Long Chanc'ry-lane retentive rolls the found, REMARKS. VERSE 252. Long Chanc'ry-lane.] The place where the Courts of Chancery are kept: The long detention of Clients in thofe Courts, and the difficulty of getting out of them, is humorously allegoriz'd in thefe lines. VERSE 258. Who fings fo loudly, and who fings so long.] A just character of Sir Richard Blackmore, Kt. who (as Mr. Dryden exprefs'd it) Writ to the rumbling of his Coach's wheels, and whofe indefatigable Mufe produced no lefs than fix Epic poems: Prince and King Arthur, 20 Books; Eliza, 10: Alfred, 12; The Redeemer, 6: befides Fob in folio, the whole Book of Pfalms, The Creation, 7 Books, Nature of Man 3 Books, and many more. 'Tis in this fenfe he is filed afterwards, The Everlasting Blackmore. Notwithstanding all which, Mr. Gildon feems affured, that "this admirable author did not think himself upon the fame foot with Homer. Comp. Art of Poetry, Vol. 1. p. 108. ons. Even But how different is the judgment of the author of Characters of the Times? p. 25. who fays, Sir Richard is unfortunate in happening to mistake his proper talents, and that he has not for many years "been fo much as named, or even thought of among writers. Mt. Dennis differs greatly from his friend Mr. Gildon : Blackmore's Action (faith he) has neither unity, nor integrity, nor morality, nor univerfality, and confequently he can have no Fable, and no Her ic Poem: His Narration is neither probable, delightful, nor "wonderful: His Characters have none of the neceffary qualificatiThe things contain'd in his narration are neither in "their own nature delightful, nor numerous enough, nor rightly difpofed, nor furprifing, nor pathetic. Nay he proceeds fo far as to Tay Sir Richard has no Genius, firft laying down that Genius is caufed by a furious joy and pride of foul, on the conception of an extraordinary Hint. Many men (fays he) have their Hints, without thefe motions of fury and pride of foul, because they want fire enough to agitate their fpirits, and thefe we call cold writers: Others who have a great deal of fire, but have not excellent organs, feel the foremention'd motions, without the extraordinary hints; st And thefe we call fuftian writers. But he declares, that Sir Ri "chard had neither the Hints, nor the Mctions.” Remarks on Pr. Arth. 8°. 1696. Preface. This gentleman in his firft works abused the character of Mr. Dryden, and in his laft of Mr. Pope, accufing him in very high and fober terms of prophanenefs and immorality (Effay on polite writing, Vol. 2. p. 270.) on a meer report from Edm. Curl, that he was author of a Traveftie on the firft Pfalm. Mr. Dennis took up the fame report, but with the addition of what Sir Richard had neglected, an Argu ment This labour paft, by Bridewell all defcend, 260 (As morning-pray'r and flagellation end.) To where Fleet-ditch with difemboguing ftreams " REMARKS. ment to prove it, which being very curious, we fhall here tranfcribe: (Remarks on Homer. 8°. p. 27.) It was he who burlefqu'd the Pfalm "of David. It is apparent to me that Pfalm was burlefqu'd by a Popifh rhymefter. Let rhyming perfons who have been brought up Pro eftants be otherwife what they will, let them be Rakes, let 'em "be Scoundrels, let 'em be Atheists, yet education has made an invincible impreffion on them in behalf of the facred writings. But a Popish rhymefter has been brought up with a contempt for those "facred writings. Now fhow me another Popish rhymefter but "he. This manner of argumentation is ufual with Mr. Dennis; he has employ'd the fame against Sir Richard himself in a like charge of Impiety and Irreligion. All Mr. Blackmore's celeftial machines, as they cannot be defended fo much as by common receiv'd opinion, fo are directly contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England: For the vifible defcent of an Angel muft be a miracle. "Now it is the doctrine of the Church of England, that miracles had ceas'd a long time before Prince Arthur came into the world. Now if the doctrine of the Church of England be true, as we are oblig'd of to believe, then are all the celeftial machines in Prince Arthur un"fufferable, as wanting not only human but divine probability. "But if the machines are fufferable, that is if they have fo much as "divine probability, then it follows of neceffity that the doctrine of "the Church is falfe: SoI leave it to every impartial Clergyman to confider, &c." Preface to the Remarks on Prince Arthur. It has been fuggefted in the Character of Mr. P. that he had Obli gations to Sir R. B. He never had any, and never faw him but twice in his Life. VERSE 260. As morning pray'r and flagellation end. It is between eleven and twelve in the morning, after Church fervice, that the cri minals are whipp'd in Bridewell. This is to mark punctually the Time of the day: Homer does it by the circumftance of the Judges rif ing from court, or of the Labourers dinner, our author by one very proper both to the Perfons and the Scene of his Poem, which we may remember commenc'd in the evening of the Lord-mayor's day: The firft book paffed in that night; the next morning the games begin in the Strand, thence along Fleet-ftreet (places inhabited by BookTellers) then they proceed by Bridewell toward Fleetditch, and laftly thro' Ludgate to the City and the Temple of the Goddels. VERSE 261. The Diving ] This I fancy (fays a great Enemy to the Poem) is a Game which no body could ever think of but the Author: however it is work'd up admirably well, efpecially in thofe lines where he defcribes Eufden (he fhould say Smedley) rifing up again ESSAY on the DUNCIAD, p. 19. K 265"Here ftrip My children! here at once leap in! ་ Here prove who beft can dash thro' thick and thin, "And who the most in love of dirt excel, "Or dark dexterity of groping well. "Who flings moft filth, and wide pollutes around 270" The stream, be his the Weekly Journals, boand. "A pig of lead to him who dives the best. "A peck of coals a-piece fhall glad the reft. In naked majefty great Dennis stands, And, Milo-like, furveys his arms and hands, REMARK S. VERSE 266, 267, 268.] Three chief qualifications of Party-wri ters, to ftick at nothing, to delight in flinging dirt, and to flander in the dark by guefs. VERSE 270. The Weekly Journals.] Papers of news and fcandal intermix'd, on different fides and parties, and frequently fhifting from one fide to the other, call'd the London Journal, Mift's Journal, British Journal, Daily Journal, &c. The writers of which for fome time were Welted, Roume, Molloy, Concanen, and others; perfons never feen by our author. VERSE 272. A peck of coals a-piece.] Our indulgent Poet, whénever he has spoken of any dirty or low work, conftantly put us in mind of the Poverty of the offenders, as the only extenuation of fuch practices. Let any one but remark, when a Thief, a Pickpocket, a Highwayman, or a Knight of the Poft is fpoken of, how much our hatred to thofe characters is leffen'd, if they add, a needy Thief, a poor Pickpocket, a hungry Highwayman, a ftarving Knight of the the Poft, &c. VERSE 273. In naked majesty great Dennis ftands.] The reader who hath feen in the courfe of the fe notes, what a conftant attendance Mr. Dennis paid to our author, might here expect a particular regard to be fhewn him, and confequently may be furprized at his finking at once, in fo few lines, never to rife again! But in truth he looked upon him with fome efteem, for having, more generously than the reft, fet his name to fuch works. He was not only a formidable Critick who for many years had written againft every thing that had fuccefs, (the Antagonist of Sir Richard Blackmore, Sir Richard Steele, Mr. Addifon, and Mr. Pope) but a zealous Politician (not only appearing in his works, where Poetry and the State are always equally concerned, but in many fecret Hints and fage advices given to the Ministers of all reigns. He is here likened to Milo, in allufion to that verse of Ovid. -Fletque Milon fenior, tum spectat inanes Herculeis fimiles, fluidos pendere lacertos; Either with regard to his great Age, or becaufe he was undone by Crying to pull to pieces an Oak that was too ftrong for him. -Remember Milo's End, We'd in that timber which he ftrove to rend, Lord Rose 275 Then fighing, thus. "And am I now threefcore? Ah why, ye Gods! should two and two make four ? He faid, and climb'd a ftranded Lighter's height, Shot to the black abyfs, and plung'd down-right. The Senior's judgment all the crowd admire, 280 Who but to fink the deeper, rofe the higher. Next Smedley div'd; flow circles dimpled o'er The quaking mud, that clos'd, and ope'd no more. All look, all figh, and call on Smedley loft; Smedley in vain refounds thro' all the coaft. REMARK S. VERSE 275. And am I now threefcore?] I fhall here, to prove my impartiality, remark a great overfight in our author as to the age of Mr. Dennis. He muft have been fome years above threescore in the Mayoralty of Sir George Thorold, which was in 1720, and Mr. Dennis was born (as he himself inform'd us in Mr. Jacob's Lives before-mentioned) in 1657; fince when he has happily liv'd eight years more, and is already fenior to Mr. Durfey, who hitherto of all our Poets, enjoy'd the longeft, bodily, Life. VERSE 281. Next Smedley div'd.] In the furreptitious editions this whole Epifode was apply'd to an initial letter E- by whom if they meant the Laureate, nothing was more abfurd, no part agreeing with his character. The Allegory evidently demands a perfon dipp'd in fcandal, and deeply immers'd in dirty work: whereas Mr. Eufden's writings rarely offended but by their length and multitude, and accordingly are tax'd of nothing elfe in book 1. verfe 102. But the perfon here mention'd, an Irish-man, was author and publisher of many fcurrilous pieces, a weekly Whitehall Journal in the year 1722, in the name of Sir James Baker, and par ticularly whole Volumes of Billingsgate against Dr. Swift and Mr, Pope, call'd Gulliveriana and Alexandriana, printed in 8°. 1728. IMITATIONS. VERSE 263. The King of Dykes, &c.] Virg. Eridanus, rex fluviorum· •quo non alius, per pinguia culta, In mare purpureum violentior effluit amnis, VERSE 283. and call on Smedley loft, &c. Lord Roscom mon's tranflation of Virgil's 6th Eclog. Alcides wept in vain for Hylas loft, 285 Then **try'd, but hardly snatch'd from fight, He bears no token of the fabler ftreams, And mounts far off, among the swans of Thames. 295 REMARK S. VERSE 285. Then try'd.] This is an inftance of the Tendernefs of our author. The perfon here intended writ an angry preface against him, grounded on a Miftake, which he afterwards honourably acknowledg'd in another printed preface. Since wher, he fell under a fecond miftake, and abus'd both him and his Friend. He is a writer of Genius and Spirit, tho' in his youth he was guilty of fome pieces bordering upon bombaft. Our Poet here gives him a Panegyric inftead of a Satire, being edify'd beyond meafure, at this only inftance he ever met with in his life, of one who was much a Poet, confeffing himself in an Error: And has fuppreft his name, as thinking him capable of a fecond repentance. VERSE 289. Concanen. In the former editions there were only Aftericks in this place, this name was fince inferted meerly to fill up the verfe, and give eafe to the Ear of the reader. VERSE 295. Welfted.] Leonard Welfted, author of the Triumvirate, or a Letter in verfe from Palamon to Celia at Bath, which was meant for a Satire on Mr. P. and fome of his friends about the year 1718.The ftrength of the metaphors in this paffage is to exprefs the great fcurrility and fury of this writer, which may be feen, One day, in a Piece of his, call'd (as I think) Labeo. He writ other things which we cannot remember. Smedley in his Metam. of Scrib, mentions one, the Hymn of a Gentleman to the Creator. L. W. characteris'd in the treatife mei Bag, or the Art of finking as a Didapper, and after as an Eel, is faid to be this Perfon, by DENNIS Daily Journal of May 1, 1728, He is mentioned again in book 3. IMITATIONS. VERSE 292. Not everlafting Blackmore.] Virg. Æn. 3, |