The old Egyptians hid their Wit
First Line | The old Egyptians hid their Wit |
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Subject | Alexander Pope |
Subject | Isaac Newton |
Subject | Beau Nash |
Author | Henry Norris |
Date | 1740 |
Description | Panegyric [Visual Arts; Celebrities]. Another version of this poem is "Immortal Newton, never spoke...". The last stanza is the same in both versions. By Henry Norris or Jane Brereton. Transcribed from Norris, Henry. "Upon Mr N—h's Picture plac'd between the Busts of Sir Isaac Newton and Mr Pope, in Wiltshire's Room in Bath." Poems upon various subjects, 1740, p. 20. Eighteenth Century Collections Online, GALE|CW0113997373. |
Links |
Transcription
The old Egyptians hid their Wit
In Hieroglyphick Dress,
To give Men Pains in Search of it,
And please themselves with Guess.
Moderns to tread the self same Path,
And exercise their Parts,
Place Figures in a Room at Bath;
(Forgive them God of Arts!)
Newton, if I can judge a right,
All Wisdom does express;
His Knowledge gives Mankind Delight,
Adds to their Happiness:
Pope is the Emblem of true Wit,
The Sunshine of the Mind;
Read o're his Works in Proof of it,
You'll endless Pleasure find:
Nash represents Man in the Mass,
Made up of Wrong and Right,
Sometimes a Knave, sometimes an Ass,
Now blunt, and now polite.
The Picture plac'd the Busts between,
Adds to the Thought much Strength,
Wisdom, and Wit are little seen,
But Folly's at full Length.
Beinecke Osborn c360 (1/3)
Title | Untitled |
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Period | 1731-1760 |
Archive | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library |
pp. 66–67
Local title: On the Picture of Beau Nash at full Length being plac’d in Lovelace’s Assembly Room at Bath between the Busts of Sir Isaac Newton & Mr Pope.
Attributed author: n/a
Adaptation: n/a
Other variants: n/a
Other: n/a
Beinecke Osborn d49
Title | Untitled |
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Period | 1791-1820 |
Archive | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library |
pp. 161–162
Local title: On Mr Nash's Picture. At full length between the busts of Sir Isaac Newton, and Mr Pope, at Bath.
Attributed author: the Earl of Chesterfield.
Adaptation: n/a
Other variants: n/a
Other: n/a
Beinecke Osborn fc51
Title | The Parson's Barn A Collection of Poems of v [...] |
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Period | 1731-1760 |
Archive | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library |
pp. 35–36
Local title: Upon a whole Length Picture of Mr Nash, plac’d between The Busts of Sr Isaac Newton & Mr Pope (in Lovelace’s great Room at Bath) plac’d so high that they are not well seen.
Attributed author: n/a
Adaptation: n/a
Other variants: n/a
Other: n/a