148
The Dunciad.
Book III.
305 Teach thou the warbling Polypheme[R 1] to roar,
And scream thyself as none e'er scream'd before
To aid our cause, if Heav'n thou can'st not bend,
Hell thou shalt move; for Faustus is our friend:
Pluto with Cato thou for this shalt join,[R 2]
310 And link the Mourning Bride to Proserpine.
Grubstreet! thy fall should men and Gods conspire,
Thy stage shall stand, ensure it but from Fire.[R 3]
Another Æschylus appears![R 4] prepare
For new abortions, all ye pregnant fair!
315 In flames, like Semele's,[I 1] be brought to bed,
While op'ning Hell spouts wild-fire at your head.
And scream thyself as none e'er scream'd before
To aid our cause, if Heav'n thou can'st not bend,
Hell thou shalt move; for Faustus is our friend:
Pluto with Cato thou for this shalt join,[R 2]
310 And link the Mourning Bride to Proserpine.
Grubstreet! thy fall should men and Gods conspire,
Thy stage shall stand, ensure it but from Fire.[R 3]
Another Æschylus appears![R 4] prepare
For new abortions, all ye pregnant fair!
315 In flames, like Semele's,[I 1] be brought to bed,
While op'ning Hell spouts wild-fire at your head.
Remarks
- ↑ Ver. 305. Polypheme] He translated the Italian Opera of Polifemo; but unfortunately lost the whole jest of the story. The Cyclops asks Ulysses his name, who tells him his name is Noman: After his eye is put out, he roars and calls the Brother Cyclops to his aid: They enquire who has hurt him? he answers Noman; whereupon they all go away again. Our ingenious Translator made Ulysses answer, I take no name, whereby all that follow'd became unintelligible. Hence it appears that Mr. Cibber (who values himself on subscribing to the English Translation of Homer's Iliad) had not that merit with respect to the Odyssey, or he might have been better instructed in the Greek Pun-nology.
- ↑ Ver. 308, 309. Faustus, Pluto, &c.] Names of miserable Farces which it was the custom to act at the end of the best Tragedies, to spoil the digestion of the audience.
- ↑ Ver. 312. ensure it but from Fire.] In the farce of Proserpine a corn-field was set on fire: whereupon the other playhouse had a barn burnt down for the recreation of the spectators. They also rival'd each other in showing the burnings of hell-fire, in Dr. Faustus.
- ↑ Ver. 313. Another Æschylus appears!] It is reported of Æschylus, that when his tragedy of the Furies was acted, the audience were so terrified that the children fell into fits, and the big-bellied women miscarried.
Imitations
- ↑ Ver. 315. like Semel's,] See Ovid. Met. iii.
