(Such as on HOUGH's unfully'd Mitre shine,

240

Or beam, good DIGBY, from a Heart like thine ;)
Let Envy howl, while Heav'n's whole Chorus fings,
And bark at Honour not conferr'd by Kings;
Let Flatt'ry fick'ning fee the Incense rife,

Sweet to the World, and grateful to the Skies: 245
Truth guards the Poet, fanctifies the line,
And makes immortal, Verfe as mean as mine.

Yes, the last Pen for Freedom let me draw,
When Truth stands trembling on the edge of Law;
Here,

NOTES.

VER. 240, 241. HOUGH and DIGBY] Dr. John Hough, Bifhip of Worcester; and the Lord Digby. The one an affertor of the Church of England in oppofition to the falfe measures of King James II. The other as firmly attached to the cause of that King. Both acting out of principle, and equally men of honour and virtue. POPE.

VER 240. (Such as on HOUGH's unfully'd mitre shine,] Dr. John Hough, fucceffively Bishop of Oxford, Lichfield, and Worcester, was born in 1655, and died May 8, 1743, at the very advanced age of ninety two, after an epifcopacy of fifty-three years. WAKEFIELD.

VER. 240. on HOUGH's unfully'd] In the fifty-feventh Pefian Letter, is an elegant and well written eulogium on this excellent. prelate, by Lord Lyttelton. Thefe Letters have been too much depreciated and neglected. WARTON.

VER. 249. When Truth ftands trembling]

England, with all thy faults, I love thee ftill,
My country! and while yet a nook is left
Where English minds and manners may be found,
Shall be conftrain'd to love thee. Though thy clime
Be fickle, and thy year, moft part, deform'd
With dripping rains, or wither'd by a froft,
I would not yet exchange thy fullen skies
And fields without a flower, for warmer France
With all her vines: nor for Aufonia's groves
Of golden fruitage and her myrtle bow'rs.

Lines

ON RECEIVING FROM

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

THE LADY FRANCES SHIRLEY

A STANDISH AND TWO PENS.

YES, I beheld th' Athenian Queen

Defcend in all her fober charms;

"And take (fhe faid, and fmil'd ferene) "Take at this hand celeftial arms :

"Secure the radiant weapons wield;

"This golden lance shall guard Defert,

NOTES.

5

"And

The Lady Frances Shirley] A Lady whofe great Merit Mr. Pope took a real pleasure in celebrating. WARBURTON.

VER. 1. Yes, I beheld, &c.] To enter into the spirit of this Address, it is neceffary to premife, that the Poet was threatened with a profecution in the Houfe of Lords, for the two foregoing Poems, the Epilogue to the Satires. On which, with great refentment against his enemies, for not being willing to diftinguish be

tween

Grave Epifles bringing Vice to light,

and licentious Libels, he began a third Dialogue, more fevere and sublime than the first and second; which being no fecret, matters were foon compromised. His enemies agreed to drop the profe cution, and he promised to leave the third Dialogue unfinished and fuppreffed. This affair occafioned this little beautiful poem, to which it alludes throughout, but more especially in the four laft ftanzas. WARBURTON

"And if a Vice dares keep the field,
"This fteel fhall ftab it to the heart."

Aw'd, on my bended knees I fell,

Receiv'd the weapons of the sky;

10

And dipt them in the fable Well,

The Fount of Fame or Infamy.

"What Well? what Weapon? (Flavia cries)
"A ftandifh, fteel and golden pen!
"It came from Bertrand's, not the skies;
"I gave it you to write again.

But, Friend, take heed whom you attack; "You'll bring a House (I mean of Peers) "Red, Blue, and Green, nay white and black, "Land all about your ears.

"You'd write as fmooth again on glass,

"And run, on ivory, fo glib,

"As not to stick at fool or afs, "Nor stop at Flattery or Fib.

"Athenian Queen! and fober charms !
"I tell ye, fool, there's nothing in't:

15

20

25

" 'Tis

NOTES.

VER. 15. Bertrand's,] A famous toy-fhop at Bath.

WARBURTON

VER. 23. fool or afs,] The Dunciad.

WARBURTON.

VER. 24. Flattery or Fib.] The Epifle to Dr. Arbuthnot.

WARBURTON.

" 'Tis Venus, Venus gives these arms; "In Dryden's Virgil fee the print.

"Come, if you'll be a quiet foul,

"That dares tell neither Truth nor Lies, 30 "I'll lift you in the harmless roll

"Of those that fing of these poor eyes."

NOTES.

VER 27. thefe arms;] Such toys being the ufual prefents from lovers to their miftreffes.

WARBURTON.

VER. 28. fee the print.] When she delivers Æneas a fuit of WARBURTON. heavenly armour. VER. 30. neither Truth_nor Lies,] i. e. If ́ have neither the courage to write Satire, nor the application to attempt an Epic Poem.-He was then meditating on such a work.

you

WARBURTON.

VER. 32. Of thofe that fing of thefe poor eyes.] Among the many swains who fung of " these poor eyes," was Lord Chefterfield, in his well known Ballad :

:

"When Fanny blooming fair,
First met my ravish'd fight,
Struck with her face and air,

I gaz'd with strange delight."

This beautiful Lady was fourth daughter of Earl Ferrers, who had at that time a houfe at Twickenham. Notwithstanding her numerous admirers, fhe died at Bath, unmarried, in the year 1762. At Clarendon Park, near Salisbury, the seat of her Sifter's Son, Henry Bathurst efq., there is a full length painting, by Sir Godfrey Kneller; and if he was as handfome as she is there reprefented, Lord Chefterfield's paffionate addrefs might be eafily accounted for. The writer of this note had looked at it for some time with admiration, without knowing whofe portrait it was, when the hofpitable and benevolent Owner of the manfion faid, "That is the celebrated Fanny blooming fair." Her fifter, mar-ried to Mr. Bathurst's father, is painted at full length in the fame room.

Lady