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First flave to Words, then vaffal to a Name,

Then dupe to Party; child and man the same ;
Bounded by Nature, narrow'd still by Art,

A trifling head, and a contracted heart.

Thus bred, thus taught, how many have I feen, 505
Smiling on all, and smil'd on by a Queen ?
Mark'd out for Honours, honour'd for their Birth,
To thee the most rebellious things on earth:
Now to thy gentle shadow all are fhrunk,
All melted down, in Penfion, or in Punk!
So K* fo B* fneak'd into the grave,

A Monarch's half, and half a Harlot's flave.
Poor W** nipt in Folly's broadeft bloom,

Who praises now? his Chaplain on his Tomb.

REMARKS.

510

lefs Youths from the bofom of their Mother, and kept them in open rebellion to her, till Silenus broke the charm, and reftored them to her indulgent arms. But this is fo fingular a fancy, and at the fame time fo unfupported by proof, that we must in justice acquit them of all suspicions of this kind. VER. 501. First flave to words, etc.] A Recapitulation of the whole Course of modern Education described in this book, which confines Youth to the study of Words only in Schools; fubjects them to the authority of Systems in the Universities; and deludes them with the names of Party distinctions in the world. All equally concurring to narrow the Understanding, and establish Slavery and Error in Literature, Philofophy,and Politics. The whole finished in modern Free thinking; the completion of whatever is vain, wrong, and destructive to the happiness of mankind, as it establishes Self-love for the főle Principle of Action.

VER. 506. fmil'd on by a Queen.] i, e. This Queen or Goddefs of Dulness,

Then take them all, oh take them to thy breast!
Thy Magus, Goddefs! fhall perform the reft.

With that, a WIZARD OLD his Cup extends ;
Which whoso tastes, forgets his former friends,

REMARK S.

516

VER. 517. With that a Wizard old, etc.] Here beginneth the celebration of the GREATER MYSTERIES of the Goddefs, which the Poet in his Invocation, ver. 5, promised to fing. For when now each Aspirant, as was the custom, had proved his qualification and claim to a participation, theHIGH-PRIEST of Dulness first initiateth the Affembly by the ufual way of Libation. And then each of the Initiated, as was always required, putteth on a new Nature, described in v. 530. Firm Impudence, and Stupefaction mild, which the Ancient Writers on the Myfteries call rns ↓uxñs & μz, the great prop or fulcrum of the human mind. When the High Priest and Goddess have thus done their parts, each of them is delivered into the hands of his Conductor, an inferior Minifter or Herophant, whofe names are Impudence, Stupefaction, Self-conceit, Self-intereft, Pleafure, Epicurifm, etc. to lead them thro' the feveral apartments of her Myftic Dome or Palace. When all this is over, the fovereign Goddess, from v. 565 to 6co, conferreth her Titles and Degrees; rewards infeparably attendant on the participation of the Myfteries; which made the ancient Theon fay of them --- κάλλιςα μνα, καὶ τῶν μεγίςων ἀγαθῶν, τὸ Μυςηξίων Mixé . Hence being enriched with fo many various Gifts and Graces, Initiation into the Myfteries was anciently, as well as in these our times, esteemed a neceffary qualification for every high office and employment, whether in Church or State. Laftly the great Mother, the Bona Dea, shutteth up the

IMITATIONS.

VER. 518. Which whofo tastes, forgets his former friends--Sire, etc.] Homer of the Nepenthe, Odyss. iv.

† Αὐτίκ ̓ ἄρ ̓ εἰς οἶνον βάλε φάρμαχον, ἔνθεν ἔπινον Νιπειθέ; τ' αχολόν τε, κακῶν ἐπίληθον ἀπάλων.

Sire, Ancestors, Himself. One caft his eyes
Up to a Star, and like Endymion dies,
A Feather, fhooting from another's head,
Extracts his brain; and Principle is fled;
Loft is his God, his Country, ev'ry thing;
And nothing left but Homage to a King!

REMARKS.

520

Solemnity with her gracious benediction, which concludeth in drawing the curtain, and laying all her Children to reft. It is to be observed that DULNESS, before this her Restoration had her Pontiffs in Partibus; who from time to time held her Mysteries in fecret, and with great privacy. But now, on her Re-establishment, she celebrateth them, like those of the Cretans (the most ancient of all Mysteries) in open day, and offereth them to the inspection of all men.

Ibid. bis Cup---Which whofo taftes, etc.] The Cup of Self-love, which causes a total oblivion of the obligations of Friendship, or Honour; and of the Service of God, or our Country; all facrificed to Vain-glory, Court-worship, or the yet meaner confiderations of Lucre and brutal Pleafures. From ver. 520 to 528.

VER. 518.--forgets his former Friends,] Surely there little needed the force of charms or magic to fet afide an useless friendship. For of all the accommodations of fashionable life, as there are none more reputable, fo there are none of fo little charge as friendship. It fills up the void of life with a name of dignity and refpect; and at the fame time is ready to give place to every paffion that offers to dispute poffeffion with it. SCRIBL.

VERI 523, 524. Loft is bis God, his Country---And nothing left but Homage to a King.] So ftrange as this must seem to a mere English reader, the famous Monf. de la Bruyere declares it to be the character of every good Subject in a Monarchy: "Where (fays he) there is no fuch thing as Love of our Country, "the Intereft, the Glory, and Service of the Prince, supply "its place." De la Republique, chap. x.

525

The vulgar herd turn off to roll with Hogs,
To run with Horfes, or to hunt with Dogs;
But, fad example! never to escape
Their Infamy, ftill keep the human shape.
But fhe, good Goddefs, fent to ev'ry child
Firm Impudence, or Stupefaction mild;
And ftrait fucceeded, leaving fhame no room,
Cibberian forehead, or Cimmerian gloom.

REMARKS.

530

Of this duty another celebrated French Author speaks, indeed a little more disrespectfully; which for that reason, we fhall not tranflate, but give in his own words, " L'Amour de "la Patrie, le grand motif des prémiers Heros, n'est plus regardé que comme une Chimêre; l'idée du Service du Roi, ❝etendüe jufqu'à l'oubli de tout autre Principe, tient lieu de ce qu'on appelloit autrefois Grandeur d'Ame & Fidelité." Boulain-villiers Hift. des Anciens Parlements de France, etc.

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VER. 528. ftill keep the human shape.] The effects of the Magus's Cup, by which is allegorized a total corruption of heart, are juft contrary to that of Circe, which only reprefents the fudden plunging into pleasures. Her's therefore, took away the shape, and left the human mind; his takes away the mind, and leaves the human shape.

VER. 529. But fhe, good Goddefs, etc.] The only comfort people can receive, must be owing in some shape or other to Dulnefs; which makes fome ftupid, others impudent, gives Self conceit to fome, upon the Flatteries of their dependants, prefents the falfe colours of Interest to others, and bufies or amufes the rest with idle Pleafures or Senfuality, till they become eafy under any infamy. Each of which species is here fhadowed under Allegorical perfons.

VER. 532. Ciliberian forekcad or Cimmerian gloom.] i. e. She communicates to them of her own Virtue, or of her Royal Collegues. The Ciberian forehead being to fit them for Self

Kind Self-conceit to fome her glafs applies, Which no one looks in with another's eyes : But as the Flatt'rer or Dependant paint, Beholds himself a Patriot, Chief, or Saint.

On others Int'reft her gay liv'ry flings, Int'reft, that waves on Party-colour'd wings: Turn'd to the Sun, fhe cafts a thousand dyes, And, as the turns, the colours fall or rife.

Others the Syren Sifters warble round, And empty heads confole with empty found. No more, alas! the voice of Fame they hear, The balm of Dulnefs trickling in their ear. Great C**, H**, P**, R**, K*,

335

540

545

Why all your Toils? your Sons have learn'd to fing.

How quick Ambition haftes to ridicule !

The Sire is made a Peer, the Son a Fool.

REMARK S.

conceit, Self-Intereft, &c. and the Cimmerian gloom, for the Pleasures of Opera and the Table.

SCRIBL.

VER. 544. The balm of Dulness] The true Balm of Dulness, called by the Greek Phyficians Kohanɛía, is a Sovereign remedy against Inanity, and has its poetic name from the Goddess herself. Its ancient Difpenfators were her Poets; and for that reafon our Author, Book ii. v. 207. calls it the Poets bealing balm: but it is now got into as many hands as Goddard's Drops or Daffy's Elixir. It is prepared by the Clergy, as appears from feveral places of this poem: And by ver. 434, 535, it seems as if the Nobility had it made it up in their own houses. This, which Opera is here faid to administer, is but a fpurious fort, See my Differtation on the Silphium

of the Antients.

VOL. VI.

E

BENTL.

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