235 His library (where busts of poets dead 240 He paid some bards with port, and some with praise, And others (harder still) he paid in kind. NOTES. Ver. 236. a true Pindar stood without a head] Ridicules the affectation of antiquaries, who frequently exhibit the headless trunks and terms of Statues, for Plato, Homer, Pindar, &c. Vide Fulv. Ursin., &c. Pope. Ver. 245. Dryden alone] Our poet, with true gratitude, has seized every opportunity of shewing his reverence for his great master, Dryden; whom Swift as constantly depreciated and maligned. "I do affirm," says he severely, but with exquisite irony indeed, in the dedication of the Tale of a Tub to Prince Posterity, "upon the word of a sincere man, that there is now actually in being a certain poet, called John Dryden, whose translation of Virgil was lately printed in a large folio, well bound, and, if diligent search were made, for aught I know, is yet to be seen." And he attacks him again in the Battle of Books. I remember to have heard my father say, that Mr. Elijah Fenton, who was his intimate friend, and had been his master, informed him, that Dryden, upon seeing some of Swift's earliest verses, said to him, "Young man, you will never be a poet:" and that this was the cause of Swift's rooted VARIATIONS. After Ver. 234 in the MS. To bards reciting he vouchsafed a nod, And snuff'd their incense like a gracious god. But still the Great have kindness in reserve; May every Bavius have his Bufo still! 250 So when a statesman wants a day's defence, NOTES. rooted aversion to Dryden, mentioned above. Baucis and Philemon was so much and so often altered, at the instigation of Addison, who mentioned this circumstance to my father at Magdalen College, that not above eight lines remain as they originally stood. Warton. Ver. 248. help'd to bury] Mr. Dryden, after having lived in exigencies, had a magnificent funeral bestowed upon him by the contribution of several persons of quality. Pope. Ver. 248. help'd to starve.] Alluding to the subscription that was made for his funeral. Garth spoke an oration over him. His necessities obliged him to produce (besides many other poetical pieces) twenty-seven plays in twenty-five years. He got 251. for the copy, and 701. for his benefits generally. Dramatic poetry was certainly not his talent. His plays, a very few passages excepted, are insufferably unnatural. It is remarkable that he did not scruple to confess, that he could not relish the pathos and simplicity of Euripides. When he published his Fables, Tonson agreed to give him two hundred and sixty-eight pounds for ten thousand verses. And, to complete the full number of lines stipulated for, he gave the bookseller the epistle to his cousin, and the celebrated Music Ode. "Old Jacob Tonson used to say, that Dryden was a little jealous of rivals. He would compliment Crown when a play of his failed, but was very cold to him if he met with success. He sometimes used to say that Crown had some genius: but then he added always, that his father and Crown's mother were very well acquainted." Mr. Pope to Mr. Spence. Warton. Bless'd be the Great, for those they take away, 255 And those they left me; for they left me GAY; NOTES. Ver. 256. left me GAY ;] The sweetness and simplicity of Gay's temper and manners much endeared him to all his acquaintance, and made them always speak of him with particular fondness and attachment. Trivia appears to be the best of his poems, in which are many strokes of genuine humour, and pictures of London-life, which are now become curious, because our manners, as well as our dresses, have been so much altered and changed within a few years. His Fables, the most popular of all his works, have the fault of many modern fable-writers the ascribing to the different animals and objects introduced, speeches and actions inconsistent with their several natures. Let every man of letters, who wishes for patronage, read D'Alembert's Essay on living with the Great, before he enters the house of a patron: and let him always remember the fate of Racine, who having drawn up, at Madame Maintenon's secret request, a memorial that strongly painted the distresses of the French nation, the weight of their taxes, and the expenses of the court, she could not resist the importunity of Lewis XIV., but shewed him her friend's paper, against whom the king immediately conceived a violent indignation, because a poet should dare to busy himself with politics. Racine had the weakness to take this anger so much to heart, that it brought on a low fever, which hastened his death, The Duchess of Queensberry would not so have betrayed her poetical friend Gay. Warton. Ver. 256. GAY;] Warton says, Spence informed him that Addison accused himself on his death-bed to Gay, of having injured him. This, no doubt, came from Pope; but the real cause of Gay's being neglected at Court, appears in Coxe's Walpole. He expected preferment through the interest of Mrs. Howard, mistress to George II., afterwards countess of Suffolk. As this point is so curious, and so clearly ascertained, I beg to quote the words of that interesting and able historian: "Swift was convinced that the minister had prevented the bounty of Queen Caroline from being shewn to the author of the Hare and many Friends; and he observes, alluding to it in a copy of verses addressed to Gay : Left me to see neglected genius bloom, NOTES. "Fain would I think our female friend sincere, Till Bob, the poet's foe, possess'd her ear," &c. In another place, Swift asserts that it was principally owing to the dedication prefixed to the Pastorals, in honour of Bolingbroke, and to some expressions in his fables, which displeased the Court. He repeats this accusation in his letters and works, and had even the rudeness to hint it to Sir Robert Walpole himself, when he dined with him at Chelsea. Gay was of the same opinion; and in the second part of his fables, which were not printed till after his death, is full of sarcastic and splenetic allusions to the minister. But as Walpole was neither of a jealous nor vindictive disposition, there is no reason to give credit to the aspersions of his enemies, and to suppose that he used his influence over queen Caroline for the purpose of injuring Gay, particularly when another, and a more natural motive of her conduct may be suggested. In fact, Gay was the innocent cause of his own disgrace; for he thought that Mrs. Howard was all-powerful at Court, and that he, whom Swift humorously calls one of her led captains, should rise by her recommendation. Pope also, in a letter to Swift, alluding to Mrs. Howard, says: Gay puts his whole trust in that Lady whom 1 described to you, and whom you take to be an allegorical creature of fancy. And Gay thus expresses himself to Swift: "Mrs. Howard has declared herself very strongly, both to the king and queen, as my protector." But in these words, they unconsciously declare the cause of his disfavour. The queen's jealousy of the interference and credit of the mistress obstructed his promotion; and his own indiscretion afterwards, destroyed every hope. Soon after this disappointment, he produced the Beggars' Opera; and both his conversation and writings were so full of invectives against the Court, that all expectations of further notice from the queen were obviously relinquished." Coxe's Memoirs. Bowles. Maintain a poet's dignity and ease, And see what friends, and read what books I please : Above a patron, tho' I condescend Sometimes to call a minister my friend. I was not born for Courts or great affairs; I pay my debts, believe, and say my prayers; Nor know if Dennis be alive or dead. 265 270 Why am I ask'd what next shall see the light? Heavens! was I born for nothing but to write? Has life no joys for me? or (to be grave) Have I no friend to serve, no soul to save? "I found him close with Swift"-" Indeed? no doubt," (Cries prating Balbus)" something will come out." 'Tis all in vain, deny it as I will: 66 No, such a genius never can lie still;" NOTES. Ver. 261. Oh let me live] In the first edition: Give me on Thames's banks, in honest ease, To see what friends, or read what books I please. Ver. 271. Why am I ask'd, &c.] This is intended as a reproof of those impertinent complaints, which were continually made to him by those who called themselves his friends, for not entertaining the town as often as it wanted amusement. A French writer says well on this occasion: Dès qu'on est auteur, il semble qu'on soit aux gages d'un tas de fainéans, pour leur fournir de quoi amuser leur oisiveté. Warburton. VARIATIONS. After Ver. 270 in the MS. Friendships from youth I sought, and seek them still : |