168
The Dunciad.
Book IV.
Confine the thought, to exercise the breath;[R 1]
160 And keep them in the pale of Words till death.
Whate'er the talents, or howe'er design'd,
We hang one jingling padlock on the mind:[R 2]
A Poet the first day, he dips his quill;
And what the last? a very Poet still.
165 Pity! the charm works only in our wall,
Lost, lost too soon in yonder House or Hall.[R 3]
There truant Wyndham ev'ry Muse gave o'er,
There Talbot sunk, and was a Wit no more!
How sweet an Ovid, Murray was our boast!
170 How many Martials were in Pult'ney lost!
Else sure some Bard, to our eternal praise,
In twice ten thousand rhyming nights and days,
Had reach'd the Work, the All that mortal can;
And South beheld that Master-piece of Man.[R 4]
175 Oh (cry'd the Goddess) for some pedant Reign![R 5]
Some gentle James, to bless the land again;
160 And keep them in the pale of Words till death.
Whate'er the talents, or howe'er design'd,
We hang one jingling padlock on the mind:[R 2]
A Poet the first day, he dips his quill;
And what the last? a very Poet still.
165 Pity! the charm works only in our wall,
Lost, lost too soon in yonder House or Hall.[R 3]
There truant Wyndham ev'ry Muse gave o'er,
There Talbot sunk, and was a Wit no more!
How sweet an Ovid, Murray was our boast!
170 How many Martials were in Pult'ney lost!
Else sure some Bard, to our eternal praise,
In twice ten thousand rhyming nights and days,
Had reach'd the Work, the All that mortal can;
And South beheld that Master-piece of Man.[R 4]
175 Oh (cry'd the Goddess) for some pedant Reign![R 5]
Some gentle James, to bless the land again;
Remarks
- ↑ Ver. 159. to exercise the breath;] By obliging them to get the classic poets by Heart, which furnishes them with endless matter for Conversation, and Verbal amusement for their whole lives.
- ↑ Ver. 162. We hang one jingling padlock, &c.] For youth being used like Pack-horses and beaten on under a heavy load of Words, lest they should tire, their instructors contrive to make the Words jingle in rhyme or metre.
- ↑ V. 165. in yonder House or Hall.] Westminster-hall and the House of Commons.
- ↑ Ver. 174. that Master-piece of Man.] viz. an Epigram. The famous Dr. South declared a perfect Epigram to be as difficult a performance as an Epic Poem. And the Critics say, "an Epic Poem is the greatest work human nature is capable of."
- ↑ Ver. 175. Oh (cry'd the Goddess) &c.] The matter under debate is how to confine men to Words for life. The instructors of youth shew how well they do
