And Monumental Brafs this record bears,

"These are,- ah no! these were the Gazetteers !"

REMARKS.

Not

Ver. 312. Ofborne] A name affumed by the eldest and graveft of these writers, who at last, being afhamed of his Pupils, gave his paper over, and in his age remained filent.

Ver. 314. Gazetteers] We ought not to fuppofe that a modern Critic here taxeth the Poet with an Anachronifm, affirming thefe Gazetteers not to have lived within the time of his poem, and challenging us to produce any fuch paper of that date. But we may with equal affurance affert thefe Gazetteers not to have lived fince, and challenge all the learned world to produce one fuch paper at this day. Surely therefore, where the point is fo obfcure, our author ought not to be cenfured too rafhly. SCRIB.

Notwithstanding this affected ignorance of the good Scriblerus, the Daily Gazetteer was a title given very properly to certain papers, each of which lafted but a day. Into this, as a common fink, was received all the trash, which had been before difperfed in feveral Journals, and circulated at the public expence of the nation. The authors were the fame obfcure men: though fometimes relieved by occafional effays from Statefmen, Courtiers, Bishops, Deans, and Doctors. The meaner fort were rewarded with Money; others with Places or Benefices, from an hundred to a thousand a year. It appears from the Report of the Secret Committee for inquiring into the Conduct of R. Earl of O. "That no lefs than fifty <thoufand feventy-feven pounds eighteen fhillings, "were paid to Authors and Printers of Newspapers, "fuch as Free Britons, Daily Courants, Corn Cutter's "Journals, Gazetteers, and other political papers, be"tween Feb. 10, 1731, and Feb. 10, 1741." Which fhews the Benevolence of one Minifter, to have expended, for the current dulnefs of ten years in Britain, double

the

Not fo bold Arnall; with a weight of skull, Furious he drives, precipitately dull.

315

Whirlpools and ftorms his circling arm inveft,
With all the might of gravitation bleft.
No crab more active in the dirty dance,
Downward to climb, and backward to advance,
He brings up half the bottom on his head,
And loudly claims the Journals and the Lead.

Ver. 315. In first Ed.

VARIATION.

Not Welfted fo: drawn endlong by his skull,
Furious he finks, precipitately dull.

REMARKS.

320

The

the fum which gained Louis XIV. so much honour, in annual Penfions to Learned men all over Europe. In which, and in a much longer time, not a Penfion at Court, nor Preferment in the Church or Universities, of any Confideration, was bestowed on any man diftinguifhed for his Learning feparately from Party-merit, or Pamphlet-writing.

It is worth a reflection, that of all the Panegyrics beftowed by these writers on this great Minifter, not one is at this day extant or remembered, not even so much credit done to his Perfonal character by all they have written, as by one short occasional compliment of our Author:

"Seen him I have; but in his happier hour "Of focial Pleasure, ill exchang'd for Power! "Seen him, uncumber'd by the Venal Tribe, "Smile without Art, and win without a Bribe." Ver. 315. Arnall] WILLIAM ARNALL, bred an Attorney, was a perfect genius in this fort of work. He began under twenty with furious Party-papers; then fucceeded Concanen in the British Journal. At the

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 majesty of Mud;

325

Shaking the horrors of his fable brows,
And each ferocious feature grim with ooze.

Greater he looks, and more than mortal stares ;
Then thus the wonders of the deep declares :

VARIATION.

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

Sudden a burft of thunder fhook the flood,
Lo, Smedley rofe in majefty of mud.

REMARKS.

330

First

firft publication of the Dunciad, he prevailed on the author not to give him his due place in it, by a letter profeffing his deteftation of such 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 deserved 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 thoufand 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

First 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, fhown him by the Nut-brown maids,
A branch of Styx here rifes from the Shades ;
That, tinctur'd as it runs with Lethe's streams,
And wafting Vapours from the land of dreams,
(As under feas Alpheus' fecret fluice
Bears Pifa's offering to his Arethufe)

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 fleep.

340

345

Thence

VARIATIONS.

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

Pours into Thames: 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 caflock, furcingle, and veft;
And "Take (he faid) &c.

REMARKS.

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

M

of

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

And Milbourn chief, deputed by the rest,

Gave him the caflock, furcingle, and vest.

350

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

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

A low-born, cell-bred, selfish, servile 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 underftand, 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 diforder it; in which they fall

fhort