The Lovers Assistant; Or, New Art of Love
being, I suppose, well ducked in that Water, commenced Poet.]
[Footnote 8: This whole Passage is a manifest Burlesque on the
Invocations with which the Ancients began their Poems. Not very
different is that Sneer at the Beginning of the _Metamorphosis_,
---- _Dii, caeptis_, (NAM VOS MUTASTIS ET ILLAS)
_Adspirate_ ----
But the strongest Piece of Burlesque of this kind is the Invocation to
_Venus_ at the Beginning of _Lucretius_: For what can be more so than
a solemn Application to a Deity for her Assistance in a Work, the
professed Intention of which is to expose the Belief of any Deity at
all; and more particularly of any Concern which such superior Beings
might be supposed to take in the Affairs of Men. For my own part, I
must confess, I cannot perceive _that graceful Air of Enthusiasm_
which a noble Author observes in the Invocation of the Antients; many
of them indeed seem to have been too apparently in jest, to endeavour
to impose on their Readers, and in reality to apply to the Muses with
less Devotion than our modern Poets, many of whom perhaps believe as
much in those Deities as in any other.]
[Footnote 9: _Ovid_ would here insinuate, that the Courtezans only
were the Subjects of the ensuing Poem; and in his _Tristibus_ he cites
these Lines, and pleads them in his Defence: But he is not over-honest
in his Profession; for in many Parts it appears, that his Instructions
are calculated for much more than _concessa furtia_.]
[Footnote 10: _Andromeda_ was the Daughter of _Cepheus_ King of
_Aethiopia_ and of _Cassiope_. Her Mother having offended the
_Nereids_, by contending with them for Superiority in Beauty,
_Neptune_, at their Petition, sent a Sea-Monster, which greatly
annoyed the _Aethiopians_. Upon this they consulted the Oracle of
_Jupiter Ammon_, who ordered them to expose one of the Progeny of
_Cepheus_ and _Cassiope_ to be devoured by the Monster. _Andromeda_
was accordingly ty'd to a Rock, where she was espied by _Perseus_, who
killed the Monster, and rescued the Lady; for which he received her at
the Hands of her Parents as his Reward. The Story is told in the 4th
Book of the _Metamorphosis_.]
[Footnote 11: _Bunches of Grapes in _Methymna__; a City of _Lesbia_,
the Wine of which Country was famous among the Ancients.]
[Footnote 12: _Ears of Corn in _Gargara__; which was in _Mysia_, a
Province of the _Hellespont_.]
[Footnote 13: The Original is, _And the Mother of _AEneas_ resides in
the City of her Son._ _AEneas_, from whom the Romans derived their
Original, was the Son of _Venus_ by _Anchises_.]
[Footnote 14: The Original, rendered as literally as possible, is as
follows: _Walk at your ease under the _Pompeian_ Shade, when the Sun
enters the _Herculean_ Lion; or where the Mother hath added her
Benefactions to those of her Son; a work rich in foreign Marble: Nor
avoid that Portico adorned with ancient Pictures, which is called
_Livia_, from the Name of its Founder: nor that adorned by the Statues
of the _Belides_, who attempted the Lives of their unfortunate
Cousins; and where you see the cruel Father standing with his drawn
Sword: Nor pass by the Temple of _Venus_ and her lamented_ Adonis;
_nor omit the Seventh-Day Festivals of the _Jews_; nor the _Egyptian_
Temples of the _Linnen-clad_ Heifer: She makes many Women to be that
which she herself was to _Jupiter_._
To explain these several Particulars to an _English_ Reader, it must
be known, that the Portico's in _Rome_ were the publick Walks; and
here Persons of both Sexes used to assemble. Among these was one built
by _Pompey_. The second Portico mentioned, is by the best Commentators
understood of the _Octavian_, which was built by _Octavia_, Sister to
_Augustus_, and Mother to _Marcellus_; and this adjoined to a Temple
built by the same _Marcellus_. The third Portico was built by _Livia_
the Wife of _Augustus_, and called from her Name. The fourth, where
the Picture of the _Belides_ was, is to be understood of the Portico
of _Apollo Palatinus_, in which were the Statues of the fifty
Daughters of _Danaus_ and Grandaughters of _Belus_. These being
married to the fifty Sons of their Uncle _AEgyptus_, every one, by her
Father's Command, slew her husband on the first Night, save only
_Hypermnestra_. For this they were punished in the lower World, by
being obliged to fill a Barrel full of Holes with Water. _Scaliger_
and others have here made a mistake, supposing the Picture of the
_Belides_ was here hung up: But the contrary appears by many
Authorities, particularly by this in _Qv. Trist. 3_.
_Signa peregrinis ubi sunt alterna columnis,
Belides, & stricto barbarus ense pater._
It appears that the Number of Pillars was equalled by the Number of
Statues. 5thly, The Temple of _Venus_, in which she was worshipped,
together with _Adonis_, after the _Assyrian_ manner. This _Adonis_ was
the Son of _Cinyras_ King of _Cyprus_, begotten by him on his own
Daughter _Myrrha_. The Fame of his Beauty, and the Passion which
_Venus_ bore towards him, are well known. 6thly, The _Jewish_
Synagogues. The _Jews_ having been encouraged by _Julius Caesar_, were
very numerous in _Rome_ at that time; and the Strangeness and Pomp of
their Ceremonies inviting the Curiosity of the _Roman_ Ladies, their
Synagogues became famous Places of Intrigue. 7. The Temple of _Isis_.
This Goddess, when a Woman, was called _Io_. She was the Daughter of
_Inachus_; and being beloved by _Jupiter_, was by him, to preserve her
from his Wife's Jealousy, turned into a Heifer, _Juno_ suspecting the
Fact, obtained this Heifer of her Husband, and set Argus to watch over
her. _Jupiter_ wanting to visit his old Friend, sent _Mercury_ to kill
_Argus_; in revenge of which, _Juno_ ordered a Gad-Bee to sting the
poor Heifer; which thereupon growing mad, ran to _Egypt_, where she
was again restored to the Shape of a Woman, and married to _Osiris_.
The Feast of _Isis_ was celebrated in _Rome_ ten Days together by the
Women, and was a time of Carnival among them.]
[Footnote 15: In _Caesar's Forum_, which was built on the _Appian_
Way, was the Temple of _Venus Genetrix_.]
[Footnote 16: Races were run at _Rome_ in _April_ in the _Circus
Maximus_, which was likewise the Scene of many other public Exercises
and Shews.]
[Footnote 17: _And when the Procession shall pass on with the Ivory
Deities, do you applaud most the Statue of _Lady_ Venus._ Thus the
Original. The Paraphrase preserves the same Sense, though in other
Circumstances. These Statues were carried in Procession on many
Occasions, particularly at the _Maegalesian_ Games.]
[Footnote 18: _Adjusting her cushion._]
[Footnote 19: _Putting a Foot-stool under her._]
[Footnote 20: The Original mentioned the Fights of the _Gladiators_.
The Paraphrase comes as near as our Customs admit; for the _British_
Ladies never attend to see Men kill one another in jest.]
[Footnote 21: _Augustus Caesar_ among other rich Shews, with which he
entertained the People, exhibited to them a Sea-Fight in a Place dug
on purpose near the banks of the _Tyber_. The Poet takes this occasion
of introducing many Compliments to the Grandson of this Prince. We
have done little more than altered Names in this Place; and as we are
assured all here said is as properly applicable to the noble Person to
whom we have transferred it, the learned Reader will admire that any
Passage in an antient Author can be so apposite to the present Times,
and the true _English_ Reader will be no less delighted to see _Ovid_
introduced as singing forth the Praises of the _British Hero_.]
[Footnote 22: _Parthia._]
[Footnote 23: The _Crassi_.]
[Footnote 24: _Hercules._]
[Footnote 25: _Bacchus._]
[Footnote 26: The Original here described the many Nations who are led
Captives.]
[Footnote 27: Here we have inverted the Original; but sure the Sense
upholds us in so doing.]
[Footnote 28: _Baiae_, a Place not far from _Naples_, famous for
wholesome as well as pleasant Baths. It is described very largely by
_Diodorus_; and _Horace_ mentions it as the pleasantest Place in the
World.]
[Footnote 29: In the Original, the Temple of _Diana_ in the Suburbs.
It stood in a Grove not far from Rome. The next Line, _Partaque per
gladios, &c._ alludes to a very singular Custom, by which the Priests
of this Temple succeeded to each other, _viz._ by Conquest in single
Combat, for which every Slave or Fugitive was admitted to contend, and
the Victor was rewarded with the Priesthood. This Practice was renewed
every Year, and was, as _Strabo_ informs us, originally taken from the
_Scythians_.]
[Footnote 30: _Byblis_ fell in love with her Brother _Caunus_; and
upon his rejecting her Addresses, hanged herself. The Poets feign she
was afterwards turned into a Fountain. See _Metam._ IX.]
[Footnote 31: _Myrrha_ was the Daughter of _Cinyras_, who being in
love with her Father, took an Opportunity, while her Mother was
employed in the Sacrifices to _Ceres_, to supply her Place. Her Father
discovering the Imposture, ran after her with a drawn Sword to kill
her: But she escaped by means of the Night, and fled into _Sabeaea_.
She was changed into the Myrrh-Tree. The Story of which is in _Metam._
X. But though the Poets have subjoined Fable to this Fact, it is
related by _Pliny_ as a true History.]
[Footnote 32: _Pasiphae_ was the Daughter of the Sun, married to
_Minos_ King of _Crete_. The Poets feign that being in love with a
Bull, she employed _Daedalus_, a famous Artist, to make her a wooden
Cow, into which she conveyed herself, in order to enjoy her monstrous
Desires. From this unnatural Coition sprung the _Minotaur_, a Monster
half Man and half Bull, which was enclosed in a Labyrinth, and
afterward destroyed by _Theseus_.]
[Footnote 33: The Original alludes to the _Cretans_, who were famous
among the Antients for the Vice of lying.]
[Footnote 34: _Europa_ was the Daughter of _Agenor_ King of _Cydon_,
beloved by _Jupiter_, and by him run away with in the Shape of a
Bull.]
[Footnote 35: _AErope_ was the Wife of _Atreus_. She committed
Adultery with her Husband's Brother _Thyestes_, by whom she had two
Sons, whom _Atreus_ caused to be killed, and served up to his
Brother's Table. To avoid this Sight, the Sun is said to have gone
backward.]
[Footnote 36: _Scylla_ the Daughter of _Nisus_, King of the
_Megarensians_, fell in love with _Minos_, while he was besieging her
Father's City. She stole away her Father's Hair, on which the Fate of
the City depended, and carried it to _Minos_; for which Fact she was
rewarded by her Lover with Contempt only. She is by some said to have
been changed into a Lark: But _Ovid_, who here seems to confound two
Stories together, makes her Transformation to have been into a Rock,
which lies between _Sicily_ and _Italy_; where the dashing of the
Waves against the Rock representing the Sound of the Barking of Dogs,
gave rise to the Fable which is here hinted at.]
[Footnote 37: _Clytemnestra_, the Wife of _Agamemnon_, who in the
absence of her Husband committed Adultery with _AEgysthus_, and with
him afterwards murdered _Agamemnon_, at his Return from _Troy_.]
[Footnote 38: _Creusa_ was the Daughter of _Creon_ King of _Corinth_,
and second Wife to _Jason_; to whom _Medea_, enraged with _Jason_, who
had forsaken her, sent a Casket in which Wild-Fire was inclosed, and
by which she was burnt as soon [as] it was opened. This _Medea_
afterwards, on account of the same Anger with _Jason_, tore to pieces
her two Sons which she had bore to him.]
[Footnote 39: This _Phoenix_ having incensed his Father, by lying with
a Woman who was beloved by the latter, fled to the Protection of
_Peleus_ the Father of _Achilles_, and was by bim [_sic_] Preceptor of
that young Hero.]