It must also be noticed, that the author of the "Whip and Key" opens his poem with the ten first lines of "Absalom and Achitophel."
[482] Derrick is pleased to explain "the brother of Achitophel," by favouring us with an account of Shaftesbury's brother, George Cooper, Esq. This is a remarkable instance of a knavish speech sleeping in a foolish ear. For the benefit of any person of equally obtuse intellects, it may be necessary to say, the non-conformist parson is the party meant, whom Dryden styles "brother to Achitophel," if Achitophel, according to his own derivation, be brother to a fool; and truly the commentator seems to have been of the kindred.
[483] Achi, my brother, and tophel, a fool.—Orig. Note.
[484] The epithet was still more whimsically assumed by the famous Nell Gwyn, when her carriage was beset by the mob, who took it for that of the Duchess of Portsmouth, and loaded the inmate with all the opprobrious epithets which could be applied to a Papist, or a woman; Nell at length looked out, and convinced them of their mistake, by assuring them "she was the Protestant whore."
[485] Alluding to the Irish witnesses brought against Shaftesbury, to whom the Whigs refused credit as soon as they ceased to swear on their side; a great subject of complaint to the Tories.
Poor Teague and Rory, who renewed the story,
Were babes of grace while swearing was in fashion;
But when the Whig was charged by the true Tory,
The joyner's flail did thresh them out of the nation;
Then all was gospel-proof, and now all subornation;