The love of politicks fo vulgar's grown,
My landlord's party from his fign is known:
Mark of French wine, fee Ormond's head appear,
While Marlb'rough's face directs to beer and beer;
Some Buchanan's, the Pope's head fome like beft,
The Devil tavern is a standing jeft.
▪ Whoe'er you are that have a seat secure,
Duly return'd, and from petition fure,
Stick to your friends in whatsoe'er you say;
With ftrong averfion shun the middle-way;
The middle-way the best we sometimes call,
But 'tis in politicks no way at all.
A Trimmer's what both parties turn to sport,
By country hated, and defpis'd at court.
Who would in earnest to a party come,
Must give his vote not whimsical, but plumb.
There is no medium; for the term in vogue,
On either fide is, honeft man, or rogue.
Can it be difficult our minds to fhew,
Where all the difference is, yes, or no?
Hæc amat obfcurum, volet hæc fub luce videri ;
Hæc placuit femel, hæc decies repetita placebit.
* O major juvenum hoc tibi dictum
Tolle memor, certis medium & tolerabile rebus
Recte concedi.
Non homines, non Dii, non conceffere columnæ,
Sic animis natum inventumque Poëma juvandis
Si paulum a fummo deceffit, vergit ad imum.
In all profeffions, time and pains give skill;
Without hard ftudy dare phyficians kill?
Can he that ne'er read statutes or reports,
Give chamber counsel, or urge law in courts ?
But ev'ry whipfter knows affairs of state,
Nor fears on niceft fubjects to debate.
A knight of eighteen hundred pounds a year-
Who minds his head, if his estate be clear?
Sure he may speak his mind, and tell the house,
He matters not the government a louse.
Lack-learning knights, these things are safely faid
To friends in private, at the Bedford-head;
But in the house, before your tongue runs on,
Confult fir James, lord William's dead and gone.
Words to recall is in no member's power,
One fingle word may send you to the Tower.
< The wrong'd to help, the lawless to restrain,
Thrice ev'ry year in ancient Egbert's reign,
• Ludere qui nefcit, campeftribus abftinet armis :
Indoctufque pile, difcive, trochive, quiefcit,
Ne fpiffa rifum tollant impunè coronæ ;
Qui nefcit, verfus tamen audet fingere.
Quid ni?
Liber & ingenuus præfertim cenfus equeftrem
Summam nummorum, vitioque remotus ab omni.
Membranis intus pofitis, delere licebit
Quod non edideris: nefcit vox miffa reverti.
Sylveftres homines facer interprefque Deorum
Cadibus victu fædo deterruit Orpheus.
Fuit hæc fapientia quondam,
Publica privatis fecernere, facra profanis :
The members to the Mitchelgemot went,
In after-ages called the Parliament;
Early the Mitchelgemot did begin
Tinroll their ftatutes on a parchment skin :
For impious treason hence no room was left,
For murder, for polygamy, or theft :
Since when the fenate's power both fexes know
From hops and claret, foap and callico.
Now wholsome laws young fenators bring in
'Gainst goals, attorneys, bribery, and gin.
Since fuch the nature of the British state,
The power of parliament fo old and great,
Ye 'fquires and Irish lords, 'tis worth your care
To be return'd for city, town, or fhire,
By fheriff, bailiff, conftable, or mayor.
* Some doubt, which to a feat has beft pretence,
A man of fubftance, or a man of fenfe :
But never any member feats will do,
Without a head-piece and a pocket too;
Concubitu prohibere vago, dare jura maritis ;
Oppida moliri, leges incidere ligno.
Dicta per carmina fortes,
Et vitæ monftrata via eft, & gratia regum
Pieriis tentata modis: ludufque repertus
Et longorum operum finis:
Sit tibi Mufa lyra folers, & cantor Apollo.
Natura fieret laudabile carmen, an arte,
Quæfitum eft; ego nec ftudium fine divite venâ,
Senfe is requir'd the depth of things to reach,
And money gives authority to speech.
• A man of bus❜ness won't till ev'ning dine,
Abftains from women, company, and wine:
From Fig's new theatre he'll mifs a night,
Tho' cocks, and bulls, and Irish women fight:
Nor fultry fun, nor ftorms of foaking rain,
The man of bus'nefs from the houfe detain:
Nor speaks he for no reason but to say,
I am a member, and I spoke to-day.
I speak fometimes, you'll hear his lordship cry,
Because fome fpeak that have lefs fenfe than I.
f The man that has both land and money too,
May wonders in a trading borough do:
They'll praise his ven'fon, and commend his port,
Turn their two former members into fport,
And, if he likes it, fatirize the court.
Nec rude quid profit video ingenium: alterius fic
Altera pofcit opem res, & conjurat amice.
Qui ftudet optatam curfu contingere metam,
Multa tulit fecitque puer ; fudavit & alfit,
Abftinuit venere vina.
Nunc fatis eft dixiffe, Ego mira poëmata pango:
Occupet extremum fcabies, mihi turpe relinqui eft,
Et, quod non didici, fane nefcire fateri.
Affentatores jubet ad lucrum ire Poëta,
Dives agris, dives pofitis in fœnore nummis.
Si vero eft un&tum qui recte ponere poffit,
Et fpondere levi pro paupere, & eripere atris
Litibus implicitum, mirabor, fi fciet inter-
But at a feaft 'tis difficult to know
From real friends an undiscover'd foe;
The man that fwears he will the poll secure,
And pawns his foul that your election's fure,
Sufpect that man: beware, all is not right,
He's, ten to one, a corporation-bite.
Alderman Pond, a downright honeft man,
Would fay, I cannot help you, or I can :
To fpend your money, fir, is all a jest ;
Matters are settled, fet your heart at reft:
We've made a compromife, and, fir, you know,
That fends one member high, and t'other low.
But if his good advice you would not take,
He'd fcorn your fupper, and your punch forfake,
Leave you of mighty intereft to brag,
And poll two voices like fir Robert Fag.
nofcere mendacem verumque beatus amicum.
Tu feu donaris, feu quid donare voles cui,
Nolito ad verfus tibi factos ducere plenum
Lætitia: clamabit enim, Pulchre, bene, recte!
fi carmina condes,
Nunquam te fallant animi fub vulpe latentes.
• Quintilio fi quid recitares, corrige, fodes,
Hoc, aiebat, & hoc melius te poffe negares,
Bis terque expertum fruftra, delere jubebat.
Si defendere delictum, quam vertere, malles,
Nullum ultra verbum, aut operam fumebat inanem,
Quin fine rivali teque & tua folus amares.
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