415

Norton, from Daniel and Oftræa fprung, Blefs'd with his father's front, and mother's tongue,

REMARK S.

she was seven years old. She alfo writ a Ballad against Mr. Pope's Homer, before he began it.

VER. 413. Boyer the State, and Law the Stage gave o'er,] A. Boyer, a voluminous compiler of Annals, Political Collec tions, &c.---William Law A. M. wrote with great zeal against the Stage; Mr. Dennis answered with as great: Their books were printed in 1726. Mr. Law affirmed, that "The Playhouse is the temple of the Devil; the peculiar pleasure of the "Devil; where all they who go, yield to the Devil; where

all the laughter is a laughter among Devils; and all who are "there are hearing Mufic in the very Porch of Hell." To which Mr. Dennis replied, that "There is every jot as much "difference between a true Play, and one made by a Poetafter, "as between two religious books, the Bible and the Alcoran." Then he demonftrates, that "All thofe who had written "against the Stage were Jacobites and Non-jurors; and did it always at a time when something was to be done for the Pre"tender. Mr. Collier publifhed his Short View when France "declared for the Chevalier; and his Diffuafive, juft at the "great form, when the devaftation which that hurricane

wrought, had amazed and astonished the minds of men, and "made them obnoxious to melancholy and defponding thoughts. "Mr. Law took the opportunity to attack the Stage upon the 66 great preparations he heard were making abroad, and which "the Jacobites flatter'd themfelves were defign'd in their fa"vour. And as for Mr. Bedford's Serious remonftrance, though "I know nothing of the time of publishing it, yet I dare to lay "odds it was either upon the Duke d'Aumont's being at So"merfet-house, or upon the late rebellion." DENNIS, Stage defended against Mr. Law, p. ult. The fame Mr. Law is Author of a book, intitled An Appeal to all that doubt of or disbe lieve the truth of the Gospel; in which he has detailed a Syftem of the rankeft Spinozism, for the most exalted Theology; and amongst other things as rare, has informed us of this, that Sir Ifaac Newton ftole the principles of his philofophy from one Jacob Behman, a German cobler.

Hung filent down his never-blushing head;
And all was hush'd, as Folly's felf lay dead.

Thus the foft gifts of Sleep conclude the day,
And stretch'd on bulks, as ufual, Poets lay. 420
Why fhould I fing, what bards the nightly Muse
Did slumb'ring visit, and convey to stews;
Who prouder march'd, with magistrates in state,
To fome fam'd round-houfe, ever open gate!
How Henly lay infpir'd befide a fink,

425

And to mere mortals feem'd a Prieft in drink :

REMARK S.

VER. 414. Morgan] A writer against Religion, diftinguished no otherwife from the rabble of his tribe, than by the pompoufnefs of his Title; for having ftolen his Morality from Tindal, and his Philofophy from Spinoza, he calls himself, by the curtefy of England, a Moral Philofopher.

Ŵ.

Ibid. Mandevil] This writer, who prided himfelf as much in the reputation of an Immoral Philofopher, was author of a famous book called the Fable of the Bees; written to prove, that Moral Virtue is the invention of knaves, and Chriftian Virtue the impofition of fools; and that Vice is neceflary, and alone fufficient to render Society flourishing and happy. W.

VER. 415. Norton] Norton De Foe, offspring of the famous Daniel. Fortes creantur fortibus. One of the authors of the Flying Poft, in which well-bred work Mr. P. had fometime the honour to be abused with his betters; and of many hired fourrilities and daily papers, to which he never fet his name.

VER. 426. And to mere mortals feem'd a Prieft in drink:] This line prefents us with an excellent moral, that we are never

IMITATIONS.

VER. 418. And all was hufh'd, as Folly's felf lay dead.] Alludes to Dryden's verse in the Indian Emperor:

All things are hufh'd, as Nature's self lay dead.

While others, timely, to the neighb'ring Fleet (Haunt of the Mufes) made their fafe retreat.

REMARK 9.

to pass judgment merely by appearances; a leffon to all men, who may happen to fee a reverend Perfon in the like fituation, not to determine too rafhly: fince not only the Poets frequently defcribe a Bard infpired in this posture,

(On Cam's fair bank, where Chaucer lay infpir'd,

and the like) but an eminent Cafuift tells us, that " if a Priest "be feen in any indecent action, we ought to account it a "deception of fight, or illufion of the Devil, who fometimes "takes upon him the fhape of holy men on purpose to cause "fcandal."

VER. 427. Fleet] A prifon for infolvent Debtors on the bank of the Ditch.

The End of the SECOND BOOK.

THE

DUNCIA D:

BOOK the THIR D.

ARGUMENT.

After the other perfons are difpofed in their proper places of reft, the Goddefs tranfports the King to her Temple, and there lays him to flumber with his head on her lap; a pofition of marvellous virtue, which causes all the Vifions of wild enthusiasts, projectors, politicians, inamóratos, castle-builders, chemifts, and poets. He is immediately carried on the wings of Fancy, and led by a mad Poetical Sibyl, to the Elyfian fhade; where, on the banks of Lethe, the fouls of the dull are dipped by Bavius, before their entrance into this world. There he is met by the ghost of Settle, and by him made acquainted with the wonders of the place, and with those which he himself is destined to perform. He takes him to a Mount of Vifion, from whence he fhews him the past triumphs of the Empire of Dulness, then the prefent, and laftly the future: bow small a part of the world was ever conquered by Science, how foon thofe conquests were stopped,

and thofe very nations again reduced to her dominion. Then diftinguishing the Iland of Great Britain, fhews by what aids, by what perfons, and by what degrees it fall be brought to her Empire. Some of the perfons he caufes to pass in review before his eyes, defcribing each by his proper figure, character, and qualifications. On a fudden the Scene fhifts, and a vast number of miracles and prodigies appear, utterly furprising and unknown to the King himself, 'till they are explained to be the wonders of his own reign now commencing. On this fubject Settle breaks into a congratulation, yet not unmixed with concern, that his own times were but the types of thefe. He prophecies how firft the nation fhall be over-run with Farces, Operas, and Shows; how the throne of Dulnefs fhall be advanced over the Theatres, and fet up even at Court: then how her Sons shall prefide in the feats of Arts and Sciences: giving a glympfe, or Pisgah-fight of the future Fulness of her Glory, the accomplishment whereof is the fubject of the fourth and last book.