“At once, farewel,” he said. But, as he said,
Like mortal bailiffs to the sight array’d,
Two fiends advancing seiz’d, and bore away
To their dark dens the much-resisting prey:
While ROLLO nimbly clamber’d in a fright,
Tho’ steep and difficult the way, to light.
And thus ends the sixth book of the ROLLIAD; which we have chosen for the subject of the FIRST PART of our CRITICISMS. In the second part, which is now going on in the Morning-Herald, where the first draughts of the present numbers were originally published, we shall pursue our Commentary through the House of Peers; and in a third part, for which we are now preparing and arranging materials, it is our intention to present our readers with a series of anecdotes from the political history of our ministry, which our author has artfully contrived to interweave in his inimitable poem.
And here, while we are closing this first Part, we cannot but congratulate ourselves, that we have been the humble instruments of first calling the attention of the learned to this wonderful effort of modern genius, the fame of, which has already exceeded the limits of this island, and perhaps may not be circumscribed by the present age; which, we have the best reason to believe, will very shortly diffuse the glory of our present Rulers in many and distant quarters of the globe; and which may not improbably descend to exhibit them in their true colours to remote posterity. That we indeed imagine our Criticisms to have contributed very much to this great popularity of the ROLLIAD, we will not attempt to conceal. And this persuasion shall animate us to continue our endeavours with redoubled application, that we may complete, as early as possible, the design, which we have some time since formed to ourselves, and which we have now submitted to the Public; happy, if that which is yet to come, be received with the same degree of favour as this, which is now finished, so peculiarly experienced even in its most imperfect condition.
[1] Dr. Busby, formerly master of Westminster school, was famous for his consumption of birch. MERLIN uses his name here by the spirit of prophecy.
[2] Erasmus wrote an Encomium of Folly, with abundant wit and learning. For Creichton, see the Adventurer.
[3] The literal English is “vehement mouth of oratory.”
[4] A great flogger of antiquity, ———Memini quæ plagosum mihi parvo Orbilium dictare. HOR.
[5] Mynheer Hoppingen Van Caperagen, who soon after the publication of our first authentic Edition, sent the following letter to Mr. Ridgway:
D’Exeter, ce 18 Avril, 1785.
“Je suis fort etonné. Monsieur, que vous ayez eu la hardiesse d’admettre dans “La Critique de la Rolliade,” une accusation contre moi qui n’est nullement fondée, et qui tend à me nuire dans l’esprit de tous les amateurs des beaux arts. Sachez, Monsieur, que je me suis donné la peine de traduire mot à mot la célébré inscription, de mon digne élève et protecteur, Mr. Rolle; que je n’y ai rien ajouté, et que dans le vers où il est question du coche, votre Critique n’auroit dû voir qu’une preuve de l’économie de mon susdit Mécene. Quant aux rimes féminines que l’auteur me reproche avec tant d’aigreur, je vous dirai qu’il n’y a rien de mâle dans l’esprit de Mr. Rolle, et que j’aurois blessé sa delicatesse en m’y prenant autrement; d’ailleurs je me moque des usages, et je ne veux pas que mes vers sautent à clochepied, comme ceux des poëtes François, qui n’entendent rien à la danse. Je ne doute pas que vous approuviez mon sentiment là-dessus, et que vous me fassiez rendre justice sur l’objet de ma plainte: en attendant, je vous prie de croire que je suis, avec le plus vif attachment, Monsieur, votre très obeissant serviteur, HOPPINGEN VAN CAPERAGEN.”