Book III.
The Dunciad.
145
Remarks
- ↑ Ver. 266. I see my Cibber there!] The history of the foregoing absurdities is verified by himself, in these words (Life, chap. xv.) "Then sprung forth that succession of monstrous medleys that have so long infested the stage, which arose upon one another alternately at both houses, out-vying each other in expence." He then proceeds to excuse his own part in them, as follows: "If I am asked why I assented I have no better excuse for my error than to confess I did it against my conscience, and had not virtue enough to starve. Had Henry IV. of France a better for changing his Religion? I was still in my heart, as much as he could be, on the side of Truth and Sense; but with this difference, that I had their leave to quit them when they could not support me.—But let the question go which way it will, Harry IVth has always been allowed a great man." This must be confest a full answer, only the question still seems to be, 1. How the doing a thing against one's conscience is an excuse for it? and, 2dly, lt will be hard to prove how he got the leave of Truth and Sense to quit their service, unless he can produce a Certificate that he ever was in it.
- ↑ Ver. 266, 267. Booth and Cibber were joint managers of the Theatre in Drury-lane.
- ↑ Ver. 268. On grinning dragons thou shalt mount the wind.] In his Letter to
Rich, Master of the Theatre Royal in Covent-garden, was the first that excelled this way.
Imitations
- ↑ Ver. 258.-o'er all unclassic ground:] Alludes to Mr. Addison's verse, in praises of Italy:As ver. 264 is a parody on a noble one of the same author in The Campaign; and ver. 259, 260, on two sublime verses of Dr. Y.Poetic fields encompass me around,
And still I seem to tread on classic ground.
