of the People of England.” But Welfted moft the Poet's healing balm The more thou tickleft, gripes his fift the faster. VARIATIONS. 210 VER. 207. in the firft Edd. But Oldmixon the Poet's healing balm, &c. REMARK S. But that this Gentleman can write in a different ftyle, may be seen in a letter he printed to Mr. Pope, wherein several Noble Lords are treated in a moft extraordinary language, particularly the Lord Bolingbroke abused for that 'very PEACE which he here makes the fingle work of the Earl of Oxford, directed by God Almighty. VER. 207. Welfted] Leonard Welfted, author of The Triumvirate, or a Letter in verse from Palæmon to Celia at Bath, which was meant for a fatire on Mr. P. and fome of his friends about the year 1718. He writ other things which we cannot remember. Smedley, in his Metamorphofis 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 treatife Пep Balus, or the Art of Sinking. as a Didapper, and after as an Eel, is faid to be this perfon, by Dennis, Daily Journal of May 11, 1728. He was alfo characterized under another animal, a Mole, by the author of the enfuing Simile, which was handed about at the same time : "Dear Welfted, mark, in dirty hole, "That painful animal, a Mole: While thus each hand promotes the pleasing pain, And quick fenfations fkip from vein to vein ; What force have pious vows! The Queen of Love Her fifter fends, her vot'refs, from above. 215 220 Now turn to diff'rent fports (the Goddess cries) And learn, my fons, the wond'rous power of Noife. • REMARK S. "How proud a little dirt to fpread; You have him again in book iii. ver. 169. VER. 213. A youth unknown to Phoebus, &c.] The fatire. of this Epifode being levelled at the base flatteries of authors to worthless wealth or greatness, concludes here with an excellent leffon to fuch men: That although their pens and praifes were as exquifite as they conceit of themselves, yet (even in their own mercenary views) a creature unlettered, who ferveth the paffions, or pimpeth to the pleasures, of fuch vain, braggart, puff'd Nobility, fhall with those patrons be much more inward, and of them much higher rewarded. SCRIBL. To move, to raise, to ravish ev'ry heart, REMARK S. 230 VER. 226. With Thunder rumbling from the muflard bowl,] The old way of making Thunder and Mustard were the fame; but fince, it is more advantageously performed by troughs of wood with ftops in them. Whether Mr. Dennis was the inventor of that improvement, I know not; but it is certain, that being once at a Tragedy of a new author, he fell into a great paffion at hearing fome, and cried, "“'Sdeath! "that is my Thunder." VER. 228.-with a tolling bell;] A mechanical help to the Pathetic, not unufeful to the modern writers of Tragedy. VER. 231. Three Cat-calls] Certain mufical inftruments ufed by one fort of Critics to confound the Poets of the Theatre. IMITATIONS. VER. 223, 225. To move, to raise, &c. Let others aim: 'Tis yours to fhake, &c.] "Excudent alii fpirantia mollius æra, "Credo equidem, vivos ducent de marmore vultus, &c. And his this Drum, whose hoarse heroic base Now thousand tongues are heard in one loud din: The Monkey-mimics rush discordant in; 236 'Twas chatt'ring, grinning, mouthing, jabb'ring all, And Noife and Norton, Brangling and Breval, As when the long-ear'd milky mothers wait REMARK S. VER. 238. Norton,] See ver. 417.-J. Durant Breval, Author of a very extraordinary Book of Travels, and fome Poems. See before, Note on ver. 126. IMITATIONS. VER. 243, a Cat-call each fhall win, &c.] "Non noftrum inter vos tantas componere lites, "Et vitula tu dignus, & hic." Virg. Ecl. iii. VER. 247. As when the, &c.] A Simile with a long tail, in the manner of Homer. |