University of Virginia Library

If the Orthodox Critic should here observe, that I have thrown a slight upon his Devil, by introducing so great an Heathen as Mercury to his employment, he will discover, when he lowers his eyes to this part of the page, that I have made the observation before him.—But, if according to some of the ancient Christian Fathers, his Satanic Majesty was supposed, for his own private ends, to concern himself with the Heathen Oracles, Sybils, and Pythonesses, I may, surely, under their respectable authority, make him have occasional recourse to another of the same family, without the least degradation. Besides, I had not one of the Rabbinical Writers within my reach, while I was writing this Poem, to give me the name of Satan's Gentleman Usher: so that, to save myself trouble, which I at all times hate and detest, I borrowed an acquaintance from the Grecian Poets.—Again, if my Critic will but consider of whom the troop consisted which received safe conduct from this winged guide, he must esteem Mercury, who is (Heathenly speaking) the presiding Genius of rogues, sharpers, &c. as properly introduced to be their conductor. —And, as an Orthodox Critic must consider all such in the light of Heathens, my application to the Pagan Mythology will not appear so mal apropos as he at first imagined.

This noble person, verging to that time of life when he may say of the Brothels, “I myself have no pleasure in them,” is fond of introducing Gentlemen of the Black Cloth and Character into these places, where he enjoys the contemplation of their pleasures, and pays for them. Mrs. Godby's piety suffers very much upon these occasions, and can only be equalled by his L---'s refinement, which is so universally known, that I expect every day to hear of its being sung in a proverb.

It is not impossible that the scene of the two M---ly---ts, Father and Son, may be acted over again, and again, when a certain young Nobleman returns from his travels.

N. B. The manuscript from which this last note is taken, will make its appearance in due time, and unfold some transactions which the world little thinks of.

This young Nobleman's character is, in every respect, a striking contrast to his ------; but the following Anecdote will give a very strong explanation of my idea concerning him.—When Mr. C--- F--- proposed him to be elected into one of the fashionable clubs, he was almost universally black-balled. Mr. F---, who at that time had great interest there, was much surprised that his friend should be thus rejected. But as he concluded, and not without reason, that the universal disgust in which the family of his Friend was held had prevented his success, he proposed him again, with a declaration, on his honour, that Mr. C--- had not one quality in common with any of his family. The event justified Mr. F---'s penetration, on the second Ballot not a single black-ball appeared against his friend.— This Anecdote has been asserted to me as fact: but be that as it may, the principle of it is founded in truth, and serves the purpose of doing justice to a most amiable Character, whose great merit the Author of these pages, who sincerely loves him, is glad to attest.

It is not uncommon for an avaricious Father to saddle a younger Brother for a maintenance on the elder, especially if he has a place. And if the latter should possess an hereditary baseness, he will carry on the spirit of conditionalizing, and insist that the former shall, in return, give him the use of his understanding. It too often happens that elder brothers want spirit and understanding, and that younger ones who have both in an eminent degree, stand in need of a provision. It is hard that Worth and Genius should be so situated! but this is among the sore evils under the Sun!

Several of my friends who were kind enough to approve, and, indeed, enforce the publication of this little Work, seemed to think that I had frustrated my intention of marking the insignificance of this Character, by giving so many lines to the delineation of it. But as the bold strokes are more easily imitated than the finer pencillings of nature, those colourless bad qualities which have not sufficient strength or spirit to rise into daring, manly vice, require a great length of description to impress them properly on the attention of the Reader. Indeed, it is my serious opinion, that this man's life would be a profitable lesson to the world, to prove, that meanness of spirit, though unaccompanied by any bold, open violations of virtue, will ever be more contemptible, obnoxious, and distressing, than any of those public vices which are seldom wholly unconnected with some sort of principle, and often originate from the same source with many virtues. The ebullitions of youth, the spur of necessity, the prevalence of example may hurry to enormities. In these cases, however, the cause is not always difficult to be removed, and frequently removes itself. The effects will then cease, and honour and virtue return.

But a mean spirit, as in this example, is a low, sneaking, base, fixed propensity to what is bad, which it loves; and yet is compelled by its fears to assume the semblance of good, which it hates. It is wholly incorrigible, and attends the Character it has once possessed through every degree of station and of life; and is very seldom or never known to rise into momentary courage or spirit; unless suicide, to which it has sometimes applied for a dismission from universal contempt may be considered as examples of them.

But this subject, which I have already extended beyond the limits of a note, shall be considered in a separate publication, illustrated and proved by anecdotes of the Character before me when he was at School, the University, in France, Ireland, Warwickshire, and London; as a School-boy, a Collegian, a Traveller, a Secretary, a Militia-commander, a Husband, and so on to the present times,—with collateral relations.

I would not be guilty of injustice to any Character. George does not want humanity! nay he has an uncommon portion of this virtue: it extends even to the gallows; and is well known to have bedewed his cheeks with tears at the lamentable fate of that pious personage, commonly called, Sixteen-String Jack. And I may venture to assert, that he never saw a man hang'd in his life, but when the sport was over, he would have been really happy to have restored him to life. It requires a kind of knowledge which every body does not possess, to reconcile the apparent contradictions in the human character. However, I shall not, at present enter further upon the subject than to observe, that there are certain propensities in the mind, which, being long indulged, become irresistible, and stand between Men and their best interests. All the World knows that Mr. S--- is attached to gaming, and that when he games, he wishes to win. And there are many will tell you, that this love of play, when it has taken root, becomes the leading, if not the sole, propensity of the human breast. But in the Character before me, there is an evident example of two leading propensities in the same mind, which, upon certain occasions, form a spirit of accommodation, and blend with each other. This very Gentleman, though he had made a very considerable bet that he should not be at a certain execution, was, notwithstanding, discovered to be actually present at the spectacle, dressed like an old woman, in a joseph and bonnet, and seated on horseback, &c. &c. This is a twofold irresistible propensity! Nevertheless, George is a man of humanity.

See the Letters of Junius, where the able Writer has observed, with his usual spirit and good sense, upon this guilty transaction. Junius felt for human nature, and would not suffer his pen to trace all the particulars of it. To degrade the Criminal, they should be remembered; but for the sake of humanity, they had better be forgotten.

See The Diaboliad, last line.

The Poet may possibly be reprehended here, by some Critics or Divines, for the confusion of theology that may be objected to this passage. But as the good old proverb says, that Example is better than precept, we shall refer his defence, first, to Ariosto, or Tasso, I forget which, for I am but a poor scholar in the bastard Latin Authors, where the Heathen mythology and the Christian system are mixed together in the same scene; and, next, to Rubens, who in his Luxemburgh Gallery has made Hymen and St. Denis (I think it is) jointly preside at the marriage of Henry IV.

Sir T--- F--- too might have sufficiently supported the same evidence; but, by his not being mentioned in this cause, 'tis to be supposed that his avocations in 'Change-Alley had prevented his appearance yet in Court.

Lest the equivocation of Titles might lead our readers to mistake the person, we think it proper to acquaint them that this Galant was not the hero of C---, but the one who going to bed by himself, was surprized, when he awoke, at finding himself by himself quite alone. See certain Love-Letters upon record.

One of the senses of this verb is, in a legal sense, to accuse, to inform against, or convict; from whence the Noun Approver. This note had been unnecessary, if Lexiphanes, among the other neglects in his pompous Dictionary, had not left this article imperfect.

A certain Lady of quality who was a confidant in the amour, and afterwards proved the Crim. Con. in Court.

Publica cura—an expression made use of by Horace, for a Courtesan, L. II. Od. 8.

This was apparently the case at a late Masquerade.

This is not the Myrtle Wreath with which the Venus Amica crowns her Votaries, but a certain Frontlet, with which her Bastard Sister, the Venus Meretrix, is used to stigmatize her Devotees.

See The Diaboliad, page 31, 2d paragraph.

The Story is upon record, and therefore requires no note.

A foreign Count with whom we had her first public amour.

A postilion with whom she had her second.

See the Diaboliad, last page, and last line.

See the Diaboliad, p. 31, first paragraph.

We confess ourselves to be in doubt whether the Poet alludes to general C---, or to the Secretary at War, in this passage.

And his railing has had good effect, we hear, as the Don has got ten thousand pieces, and a good riddance into the bargain, for a release of contract. This is the second Suitor this Heroine bought off. The first was one to whom she had been affianced by her father's will, and who piously attending to the advice of Solomon, Leave off Contention before it be meddled with, remitted his claim upon that Condition.

This alludes to a late extraordinary Duel; but we cannot see why the Poet has taken the liberty of putting the Noun into the Plural Number here; for the Member of the Church Militant in that martial strife, is but one; and we cannot suppose our Author meant to compliment him with the name of Legion— Nor is that Reverend Person yet in possession of Pluralities, either. In our Second Edition perhaps we may be able to explain this matter further.

An Epithet of Doctor Johnson's, in his Prologue to the opening of Drury-Lane Theatre.

The House of Lords.

Our Aristophanes, or Devil upon Two Sticks, with whom this Lady held a sort of Mountebank Correspondence, upon the occasion of a Piece of his then coming out, in which some part of her private history of public notoriety, was to be exhibited on the stage.

The Author we suppose, meant here to allude to one of her Letters upon the above occasion; but he is mistaken in the passage; the Lady did not promise to carry her complaisance so far. As well as we can recollect, she only mentioned that she would attend him to Tyburn, and then leave him to shift for himself, and go to the Devil his own way.

She had lately a villa near that City, and lived in great intimacy with the Pope.

This expression was rather premature—She was but presumptive Consort. But, perhaps, she thought she might do in Hell as she had done on Earth, and marry whom she pleased, right or wrong.

This Piece was afterwards represented; but whether through fear, favour, or fee, was so garbled, as soon to sink into oblivion.

These two Potentates have ever been in strict confederacy together; and his infallible Holiness has sent more souls to Satan's empire, by his pardons, absolutions and indulgences, than ever were dispatched thither from the Scaffold or the Gallows.

This was the answer of the late Lord Chesterfield, to a profligate Parson who was recommended to him as a Chaplain, once, when he was going Ambassador to The States. There were scandalous persons in those times, it seems, as well as in the present ones.

This is a Sentence from Horace, but falsely quoted.—The Verb Substantive Sum is in the preter-imperfect tense there, but turned into the present time here. This is one of the vices of verse, which, like the tyranny of Procrustes, lengthens or shortens the members, according as they suit its own measure. But possibly our Author, who is an adept in metaphysics, may reply, that there is no distinction of times or tenses, in the Region of Spirits—the past, the present, and the future being all the instant now, among immortal beings.

We have looked for this diminutive, of a diminutive, in Johnson's Dictionary, in vain.—We are, therefore, at a loss for sufficient authority to support the word, except we may suppose it an allusion to the vulgar expression, which is sometimes applied to a demure Sinner, that he is as innocent as a Devil of Two Years old.

Here the Devil seems to have been a little out, in the point of Etiquette; for as this illustrious groupe are all Matrons, he could only appoint them as Ladies of the Bed Chamber.

Our Author's Sarcasm here is, in general, too true; for we know but few exceptions to the remark.

A poetical licence again! See our former Note, upon a similar passage, in p. 2. But probably the Author meant to be critical, in this place, by making a distinction here between the imaginary Tartarus of the Pagan Creed, and the real Hell of the Christian belief. In the first, Souls were but Shadows, which was too metaphysical a notion to sway the multitude. But the latter doctrine tells us, that we shall pick up our Crumbs again at the day of judgment, in order to receive corporal punishment. This is sensible, substantial, and edifying.

M. Voltaire.

La Pucelle d' Orleans, or, the Maid of Orleans.

The Diabolade, for The Diaboliad. The first should have been the Title, by all rules of Derivation. 'Tis a Substantive, and the latter is an Adjective. Diaboliadus, da, dum. Besides the justness of the alteration in the Word, our Author might have had a further interest in it, also, as his own Title of Diabo-Lady derives more fairly from one word than the other.

This is meant in Opposition to Maids of Honour above-mentioned; as he did not think their station or character in life, entitled them to any higher office in the Household of the Pandemonium.

An Epithet borrowed from Shakespeare, in Richard II.

This is an old Story; and we confess that we agree in the same Charity with the good old Woman, who, hearing of the Passion, one Sunday at Church, said, that, as it was so long ago, she hoped in the Lord that it was not true.

Another obsolete Story.

See the Diaboliad, page 47.

See page 77, Line 10.

Grinned horribly, &c. Milton.