The common Soul, of Heav'ns more frugal Make,
Serves but to keep Fools pert, and Knaves awake:
A drowzy Watchman that juft gives a Knock,
And breaks our Reft, to tell us what's o'Clock.
Yet by fome Object ev'ry Brain is stirr'd;
The Dull may waken to a Humming Bird
The most Reclufe, discreetly open'd, find
Congenial Matter in the Cockle-kind;
The Mind in Metaphyficks at a Lofs,
May wander in a Wilderness of Mofs;
The Head, that turns at fuper-lunar Things,
Poiz'd with a Tail, may fteer on Wilkin's Wings.
O! would the Sons of Men once think their Eyes
And Reafon given them but to study Flies!
See Nature in fome partial narrow Shape,
And let the Author of the Whole escape :
Learn but to trifle; or, who most observe,
To wonder at their Maker, not to serve.

Be that my Tafk, (replies a gloomy Clerk,
Sworn Foe to Myft'ry, yet divinely dark;
Whofe pious Hope afpires to fee the Day
When moral Evidence fhall quite decay)
Let others creep by timid Steps, and flow,
On plain Experience lay Foundations low,
By common Senfe to common Knowledge bred,
And last, to Nature's Cause thro' Nature led.
All-feeing in thy Mifts, we want no Guide,
Mother of Arrogance, and Source of Pride!

The laft Scene of the Poem (to keep to my dramatick Parallel) which is to produce the Catastrophe, R 2

ends

*One of the first Projectors of the Royal Society, who among many enlarg'd and useful Notions, entertain'd the extravagant Hope of a Poffibility to fly to the Moon ; which has put fome volatile Genius's upon making Wings for that Purpose.

ends with great Propriety. The Stage is full of all the Goddess's Votaries, whom the receives with Pleafure; to teftify which an old Wizard prefents them with the Cup of Self Love,

Which whofo tastes, forgets his former Friends, Sire, Ancestor, himself: One cafts his Eyes Up to a Star, and, like Endymion, dies; A Feather fhooting from another's Head, Extracts his Brain, and Principle is fled; Loft is his God, his Country, every Thing, And nothing left but Homage to a King. The vulgar Herd turn off to roll with Hogs, To run with Horfes, or to hunt with Dogs; But fad Example! never to escape

Their Infamy, ftill keep the human Shape.

After having defcrib'd the endowing them with Impu'dence, Stupidity, Self-conceit, venal Intereft, Degeneracy, Luxury, and affected Wisdom,

Then bleffing all, Go, Children of my Care,
To Practice now, from Theory repair;
All my Commands are eafy, fhort, and full,
My Sons, be proud, be selfish, and be dull:
Guard my Prerogative, affert my Throne ;
This Nod confirms each Privilege your own.

Which is for Dukes, Earls, and Lords, to perfonate Running-Footmen, Fockies, Stage-Coachmen, and Fiddlers, &c.

The Conclufion of this Poem the Author has made like that of our modern dramatick Pieces,without any Conclufion at all.-Deeft Finis may feem an odd Expreffion, but the Annotator thus explains it: "It is impoffible to lament sufficiently the Lofs of

the

"the rest of this Poem: It is to be hop'd, however, "that the Poet compleated it, and that it will not "be loft to Pofterity, if we may truft a Hint given ❝ in one of his Satires.

Publish the present Age, but where the Text
Is Vice too high, referve it for the next.

As you have seen some Pieces on the Stage end in a univerfal Groan, or Chorus of Yawns, our Author concludes his Poem with an univerfal Yawn, and both are the Effects of Dulness.

She yawn'd,all Nature nods:

What Mortal can refift the Yawn of Gods?
Churches and Chapels inftantly it reach'd,
(St. James's firft, for leaden G-lb-t preach'd)
Then catch'd the Schools, the Hall fcarce kept awake,
The Convocation gap'd, but could not fpeak;
Loft was the Nation's Senfe, nor could be found,
While the long folemn Unison went round;
Wide and more wide it spread o'er all the Realm;
Ev'n Palinurus nodded at the Helm;

The Vapour mild o'er each Committee crept,
Unfinish'd Treaties in each Office flept;
And chieflefs Armies doz'd out the Campaign,!
And Navies yawn'd for Orders on the Main.

And now having gone over this Poem in a general Manner, we beg to be more particular. Speaking of Dulness, he gives one more Push at the Laureat: Soft on her Lap her Laureat Son reclines.

And before we are advanc'd one hundred Lines in the Poem, Narciffus and his Flatterer are taken Notice of;

There march'd the Bard and Blockhead Side by Side, Who rhym'd for Hire, and patroniz'd for Pride; Narciffus prais'd with all a Parfon's Pow'r, Look'd a white Lilly funk beneath a Show'r.

But the Satire that is more general more pleases us, as we think it of more Ufe, and abundantly where Dulnefs confeffes that arbitrary and ecclefiaftical Power are what she flourishes most under. His Rea fon of mentioning King James the First in this Place, is because that King took upon himself to teach the Latin Tongue to Car Earl of Somerset, and Gondomar the Spanish Ambaffador would fpeak falfe Latin to him, on purpose to give him the Pleasure of correcting it, whereby he wrought himself into his good Graces: This great Prince was the first who affum'd the Title of SACRED MAJESTY, which his loyal Clergy transferr'd from God to him, nay, he was ftiled MOST SACRED MAJESTY; the Principles of paffive Obedience and Non Refiftance, which before his Time had skulk'd, perhaps in fome old Homily, were talk'd, written, and preach'd into Vogue, in that glorious Reign. Hear the Goddess!

Oh! (cry'd the Goddefs) for fome pedant Reign !
Some gentle James, to blefs the Land again;
To ftick the Doctor's Chair into the Throne,
Give Law to Words, or war with Words alone,
Senates and Courts with Greek and Latin rule,
And turn the Council to a Grammar School!
For fure if Dulness fees a grateful Day,
'Tis in the Shade of arbitrary Sway.

O! if my Sons may learn one earthly Thing,
Teach but that one, fufficient for a King ;-
That which my Priests, and mine alone, maintain,
Which as it dies, or lives, we fall, or reign:

May

May you, may Cam, and fis preach it long!
The RIGHT DIVINE of Kings to govern wrong.
Prompt at the Call, around the Goddess roll
Broad Hats, and Hoods, and Caps, a fable Shoal:
Thick and more thick the black Blockade extends,
A hundred Head of Ariftotle's Friends.
Nor wert thou, Ifis! wanting to the Day,
(Tho' Chrift-Church long kept prudifhly away)
Each ftaunch Polemick ftubborn as a Rock,
Each fierce Logician ftill expelling Lock.

Came Whip and Spur, and dafh'd thro' Thin and
On German Crouzaz and Dutch Burgerfdyck. [Thick
As many quit the Streams that murmuring fall
To lull the Sons of Margret and Clare-Hall,
Where B--tl-y late tempeftuous us'd to fport
In troubled Waters, but now fleeps in Port.
Before them march'd that awful Ariftarch;
Plow'd was his Front with many a deep Remark:
His Hat which never vail'd to human Pride,
Walker with Rev'rence took, and lay'd afide.
Low bow'd the reft, he kingly, did but nod;
Só upright Quakers please both Man and God.

Mr. Pope does not mention Quakers intending to make any Reflection upon that Sect, for he had held them in very good Eftimation, and induc'd the Earlof Peterborough to read Books containing the Principles of their Religion; that the Earl had read them is evident from a Letter of his to Mr. Pope, where he fays:

"I confent you fhall call me Polemick, or affo"ciate me into any Sect or Corporation provided "you do not join me to the charitable Rogues, or "to the pacifick Politicians of the Age, I have

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