Safe, where no Critics damn, no Duns moleft, 295 REMARKS. Thou, "Boileau's Lutrin, which the late Lord Halifax was fo "pleased with, that he complimented him with leave to "dedicate it to him, &c. Let him fhew better and "truer Poetry in the Rape of the Lock, than in Ozell's "Rape of the Bucket (la Secchia rapita). And Mr. "Toland and Mr. Gildon publickly declared Ozell's "tranflation of Homer to be, as it was prior, fo like"wife fuperior to Pope's.-Surely, furely, every man is "free to deferve well of his country!" JOHN OZELL. We cannot but fubfcribe to such reverend teftimonies, as thofe of the Bench of Bishops, Mr. Toland, and Mr. Gildon. Ver. 290. a Heidegger] A ftrange bird from Switzerland, and not (as fome have fuppofed) the name of an eminent perfon who was a man of parts, and, as was faid of Petronius, Arbiter Elegantiorum. Ver. 296. Withers,] See on ver. 146. Ibid. Gildon] Charles Gildon, a writer of criticisms and libels in the last age, bred at St. Omer's with the Jefuits; but renouncing popery, he published Blount's books against the Divinity of Chrift, the Oracles of Reafon, &c. He fignalized himfelf as a critic, having written fome very bad Plays; abufed Mr. P. very fcandaloufly in an anonymous pamphlet of the Life of Mr. Wycherley, printed by Curll; in another, called the New Rehearsal, printed in 1714; in a third, entitled the Complete Art of English Poetry, in two volumes; and others. Ver. 297. Howard,] Hon. Edward Howard, author of the British Princes, and a great number of wonderful I 2 pieces, Thou, Cibber! thou, his Laurel fhalt support, And thou! his Aid de camp, lead on my fons, REMARKS. 300 305 310 "Twixt pieces, celebrated by the late Earls of Dorfet and Rochester, Duke of Buckingham, Mr. Waller, &c. Ver. 309, 310. under Archer's wing,-Gaming, &c.] When the Statute against Gaming was drawn up, it was represented, that the King, by ancient custom, plays at Hazard one night in the year; and therefore a clause was inferted, with an exemption as to that particular. Under this pretence, the Groom-porter had a Room appropriated to Gaming all the fummer the Court was at Kenfington, which his Majefty accidentally being acquainted with, with a juft indignation, prohibited. It is reported the fame practice is yet continued wherever the Court refides, and the Hazard Table there open to all the profeffed Gamesters in town. "Greatest and jufteft SOVEREIGN; know you this? "Alas! no more, than Thames' calm head can know, "Whofe meads his arms drown, or whofe corn o'er"flow." DONNE to Queen Eliz. 'Twixt Prince and People close the Curtain draw, 315 And all be fleep, as at an Ode of thine. She ceas'd. Then fwells the Chapel-royal throat : God fave king Cibber! mounts in every note. Familiar White's, God fave king Colley! cries; God fave king Colley! Drury-lane replies: To Needham's quick the voice triumphal rode, But pious Needham dropt the name of God; Back to the Devil the last echoes roll, 320 325 And Coll! each Butcher roars at Hockley-hole. So when Jove's block defcended from on high (As fings thy great forefather Ogilby) REMARKS. Loud Ver. 319. Chapel-royal] The Voices and Inftruments ufed in the fervice of the Chapel-royal being alfo employed in the performance of the Birth-day, and Newyear Odes. Ver. 324. But pious Needham] a Matron of great fame, and very religious in her way; whofe conftant prayer it was, that the might "get enough by her profef fion to leave it off in time, and make her peace with "God." But her fate was not fo happy; for being convicted, and fet in the pillory, fhe was (to the lafting fhame of all her great Friends and Votaries) fo ill used by the populace, that it put an end to her days. Ver. 325. Back to the Devil] The Devil Tavern in Fleet-ftreet, where thefe Odes are usually rehearsed before they are performed at Court. Upon which a Wit of thofe times made this Epigram, I 3 "When Loud thunder to its bottom fhook the bog, And the hoarfe nation croak'd, God fave king Log? REMARKS. "When Laureates make Odes, Do you afk of what "fort? "Do you ask if they're good, or are evil? "You may judge-From the Devil they come to the "Court, "And go from the Court to the Devil." Ver. 328 —Ogilby)-God fave king Log!] See Ogilby's fop's Fables, where, in the ftory of the Frogs and their King, this excellent hemiftich is to be found. Our author manifefts here, and elsewhere, a prodigious tenderness for the bad writers. We fee he felects the only good paffage, perhaps, in all that ever Ogilby writ! which fhews how candid and patient a reader he must have been. What can be more kind and affectionate than the words in the preface to his Poems, where he labours to call up all our humanity and forgiveness toward thefe unlucky men, by the most moderate reprefentation of their cafe, that has ever been given by any author? But how much all indulgence is loft upon thefe people may appear from the just reflection made on their conftant conduct and conftant fate, in the following Epigram: "Ye little Wits, that gleam'd a-while, "To compafs Phoebus' car about, "Thus empty vapours rise, "Each lends his cloud, to put him out, "That rear'd him to the skies. Alas! |