in form of letters; her head, and voice, and spleen, kept their primitive form; and that which before was a cover of fkin, did ftill continue fo.

In this guise the marched on towards the Moderns, undiftinguishable in fhape and dress from the divine Bntly, W-tt-n's dearest friend. "Brave W-t

t-n, (faid the goddefs,) why do our troops ftand idle "here, to spend their prefent vigour, and opportunity "of the day? Away, let us hafte to the generals, and "advife to give the onfet immediately." Having spoke thus, he took the ugliest of her monsters, full glutted from her fpleen, and flung it invifibly into his mouth; which, flying straight up into his head, fqueezed out his eye-balls, gave him a distorted look, and half overturned his brain. Then the privately ordered two of her beloved children, Dulness and Ill-manners, closely to attend his perfon in all encounters. Having thus ac. coutered him, fhe vanifhed in a mift; and the hero perceived it was the goddess, his mother.'

The deftined hour of fate being now arrived, the fight began; whereof, before I dare adventure to make a particular defcription, I muft, after the example of other authors, petition for a hundred tongues, and mouths, and hands, and pens; which would all be too little to perform fo immenfe a work. Say, goddess, that prefideft over hiftory, who it was that firft advanced in the field of battle. Paracelfus, at the head of his dragoons, obferving Galen in the adverfe wing, darted his javelin with a mighty force; which the brave ancient received upon his fhield, the point breaking in the fecond fold. * * * * * * Hic pauca defunt. They bore the wounded Aga* on their fhields to his chariot. ** * Defunt nonnulla, Then Ariftotle, obferving Bacon advance with a furious mien, drew his bow to the head, and let fly his *Doctor Hervey, it was not thought proper to name his antagonist, but only to intimate that he was wounded; other Moderns are fpared by the biatus that follows, probably for fimilar reasons,

* *

*

arrow;

arrow; which miffed the valiant Modern, and went hiffing over his head. But Des Cartes it hit: the steel point quickly found a defect in his head-piece; it pierced the leather and the pasteboard, and went in at his right eye. The torture of the pain whirled the valiant bowman round, till death, like a ftar of fuperior influence, drew him into his own vortex.

*

*

* * *

*

#

Ingens biatus bic in MS. When Homer appeared at the head of the cavalry, mounted on a furious horfe, with difficulty managed by the rider himself, but which no other mortal durst approach. He rode among the enemy's ranks, and bore down all before him. Say, Goddess, whom he flew firft, and whom he flew laft. First, Gondibert * advanced against him, clad in heavy armour, and mounted on a ftaid fober gelding, not so famed for his speed, as his docility in kneeling, whenever his rider would mount or light. He had made a vow to Pallas, that he would never leave the field, till he had spoiled Homer of his armourt; madman! who had never once feen the wearer, nor understood his strength. Him Homer overthrew, horse and man, to the ground; there to be trampled and choaked in the dirt. Then, with a long spear, he flew Denham, a ftout Modern; who from his father's fide, derived his lineage from Apollo, but his mother was of mortal racet. He fell, and bit the earth. The celeftial part Apollo took, and made it a star; but the terrestrial lay wallowing upon the ground. Then Homer flew W-fl-y, with a kick of his horfe's heel. He took Perrault by mighty force out of his faddle, then hurled him at Fontenelle; with the same blow dashing out both their brains.

On the left wing of the horse, Virgil appeared in fhining armour, compleatly fitted to his body. He was *An heroic poem by Sir William Davenant.

[t Vid. Homer.]

Sir John Denham's poems are very unequal, extremely good, and very indifferent; fo that his detractors faid, he was not the real author of Cooper's Hill.

mounted

mounted on a dapple-grey fteed; the flowness of whose pace was an effect of the higheft mettle and vigour. He caft his eye on the adverse wing, with a defire to find an object worthy of his valour; when, behold, upon a forrel gelding, of a monstrous fize, appeared a foe iffuing from among the thickeft of the enemy's fquadrons: but his fpeed was less than his noife; for his horfe, old and lean, fpent the dregs of his ftrength in a high trot; which, though it made flow advances, yet caused a loud clafling of his armour, terrible to hear. The two ca

valiers had now approached within a throw of a lance; when the ftranger defired a parley, and lifting up the vizard of his helmet, a face hardly appeared from within; which, after a paufe, was known for that of the renowned Dryden. The brave Ancient suddenly started, as one poffeffed with furprise and disappointment together : for the helmet was nine times too large for the head; which appeared fituate far in the hinder part, even like the lady in a lobfter, or like a moufe under a canopy of ftate, or like a fhrivelled beau from within the pent-houfe of a modern perriwig: and the voice was fuited to the vifage, founding weak and remote. Dryden, in a long harangue, foothed up the good Ancient, called him Father: and, by a large deduction of genealogies, made it plainly appear, that they were nearly related. Then he humbly propofed an exchange of armour, as a lasting mark of hofpitality between them. Virgil confented, (for the goddess Diffidence came unfeen, and caft a mift before his eyes), though his was of gold, and cost a hundred beeves*, the other's but of

rufty iron. However, this glittering armour became the Modern yet worfe than his own. Then they agree to exchange horfes; but when it came to the trial, Dryden was afraid, and utterly unable to mount.

*

* Alter hiatus in MS. Lucan appeared up

*

on a fiery horse, of admirable shape, but headstrong,

[* Vid. Homer.]

bearing

bearing the rider where he lift, over the field. He made a mighty flaughter among the enemy's horfe; which deftruction to ftop, Bl-ckm-re, a famous Modern, (but one of the mercenaries), ftrenuously oppofed himself; and darted a javelin with a strong hand, which, falling fhort of its mark, ftruck deep in the earth. Then Lucan threw a lance; but fculapius came unfeen, and turned off the point*. "Brave Modern, (faid Lucan),

I perceive fome god protects you; for never did my "arm fo deceive me before. But what mortal can con"tend with a god? Therefore let us fight no longer, "but prefent gifts to each other." Lucan then bestowed the Modern a pair of spurs, and Bl-ckm-re gave Lucan a bridle.

*

Pauca defunt.

Creech but the goddess Dulness took a cloud, formed into the fhape of Horace, armed and mounted, and placed it in a flying posture before him. Glad was the cavalier to begin a combat with a flying foe, and purfued the image, threatening loud; till at laft it led him to the peaceful bower of his father Ogleby; by whom he was difarmed, and affigned to his repofe.

and

Then Pindar flew and Oldham, and -, and Afra† the Amazon, light of foot never advancing in a direct line, but wheeling with incredible agility and force, he made a terrible flaughter among the enemy's light-horfe. Him when Cowley obferved, his generous heart burnt within him, and he advanced against the fierce Ancient, imitating his addrefs, and pace, and career, as well as the vigour of his horfe, and his own fkill, would allow. When the two cavaliers had approached within the length of three javelins, firft Cowley threw a lance; which miffed Pindar, and paffing into the enemy's ranks, fell ineffectual to the ground. Then Pindar darted a javelin, fo large and weighty, that scarce a dozen cavaliers, as cavaliers

*His skill as a phyfician atoned for his dulnefs as a Poet. † Mrs. Afra Behn, author of many plays, novels, and

poems,

are

are in our degenerate days, could raise it from the ground; yet he threw it with eafe, and it went by an unerring hand finging through the air; nor could the Modern have avoided prefent death, if he had not luckily opposed the thield that had been given him by Venus+. And now both heroes drew their fwords. But the Modern was so aghaft and difordered, that he knew not where he was; his fhield dropt from his hands ; thrice he fled, and thrice he could not efcape. At laft he turned, and, lifting up his hands in the pofture of a fuppliant, "Godlike Pindar, (faid he), fpare my life, "and poffefs my horfe with these arms, befides the ran"fom which my friends will give, when they hear I "am alive, and your prifoner." "Dog,(faid Pindar), "let your ranfom ftay with your friends; but your "carcafe fhall be left for the fowls of the air, and the "beafts of the field." With that, he raised his fword, and, with a mighty ftroke, cleft the wretched Modern in twain, the fword pursuing the blow; and one half lay panting on the ground, to be trod in pieces by the horses feet, the other half was born by the frighted steed through the field. This Venus took, and washed it feven times in ambrofia; then ftruck it thrice with a fprig of amarant upon which the leather grew round and foft, and the leaves turned into feathers; and being gilded before, continued gilded ftill; fo it became a dove, and the harneffed it to her chariot.

*

*

Hiatus in MS.

Day being far fpent, and the numerous forces of the Moderns half inclining to a retreat, there iffued, forth, from a fquadron of their heavy-armed foot, a captain, whose name was B-ntl-y+; in perfon the moft deformed of all the Moderns; tall, but without shape or comeliness; large, but without ftrength or proportion. His armour was patched up of a thousand incoherent pieces; and the found of it as he marched was loud and * His poem called the Miftress.

Et The epifode of B-ntl-y and W-tt-n.]

dry,