BOOK I. Books and the Man I sing, the first who brings The Smithfield Muses to the Ear of Kings. Say, great Patricians! (since yourselves inspire These wondrous works: so Jove and Fate require) Say from what cause, in vain decry'd and curst, 5 Still Dunce the second reigns like Dunce the first. In eldest time, e'er mortals writ or read, E'er Pallas issu'd from the Thund'rer's head, Dulness o'er all possess'd her ancient right, Daughter of Chaos and eternal Night : Fate in their dotage this fair idiot gave, Gross as her sire, and as her mother grave, Laborious, heavy, busy, bold, and blind, She rul❜d in native Anarchy, the mind. Still her old empire to confirm, she tries, O THOU! whatever Title please thine ear, 10 15 20 Grieve not, my SWIFT, at ought our realm requires, Here pleas'd behold her mighty wings out-spread, To hatch a new Saturnian Age of Lead. 26 Where wave the tatter'd ensigns of Rag-fair, Keen, hollow winds howl thro' the bleak recess, 30 36 This, the Great Mother dearer held than all 40 Hence the soft sing-song on Cecilia's day, 46 50 Where, in nice balance, truth with gold she weighs, And solid pudding against empty praise. Here she beholds the Chaos dark and deep, Where, nameless Somethings in their causes sleep, Till genial Jacob, or a warm Third-day 55 Call forth each mass, a poem, or a play : How hints, like spawn, scarce quick in embryo lie, How new-born nonsense first is taught to cry, Maggots half-form'd, in rhyme exactly meet, Here one poor word a hundred clenches makes, How Farce and Epic get a jumbled race; 60 65 How Time himself stands still at her command, 69 75 All these and more, the cloud-compelling Queen Beholds thro' fogs, that magnify the scene: She, tinsell'd o'er in robes of varying hues, With self-applause her wild creation views, Sees momentary monsters rise and fall, And with her own fools-colours gilds them all. 80 84 "Twas on the day, when Thorold, rich and grave, Like Cimon triumph'd both on land and wave: (Pomps without guilt, of bloodless swords and maces, Glad chains, warm furs, broad banners, and broad faces) Now Night descending, the proud scene was o'er, But liv'd, in Settle's numbers, one day more. Now May'rs and Shrieves all hush'd and satiate lay, Yet eat, in dreams, the custard of the day; 90 94 100 105 In each she marks her image full exprest, But chief, in Tibbald's monster-breeding breast: Sees Gods with Demons in strange league engage, And earth, and heav'n, and hell, her battles wage. She ey'd the Bard, where supperless he sate, 110 ; And pin'd, unconscious of his rising fate ; Or where, by sculpture made for ever known, Here swells the shelf with Ogilby the great: 120 There, stamp'd with arms, Newcastle shines complete : Here all his suff'ring brotherhood retire, 125 And 'scape the martyrdom of jakes and fire; De Lyra there a dreadful front extends, 129 136 And here, the groaning shelves Philemon bends. That altar crowns: a folio Common-place Founds the whole pile, of all his works the base; Quartos, octavos, shape the less'ning pyre; 141 And last, a little Ajar tips the spire. Then he. Great Tamer of all human art! First in my care, and nearest at my heart: Dulness! whose good old cause I yet defend, 145 With whom my Muse began, with whom shall end! O thou, of business the directing soul, To human heads like bias to the bowl, Which as more pond'rous makes their aim more true, Obliquely waddling to the mark in view. 150 |