On fome, a Priest fuccinct in amice white Attends; all flesh is nothing in his fight! 550 Beeves, at his touch, at once to jelly turn, And the huge Boar is fhrunk into an Urn: REMARKS. 555 VER. 553. The board with specious Miracles he loads, &c.] Scriblerus ferms at a lofs in this place. Speciofa miracula (says he) according to Horace, were the me: ftrous fables of the Cyclops, Læftrygons, Scylla, &c. What relation have these to the transformation of Hares into Larks, or of Pigeons into Toads? I fhall tell thee. The Læftrygons fpitted Men upon. Spears, as we do Larks upon Skewers: and the fair Pigeon turned to a Toad is fimilar to the fair Virgin Scylla ending in a filthy beaft. But here is the difficulty, why Pigeons in fo fhocking a fhape fhould be brought to a Table. Hares indeed might be cut into Larks at a fecond dreffing, out of frugality: Yet that feems no probable motive, when we confider the extravagance before-mentioned, of diffolving whole Oxen and Boars into a small vial of Jelly; nay it is exprefly faid, that all Fle is nothing in his fight. I have fearched in Apicius, Pliny, and the Feast of Trimalchie, in vain: I can only refolve it into fome myfterious fuperftitious Rite, as it is faid to be done by a Prieft, and foon after called a Sacrifice, attended (as all ancient facrifices were) with Libation and Song. SCRIBL. This good Scholiast, not being acquainted with modern Luxury, was ignorant that these were only the miracles of French Cookery, and that particularly Pigeons en crapeau were a common dish. VER. 556. Seve and Verdeur] French Terms relating to Wines, which fignify their flavour and poignancy. Et je gagerois que chez le Commandeur Villandri priferoit Ja Seve & fa Verdeur. Dépreaux, What cannot copious Sacrifice atone? Thy Treufles, Perigord! thy Hams, Bayonne ? To three effential Partridges in one? Gone ev'ry blush, and filent all reproach, Contending Princes mount them in their Coach. REMARKS. 560 566 St. Evremont has a very pathetic Letter to a Nobleman in difgrace, advising him to feek comfort in a good Table, and par ticularly to be attentive to thefe Qualities in his Champaigne. VER. 560. Bladen-Hays] Names of Gamefters. Bladen is a black man. ROBERT KNIGHT Cafhier of the Southfea Company, who fled from England in 1720 (afterwards pardoned in 1742.)-Thefe lived with the utmost magnificence at Paris, and kept open Tables frequented by perfons of the first quality of England, and even by Princes of the Blood of France. Ibid. Bladen, &c.] The former Note of Bladen is a black man, is very abfurd. The Manufcript here is partly obliterated, and doubtlefs could only have been, Wafb Blackmoors white, alluding to a known Proverb. VER. 567. Her children firft of more diftinguish'd fort, Who ftudy Shakespeare at the Inns of Court.] SCRIBL Ill would that Scholiaft difcharge his duty, who should neglect to honour those whom DULNESS has diftinguished: or fuffer them to lie forgotten, when their rare modefty would have left Impale a Glow-worm, or Vertú profess, REMARKS. 570 them nameless. Let us not, therefore, overlook the Services which have been done her Caufe, by one Mr. Thomas EDWARDS, a Gentleman, as he is pleased to call himself, of Lincoln's Inn; but, in reality, a Gentleman only of the Dunciad; or, to speak him better, in the plain language of our honeft Ancestors to fuch Mushrooms, A Gentlemen of the laft Edition: who nobly eluding the folicitude of his careful Father, very early retained himself in the cause of Dulness against Shakespear, and with the wit and learning of his Ancefter Tom Thimbl in the Rebcarfal, and with the air of good nature and politenefs of Caliban in the Tempeft, hath now happily finished the Dunce's progress, in personal abuse. For a Libeller is nothing but a Grub-street Critic run to Seed. Lamentable is the Dulnefs of the Gentlemen of the Duneiad. This Fungefo and his friends, who are Centlemen, have exclaimed much against us for reflecting on his birth, in the words, a Gentleman of the laft Edition, which we hereby declare concern not his birth but his adoption only: And mean no more than that he is become a Gentleman of the laft Edition of the Dunciad. Since Gentlemen, then, are fo captious, we think it proper to declare, that Mr. Thomas Thimble, who is here faid to be Mr. Thomas Edwards's Anceftor, is only related to him by the Mufe's fide. SCRIBL. This Tribe of Men, which Scriblerus has here fo well exemplified, our Peet hath elfewhere admirably characterized in that happy line, A brain of Feathers, and a heart of Lead. For the fatire extends much farther than to the perfon who occafioned it, and takes in the whole fpecies of those on whom a good Education (to fit them for fome useful and learned profeffion) has been bestowed in vain. That worthlefs Band Of ever liftlefs Loit'rers, that attend No caufe, no truft, no duty, and no Friend. Who, with an understanding too dimpated and futile for the Some, deep Free-mafons, join the filent race Ifis and Cam made DocтORS of her LAWS. 575 To Practice now from Theory repair. All my commands are easy, short, and full : REMARKS. 580 offices of civil life; and a heart too lumpih, narrow, and contracted for thofe of focial, become fit for nothing: And fo turn Wits and Critics, where fenfe and civiliy are neither required nor expected. VER. 571. Some, deep Free-Mafons, join the filent race] The Poet all along expreffes a very particular concern for this filent Race: He has here provided, that in case they will not waken or open (as was before proposed) to a Humming-Bird or a Cockle, yet at worst they may be made Free-Masons ; where Taciturnity is the only effential Qualification, as it was the chief of the difciples of Pythagoras. VER. 576. A Gregorian, one a Gormogon] A fort of Lay brothers, Slips from the Root of the Free-Mafons. VER. 581. All my commands are easy, short, and full: My Sons! be proud, be selfish, and be dull.] We should be unjust to the reign of Dulness not to confefs that her's has one advantage in it rarely to be met with in Modern Governments, which is, that the public Education of her Youth fits and prepares them for the obfervance of her Laws, and Guard my Prerogative, affert my Throne : REMARK S. 585 For what the exertion of those Virtues fhe recommends. makes men prouder than the empty knowledge of Words; what more selfish than the Free thinker's Syftem of Morals; or duller than the profeffion of true Virtuofofhip? Nor are her Inflitutions lefs admirable in themselves, than in the fitness of these their feveral relations, to promote the harmony of the whole. For The tells her Sons, and with great truth, that "all her com"mands are casy, fhort, and full.” For is any thing in nature more eafy than the exertion of Pride; more short and fimple than the principle of Selfishness; or more full and ample than the sphere of Dulnefs? Thus, Birth, Education, and wise Policy, all concurring to support the throne of our Goddess, great must be the ftrength thereof. SCRIBL. VER. 584. cach Privilege your own, &c.] This fpeech of Dulness to her Sons at parting may possibly fall short of the Reader's expectation; who may imagine the Goddess might give them a Charge of more confequence, and, from such a Theory as is before delivered, incite them to the practice of fomething more extraordinary, than to perfonate Running Footmen, Jockeys, Stage Coachmen, &c. But if it be well confidered, that whatever inclination they might have to do mischief, her fons are generally rendered harmless by their Inability; and that it is the common effect of Dulness (even in her greatest efforts) to defeat her own defign; the Poet, I am perfuaded, will be justified, and it will be allowed that thefe worthy persons, in their several ranks, do as much as can be expected from them. VER. 585.The Cap and Switch, &c.] The Goddefs's political balance of favour, in the distribution of her rewards, deferves our notice. It confifts in joining with thofe Honours claimed by birth and high place, others more adapted to the genius and |