The Dustman lashes on with spiteful Rage,
His pond’rous Spokes thy painted Wheel engage,
Crush’d is thy Pride, down falls the shrieking Beau,
The slabbyslabby: “wet; floody: in low language” (Johnson). Pavement crystal Fragments strow,
Black Floods of Mire th’ embroider’d Coat disgrace,
And Mud enwraps the Honours of his Face.
So when dread Jove, the Son of Phoebus hurl’d, Scarr’d with dark Thunder, to the nether World;
The headstrong CoursersCoursers: large and powerful horses that are usually ridden into battle. tore the silver Reins,
And the Sun’s beamy Ruin gilds the Plains.So when ... gilds the Plains: these lines allude to the story of Phaethon which appears in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Phoebus (Apollo) is Phaethon’s father. In the story, Jove (Zeus) strikes Phaethon with one of his lightning bolts after Phaeton drives Phoebus’s chariot too close to the earth.
If the pale Walker pants with weak’ning Ills,
His sickly Hand is stor’d with friendly Bills:
From hence, he learns the seventh-born Doctor’s Fame,seventh-born Doctor’s Fame: an allusion to the commonly accepted belief that the seventh son of a seventh son was to be born a physician.
From hence, he learns the cheapest Tailor’s Name.
Shall the large Mutton smoak upon your Boards?
Such Newgate’s copious Market best affords;
Would’st
Wouldst thou with mighty Beef augment thy Meal?
Seek
Leaden-hall;
St. James’s sends thee Veal.
Thames-street
gives Cheeses;
Covent-garden
Fruits;
Moor-fields
old Books; and
Monmouth-street
old Suits.
Hence may’st thou well supply the Wants of Life,
Support thy Family, and cloath thy Wife.
Volumes, on shelter’d Stalls expanded lye,
And various ScienceScience: knowledge (Johnson). lures the learned Eye;
The bending Shelves with pond’rous ScholiastsScholiasts : people who wrote explanatory notes or commentary upon an author or text.
groan,
And deep Divines to modern Shops unknown:
Here, like the Bee, that on industrious Wing,
Collects the various Odours of the Spring,
Walkers, at leisure, Learning’s Flow’rs may spoil,
Nor watch the Wasting of the Midnight Oil,
May Morals snatch from
Plutarch’s tatter’d Page,May Morals snatch from Plutarch’s tatter’d Page: a reference to Plutarch’s
Moralia.
A mildew’d
Bacon, or
Stagyra’s
Sage.
Stagyra’s Sage: Aristotle, who was born in the Ancient Greek city Stagira.
Here