208
The Dunciad.
Book IV.
Religion blushing veils her sacred fires,
650 And unawares Morality expires,[R 1]
Nor public Flame, nor private, dares to shine;
Nor human Spark is left, nor Glimpse divine!
Lo! thy dread Empire, Chaos! is restor’d;
Light dies before thy uncreating word:
655 Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall;
And Universal Darkness buries All.
650 And unawares Morality expires,[R 1]
Nor public Flame, nor private, dares to shine;
Nor human Spark is left, nor Glimpse divine!
Lo! thy dread Empire, Chaos! is restor’d;
Light dies before thy uncreating word:
655 Thy hand, great Anarch! lets the curtain fall;
And Universal Darkness buries All.
FINIS.
Remarks
- ↑ Ver. 650. And unawares Morality expires.) It appears from hence that our Poet was of very different sentiments from the Author of the Characteristics, who has written a formal treatise on Virtue, to prove it not only real but durable, without the support of Religion. The word unawares alludes to the confidence of those men who suppose that Morality would flourish best without it, and consequently to the surprize would be in (if any such there are) who indeed love Virtue, and yet do all they can to root out the Religion of their Country.
said only to withdraw hers; as hers alone in its own nature is inextinguishable and eternal.
