shone in courts as well as camps: He was called up when the Nation fell in labour of this Revolution:* and was a gossip at her christening, with the Bishop and the Ladies.† As to his Birth, it is true he pretendeth no relation either to heathen God or Goddess; but what is as good, he was descended from a Maker of both. And that he did not pass himself on the world for a Hero, as well by birth as education, was his own fault: for, his lineage he bringeth into his life as an anecdote, and is sensible he had it in his power to be thought nobody's son at all. And what is that, I pray you, but coming into the world a Hero? But be it (the punctilious Laws of Epic Poesy so requiring) that a Hero of more than mortal birth must needs be procured for this achievement: even for this we have a resource. We can easily derive our Hero's pedigree from a Goddess of no small power and authority amongst men; and legitimate and install him after the right classical and authentic fashion. For, like as the ancient sages I don't know whether this be a mistake. Isaac Hawkins Brown, in his Imitation of Cibber, has "Old BATTLE-ARRAY, big with Horror, is fled; And olive-rob'd Peace again lifts up her head." Pope's raillery upon "Old Battle-array" is very pleasant. Bowles. Mr. Bowles is as unlucky in his praise as in his censure ;the raillery is not Pope's, but Warburton's. * Colly Cibber's Life, p. 57. W. A Statuary. W. W. +Ibid. p. 58, 59. & Cibber's Life, p. 6. W. devour Orpheus, so the poet arrests his adversary, at the moment he was preparing to attack him; agreeing with what was before said, that he was dead in law, and might be converted into a mummy and embalmed for posterity. This may be supposed to be the meaning of the quotation; but it would be presumptuous to call upon so great a critic as Aristarchus, to account for the propriety and justness of its application. It is remarkable that this quotation did not originally occupy its present place, but was prefixed as the motto, on the title the edition of 1743. page to By virtue of the Authority in Us vested, by the Act for subjecting Poets to the Power of a Licenser, we have revised this Piece; where finding the style and appellation of KING to have been given to a certain Pretender, PseudoPoet, or Phantom, of the name of TIBBALD; and apprehending the same may be deemed in some sort a Reflection on Majesty, or at least an insult on that Legal Authority which has bestowed on another Person the Crown of Poesy: We have ordered the said Pretender, PseudoPoet, or Phantom, utterly to vanish and evaporate out of this Work: And do declare the said Throne of Poesy from henceforth to be abdicated and vacant, unless duly and lawfully supplied by the LAUREATE himself. And it is hereby enacted, that no other Person do presume to fill the same. OC Ch. P.t A stroke of Satire against the act for licensing Plays, which was opposed with equal wit and vehemence by many of our poet's friends, and particularly by the Earl of Chesterfield. Warton. found a son of Mars in a mighty warrior; a son of Neptune in a skilful seaman; a son of Phœbus in a harmonious poet; so have we here, if need be, a son of FORTUNE in an artful Gamester.* And who, I pray you, fitter than the Offspring of Chance, to assist in restoring the Empire of Night and Chaos? There is in truth another objection of greater weight, namely, "That this Hero still existeth, and hath not yet finished his earthly course. For if Solon said well, that no man could be called happy till his death, surely much less can any one, till then, be pronounced a Hero: this species of men being far more subject than others to the caprices of Fortune and Humour." But to this also we have an answer, which will, we hope, be deemed decisive. It cometh from himself; who, to cut this matter short, hath solemnly protested that HE WILL NEVER CHANGE OR AMEND. With regard to his vanity, he declareth that nothing shall ever part them. "Nature (saith he) hath amply supplied me in vanity; a pleasure which neither the pertness of wit, nor the gravity of wisdom, will ever persuade me to part with."† Our poet had charitably endeavoured to administer a cure to it: but he telleth us plainly, " My superiors perhaps may be mended by him; but for my part I own myself incorrigible. I look upon my * A very pitiful jest indeed! Warton. This, as Dr. Warton observes, is a poor jest indeed! Bowles. + Cibber's Life, p. 424. W. And follies as the best part of my fortune."* with good reason: we see to what they have brought him! Secondly, as to buffoonery; "Is it (saith he) a time of day for me to leave off these fooleries, and set up a new character? I can no more put off my follies than my skin; I have often tried, but they stick too close to me; nor am I sure my friends are displeased with them, for in this light I afford them frequent matter of mirth, &c. &c."† Having then so publicly declared himself INCORRIGIBLE, he is become dead in law, (I mean the law Epopæian) and devolveth upon the poet; is now his property; and may be taken and dealt with like an old Egyptian Hero; that is to say, embowelled and embalmed for posterity. Nothing therefore (we conceive) remaineth to hinder his own prophecy of himself from taking immediate effect. A rare felicity! and what few prophets have had the satisfaction to see, alive! Nor can we conclude better than with that extraordinary one of his, which is conceived in these oraculous words, MY DULNESS WILL FIND SOMEBODY TO DO IT RIGHT.‡ Tandem PHOEBUS adest, morsusque inferre parantem Congelat, et patulos, ut erant, INDURAT hiatus.§ W. + Ibid. p. 17. W. W. * Cibber's Life, p. 19. § Ovid, of the serpent biting at Orpheus's head. w.t It is difficult to see the propriety and justness of this application from Ovid. Warton. As Apollo petrified the serpent, just as he expanded his jaws to |