1 All gaze with ardour: some a poet's name, Others a sword-knot and laced suit inflame. But lofty Lintot in the circle rose : "This prize is mine; who tempt it are my foes; With me began this genius, and shall end." 55 He spoke and who with Lintot shall contend? Fear held them mute. Alone, untaught to fear, cried out, "See, gentlemen, what a thief we have among us! look, he is stealing my handkerchief!" The plagiarisms of this person gave occasion to the following Epigram: "More always smiles whenever he recites; He smiles (you think) approving what he writes. And yet in this no vanity is shown; A modest man may like what's not his own." This young Gentleman's whole misfortune was too inordinate a passion to be thought a Wit. Here is a very strong instance attested by Mr. Savaye, son of the late Earl Rivers, who, having shown some verses of his in manuscript to Mr. Moore, wherein Mr. Pope was called first of the tuneful train, Mr. Moore the next morning sent to Mr. Savage to desire him to give those verses another turn, to wit, "That Pope might now be the first, because Moore had left him unrivalled in turning his style to Comedy." This was during the rehearsal of the Rival Modes, his first and only work; the Town condemned it in the action, but he printed it in 1726-7, with this modest motto, "Hic cæstus, artemque repono.”—P. It appears from hence, that this is not the name of a real person, but fictitious. More from upoç, stultus, μopía, stultitia, to represent the folly of a plagiary.— Scribl.-P. W. We enter here upon the episode of the Booksellers Persons, whose names being more known and famous in the learned world than those of the Authors in this poem, do therefore need less explanation. The action of Mr. Lintot here imitates that of Dares in Virgil, rising, just in this manner, to lay hold on a Bull. This eminent Bookseller printed the Rival Modes before mentioned.-P. Stood dauntless Curl;'"Behold that rival here! run." Swift as a bard the bailiff leaves behind," 60 1 We come now to a character of much respect, that of Mr. Edmund Curl. As a plain repetition of great actions is the best praise of them, we shall only say of this eminent man that he carried the Trade many lengths beyond what it ever before had arrived at, and that he was the envy and admiration of all his profession. He possessed himself of a command over all authors whatever; he caused them to write what he pleased; they could not call their very Names their own. He was not only famous among these; he was taken notice of by the State, the Church, and the Law, and received particular marks of distinction from each. It will be owned that he is here introduced with all possible dignity. He speaks like the intrepid Diomed; he runs like the swift-footed Achilles; if he falls, it is like the beloved Nisus; and (what Homer makes to be the chief of all praises) he is favoured of the Gods; he says but three words, and his prayer is heard; a Goddess conveys it to the seat of Jupiter; though he loses the prize, he gains the victory; the great Mother herself comforts him, she inspires him with expedients, she honours him with an immortal present (such as Achilles receives from Thetis, and Eneas from Venus) at once instructive and prophetical. After this he is unrivalled and triumphant. -P. 2 "Occupet extremum scabies; mihi turpe relinqui est." Hor. de Arte.-P. 3 Something like this is in Homer, Il. x. ver. 220, of Diomed. Two different manners of the same author in his similes are also imitated in the two following; the first, of the Bailiff, is short, unadorned, and (as the Critics well know) from familiar life; the second, of the Waterfowl, more extended, picturesque, and from rural life. The 59th verse is likewise a literal translation of one in Homer.-P. He left huge Lintot, and out-stripped the wind. As when a dab-chick waddles through the copse On feet and wings, and flies, and wades, and hops; So labouring on, with shoulders, hands, and head,' 65 Wide as a wind-mill, all his figure spread, 70 (Such was her wont, at early dawn to drop Her evening cates before his neighbour's shop,) 1 "So eagerly the Fiend O'er bog, o'er steep, through straight, rough, dense, or rare, With head, hands, wings, or feet pursues his way, And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies." Milton, Book ii.-P. 2 Milton, of the motion of the Swan, And Dryden, of another's,- With two left legs.-P. 3 This name, it seems, was taken by one Mrs. T- who procured some private letters of Mr. Pope, while almost a boy, to Mr. Cromwell, and sold them without the consent of either of those Gentlemen to Curl, who printed them in 12mo. 1727. He discovered her to be the publisher, in his Key, p. 11. We only take this opportunity of mentioning the manner in which those letters got abroad, which the author was ashamed of as very trivial things, full not only of levities, but of wrong judgments of men and books, and only excusable from the youth and inexperience of the writer.-P. Cromwell gave Pope's letters to Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas, who sold them to Curl, Here fortuned Curl to slide;' loud shout the band, And "Bernard! Bernard!"" rings through all the Strand. Obscene with filth the miscreant lies be wrayed, Fallen in the plash his wickedness had laid : 1 2 "Labitur infelix, cæsis ut forte juvencis 75 Fusus humum viridesque super madefecerat herbas Concidit, immundoque fimo, sacroque cruore. "Ut littus, Hyla, Hyla, omne sonaret." 3 Though this incident may seem too low and base for the dignity of an Epic poem, the learned very well know it to be but a copy of Homer and Virgil; the very words ov0og and fimus are used by them, though our poet (in compliance to modern nicety) has remarkably enriched and coloured his language, as well as raised the versification, in this episode, and in the following one of Eliza. If we consider that the exercises of his authors could with justice be no higher than tickling, chattering, braying, or diving, it was no easy matter to invent such games as were proportioned to the meaner degree of Booksellers. In Homer and Virgil, Ajax and Nisus, the persons drawn in this plight are Heroes; whereas here they are such with whom it had been great impropriety to have joined any but vile ideas; besides the natural connection there is between Libellers and common Nuisances. Nevertheless I have heard our author own, that this part of his poem was (as it frequently happens) what cost him most trouble and pleased him feast; but that he hoped it was excusable, sin e levelled at such as understand no delicate satire. Thus the politest men are sometimes obliged to swear, when they happen to have to do with porters and oyster-wenches.-P. Hear, Jove! whose name my bards and I adore, 80 As much at least as any God's, or more; 2 A place there is, betwixt earth, air, and seas,2 Where, from Ambrosia, Jove retires for ease. There in his seat two spacious vents appear, 85 On this he sits, to that he leans his ear, And hears the various vows of fond mankind; Some beg an eastern, some a western wind: All vain petitions, mounting to the sky, With reams abundant this abode supply; Amused he reads, and then returns the bills Signed with that Ichor which from Gods distils.3 In office here fair Cloacina stands, And ministers to Jove with purest hands. Forth from the heap she picked her Votary's prayer, And placed it next him, a distinction rare! Oft had the Goddess heard her servant's call, From her black grottos near the Temple-wall, Listening delighted to the jest unclean 90 95 Of link-boys vile, and watermen obscene; 100 1 The Bible, Curl's sign; the Cross-keys, Lintot's. -P. * See Lucian's Icaro-Menippus; where this fiction is more extended. "Orbe locus medio est, inter terrasque, fretumque, Cœlestesque plagas."-Ovid. Met. xii.-P. 3 Alludes to Homer, Iliad v. : ῥέε δ' ἄμβροτον αἷμα Θέοιο, Ιχώρ, οἷός πέρ τε ῥέει μακάρεσσι θεοῖσιν. "A stream of nect'rous humour issuing flowed, Sanguine, such as celestial sp'rits may bleed." Milton.-P. The Roman Goddess of the common sewers.-P. |