The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D Volume I Part 44

[Footnote 2: The prison or house of correction to which harlots were often consigned. See Hogarth's "Harlot's Progress," and "A beautiful young Nymph," _ante_, p. 201.--_W. R. B._]

[Footnote 3: Colley Cibber, born in 1671, died in 1757; famous as a comedian and dramatist, and immortalized by Pope as the hero of the "Dunciad"; appointed Laureate in December, 1730, in succession to Eusden, who died in September that year. See Cibber's "Apology for his Life"; Disraeli's "Quarrels of Authors," edit. 1859.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 4: Barnaby Bernard Lintot, publisher and bookseller, noted for adorning his shop with t.i.tles in red letters. In the Prologue to the "Satires" Pope says: "What though my name stood rubric on the walls"; and in the "Dunciad," book i, "Lintot's rubric post." He made a handsome fortune, and died High Sheriff of Suss.e.x in 1736, aged sixty-one.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 5: The coffee-house most frequented by the wits and poets of that time.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 6: See _ante_, p. 192, "On Stephen Duck, the Thresher Poet."--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 7: Allusion to the large sums paid by Walpole to scribblers in support of his party.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 8: "Sunt geminae Somni portae: quarum altera fertur Cornea; qua veris facilis datur exitus Vmbris: Altera candenti perfecta nitens elephanto; Sed falsa ad coelum mittunt insomnia Manes."

VIRG., _Aen._, vi.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 9: See the "South Sea Project," _ante_, p. 120.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 10: Thomas Rymer, archaeologist and critic. The allusion is to his "Remarks on the Tragedies of the last Age," on which see Johnson's "Life of Dryden" and Spence's "Anecdotes," p. 173. Rymer is best known by his work ent.i.tled "Foedera," consisting of leagues, treaties, etc., made between England and other kingdoms.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 11: John Dennis, born 1657, died 1734. He is best remembered as "The Critic." See Swift's "Thoughts on various subjects," "Prose Works,"

i, 284; Disraeli, "Calamities of Authors: Influence of a bad Temper in Criticism"; Pope's Works, edit. Elwin and Courthope, _pa.s.sim._--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 12: Highly esteemed as a French critic by Dryden and Pope.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 13: By Leonard Welsted, who, in 1712, published the work of "Longinus on the Sublime," stated to be "translated from the Greek." He is better known through his quarrel with Pope. See the "Prologue to the Satires."--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 14: Dryden, whose armed chair at Will's was in the winter placed by the fire, and in the summer in the balcony. Malone's "Life of Dryden," p. 485. Why Battus? Battus was a herdsman who, because he Betrayed Mercury's theft of some cattle, was changed by the G.o.d into a Stone Index. Ovid, "Metam.," ii, 685.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 15: The ancient name of London, also called Troynovant. See Journal to Stella, "Prose Works," ii, 249; and Cunningham's "Handbook of London," introduction.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 16: The two bad Roman poets, hateful and inimical to Virgil and Horace: Virg., "Ecl." iii, 90; Horat., "Epod." x. The names have been well applied in our time by Gifford in his satire ent.i.tled "The Baviad and Maeviad."--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 17: A musician, also a censurer of Horace. See "Satirae," lib.

1. iii, 4.--_--W. E. B._]

[Footnote 18: In consequence of "Polly," the supplement to the "Beggar's Opera," but which obtained him the friendship of the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Queensberry.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 19: The grant of two hundred a year, which he obtained from the Crown, and retained till his death in 1765.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 20: See "Leviathan," Part I, chap, xiii.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 21: Richard Flecknoe, poet and dramatist, died 1678, of whom it has been written that "whatever may become of his own pieces, his name will continue, whilst Dryden's satire, called 'Mac Flecknoe,' shall remain in vogue." Dryden's Poetical Works, edit. Warton, ii, 169.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 22: Hon. Edward Howard, author of some indifferent plays and poems. See "Dict. Nat. Biog."--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 23: Richard Blackmore, physician and very voluminous writer in prose and verse. In 1697 he was appointed physician to William III, when he was knighted. See Pope, "Imitations of Horace," book ii, epist. 1, 387.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 24: Lord Grimston, born 1683, died 1756. He is best known by his play, written in 1705, "The Lawyer's Fortune, or Love in a Hollow Tree," which the author withdrew from circulation; but, by some person's malice, it was reprinted in 1736. See "Dict. Nat. Biog.," Pope's Works, edit. Elwin and Courthope, iii, p. 314.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 25: Matthew Concanen, born in Ireland, 1701, a writer of miscellaneous works, dramatic and poetical. See the "Dunciad," ii, 299, 304, _ut supra.--W. E. B._]

[Footnote 26: James Moore Smythe, chiefly remarkable for his consummate a.s.surance as a plagiarist. See the "Dunciad," ii, 50, and notes thereto, Pope's Works, edit. Elwin and Courthope, iv, 132.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 27: "Fertur Prometheus, addere principi Limo coactus particulam undique Desectam, et insani leonis Vim stomacho apposuisse nostro."

HORAT., _Carm._ I, xvi.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 28: "---- super et Garamantas et Indos, Proferet imperium; ---- ---- jam nunc et Caspia regna Responsis horrent divom."

Virg., _Aen._, vi.]

[Footnote 29: "---- genibus minor."]

[Footnote 30: Son of Aeneas, here representing Frederick, Prince of Wales, father of George III.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 31: "Unus qui n.o.bis cunctando rest.i.tuis rem."

Virg., _Aen._, vi, 847.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 32: "Divisum imperium c.u.m Jove Caesar habet."]

VERSES SENT TO THE DEAN ON HIS BIRTH-DAY, WITH PINE'S HORACE, FINELY BOUND.

BY DR. J. SICAN[1]

(Horace speaking.)

You've read, sir, in poetic strain, How Varus and the Mantuan swain Have on my birth-day been invited, (But I was forced in verse to write it,) Upon a plain repast to dine, And taste my old Campanian wine; But I, who all punctilios hate, Though long familiar with the great, Nor glory in my reputation, Am come without an invitation; And, though I'm used to right Falernian, I'll deign for once to taste Iernian; But fearing that you might dispute (Had I put on my common suit) My breeding and my politesse, I visit in my birth-day dress: My coat of purest Turkey red, With gold embroidery richly spread; To which I've sure as good pretensions, As Irish lords who starve on pensions.

What though proud ministers of state Did at your antichamber wait; What though your Oxfords and your St. Johns, Have at your levee paid attendance, And Peterborough and great Ormond, With many chiefs who now are dormant, Have laid aside the general's staff, And public cares, with you to laugh; Yet I some friends as good can name, Nor less the darling sons of fame; For sure my Pollio and Maecenas Were as good statesmen, Mr. Dean, as Either your Bolingbroke or Harley, Though they made Lewis beg a parley; And as for Mordaunt,[2] your loved hero, I'll match him with my Drusus Nero.

You'll boast, perhaps, your favourite Pope; But Virgil is as good, I hope.

I own indeed I can't get any To equal Helsham and Delany; Since Athens brought forth Socrates, A Grecian isle, Hippocrates; Since Tully lived before my time, And Galen bless'd another clime.

You'll plead, perhaps, at my request, To be admitted as a guest, "Your hearing's bad!"--But why such fears?

I speak to eyes, and not to ears; And for that reason wisely took The form you see me in, a book.

Attack'd by slow devouring moths, By rage of barbarous Huns and Goths; By Bentley's notes, my deadliest foes, By Creech's[3] rhymes, and Dunster's[4] prose; I found my boasted wit and fire In their rude hands almost expire: Yet still they but in vain a.s.sail'd; For, had their violence prevail'd, And in a blast destroy'd my frame, They would have partly miss'd their aim; Since all my spirit in thy page Defies the Vandals of this age.

'Tis yours to save these small remains From future pedant's muddy brains, And fix my long uncertain fate, You best know how--"which way?"--TRANSLATE.

[Footnote 1: This ingenious young gentleman was unfortunately murdered in Italy.--_Scott_.]

[Footnote 2: See verses to the Earl of Peterborough, _ante_, p. 48.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 3: The translator and editor of Lucretius and Horace.--_W. E. B._]

[Footnote 4: Who put forth, in 1710, the "Satyrs and Epistles of Horace, done into English," of which a second edition was published in 1717, with the addition of the "Art of Poetry." His versions were well satirized by the wits of the time, one of whom, Dr. T. Francklin, wrote: "O'er Tibur's swan the Muses wept in vain, And mourned their bard by cruel Dunster slain."

_Dict. Nat. Biog.--W. E. B._]

EPIGRAM BY MR. BOWYER INTENDED TO BE PLACED UNDER THE HEAD OF GULLIVER. 1733