Demand new bodies, and in Calf's array

Rufh to the world, impatient for the day.
Millions and millions on thefe banks he views,
Thick as the ftars of night, or morning dews,
As thick as bees o'er vernal bloffoms fly,
As thick as eggs, at Ward in Pillory.

REMARK S.

25

Allegory of the fouls of the Dull coming forth in the form of Books, and being let abroad in vast numbers by Bookfellers, is fufficiently intelligible.

V. 26. Ward in Pillory.] John Ward of Hackney, Efq; Member of Parliament, being convicted of Forgery, was first expelled the House, and then fentenc'd to the Pillory on the 17th of Febr. 1727. Mr. Curl looks upon the mention of fuch a Gentleman in a Satire, as a great act of Barbarity- Key to the Dunc. 3d Edit. p. 16. And another Author thus reasons upon it. Durgen, 8°. pag. 11, 12. "How unworthy is "it of Chriftian Charity to animate the rabble to abufe

cr

a worthy man in fuch a fituation? It was in vain! " he had no Eggs thrown at him; his Merit preserv'd "him. What cou'd move the Poet thus to mention "a brave Sufferer, a gallant Prifoner, expos'd to the "view of all mankind! It was laying afide his Senfes, "it was committing a Crime for which the Law is "deficient not to punish him! nay a Crime which Man "can scarce forgive, nor Time efface! Nothing furely "could have induced him to it but being bribed by a great Lady," (to whom this brave, honeft, worthy

66

IMITATIONS.

V. 23. Millions and millions-Thick as the ftars, &c.] Virg. 6..

Quam multa in fylvis autumni frigore primo
Lapfa cadunt folia, aut ad terram gurgite ab alto
Quam multa glomerantur aves, &c.

Τ

Wond'ring he gaz'd: When lo! a Sage appears,
By his broad shoulders known, and length of ears,
Known by the band and suit which Settle wore,
(His only fuit) for twice three years before:
All as the veft, appear'd the wearer's frame,
Old in new state, another yet the fame.
Bland and familiar as in life, begun

Thus the great Father to the greater Son.

REMARK S.

30

Gentleman was guilty of no offence but Forgery proved in open Court, &c.)

V. 28. And length of Ears.] This is a fophifticated reading. I think I may venture to affirm all the Copyifts are mistaken here: I believe I may fay the fame of the Criticks; Dennis, Oldmixon, Welfted, have pafs'd it in filence: I have always ftumbled at it, and wonder'd how an error fo manifeft could escape fuch accurate perfons? I dare affert it proceeded originally from the inadvertency of fome Tranfcriber, whofe head run on the Pillory mention'd two lines before: It is therefore amazing that Mr. Curl himself should overlook it! Yet that Scholiaft takes not the leaft notice hereof. That the learned Mist also read it thus, is plain, from his ranging this paffage among those in which our Author was blamed for perfonal Satire on a Man's Face (whereof doubtless he might take the Ear to be a part;) So likewife Concanen, Ralph, the Flying-Poft, and all the Herd of Commentators.Tota armenta fequuntur.

A very little Sagacity (which all these Gentlemen therefore wanted) will reftore to us the true sense of the Poet, thus,

By his broad boulders known, and length of years. See how eafy a change! of one fingle letter! That Mr. Settle was old is moft certain, but he was (happily) a firanger to the Pillory. This Note partly Mr. THEOBALD, partly SCRIBLERUS.

Oh born to see what none can see awake! Behold the wonders of th' Oblivious Lake. Thou, yet unborn, haft touch'd this facred fhore; The hand of Bavius drench'd thee o'er and o'er. But blind to former, as to future Fate, What mortal knows his pre-existent state? Who knows how long, thy tranfmigrating foul Might from Baotian to Baotian roll? How many Dutchmen fhe vouchfaf'd to thrid ? How many ftages thro' old Monks she rid ? "And all who fince, in mild benighted days, Mix'd the Owl's ivy with the Poet's bays? As man's meanders to the vital spring Roll all their tydes, then back their circles bring; Or whirligigs, twirl'd round by skilful fwain, Suck the thread in, then yield it out again : All nonfenfe thus, of old or modern date, Shall in thee center, from thee circulate. For this, our Queen unfolds to vifion true Thy mental eye, for thou haft much to view:

IMITATIONS.

35

40

45

50

V. 46. Mix'd the Owl's Ivy with the Poet's Bays.] Virg. Ec. 8.

fine tempora circum

→ Inter victrices hederam tibi ferpere lauros.

V. 53. For this, our Queen unfolds to vifion true.
Thy mental eye, for thou hast much to view.]

This has a resemblance to that paffage in Milton, 1. 11. where the Angel

To nobler fights from Adam's eye remov'd

The film; then purg'd with Euphrafie and Rue
The vifual nerve-For he had much to fee.

There is a general allufion in what follows to that whole part.

Did fcenes of glory, times long caft behind,
Shall first recall'd, rush forward to thy mind;
Then stretch thy fight o'er all her rifing reign,
And let the past and future fire thy brain. !

Afcend this hill, whofe cloudy point commands
Her boundless empire over feas and lands.
See round the Poles where keener fpangles fhine,
Where fpices fmoke beneath the burning Line,
(Earth's wide extreams) her fable flag difplay'd;
And all the nations cover'd in her fhade!

60

Far eastward caft thine eye, from whence the Sun 65
And orient Science at a birth begun.
One man immortal all that pride confounds,
He, whofe long Wall the wand'ring Tartar bounds.
Heav'ns! what a pyle? whole ages perish there:
And one bright blaze turns Learning into air.

Thence to the fouth extend thy gladden'd eyes;
There rival flames with equal glory rife,
From shelves to shelves fee greedy Vulcan roll,
And lick up all their Phyfick of the Soul.

REMARKS.

70

V. 42. Mgibt from Boeotian, &c.] See the Remark on Book 1. V. 23.

V. 61, 62. See round the Poles, &c.] Almoft the whole Southern and Northern Continent wrapt in Ig

norance.

V. 65.] Our author favours the opinion that all Sciences came from the Eastern nations.

V. 69.] Chi Ho-am-ti, Emperor of China, the fame who built the great wall between China and Tartary, deftroyed all the books and learned men of that empire..

1

How little, mark! that portion of the ball,
Where, faint at beft, the beams of Science fall:
Soon as they dawn, from Hyperborean skies,
Embody'd' dark, what clouds of Vandals rife !
Lo where Mootis fleeps, and hardly flows
The freezing Tanais thro' a waste of Snows,
The North by myriads pours her mighty fons,
Great nurse of Goths, of Alans, and of Huns.
See Alaric's ftern port, the martial frame
Of Genferic! and Attila's dread name!
See, the bold Oftrogoths on Latium fall;
See, the fierce Vifigoths on Spain and Gaul.
See, where the Morning gilds the palmy shore,
(The foil that arts and infant letters bore)
His conqu❜ring tribes th' Arabian prophet draws,
And faving Ignorance enthrones by Laws.
See Chriftians, Jews, one heavy fabbath keep;
And all the Western world believe and fleep.

75

80

85

Lo Rome herself, proud mistress now no more Of arts, but thund'ring against Heathen lore; Her gray-hair'd Synods damning books unread, 95 And Bacon trembling for his brazen head;

REMARK 9.

V. 73, 74.] The Caliph, Omar I. having conquer'd Egypt, caus'd his General to burn the Ptolomaan library, on the gates of which was this infcription, Medicina Anima, The Phyfick of the Soul.

V. 88. The Soil that arts and infant letters bore.] Phænicia, Syria, &c. where Letters are faid to have been invented. In thefe Countries Mahomet began his Conquefts.