The plunging Prelate, and his ponderous Grace,
With holy envy gave one Layman place.
When lo! a burst of thunder fhook the flood,
Slow rose a form, in majefty of Mud;
Shaking the horrors of his fable brows,
And each ferocious feature grim with ooze.
Greater he looks, and more than mortal ftares;
Then thus the wonders of the deep declares :

VARIATION.

Ver. 323-326. In first Ed. thus;

Sudden a burst of thunder shook the flood,
Lo, Smedley rofe in majesty of mud.

REMARKS.

325

330

First

first publication of the Dunciad, he prevailed on the author not to give him his due piace in it, by a letter profeffing his deteftation of fuch practices as his Predeceffor's. But fince, by the most unexampled infolence, and perfonal abuse of several great men, the Poet's particular friends, he most amply deferved a niche in the Temple of Infamy: Witness a paper, called the Free Briton, a Dedication intituled, To the Genuine Blunderer, 1732, and many others. He writ for hire, and valued himself upon it; not indeed without cause, it appearing by the aforefaid REPORT, that he received " for Free Britons, and other writings, in the space of "four years, no lefs than ten thousand nine hundred "and ninety-feven pounds fix fhillings and eight

pence, out of the Treafury." But frequently, through his fury or folly, he exceeded all the bounds of his commiffion, and obliged his honourable Patron to difavow his fcurrilities.

Ver. 323. The plunging Prelate, &c.] It having been invidiously infinuated that by this Title was meant a truly great Prelate, as refpectable for his de

fence

Firft he relates, how finking to the chin,

Smit with his mien, the Mud-nymphs fuck'd him in
How
young Lutetia, fofter than the down,
Nigrina black, and Merdamante brown,
Vy'd for his love in jetty bowers below,
As Hylas fair was ravish'd long ago.

335

Then fung, how, shown him by the Nut-brown maids,
A branch of Styx here rises from the Shades ;
That, tinctur'd as it runs with Lethe's ftreams,
And wafting Vapours from the land of dreams,
(As under feas Alpheus' fecret fluice
Bears Pifa's offering to his Arethuse)

Pours into 'Thames: and hence the mingled wave
Intoxicates the pert, and lulls the

grave:

Here brisker vapours o'er the TEMPLE creep,
There, all from Paul's to Aldgate drink and sleep.

340

345

VARIATIONS.

Thence

Ver. 343-351. In firft Ed. thus,

Pours into Thamês: each city bowl is full
Of the mixt wave, and all who drink grow dull.
Here to the banks where bards departed doze,
They led him foft; here all the bards arose;
Taylor, fweet bird of Thames, majestic bows,
And Shadwell nods the poppy on his brows;
While Milbourn there, deputed by the reft,
Gave him the caffock, furcingle, and vest;
And "Take (he faid) &c.

REMARKS.

fence of the present balance of power in the civil constitution, as for his opposition to the Scheme of no power at all, in the religious; I owe so much to the memory VOL. III.

M

of

Thence to the banks where reverend bards repofe, They led him foft; each reverend bard arofe;

And Milbourn chief, deputed by the rest,

Gave him the caffock, furcingle, and vest.

350

"Receive (he faid) these robes which once were mine, "Dulnefs is facred in a found Divine."

He ceas'd, and spread the robe; the crowd confefs The reverend Flamen in his lengthen'd drefs. Around him wide a fable Army stand,

A low-born, cell-bred, felfifh, fervile band,

REMARKS.

355

Prompt

of my deceased friend as to declare, that when, a little before his death, I informed him of this infinuation, he called it vile and malicious, as any candid Man, he faid, might understand, by his having paid a willing compliment to this very prelate in another part of the Poem.

Ver. 349. And Milbourn] Luke Milbourn a Clergyman, the fairest of Critics; who, when he wrote against Mr. Dryden's Virgil, did him juftice in printing at the fame time his own tranflations of him, which were intolerable. His manner of writing has a great refemblance with that of the Gentlemen of the Dunciad against our author, as will be feen in the Parallel of Mr. Dryden and him. Append.

Ver. 355. Around him wide, &c.] It is to be hoped that the fatire in thefe lines will be understood in the confined fenfe in which the Author meant it, of fuch only of the Clergy, who, though folemnly engaged in the fervice of Religion, dedicate themselves for venal and corrupt ends to that of Minifters or Factions; and though educated under an entire ignorance of the world, afpire to interfere in the government of it, and confequently to disturb and disorder it; in which they fall

fhort

Prompt or to guard or ftab, to faint or damn,

Heaven's Swifs, who fight for any God, or Man.

360

Thro' Lud's fam'd gates, along the well-known Fleet, Rolls the black troop, and overfhades the ftreet, Till showers of Sermons, Characters, Essays, In circling fleeces whiten all the ways: So clouds, replenish'd from some bog below, Mount in dark volumes, and descend in fnow. Here ftopt the Goddess; and in pomp proclaims A gentler exercife to close the games.

365

"Ye Critics! in whose heads, as equal fcales, "I weigh what author's heaviness prevails: "Which moft conduce to footh the foul in flumbers, "My Henley's periods, or my Blackmore's numbers; "Attend

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 355-362. Not in first Ed. where, instead of ver. 365-367, were originally thefe lines:

Slow moves the Goddefs, from the fable flood,
(Her Priest preceding) through the gates of Lud.
Her Critics there fhe fummons, and proclaims
A gentler exercise to close the games.

Here you, in whose grave heads, &c.

REMARKS.

fhort of their Predeceffors only by being invested with much lefs of that power and authority, which they employed indifferently (as is hinted at in the lines above) either in fupporting arbitrary power, or in exciting rebellion; in canonizing the vices of Tyrants, or in blackening the virtues of Patriots; in corrupting religion by fuperftition, or betraying it by libertiniẩm, as either was thought beft to serve the ends of policy, or flatter the follies of the Great.

"Attend the trial we propose to make :

371

"If there be man, who o'er fuch works can wake,

"Sleep's all-fubduing charms who dares defy, "And boasts Ulyffes' ear with Argus' eye;

"To him we grant our amplest powers, to fit

375

"Judge of all present, past, and future wit ; "To cavil, cenfure, dictate, right or wrong, "Full and eternal privilege of tongue."

Three College Sophs and three pert Templars came, The fame their talents, and their tastes the fame; 380 Each prompt to query, answer, and debate,

And smit with love of Poefy and Prate.

The ponderous books two gentle readers bring!

The heroes fit, the vulgar form a ring.

The clamorous crowd is hush'd with mugs of Mum, 385
Till all, tun'd equal, send a general hum.

Then mount the Clerks, and in one lazy tone
Through the long, heavy, painful page drawl on ;
Soft creeping, words on words, the sense compose,
At every line they stretch, they yawn, they doze,
As to foft gales top-heavy pines bow low
Their heads, and lift them as they cease to blow :
Thus oft they rear, and oft the head decline,
As breathe, or pause, by fits, the airs divine.
And now to this fide, now to that they nod,
As verfe, or profe, infuse the drowzy God.
Thrice Budgel aim'd to speak, but, thrice fuppreft
By potent Arthur, knock'd his chin and breast.

VARIATION.

Ver. 379. In firft Ed. Three Cambridge Sophs.

390

395

Toland