SATIRE IV. WELL, if it be my time to quit the stage, I die in charity with fool and knave, With foolish pride my heart was never fir'd, As prone to ill, as negligent of good, 5 10 15 20 NOTES. ever been guilty of, by beginning the Verse with the word Noah. And line 17, his fine was odd, seems to be very exceptionable. Ver. 19. So was I punish'd,] Thus in former editions: Such was my Fate, whom Heav'n adjudged. As vain, as witless, and as false, as they Therefore I suffer'd this; towards me did run Than Africk Monsters, Guianaes rarities, His cloathes were strange, tho' coarse, and black tho' bare. Sleeveless his jerkin was, and it had been NOTES. Pope made many alterations in this Satire, and seems to have taken pains in correcting it. Line 65, and succeeding ones, stood thus: Well met, he cries, and happy sure for each, Line 86 stood as follows: Obliging Sir, I love you I profess, But wish you lik'd Retreat a little less, As deep in debt, without a thought to pay, The sun e'er got, or slimy Nilus bore, 25 Or Sloan or Woodward's wondrous shelves con tain, Nay, all that lying Travellers can feign. The watch would hardly let him pass at noon, At night would swear him dropt out of the Moon. One, whom the mob, when next we find or make A popish plot, shall for a Jesuit take, 31 35 And the wise Justice, starting from his chair, black: The suit, if by the fashion one might guess, 40 .45 NOTES. Line 154 ran thus: Shews Poland's Interest, takes the Primate's Part. Dr. Johnson speaks, methinks, too slightingly of these Imitations of Donne, when he says, "That Pope seems to have known their imbecility," The thing hath travail'd, and, faith, speaks all tongues, And only knoweth what to all States belongs. Me to hear this, yet I must be content With his tongue, in his tongue call'd Compliment ; Jovius, or Surius, or both together. He names me, and comes to me; I whisper, God, How have I sinn'd, that thy wrath's furious Rod, This fellow, chuseth me! He saith, Sir, I love your judgment, whom do you prefer NOTES. Ver. 68. The King's, said I.] "This sneer," said the ingenious Mr. Wilkes, "is really indecent. The good Bishop who published an edition of his works, ought, in the mild limbọ of his Commentary, to have softened the severity of this passage." Ver. 71. Onslow,] By an affected gravity, and a solemn and important air, he presided for many years over the House of Commons; but not with the ability, knowledge, patience, prudence, and amiable manners, of the present Speaker, Mr. Addington, 1795. It is a curious fact in the History of English Liberty, that the very first person who was raised by the Com This thing has travell'd, speaks each language too, And knows what's fit for ev'ry state to do; Of whose best phrase and courtly accent join'd, 54 Talkers I've learn'd to bear; Motteux I knew, 50 And Oldmixon and Burnet both outlie. He spies me out; I whisper, Gracious God! What sin of mine could merit such a rod? 60 65 That all the shot of dulness now must be And perfect Speaker?" Onslow, past dispute." But, Sir, of writers? "Swift for closer style, But Ho**y for a period of a mile." NOTES. 70 mons to the dignity of their Speaker, was a member who had been imprisoned by Edward the Third, for attacking his Ministers and his Mistress in Parliament. Ver. 73. But Hoadly for a period] Party occasioned this cen |