Thro' Lud's fam'd gates,[R 1] along the well-known Fleet
Rolls the black troop, and overshades the street,360
'Till show'rs of Sermons, Characters, Essays,
In circling fleeces whiten all the ways:
So clouds replenish'd from some bog below,
Mount in dark volumes, and descend in snow.
Here stopt the Goddess; and in pomp proclaims 365
A gentler exercise to close the games.
"Ye Critics! in whose heads, as equal scales,
"I weigh what author's heaviness prevails;
"Which most conduce to sooth the soul in slumbers,
My H———ley's periods, or my Blackmore's numbers;370
"Attend the trial we propose to make:
"If there be man, who o'er such works can wake,
"Sleep's all-subduing charms who dares defy,
"And boasts Ulysses' ear with Argus' eye;[R 2]
"To him we grant our amplest pow'rs to sit375
"Judge of all present, past, and future wit;
Remarks
- ↑ Ver. 359. Lud's fam'd gates,] “King Lud repairing the City, called it, after his own name, Lud's Town; the strong gate which he built in the west part he likewise, for his own honour, named Ludgate. In the year 1260. this gate was beautified with images of Lud and other Kings. Those images in the reign of Edward VI. had their heads smitten off, and were otherwise defaced by unadvised folks. Queen Mary did set new heads upon their old bodies again. The 28th of Queen Elizabeth the same gate was clean taken down, and newly and beautifully builded, with images of Lud and others, as afore.” Stow's Survey of London.
- ↑ Ver. 374. See Hom. Odyss. xii. Ovid, Met. i.
