How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #4
Where sold he bargains, whip-stitch, kiss my arse,
Promis'd a play and dwindled to a farce? (181-182)
Shadwell's writing is completely un-literary, Dryden argues, devoid of substance and taste. Dryden mentions several of Shadwell's not so clever catchphrases, which he thinks are only used to grab a cheap laugh.
Quote #5
Nor let thy mountain belly make pretence
Of likeness; thine's a tympany of sense.
A tun of man in thy large bulk is writ,
But sure thou 'rt but a kilderkin of wit. (193-196)
At least Dryden found a clever way to tell Shadwell he's fat and stupid. This cunning insult is one of many in "Mac Flecknoe"—where the subject matter is hardly brilliant, but the way it is presented is pretty darn creative and memorable.