god.
Thrice Budgel aim'd to speak, but thrice supprest
By potent Arthur, knock'd his chin and breast.
Toland and Tindal, prompt at priests to jeer,
Yet silent bow'd to _Christ's no kingdom here_.
Who sat the nearest, by the words o'ercome,
Slept first; the distant nodded to the hum;
Then down are roll'd the books, stretch'd o'er 'em lies
Each gentle clerk, and mutt'ring seals his eyes.
As what a Dutchman plumps into the lakes,
One circle first, and then a second makes;
What dulness dropt among her sons imprest,
Like motion from one circle to the rest:
So from the midmost the nutation spreads,
Round and more round, o'er all the _sea of heads_.
At last Centlivre felt her voice to fail,
Motteux himself unfinish'd left his tale.
Boyer the state, and Law the stage gave o'er,
Morgan and Mandeville could prate no more;
Norton from Daniel and Ostroea sprung,
Bless'd with his father's front and mother's tongue,
Hung silent down his never-blushing head,
And all was hush'd, as Folly's self lay dead.
"Thus the soft gifts of Sleep conclude the day,
And stretch'd on bulks, as usual, poets lay.
Why should I sing what bards the nightly Muse
Did slumb'ring visit, and convey to stews;
Who prouder march'd, with magistrates in state,
To some fam'd round-house, ever-open gate!
How Henley lay inspir'd beside a sink,
And to mere mortals seem'd a priest in drink:
While others, timely, to the neighb'ring Fleet
(Haunt of the Muses) made their safe retreat."

Ulysses and AEneas presented themselves alive and in the body, as
visitors in the land of departed souls. A descent to the shades is not
wanting in our Epos. It fills the whole Third Book. But our poet again
manages a discreet difference in his imitation. Our Dunce hero visits
Elysium _in a dream_; whilst he sleeps, his head recumbent on the lap of
the goddess, in the innermost recess of her sanctuary. His vision
resembles the Trojan's rather than the Greek's adventure. "A slipshod
sibyl,"

"In lofty madness meditating song,

leads him. She seems to be typical of the half-crazed human poetess, in
usual sublime dishabille. Venerable shades of the Dull greet him. As in
Virgil's Elysian fields a glimpse is afforded into the dark philosophy
of human existence, and we see the Lethean bank crowded with spirits,
who taste and become prepared to live again--so here. And as AEneas finds
Anchises engaged in taking cognizanc