In tracing of the human mind
Through all its various courses,
Though strange, 'tis true, we often find
It knows not its resources:
And men through life assume a part
For which no talents they possess,
Yet wonder that, with all their art,
They meet no better with success, etc., etc.]
['A Familiar Epistle, etc.', by T. Vaughan, Esq., was published in the
'Morning Chronicle', October 7, 1811. Gifford, in the 'Baviad' (l. 350),
speaks of "Edwin's mewlings," and in a note names "Edwin" as the
"profound Mr. T. Vaughan." 'Love's Metamorphoses', by T. Vaughan, was
played at Drury Lane, April 15, 1776. He also wrote 'The Hotel, or
Double Valet', November 26, 1776, which Jephson rewrote under the title
of 'The Servant with Two Masters.' Compare 'Children of Apollo', p. 49:--
"Jephson, who has no humour of his own,
Thinks it no crime to borrow from the town;
The farce (almost forgot) of 'The Hotel'
Or 'Double Valet' seems to answer well.
This and his own make 'Two Strings to his Bow'."]]
[Footnote 74: See Milton's 'Lycidas'.]
[Footnote 75: Minerva being the first by Jupiter's head-piece, and a
variety of equally unaccountable parturitions upon earth, such as Madoc,
etc. etc.]
[Footnote 76:
"A crust for the critics."
'Bayes, in "the Rehearsal"' [act ii. sc. 2].
[Footnote 77: And the "waiters" are the only fortunate people who can
"fly" from them; all the rest, viz. the sad subscribers to the "Literary
Fund," being compelled, by courtesy, to sit out the recitation without a
hope of exclaiming, "Sic" (that is, by choking Fitz. with bad wine, or
worse poetry) "me servavit Apollo!"
[See 'English Bards', line 1 and 'note' 3.]]
[Footnote 78: Lines 813-816 not in 'MS. L. (a)' or 'MS. L. (b)'.]
[Footnote 79: On his table were found these words:--"What Cato did, and
Addison approved, cannot be wrong." But Addison did not "approve;" and
if he had, it would not have mended the matter. He had invited his
daughter on the same water-party; but Miss Budgell, by some accident,
escaped this last paternal attention. Thus fell the sycophant of
"Atticus," and the enemy of Pope!
[Eustace Budgell (1686-1737), a friend and relative of Addison's, "leapt
into the Thames" to escape the dishonour which attached to him in
connection with Dr. Tindal's will, and the immediate pressure of money
difficulties. He was, more or less, insane.
"We talked (says Boswell) of a man's drowning himself. I put the case
of Eustace Budgell.
'Suppose, sir,' said I, 'that a man is absolutely sure that, if he
lives a few days longer, he shall be detected in a fraud, the
consequence of which will be utter disgrace, and expulsion from
society?'
JOHNSON. 'Then, sir, let him go abroad to a distant country; let him
go to some place where he is 'not' known. Don't let him go to the
devil, where he 'is' known.'"