BOOK THE THIRD. ARGUMENT. After the other persons are disposed in their proper places of rest, the Goddess transports the King to her Temple, and there lays him to slumber with his head on her lap: a position of marvellous virtue, which causes all the visions of wild enthusiasts, projectors, politicians, inamoratos, castle-builders, chemists, and poets. He is immediately carried on the wings of Fancy, and led, by a mad poetical Sibyl, to the Elysian shade, where, on the banks of Lethe, the souls of the dull are dipped by Bavius, before their entrance into this world: there he is met by the ghost of Settle, and by him made acquainted with the wonders of the place, and with those which he himself is destined to perform. He takes him to a Mount of Vision, from whence he shews him the past triumphs of the Empire of Dulness, then the present, and lastly the future: how small a part of the world was ever conquered by Science, how soon those conquests were stopped, and those very nations again reduced to her dominion. Then, distinguishing the Island of Great Britain, shews by what aids, by what persons, and by what degrees, it shall be brought to her Empire. Some of the persons he causes to pass in review before his eyes, describing each by his proper figure, character, and qualifications. On a sudden, the Scene shifts, and a vast number of miracles and prodigies appear, utterly surprising and unknown to the King himself, till they are explained to be the wonders of his own reign now commencing. On this subject Settle breaks into a congratulation, yet not unmixed with concern, that his own times were but the types of these. He prophesies how first the nation shall be overrun with Farces, Operas, and Shows; how the throne of Dulness shall be advanced over the Theatres, and set up even at Court; then how her sons shall preside in the seats of Arts and Sciences; giving a glimpse, or Pisgah-sight, of the future Fulness of her Glory, the accomplishment whereof is the subject of the fourth and last book. BOOK III. BUT in her Temple's last recess enclosed, And soft besprinkles with Cimmerian dew. He hears loud Oracles, and talks with Gods :' Hence the Fool's Paradise, the Statesman's Scheme, The air-built Castle, and the golden Dream, 10 The Maid's romantic wish, the Chemist's flame, And Poet's vision of eternal Fame. And now, on Fancy's easy wing conveyed, The King descending, views the Elysian Shade. A slip-shod Sibyl led his steps along, In lofty madness meditating song; Her tresses staring from Poetic dreams, And never washed, but in Castalia's streams. Taylor, their better Charon, lends an oar, 1 "Et varias audit voces, fruiturque deorum 2 "Conclamat Vates 15 furens antro se immisit aperto."-Virg.-P. John Taylor, the Water-poet, an honest man, who owns he learned not so much as the Accidence: A rare example of modesty in a Poet! "I must confess I do want eloquence, And never scarce did learn my Accidence; 20 (Once swan of Thames, though now he sings no more.) Benlowes,' propitious still to blockheads, bows; And Shadwell nods the Poppy on his brows.2 Here, in a dusky vale where Lethe rolls,3 4 Old Bavius sits, to dip poetic souls," For having got from possum to posset, I there was gravel'd, could no farther get." He wrote fourscore books in the reign of James I. and Charles I., and afterwards (like Edward Ward) kept an Ale-house in Long-Acre. He died in 1654. -P. W. Taylor was a waterman on the Thames. He died in 1653. For a list of his numerous works, see Lowndes' Bibliographers' Manual. 1 A country gentleman, famous for his own bad Poetry, and for patronising bad Poets, as may be seen from many Dedications of Quarles and others to him. Some of these anagram'd his name, Benlowes, into Benevolus; to verify which, he spent his whole estate upon them.-P. 2 Shadwell took Opium for many years, and died of too large a dose, in the year 1692.-P. W. 3 66 -Videt Æneas in valle reducta Seclusum nemus Lethæumque domos placidas qui prænatat amnem, &c. Hunc circum innumeræ gentes," &c. Virg. Æn. vi.-P. 4 Bavius was an ancient Poet, celebrated by Virgil for the like cause as Bays by our author, though not in so Christian-like a manner; for heathenishly it is declared by Virgil of Bavius, that he ought to be hated and detested for his evil works: Qui Bavium non odit; whereas we have often had occasion to observe our Poet's great Good Nature and Merciful 5 Alluding to the story of Thetis dipping Achilles, to render him impenetrable : "At pater Anchises penitus convalle virenti Inclusas animas, superumque ad lumen ituras, Lustrabat."-Virg. Æn. vi.-P. 25 And blunt the sense, and fit it for a skull Instant, when dipped, away they wing their flight, Where Brown and Mears1 unbar the gates of Light,2 Demand new bodies, and in Calf's array, 30 Rush to the world, impatient for the day. ness through the whole course of this Poem.—Scriblerus.-P. Mr. Dennis warmly contends, that Bavius was no inconsiderable author; nay, that "He and Mævius had (even in Augustus's days) a very formidable party at Rome, who thought them much superior to Virgil and Horace: For (saith he) I cannot believe they would have fixed that eternal brand upon them, if they had not been coxcombs in more than ordinary credit."-Rem. on Pr. Arthur, part ii. c. i. An argument which, if this poem should last, will conduce to the honour of the gentlemen of the Dunciad.-P. 1 Booksellers, Printers, for anybody. The allegory of the souls of the dull coming forth in the form of books, dressed in calf's leather, and being let abroad in vast numbers by Booksellers, is sufficiently intelligible.-P. 2 An Hemistic of Milton.-P. Par. Lost, Book vi. v. 4. 3 "Quam multa in silvis autumni frigore primo, Lapsa cadunt folia, aut ad terram gurgite ab alto Quam multæ glomerantur aves," &c. Virg. Æn. vi.—P. 4 John Ward, of Hackney, Esq., member of Parliament, being convicted of forgery, was first expelled the House, and then sentenced to the Pillory, on the 17th of February, 1727. Mr. Curl (having likewise stood there) looks upon the mention of such a gentleman in a satire as a great act of barbarity.-Key to Wondering he gazed: When lo! a. Sage the Dunciad, 3rd edit. p. 16. And another author reasons thus upon it-Durgen, 8vo. pp. 11, 12: "How unworthy it is of Christian Charity to animate the rabble to abuse a worthy man in such a situation! What could move the Poet thus to mention a brave sufferer, a gallant prisoner, exposed to the view of all mankind! It was laying aside his Senses, it was committing a Crime, for which the Law is deficient not to punish him; nay, a crime which Man can scarce forgive, or Time efface! Nothing surely could have induced him to it but being bribed by a great Lady," &c. (to whom this brave, honest, worthy gentleman was guilty of no offence but forgery, proved in open court, &c.). But it is evident this verse could not be meant of him; it being notorious that no eggs were thrown at that gentleman. Perhaps, therefore, it might be intended of Mr. Edward Ward, the poet, when he stood there.-P. دو 1 Elkanah Settle was once a Writer in vogue, as well as Cibber, both for Dramatic Poetry and Politics. Mr. Dennis tells us that "he was a formidable rival to Mr. Dryden, and that in the University of Cambridge there were those who gave him the preference.' Mr. Welsted goes yet further in his behalf: "Poor Settle was formerly the Mighty Rival of Dryden; nay, for many years, bore his reputation above him.". Pref. to his Poems, 8vo. p. 31. And Mr. Milbourn cried out, "How little was Dryden able, even when his blood run high, to defend himself against Mr. Settle!"-Notes on Dryd. Vir., p. 175. These are comfortable opinions! and no wonder some authors indulge them. He was author or publisher of many noted pamphlets in the time of King Charles II. He answered all Dryden's political poems, and being cried up on one side, succeeded not a little in his Tragedy of the Empress of Morocco (the first that was ever printed with Cuts).-P. W. |