To future ages may thy dulness last, As thou preserv'st the dulness of the past! REMARKS. 190 hold, in his translation of the first Psalm into English metre, hath wisely made use of this word, "The man is blest that hath not bent To wicked READ his ear." But in the last spurious editions of the singing Psalms, the word READ is changed into men. I say spurious editions, because not only here, but quite throughout the whole book of Psalms, are strange alterations, all for the worse; and yet the Title-page stands as it used to do! and all (which is abominable in any book, much more in a sacred work) is ascribed to Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and others. I am confident, were Sternhold and Hopkins now living, they would proceed against the innovators as cheats.-A liberty, which, to say no more of their intolerable alterations, ought by no means to be permitted or approved of by such as are for uniformity, and have any regard for the old English Saxon tongue." Hearne, Gloss. on Rob. of Gloc. artic. REDE. I do herein agree with Mr. Hearne. Little is it of avail to object that such words are become unintelligible; since they are truly English, men ought to understand them; and such as are for uniformity should think all alterations in a language strange, abominable, and unwarrantable. Rightly therefore, I say again, hath our poet used ancient words, and poured them forth as a precious ointment upon good old Wormius in this place. SCRIBLERUS. P. Ver. 187. myster wight,] Uncouth mortal. P. Ver. 188. Wormius hight.] Let not this name, purely fictitious, be conceited to mean the learned Olaus Wormius; much less (as it was unwarrantably foisted into the surreptitious editions) our own antiquary Mr. Thomas Hearne, who had no way aggrieved our poet, but on the contrary published many curious tracts, which he hath to his great contentment perused. IMITATIONS. Most Ver. 185. But who is he, &c.] Virg. Æneid. vi. questions and answers in this manner, of Numa : 66 Quis procul ille autem ramis insignis olivæ, Sacra ferens?-nosco crines, incanaque menta," &c. P. "There,dim in clouds, the poring Scholiasts mark, Wits, who, like owls, see only in the dark; A lumberhouse of books in ev'ry head, For ever reading, never to be read! "But, where each Science lifts its modern type, Hist'ry her pot, Divinity his pipe, REMARKS. Most rightly are ancient words here employed in speaking of such who so greatly delight in the same. We may say not only rightly, but wisely, yea, excellently, inasmuch as for the like practice the like praise is given to Hopkins and Sternhold by Mr. Hearne himself. Glossar. to Rob. of Glocester, Artic. BEHETT: "Others say, BEHIGHT, promised; and so it is used excellently well by Thomas Norton, in his translation into Metre of the cxvith Psalmı, ver. 14. I to the Lord will pay my vows, That I to him BEHIGHT; where the modern innovators, not understanding the propriety of the word (which is truly English, from the Saxon), have most unwarrantably altered it thus: I to the Lord will pay my vows, P. Ver. 188. hight.] "In Cumberland they say to hight, for to promise, or vow! but HIGHT, usually signifies, was called; and so it does in the North even to this day, notwithstanding what is done in Cumberland." HEARNE, ibid. P. Ibid. On parchment scraps] In consideration of the many very accurate and very elegant editions, which Hearne published of our valuable old Chronicles, which shed such a light on English history, he ought not to have been so severely lashed as in these bitter lines. Every year gives a greater value to these books and these editions of Hearne; as well as to his Livy, and Pliny's Epistles. Warton. Ver. 192. Wits, who like owls,] These few lines exactly describe the right verbal critic. The darker his author is, the better he is pleased; like the famous quack-doctor, who put up in his bills, he delighted in matters of difficulty. Somebody said well of these men, that their heads were libraries out of order. P. While proud Philosophy repines to show, Dishonest sight! his breeches rent below; Imbrown'd with native bronze, lo! Henley stands, Tuning his voice, and balancing his hands. REMARKS. 200 Ver. 199. lo! Henley stands, &c.] J. Henley, the Orator; he preached on the Sundays upon theological matters, and on the Wednesdays upon all other sciences. Each auditor paid one shilling. He declaimed some years against the greatest persons, and occasionally did our author that honour. WELSTED, in Oratory Transactions, No. 1, published by Henley himself, gives the following account of him. "He was born at Melton-Mowbray, in Leicestershire. From his own Parish-school he went to St. John's College in Cambridge. He began there to be uneasy; for it shocked him to find he was commanded to believe against his own judgment in points of religion, philosophy, &c. for his genius leading him freely to dispute all propositions, and call all points to account, he was impatient under those fetters of the free-born mind. Being admitted to Priest's orders, he found the examination very short and superficial, and that it was not necessary to conform to the Christian religion, in order either to Deaconship or Priesthood." He came to town, and, after having for some years been a writer for booksellers, he had an ambition to be so for Ministers of State. The only reason he did not rise in the Church, we are told, "was the envy of others, and a disrelish entertained of him, because he was not qualified to be a complete spaniel." However, he offered the service of his pen to two great men, of opinions and interests directly opposite; by both of whom being rejected, he set up a new project, and styled himself the Restorer of ancient eloquence. He thought "it as lawful to take a licence from the King and Parliament at one place, as another; at Hicks's VARIATIONS. Ver. 197. In the first Edit. it was, And proud Philosophy with breeches tore, Hall, Fast by, in darkness palpable inshrin'd W-s, B-r, M-n, all the poring kind. w.t How fluent nonsense trickles from his tongue! REMARKS. Hall, as at Doctors' Commons; so set up his Oratory in NewportMarket, Butcher-Row. There (says his friend) he had the assurance to form a plan, which no mortal ever thought of. He had success against all opposition; challenged his adversaries to fair disputations, and none would dispute with him; writ, read, and studied twelve hours a day; composed three dissertations a week on all subjects; undertook to teach in one year what schools and universities teach in five; was not terrified by menaces, insults, or satires, but still proceeded, matured his bold scheme, and put the Church, and all that, in danger." Welsted, Narrative in Orat. Transact. No. 1. After having stood some prosecutions, he turned his rhetoric to buffoonery upon all public and private occurrences. All this passed in the same room; where sometimes he broke jests, and sometimes that bread which he called the Primitive Eucharist.This wonderful person struck medals, which he dispersed as tickets to his subscribers; the device, a Star rising to the meridian, with this motto, AD SUMMA; and below, INVENIAM VIAM AUT FACIAM. P. This man had a hundred pounds a year given him for the secret service of a weekly paper of unintelligible nonsense, called the Hyp-Doctor. P.t Ver. 199. lo! Henley stands, &c.] Was it not disgraceful in Government not only publicly to license, but to encourage by a pension, a profligate and impudent buffoon, to insult the established religion, to abuse the universities, calumniate the most respectable characters, and, in a word, to ridicule every thing that has been held sacred and venerable among mankind. BANNISTER. Bowles. Ver. 201. How fluent nonsense trickles from his tongue!] He had Homer's celebrated verse in view, Il. i. 249. Τῆ καὶ ἀπὸ γλώσσης μέλιτος γλυκίων ῥέεν αὐθή· "Words from his tongue, more sweet than honey, flow'd:” which Milton has elegantly varied, Par. Lost, ii. 112. "But all was false and hollow, though his tongue Dropp'd manna." Wakefield. 205 Still break the benches, Henley! with thy strain, REMARKS. Ver. 203. Still break the benches,] "Subsellia fregit!". Bowles. Ver. 204. Sherlock, Hare, Gibson,] Bishops of Salisbury, Chichester, and London; whose Sermons and Pastoral Letters did honour to their country as well as stations. W. In the former editions Kennet was named, not Sherlock. The Sermons of the latter, though censured by Mr. Church, are masterpieces of argument and eloquence. And his Discourses on Prophecy, and Trial of the Witnesses, are perhaps the best defences of Christianity in our language. Warton. Ver. 207. Egypt's wise abodes,] Egyptus portenta colit." JUVENAL. Not one of whose superstitions equalled the gross absurdity of the doctrine of Transubstantiation. The Egyptian did not make the onion which he eat, and worshipped. The Bramins are shocked at this doctrine, and challenge our Missionaries to produce any opinion so absurd from their Vedam. Ver. 207. O worthy thou of Egypt's wise abodes, Warton. A decent priest, where monkeys were the gods!] "You shall see in Egypt (say Lucian and Clemens Alexandrinus) a most magnificent temple, large, and decorated with precious stones; but if you enter, and look for the God, you shall find a goat, a monkey, or a cat." Wakefield. Ver. 209. But fate with butchers] So, in another place, "His butchers Henley" Bowles. |