Now Night descending, the proud scene was o'er, 100 106 REMARKS. v.90. But liv'd in Settle's numbers one day more.] Settle was poet to the City of London. His office was to compose yearly Panegyrics upon the Lord Mayors, and verses to be spoken in the Pageants; but that part of the shows being at length frugally abolished, the employment of City-poet ceased; so that upon Settle's demise there was no successor to that place. v. 98. John Heywood.] Whose Interludes were printed in the time of Henry VIII. v. 103.......old Pryn in restless Daniel.] The first edition had it, She saw in Norton all his father shine. a great mistake! for Daniel de Foe had parts, but Norton de Foe was a wretched writer, and never attempted poetry. Much more justly is Daniel himself made successor to W. Pryn, both of whom wrote verses as well as politics; as appears by the poem De In each she marks her image full exprest, But chief in Bayes's monster-breeding breast; Bayes, form'd by Nature's Stage and Town to bless, And act, and be, a coxcomb with success. REMARKS. 110 Jure Divino, &c. of De Foe, and by these lines in Cowley's Miscellanies, on the other: ....One lately did not fear (Without the Muses' leave) to plant verse here. And both these authors had a resemblance in their fates as well as their writings, having been alike sentenced to the pillory. v. 104. And Eusden eke out, &c.] Laurence Eusden, Peetlaureate. Mr. Jacob gives a catalogue of some few only of his works, which are very numerous. Mr. Cooke, in his Battle of Poets, saith of him, Eusden, a laurel'd bard, by Fortune rais'd, By very few was read, by fewer prais'd.' v. 105. Like Tate's poor page ] Nahum Tate was Poet-lau reate, a cold writer, of no invention; but sometimes translated tolerably when befriended by Mr. Dryden. In his second part of Absalom and Ahitophel are above two hundred admirable lines together of that great hand, which strongly shine through the insipidity of the rest. Something parallel may be observed of another author here mentioned. VARIATIONS. . 108. But chief in Bayes's, &c.] In the former edition thus: But chief in Tibbald's monster-breeding breast: 115 Dulness with transport eyes the lively Dunce, REMARKS. v. 109. Bayes, form'd by Nature, &c.] It is hoped the Poet here hath done full justice to his Hero's character, which it were a great mistake to imagine was wholly sunk in stupidity: he is allowed to have supported it with a wonderful mixture of viva VARIATIONS. r. 121. Round him much embryo, &c.] In the former editions thus: He roll'd his eyes that witness'd huge dismay, IMITATIONS. Var. He roll'd his eyes that witness'd huge dismay.] ......round he throws his eyes, 'That witness'd huge affliction and dismay." Milt. Book I. The progress of a bad poet in his thoughts, being (like the progress of the Devil in Milton) through a chaos, might probably _suggest this imitation. Nonsense precipitate, like running lead, That slipt through cracks and zigzags of the head; Fruits of dull heat, and sooterkins of wit. 125 How here he sip'd, how there he plunder'd snug, 135 And Quarles is sav'd by beauties not his own. 140 REMARKS. city. This character is heightened according to his own desire, in a letter he wrote to our Author: Pert and dull at least you might have allowed me. What! am I only to be dull, and dull 'still, and again, and for ever? He then solemnly appealed to his own conscience, that he could not think himself so, or believe that our Poet did; but that he spoke worse of him than he could possibly think; and concluded it must be merely to shew his wit, or for some profit or lucre to himself.' Life of C.C. ch. vii. and Letter to Mr. P. p. 15, 40, 53. And to shew his claim to what the Poet was so unwilling to allow him, of being pert as well as dull, he declares he will have the last word; which occasioned the following epigram: Quoth Cibber to Pope, though in verse you foreclose, Here swells the shelf with Ogilby the Great; REMARKS. v. 141. Ogilby the Great.] John Ogilby was one who, from a 'late initiation into literature, made such a progress as might ⚫ well style him the prodigy of his time! sending into the world 'so many large volumes! his translations of Homer and Virgil done to the life, and with such excellent sculptures: and (what added great grace to his works) he printed them all on special 'good paper, and in a very good letter,' Winstanley, Lives of poets. Win v. 142. There, stamp'd with arms, Newcastle shines complete.) "The Dutchess of Newcastle was one who busied herself in the ravishing delights of poetry; leaving to posterity in 6 print three ample volumes of her studious endeavors.' stanley, ibid. Langbaine reckons up eight folios of her Grace's, which were usually adorned with gilded covers, and had her coat of arms upon them. v. 146.....worthy Settle, Banks and Broome.] The Poet has mentioned these three authors in particular, as they are parallel to our hero in his three capacities: 1. Settle was his brother Laureate, only indeed upon half-pay, for the City instead of the Court; but equally famous for unintelligible flights in his poems on public occasions, such as shows, birth-days, &c. 2 Banks was his rival in tragedy, (though more successful,) in one of his tragedies, the Earl of Essex, which is yet alive: Anna Boleyn, the Queen of Scots, and Cyrus the Great, are dead and gone. These he dressed in a sort of beggar's velvet, or a happy mixture of the thick fustian and thin prosaic; exactly imitated in Parolla and Isidora, Cæsar in Egypt, and the heroic Daughter. 3. Broome 1 IMITATIONS. . 140. In the former edit. The page admires new beauties not its own.] Virg. Georg. II. |