Book I.
The Dunciad.
51
Much she revolves their arts, their ancient praise,
And sure succession down from Heywood's[R. 1] days.
She saw, with joy, the line immortal run,
100 Each fire imprest and glaring in his son:
So watchful Bruin forms, with plastic care,
Each growing lump, and brings it to a Bear.
She saw old Pryn in restless Daniel[R. 2] shine,
And Eusden eke out[R. 3] Blackmore's endless line;
And sure succession down from Heywood's[R. 1] days.
She saw, with joy, the line immortal run,
100 Each fire imprest and glaring in his son:
So watchful Bruin forms, with plastic care,
Each growing lump, and brings it to a Bear.
She saw old Pryn in restless Daniel[R. 2] shine,
And Eusden eke out[R. 3] Blackmore's endless line;
Remarks
- ↑ Ver. 98. John Heywood, whose Interludes were printed in the time of Henry VIII.
- ↑ Ver. 103. Old Pryn in restless Daniel] The first edition had it,
She saw in Norton all his father shine:
a great Mistake! for Daniel De Foe had parts, but Norton De Foe was a wretched writer, and never attempted Poetry. Much more justly is Daniel himself made successor to W. Pryn, both of whom wrote Verses as well as Politics; as appears by the Poem De jure divine, &c. of De Foe, and by these lines in Cowley's Miscellanies, on the other:
One lately did not fear
(Without the Muses leave) to plant verse here
But it produced such base, rough, crabbed, hedge-
Rhymes, as e'en set the bearers ears on edge:
Written by William Prynn Esqui-re, the
Year of our Lord, six hundred thirty three
Brave Jersey Muse! and he's for his high style
Called to this day the Homer of the Isle.
And both these authors had a resemblance in their fates as well as writings, having been alike sentenced to the Pillory. - ↑ Ver. 104. And Eusden eke out, &c.] Laurence Eusden Poet laureate. Mr. Jacob gives a catalogue of some few only of his works, which were very numerous. Mr. Cook, in his Battle of Poets, saith of him,
Eusden, a laurel'd Bard, by fortune rais'd,
By very few was read, by fewer prais'd.
Mr. Oldmixon, in his Arts of Logic and Rhetoric, p. 413, 414. affirms, "That of all the Galimatia's he ever met with, none comes up to some verses of this poet, which have as much of the Ridiculum and the Fustian in them as can
