Such, fuch emotions should in Britons rise,
When prefs'd by want and weakness DENNIS lies;
Dennis, who long had warr'd with modern Huns,
Their Quibbles routed, and defy'd their Puns;
A defp'rate Bulwark, sturdy, firm, and fierce
Against the Gothic Sons of frozen verse :

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How chang'd from him who made the boxes groan,
And shook the Stage with Thunders all his own! 16
Stood up to dash each vain PRETENDER's hope,
Maul the French Tyrant, or pull down the POPE!
If there's a Briton then, true bred and born,
Who holds Dragoons and wooden shoes in scorn;
If there's a Critic of diftinguifh'd rage;

If there's a Senior, who contemns this age;

NOTES.

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Let

VER. 12. Their Quibbles routed, and defy'd their Puns ;] See Dunciad, Note on v. 63. B. I.

An old gentleman of the last century, who used to frequent Button's coffee-house, told me they had many pleasant scenes of Dennis's indignation and refentment, when Steele and Rowe, in particular, teized him with a pun. WARTON.

VER. 13. A defp'rate Bulwark, &c.] Alluding to his hatred of rhime. WARTON.

VER. 16. And book the Stage with Thunders all his own!] See Dunciad, Note on v. 226. B. II.

VER. 17. Stood up to dash, &c.] See Dunciad, Note on v. 173.

B. III.

VER. 18. Maul the French Tyrant,-] See Dunciad, Note on ▼. 413. B. II.

Ibid. or pull down the POPE!] See Dunciad, Note on v. 63. B. I.

VER. 21. If there's a Critic of diftinguifh'd rage;] See Dunciad, Notes on v.106. B. I.

Let him to-night his juft affistance lend,

And be the Critic's, Briton's, Old Man's Friend.

NOTES.

"bitter fatire is concealed If farcafms were intended

Dr. WARTON thinks that much under these topics of commiferation.” upon fuch an occafion, they were as ill-timed as they were cruel. I perceive nothing bitter, but a good humoured fmile, on poor Dennis's favourite topics. Hard, indeed, must be the heart, that could ftrike a blow at a fallen enemy, disarmed and poor, under the fhew of pity and generofity. I dare fay, the old man heard the Prologue, not only with complacency but with delight. It is added, that Mallet and Thomson interested themselves much in procuring him a good benefit.

MACER:] Dr. Warton thinks this character was intended for J. Moore Smith; but it seems to me more likely that Phillips, Pope's redoubted rival in Pastoral, was intended. My reafons for thinking fo are, he is elsewhere called lean Phillips,

"Lean Phillips and fat Johnson."

"Macer" certainly alludes to this. He began his literary career with worshipping "Steel" and Addifon. He "borrow'd" a

play from Voltaire, the Diftreft Mother; " Simplicity," is ap. plied to the "Paftorals," and "Tranflated Suit," to the translation of the Perfian Tales:

"And turns a Perfian tale for half-a crówn!"

I will give the reader, however, Warton's opinion.

VER. I. When fimple Macer,] Said to be the character of James Moore Smith, author of the Rival Modes, a comedy, in 1726. He pilfered verses from Pope. He joined in a political paper with the Duke of Wharton, called The Inquifitor, written with such violence against government, that he was foon obliged to drop it. This character was first printed in the Miscellanies of Swift and Pope 1727, concerning which the following anecdote is transcribed from Dr. Birch's manufcripts in the British Museum:

“August 17, 1749. Mr. George Faulkner, of Dublin, told me, that Dr. Swift had long conceived a mean opinion of Mr. Pope, on account of his jealous, peevish, avaricious temper. The Doctor gave Mr. Pope the property of his Gulliver, which he fold the copy of for three hundred pounds; and gave up to him, in 1727, his fhare of the copy of the three volumes of their Mifcellanies, which came to one hundred and fifty pounds. The Doctor was angry

AA 2

'Twas all th' Ambition his high foul could feel,
To wear red Stockings, and to dine with Steel.
Some Ends of verfe his betters might afford,
And gave the harmless fellow a good word.
Set up with thefe, he ventur'd on the Town,
And with a borrow'd Play, out-did poor Crown.
There he stop'd fhort, nor fince has writ a tittle,
But has the wit to make the most of little :
Like stunted hide-bound Trees, that just have got
Sufficient Sap at once to bear and rot.

Now he begs Verse, and what he gets commends,
Not of the Wits his foes, but Fools his friends.

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So fome coarse Country Wench, almost decay'd, Trudges to town, and first turns Chambermaid; 16 Aukward

NOTES.

angry with Mr. Pope for his fatire upon Mr. Addison, whom the former efteemed as an honeft, generous, and friendly man. Worsdale the painter was employed by Mr. Pope to go to Curl in the habit of a clergyman, and fell him the printed copies of his Letters. Mr. Pope fent to Ireland to Dr. Swift, by Mr. Gerrard, an Irish gentleman, then at Bath, a printed copy of their letters, with an anonymous letter, which occafioned Dr. Swift to give Mr. Faulkner leave to reprint them at Dublin, though Mr. Pope's Edition was published first."

I would obferve, on this anecdote, that it is not very probable that Swift fhould condemn Pope's Verses on Addison, as they were first printed in the Mifcellanies, which publication was their joint work; and the verfes themselves are mentioned in the preWARTON.

face to these Miscellanies.

VER. 4. To wear red Stockings,] I remember old Demoivre told me, about fifty years ago, that all he remembered of Corneille was, that he had seen him in red stockings at the theatre.

WARTON.

Aukward and fupple, each devoir to pay;
She flatters her good Lady twice a day;
Thought wond'rous honeft, tho' of mean degree,
And strangely lik'd for her Simplicity:

In a translated Suit, then tries the Town,
With borrow'd Pins, and Patches not her own:
But just endur'd the winter fhe began,

And in four months a batter'd Harridan.
Now nothing left, but wither'd, pale, and shrunk,
To bawd for others, and go fhares with Punk.

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