Heroic actions early bred in,
Ne'er to be match'd in modern reading,
But by his namesake, Charles of Sweden.
SWIFT's hatred to the Scottish nation led him to look upon the Union with great resentment, as a measure degrading to England. The Scottish themselves hardly detested the idea more than he did; and that is saying as much as possible.
THE queen has lately lost a part
Of her ENTIRELY-ENGLISH* heart,
For want of which, by way of botch,
She pieced it up again with SCOTCH.
Blest revolution! which creates
Divided hearts, united states!
See how the double nation lies,
Like a rich coat with skirts of frize:
As if a man, in making posies,
Should bundle thistles up with roses.
Who ever yet a union saw
Of kingdoms without faith or law?+
Henceforward let no statesman dare
A kingdom to a ship compare;
Lest he should call our commonweal,
A vessel with a double keel:
* The motto on Queen Anne's coronation medal. — N. tie., Differing in religion and law.
Which, just like ours, new rigg'd and mann'd,
And got about a league from land,
By change of wind to leeward side,
The pilot knew not how to guide.
So tossing faction will o'erwhelm
Our crazy double-bottom'd realm.
OR, THE RECEIPT TO FORM A BEAUTY,* 1708.
THIS elegant compliment led to numerous silly imitations, which causes Swift to put a caution in Apollo's Edict to the Poets: "With females' compounds I am cloy'd, Which only pleased in Biddy Floyd."
WHEN Cupid did his grandsire Jove entreat
To form some Beauty by a new receipt,
*The following elegant Latin version of this "Receipt first printed in the sixth volume of Dryden's Miscellanies:
Orabat precibus Cupido blandis,
Ut tandem omnipotens pater deorum
Formosam lege conderet recenti.
Arridens citò, ruris ad recessum
Almus misit avus, Fidemque nudam
Illic repperit, Innocentiamque,
Et vultum placidum, Indolemque suavem
Dextrâ, quæ, facili, Puer peritus
Oris à nimio pudore purgat,
Et morum ruditate ineleganti,
Ac nimis timidâ fugacitate.
Sacræ Pierides parant deinde
Ex aulâ ingenuam Institutonem,
Jove sent, and found, far in a country scene,
Truth, innocence, good nature, look serene:
From which ingredients first the dextrous boy
Pick'd the demure, the awkward, and the coy.
The Graces from the court did next provide
Breeding, and wit, and air, and decent pride :
These Venus cleans from every spurious grain
Of nice coquet, affected, pert, and vain.
Jove mix'd up all, and the best clay employ'd ;
Then call'd the happy composition FLOYD.
THE REVERSE
(TO SWIFT'S VERSES ON BIDDY FLOYD ;)
OR MRS. CLUDD.
THESE verses were first printed by the learned Dr. Barrett, from the Whimsical Medley, a Manuscript from which he recovered several of Dr. Swift's lighter pieces. It seems to be alluded to as Swift's, in a stupid imitation of the Lilliputian Ode, occurring among other trash in the Gulliveriana.
House of Van, Mother Cludd
Made the man, fond of mud.
Acumenque acre, Gratiamque formæ,
Cum se non nimis efferente Fastu.
Ab his flava Venus removit omnem
Procul Molitiem, et malas dolosæ
Mentis Illecebras, Ineptiasque
Bonum pravé imitantium, levesque
Motus, Gloriolæque Inanitatem.
Miscet omnia Jupiter, lutoque
Temperat meliore, Lydiamque
Inde appellat opus, stupens, superbum.
I do not, however, pretend to deny that the line may only relate to the poem on Van's house, which begins,
When Mother Cludd rose up from play.
In that case the authenticity will rest on the intrinsic evidence.
VENUS One day, as story goes,
But for what reason no man knows,
In sullen mood and grave deport,
Trudged it away to Jove's high court;
And there his Godship did entreat
To look out for his best receipt :
And make a monster strange and odd,
Abhorr'd by man and every god.
Jove, ever kind to all the fair,
Nor e'er refused a lady's prayer,
Straight oped 'scrutore, and forth he took
A neatly bound and well-gilt book;
Sure sign that nothing enter'd there,
But what was very choice and rare.
Scarce had he turn'd a page or two,—
It might be more, for aught I knew ;
But, be the matter more or less,
'Mong friends 'twill break no squares,
Then, smiling, to the dame quoth he,
Here's one will fit you to a T.
But, as the writing doth prescribe,
'Tis fit the ingredients we provide.
Away he went, and search'd the stews,
And every street about the Mews;
Diseases, impudence, and lies,
Are found and brought him in a trice.
From Hackney then he did provide,
A clumsy air and awkward pride;
From lady's toilet next he brought
Noise, scandal, and malicious thought.
These Jove put in an old close-stool,
And with them mix'd the vain, the fool.
But now came on his greatest care,
Of what he should his paste prepare ;
For common clay or finer mould
Was much too good, such stuff to hold.
At last he wisely thought on mud;
So raised it up, and call'd it-Cludd.
With this, the lady well content,
Low curtsey'd, and away she went.
TO THE HONOURABLE MRS. FINCH,
UNDER HER NAME OF ARDELIA.
PHOEBUS, now shortening every shade,
Up to the northern tropic came,
And thence beheld a lovely maid,
Attending on a royal dame.
The god laid down his feeble rays,
Then lighted from his glittering coach; But fenced his head with his own bays, Before he durst the nymph approach.
Under those sacred leaves, secure
From common lightning of the skies,
He fondly thought he might endure
The flashes of Ardelia's eyes.
* Afterwards Countess of Winchelsea.
|
