Nor could a BARROW work on ev'ry block, REMARKS. 245 is said to be one of Dr, Warburton's witticisms. For the truth of this assertion I cannot vouch. Warton. Ver. 244. And much divinity without a Nous.] A word much affected by the learned Aristarchus in common conversation, to signify genius or natural acumen. But this passage has a farther view: Nỡ was the Platonic term for Mind, or the first cause; and that system of Divinity is here hinted at which terminates in blind Nature, without a Nos: such as the Poet afterwards describes, speaking of the dream of one of these later Platonists, Or that bright image to our fancy draw, Which Theocles in raptur'd Vision saw, That Nature &c. P. W. Ver. 245, 246. Barrow, Atterbury] Isaac Barrow, Master of Trinity; Francis Atterbury, Dean of Christ-church; both great geniuses and eloquent preachers; one more conversant in the sublime geometry; the other, in classical learning; but who equally made it their care to advance the polite arts in their several societies. P. W. No compositions can be more different than the sermons of these two eminent divines. If there be more eloquence and taste in the discourses of Atterbury, there is certainly more matter, more penetration, more knowledge of human nature, in those of Barrow. Warton. Ver. 245. Nor could a Barrow work on ev'ry block,] An allusion to the Latin proverb: "Non ex quovis ligno fit Mercurius." Wakefield. Ver. 247. the heavy Canon] Canon here, if spoken of Artillery, is in the plural number; if of the Canons of the House, in the singular, and meant only of one: in which case I suspect the Pole to be a false reading, and that it should be the Poll, or Head of that Canon. It may be objected, that this is a mere Paranomasia or Pun. But what of that? Is any figure of speech more apposite to our gentle Goddess, or more frequently used by her and her Children, especially of the University? Doubtless it better suits the For thee we dim the eyes, and stuff the head 250 "What tho' we let some better sort of fool 255 Thrid ev'ry science, run through ev'ry school? REMARKS. the character of Dulness, yea, of a Doctor, than that of an Angel; yet Milton feared not to put a considerable quantity into the mouths of his. It hath indeed been observed, that they were the Devil's Angels, as if he did it to suggest that the Devil was the author as well of false wit, as of false religion, and that the father of lies was also the father of puns. But this is idle; it must be owned to be a Christian practice; used in the primitive times by some of the Fathers, and in the latter by most of the Sons of the Church; till the debauched reign of Charles the Second, when the shameful passion for wit overthrew every thing; and even then the best writers admitted it, provided it was obscene, under the name of the Double entendre. SCRIBLERUS. P. W. Ver. 248. And metaphysic smokes, &c.] Here the learned Aristarchus ending the first member of his harangue in behalf of Words, and entering on the other half, which regards the teaching of Things, very artfully connects the two parts in an encomium on METAPHYSICS, a kind of Middle nature between words and things: communicating, in its obscurity, with Substance, and, in its emptiness, with Names. SCRIBL. W. Ver. 255 to 271. "What tho' we let some better sort of fool, &c.] Hitherto Aristarchus hath displayed the art of teaching his pupils words, without things. He shews greater skill in what follows, which is to teach things without profit. For with the better sort of fool the first expedient is, ver. 254 to 258, to run him so swiftly through the circle of the sciences that he shall stick at nothing, nor nothing stick with him; and though some little, both of words and things, should by chance be gathered up in his passage, yet he shews, ver. 259 to 261, that it is never more of the one than just to enable him to persecute with rhyme, or of the other than Never by tumbler through the hoops was shown Plague with dispute, or persecute with rhyme. 260 Or wed to what he must divorce, a Muse; REMARKS. 265 than to plague with dispute. But if, after all, the pupil will needs learn a science, it is then provided by his careful directors, ver. 261, 262, that it shall either be such as he can never enjoy when he comes out into life, or such as he will be obliged to divorce. And to make all sure, ver. 263 to 267, the useless or pernicious sciences, thus taught, are still applied perversely; the man of wit petrified in Euclid, or trammelled in metaphysics; and the man of judgment married, without his parents' consent, to a Muse. Thus far the particular arts of modern education, used partially, and diversified according to the subject and the occasion. But there is one general method, with the encomium of which the great Aristarchus ends his speech, ver. 267 to 270, and that is AUTHORITY, the universal CEMENT, which fills the cracks and chasms of lifeless matter, shuts up all the pores of living substances, and brings all human minds to one dead level. For if Nature should chance to struggle through all the entanglements of the foregoing ingenious expedients to bind rebel wit, this claps upon her one sure and entire cover. So that well may Aristarchus defy all human power to get the Man out again from under so impenetrable a crust. The poet alludes to this master-piece of the Schools in ver. 501, where he speaks of Vassals to a name. P.t Ver. 257. Never by tumbler] These two verses are verbatim from an epigram of Dr. Evans, of St. John's College, Oxford; given to my father twenty years before the Dunciad was written. The parenthesis, in ver. 259, (if sober all this time,) is a poor expletive. Warton. With the same CEMENT, ever sure to bind, And hew the block off, and get out the man. 270 But wherefore waste I words? I see advance Whore, Pupil, and lac'd Governor from France. Walker! our hat:" nor more he deign'd to say, But, stern as Ajax' spectre, strode away. REMARKS. Ver. 264. petrify a Genius] Those who have no genius, employed in works of imagination; those who have, in abstract sciences. P. W. Ver. 266. not a step advance.] He has condescended to borrow this illustration on metaphysicians, from Lord Hervey's Observations on Alciphron. Warton. Ver. 270. And hew the block off,] A notion of Aristotle, that there was originally in every block of marble, a statue, which would appear on the removal of the superfluous parts. P. W. Ver. 272. lac'd Governor] Why lac'd? Because gold and silver are necessary trimming to denote the dress of a person of rank; and the Governor must be supposed so in foreign countries, to be admitted into courts and other places of fair reception. But how comes Aristarchus to know at sight that this Governor came from France? Know? Why, by his laced coat. SCRIBLERUS. P. W. Ver. 272. Whore, Pupil, and lac'd Governor] Some critics have objected to the order here, being of opinion that the Governor should have the preference before the Whore, if not before the Pupil. But were he so placed, it might be thought to insinuate that the Governor led the Pupil to the Whore: and were the Pupil placed first, he might be supposed to lead the Governor to her. But our impartial poet, as he is drawing their picture, represents them in the order in which they are generally seen; namely, the Pupil between the Whore and the Governor; hut placeth the Whore first, as she usually governs both the others. P. W. Ver. 272. Whore, Pupil,] Meaning the late Duke of Kingston, and his celebrated mistress, Mad. De La Touche. Warton. Ver. 274. stern as Ajax' spectre, strode away.] See Homer, Odyss. In flow'd at once a gay embroider'd race, 275 280 And titt'ring push'd the Pedants off the place: REMARKS. Odyss. xi. where the Ghost of Ajax turns sullenly from Ulysses the Traveller, who had succeeded against him in the dispute for the arms of Achilles. There had been the same contention between the Travelling, and the University Tutor, for the spoils of our young heroes, and fashion adjudged it to the former; so that this might well occasion the sullen dignity in departure, which Longinus so much admired. SCRibeerus. W.t Ver. 276. And titt'ring pushed, &c.] HOR. P. W. "Rideat et pulset lasciva decentius ætas.” Ver. 280. As if he saw St. James's] Reflecting on the disrespectful and indecent behaviour of several forward young persons in the Presence, so offensive to all serious men, and to none more than the good Scriblerus. P. W. Ver. 281. th' attendant Orator] The Governor above-said. The poet gives him no particular name; being unwilling, I presume, to offend or do injustice to any, by celebrating one only with whom this character agrees, in preference to so many who equally deserve it. P.W. SCRIBLERUS. Ver. 284. A dauntless infant, never scar'd with God.] i. e. Brought up in the enlarged principles of modern education; whose great point is to keep the infant mind free from the prejudices of opinion, and the growing spirit unbroken by terrifying names. Amongst the happy consequences of this reformed discipline, it is not the least, that we have never afterwards any occasion for the priest, whose trade, as a modern wit informs us, is only to finish what the nurse began. SCRIBL. W.t |