MISCELLANIES IN VERSE †. N. B. Whatever verfes are marked with an afterifk prefixed, are not Dr. Swift's. CADENUS and VANESSA.. T Written anno 1713 HE fhepherds and the nymphs were feen: Accufing the falfe creature, man. The The following poems chiefly confift either of humour or fatire, and very often of both together. What merit they may have, we confefs ourselves to be no judges of in the leaft; but, out of due regard to a writer, from whofe works we hope to receive fome benefit, we cannot conceal what we have heard from feveral perions of great judgement, that the author never was known, either in verse or profe, to borrow any thought, fimile, epithet, or particular manner of ftile; but whatever he writ, whether good, bad, or indifferent, is an original in itself.- -Although we are very fenfible, that in fome of the following poems, the ladies may refent certain fatirical touches against the miftaken conduct in fome of the fair fex; and that fome warm perfons on the prevailing fide may cenfure this author, for not thinking in public matters exactly like themselves; yet we have been affured, by feveral judicious and learned gentlemen, that L.2 The brief with weighty crimes was charge'd, Or blunts the point of ev'ry dart; that what the author hath here writ, on either of those two subjects, bath no other aim than to reform the errors of both fexes. It the public be right in its conjectures of the author, nothing is better known in London, than that while he had credit at the court. of QAnne, he employed fo much of it in favour of Whigs in both kingdoms, that the miniftry used to rally him as the advocate of that party; for feveral of whom he got employments, and preferved others from lofing what they had: of which fome inftances remain even in this kingdom. Befides, he then writ and declared against the pretender with equal zeal, though not with equal fury, as any of our modern Whigs; of which party he always profeffed himself to be as to politics, as the reader will find in many parts of his works, Dub. edit. 1735. This poem is founded upon an offer of marriage, made by a young lady to her preceptor. Whether fuch an incident really happened, or what gave the poet occafion to fuppofe it, need not here be inquir ed. His princi al defign is to expofe the faults and follies in both fexes, by which love is degraded, and marriage rendered subservient to fordid purposes. This poem, one of the greatest length, and, I believe, the longeft ever compofed by the Dean, is of a very extraordinary nature, and upon a very extraordinary subject. As a poem, it is excellent in its kind, perfectly correct, and admirably conducted. Vanity makes terrible devaftation in a female breast. It batters down all reftraints of modefty, and carries away every feed of virtue. Vanella was exceffively vain. The character given of her by Cadenus is fine painting, but in general fictitious. She was fond of drefs; impatient to be admired; very romantic in her turn of mind; fuperior, in her own opinion, to all her fex; full of pertnefs, gaiety, and pride; not without fome agreeable accomplishments, but far from being either beautiful or genteel; ambitious, at any rate, to be efteemed a wit; and, with that view, always affecting to keep company with wits; a great reader, and a violent admirer of poetry; happy in the thoughts of being reputed Swift's concubine; but ftill aiming and intending to be his wife; by nature haughty and diflainful, locking with the pity of contempt upon her inferiors, and with the fmiles of felf approbation upon her equals; but upon Dr. Swift with the eyes of love. Her love was founded in vanity, or, to use a more fashionable phrafe, in taste, His own lines are the best proof of my affertion, [Here the particular paff ge is inferted, beginning thus, "Cadenus His altar now no longer fiokes, "Cadenus many things had writ, 7, 510, and ending thus, "Nor farther looks, but thinks him young, 7. 531.] 10 Now The poem itfelf is dated in the year 1713, when Swift was in his meridian altitude; favoured by the courtiers; flattered, feared, and admired, by the greatest men in the nation. By the verfes which I have already recited, it may be prefumed, that the lady was firft fmitten with the fame and character of Cadenus, and afterwards with his perfon. Her first thoughts purfued a The manner in phantom; her latter paffion defiled a fubftance. which the difcovered her inclinations, is poetically defcribed in thefe lines. [The paffage here inferted, begins thus, "She own'd the wandring of her thoughts, 7. 602. and ends thus, "Aim'd at the head, but reach'd the heart, 7. 623.] Suppofing this account to be true, and I own I can fcarce think it otherwise, it is evident, that the fair Vanefa had made a furprifing progrefs in the philofophic doctrines which he had received from her preceptor. His rules were certainly of a most extraordino kind. He taught her, that vice, as foon as it cefied fhame, was immediately changed into virtue; that vulgar forms were not binding upon certain choice fpirits, to whom either the writings or the perfons of men of wit were acceptable. She heard the leffon with attention, and imbibed the philofophy with eagernefs. The maxims fuited her exalted turn of mind. She imagined, that if the theory appeared fo charming, the practice must be much more delightful. The clofe connection of foul and body feemed to require, in the eye of a female philofopher, that each fhould fucceed the other in all pleasurable enjoyments. The former had been fufficiently regaled; why muft the latter remain unfatisfied?" Nature," faid Vaniffa, abhors a va cuum, and Nature ought always to be beyed." She communicated these fentiments to her tutor; but he feemed not to comprehend her meaning, nor to conceive the diftinctio rationis that had taken rife in his own fchool. He anfwered her in the non-tential modes. He talked of friendship, of the delights of reafon, of gratitude, refpe&t and esteem. He almoft preached upon virtue, and he muttered fome indiftinct phrafes concerning chastity. Now love is dwindled to intrigue, And marriage grown a money-league. 15 Against So unaccountable a conduct in Cadenus may be thought rather to proceed from defects in nature, than from the fcrupulous difficulties of a tender confcience. Such a fuppofition will ftill appear more ftrong, if we recoilet the diftant manner in which Swift cohabited with Stella, colder, if poflible, after, than le ore fhe was his wife: and I now recollect fome of his own lines, that feem to confirm the furmife, as they contain an infinuation against Vane a, not, perlaps fo much intended to wound her reputation, as to fave his own, [The paffage here inferted, begins thus, "But what fuccefs Vanessa met, 1 818. and ends thus, Nor fhall the confcious mufe unfold, 1. 827.] It is impoffible to read this cruel hint without great indignation against the conscious muse, especially as it is the finishing stroke of a picture, which was already drawn in too loofe a garment, and too unguarded a pofture. In this intance, I am afraid, the Dean muft remain insxcufable. Vaneff, in fome time after the death of her fifter, retired to Selbridge. Spleen and difappointment were the companions of her foli. tude. The nar ownefs of her income, the coldness of her lover, the lofs of her reputation, all contributed to make her miserable, and to incre the frenaical difpofition of her mind. In this melancholy fituation fhe remained feveral years; during which time Cadenus vifited her frequently. Their particular converfation, as it paffed without witneffes, muft for ever remain unknown: but, in general, it is certain, that he often preffed him to marry her. His anfwers were rather turns of wit than pofitive denials; till at laft, being unable to fuftain her weight of mifery any longer, the writ a very tender epiftie to Candenus, infifting peremptorily upon as serious an an fwer, and an immediate acceptance, or abfolute refufal of her as his wife. His reply was delivered by his own hand. He brought it with him when he made his final vifit at Selbridge, and throwing down the letter upon her table, with great paffion haftened back to his hore, carrying in his own coun enance the frown of anger and indignation. Dr Swift had a natural feverity of face, which even his fmiles could fcarce foften, or his utmoft gaiety render placid and ferene : but when that fternnefs of vifage was increafed by rage, it is fcarce posible to imagine looks or features that carried in them more terror and aufterity. Vaneffa had feen him in all tempers, and from his outward Againft our fov'reign lady's peace, Then pray'd an anfwer, and fat down.. 20 The outward appearance the gueffed at the inward contents of his letter. She read it with as much resolution as the prefent cruelty of her fate, and the raging pride of her heart would permit. She found herself entirely difcarced from his friendship, and conversation. Her offers were treated with infolence and difdain. She met with reproaches inftead of love, and with tyranny instead of affection. She had long, thrown away the gentle lenitives of virtue; which, upon this occafion, might have proved healing ingredients to fo deep and fo danger-ous a wound. She had preferred wit to religion, fhe had utterly de froyed her character and her confcience; and the was now fallen a prey to the horror of her own thoughts. Tum vero infelix fatis exterrita Dido Mortem orat: toest cœli convexa tueri, She did not furvive many days the letter delivered to her by Cadenus.Thus perished at Selbridge, under all the agonies of defpair, Mrs. Efther Vanhomrigh; a miferable example of an ill-fpent life, fantastic wit, vifionary fchemes, and female weakness. Orrery.. This poem is built on the finest model; fupported with infinite humour, wit, and gaiety; imbellished with ideas the moft lovely and delicate beautifully adorned with variety of the most attractive images; and conducted throughout the whole with fuch perfect regularity, that, beyond all other pieces, whether of Dr. Swift, or any poet that ever writ in English, it appears calculated to abide the fevereft examination of critics. In the apparatus of this poem we find, that Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, having caufe to be afraid, upon hearing the me rits of trial between the nymphs and hepherds, that her fovereignty might be called in queftion, on account of that wretched corrupted tafte which prevails among the youth of both fexes, refolves on a political expedient to maintain the dignity of her throne, and to reduce her rebellious fubjects unto their loyalty, their chains, and their obedience. Now, this debate, which was fpun out for fixteen years between the nymphs and fhepherds, is fuppofed to have commenced only fome few days before the birth of Vaneffa. But the Cyprian Queen having, in order to try an experiment, felected Vaneffa, upon the day of he birth, from all the reft of the little female world, adorns her with every grace and beauty, that is fuppofed to attract the admiration of the shepherds. And, to complete her defign, the prevails on the goddess of learning (although by a ftratagem) to pour down all her |
