What Dulness dropt among her fons impreft Like motion, from one circle to the reft; So from the mid-moft the nutation fpreads 380 Round, and more round, o'er all the fea of heads. At laft Centlivre felt her voice to fail, Old James himself unfinish'd left his tale, REMARK S. VERSE 381. Centlivre.] Mrs. Sufanna Centlivre, wife to Mr. Centlivre, Yeoman of the Mouth to his Majefty. She writ many Plays, and a fong (fays Mr. Jacob, vol. I. p. 32.) before the was seven years old. She alfo writ a Ballad against Mr. Pope's Homer before he begun it. VERSE 383. Boyer the State, and Law the Stage gave o'er.] A. Boyer, a voluminous compiler of Annals, Political Collections, &c.—Willi am Law, A. M. wrote with great zeal against the Stage. Mr. Dennis anfwer'd with as great. Their books were printed in 1726. Mr. Lew affirm'd that the Playhouse is the Temple of the Devil, the .Bi peculiar pleafure of the Devil, where all they who go, yield to "the Devil, where all the Laughter is a laughter among Devils, and "that all who are there are hearing Mufick in the very Porch of Hell." To which Mr. Dennis replied, that "there is every jor 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 .66 46 Jacobites and Nonjurors, and did it always at a time when fome B6 thing was to to be done for the Pretender. Mr. Collier publish'd "his Short View when France declar'd for the Chevalier; and his Dif fnafive juft at the great Storm, when the devaftation which that Hurricane wrought had amazed and aftonifhed the minds of men, and made them obnoxious to melancholy and defponding thoughts. Mr. Law took the opportunity to attack the Stage upon the great preparations he heard were making abroad, and which the Jacobites "flatter'd themfelves were defign'd in their favour. And as for Mr. Bedford's Serious Remonftrance, tho' 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 Somerset-houfe, or upon the late Rebellion, DENNIS, Stage defended against Mr. Law, pag. ult. IMITATIONS. VERSE-380. O'er all the sea of heads.] Blackm. Job, A waving fea of heads was round me spread 385 Norton, from Daniel and Ostrœa sprung, Thus the foft gifts of Sleep conclude the day, 390 And ftretch'd on bulks, as ufual, Poets lay. Why fhou'd I fing what bards the nightly Mufe Did flumbring vifit, and convey to stews? Who prouder march'd, with magiftrates in ftate, To fome fam'd round-house, ever open gate! 395 How Laurus lay inspir'd beside a fink, And to mere mortals feem'd a Prieft in drink? REMARKS. VERSE 385. Norton.] Norton de Foe, faid to be the natural off fpring of the famous Daniel. Fortes creantur fortibus. One of the au thors of the Flying-Poft, in which well-bred work Mr. P. had fometime the honour to be abus'd with his betters, and of many hired fcur rilities and daily papers to which he never fet his name, in a due fear of Laws and Cudgels. He is now writing the Life of Colonel Charteris. VERSE 395. How Laurus lay infpir'd befide a fink, And to meer mortals, feem'd a Prieft in drink.] This line prefents us with an excellent Moral, that we are never to pafs judgment meerly by appearances, a Leffon to all men who may happen to fee a reve rend perfon in the like fituation, not to determine too rafhly, fince not only the Poets frequently defcribe a Bard infpir'd in this pofture, (On Cam's fair bank where Chaucer lay infpir'd, and the like) but an eminent Cafuift tells us, that if a Prieft 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 shape of Holy men on pur pofe to caufe fcandal. How little the prophane author of the Characters of the Times printed 8°. 1728, regarded this admonition, appears from these words pag. 26. (fpeaking of the reverend Mr. Laurence Eufden) A moft worthy fucceffor of Tate in the Laureatfhip, z man of infuperable modefty, fince certainly it was not his Ambiti on that led him to feek this illuftrious poft, but his affection to the Perquifite of Sack. A reflection as mean as it is fcandalous! IMITATIONS. SCRIBLERUS, VERSE 388. And all was hush'd, as Folly's self lay dead] Alludes to Dryden's verfe in the Indian Emperor, All things are hugh'd, as Nature's felf lay dead. While others timely, to the neighbouring Fleet (Haunt of the Muses) made their fafe retreat. REMARKS. VERSE 397. Fleet.] A Prison for infolvent Debtors on the bank the Ditch. End of the Second Book. Т.Н Б. DUNCIA D Вook the THIRD. B UT in her Temple's last recefs inclos'd,” On Dulness lap th' Anointed head repos'd: Him close the curtain'd round with vapors blue, And foft befprinkled with Cimmerian dew. 5 Then raptures high the feat of fenfe o'erflow, Which only heads, refin'd from reafon, know. Hence, from the ftraw where Bedlam's Prophet nods, He hears loud Oracles, and talks with Gods. REMARKS. VERSE, 6 &c.] Hereby is intimated that the following Vifion is no more than the Chimera of the Dreamer's brain, and not 2 real or intended fatire on the Prefent Age, doubtless more learned, more inlighten'd, and more abounding with great Genius's in Divity, Politics, and whatever Arts and Sciences, than all the preceding. For fear of any fuch mistake of our Poet's honeft meaning, he hath again at the end of this Vifion, repeated this monition, faying that it all past thro' the Ivory gate, which (according to Ancients) de noteth Fallity. IMITATIONS. SCRIBLERUS VERSE 8. Hence from the ftraw where Bedlam's Prophet nods, He hears lond Oracles, and talks with Gods. Virg. Æn. % Hence the Fool's paradife, the Statefman's scheme, And now, on Fancy's eafy wing convey'd, REMARK S. VERSE 16. Old Bavius fits.] Bavius was an ancient Poet, celelebrated by Virgil for the like caufe as Tibbald by our author, tho' in lefs chriftian-like manner: for heathenifhly it is declared by Virgil of Bavius, that he ought to be hated and detefted for his evil works; Qui Bavium non odit Whereas we have often had occafion to ub ferve our Poet's great good nature and mercifulness, thro' the whole courfe of this Poem. 66 66. Mr. Dennis warmly contends that Bavius was no inconfiderable author, nay, that be and Mavius had (even in Auguftur's days) a very formidable Party at Rome, who thought them much fuperiour to Virgil and Horace: For (faith he) I cannot believe they would "have fix'd that eternal brand upon them, if they had not been coxcombs in more than ordinary credit," An argument which (if this Poem fhould laft) will conduce to the honour of the Gentlemen of the Dunciad. In like manner he tells us of Mr. Settle, that " hè was once a formidable Rival to Mr. Dryden, and that in the Uniniversity of Cambridge, there were thofe who gave him the preference." Mr. Welfted goes yet farther in his behalf." Poor Settle was formerly the Mighty Rival of Dryden: nay, for many years, bore "his Reputation above him." [Pref. to his Poems 8°. p. 51.1 And Mr. Milbourn cried out, How little was Dryden able, even when his "blood run high, to defend himself against Mr. Settle!" Notes on Dryd. Virg. P. 175. These are comfortable opinions! and no wonder fome authors indulge them, IMITATIONS: VERSE 15. There in a dusky vale, &c.) -Videt Aneas in valle reducta Seclufum nemus SCRIBLER US. Lethaumque domos placidas qui pranatat amnem, &c. Hunc circum innumera gentes, &c. Virg. Æn. 6, VERSE 16. Old Bavius fits, to dip poetic fouls.] Alluding to the Rory of Thetis dipping Achilles to render him impenetrable. At pater Anchifes penitus convalle virenti Virg. Æn. 6, |