VI. E. OF DORSET. ARTEMISIA. THO' Artemisia talks, by fits, Of councils, claffics, fathers, wits; And wear a cleaner fmock. Haughty and huge as High-Dutch bride, Are oddly join'd by fate : 5 VER. 1. Tho' Artemifia] By Artemifia, Pope has been thought to have meant Queen Caroline. It certainly bears in many points a refemblance, but coloured by fpleen. She became corpulent; and Mr. Coxe obferves, "Her levees were a strange picture of the motley character and manners of a Queen and learned woman. She received company while at her toilette-learned men and divines were intermixed with courtiers and ladies of the household. The converfation turned upon metaphyfical fubje&s, blended with the tittle-tattle of the drawing-room." Coxe's Me. moirs. It ought not to be omitted, that notwithstanding Pope's general farcafms, fhe was a moft exemplary, fenfible, prudent, and amiable woman, as is clearly proved by Mr. Coxe. She wears no colours (fign of grace) On any part except her face; All white and black befide: Dauntless her look, her gesture proud, And mafculine her ftride. So have I feen, in black and white A ftately, worthlefs animal, That plies the tongue, and wags the tail, 15 PHRYNE PHRYN E. HRYNE had talents for mankind, Like fome free port of trade: Her learning and good-breeding fuch, Spaniards or French came to her : Obfcure by birth, renown'd by crimes, At length fhe turns a bride: So have I known those Infects fair Still vary fhapes and dyes; Still gain new titles with new forms; First grubs obfcene, then wriggling worms, Then painted butterflies. 5 10 15 20 VII. DR. SWIFT. Dr. WARTON obferves, that the point of the likeness in this Imitation confifts in defcribing the objects as they really exift in life, like Hogarth's paintings, without heightening or enlarging them by any imaginary circumftances. He adds, that in this way of writing, Swift excelled; witness his description of a Morning in the City, of a City Shower, of the Houfe of Baucis and Philemon, and the Verfes on his own Death. But furely this is paying a poor compliment to Hogarth's inimitable genius. Perhaps the very reverse of what Dr. Warton advances, is true; for, though his pictures are not fublime, wherein does the Painter's fancy and invention and satire confift, but in the heightening" circumftances? These are as much required with refpect to burlesque," as they are in those delineations that are of a more serious and elevated character. If characters are painted merely as they exift, where are we to fearch for humour and wit? It is the fame in all fatirical writings. VII. DR. SWIFT. THE HAPPY LIFE OF A COUNTRY PARSON. ; PARSON, these things in thy poffeffing Lo here the Septuagint, and Paul, He that has thefe, may pass his life, 5 10 15 20 Toaft |