The wife and good morality will guide,
And fuperftition all the world befide.
In other authors tho' the thought be good,
'Tis not sometimes fo eas❜ly understood;
That jewel oft' unpolish'd has remain'd;
Some words should be left out, and fome explain'd;
So that, in fearch of sense, we either stray,
Or elfe grow weary in fo rough a way :
But here sweet Eloquence does always smile
In fuch a choice yet unaffected style,
As must both knowledge and delight impart,
The force of reason with the flow'rs of art;
Clear as a beautiful tranfparent fkin,
Which never hides the blood, yet holds it in:
Like a delicious stream it ever ran,
As smooth as woman, but as ftrong as man.
Bacon himself, whose universal wit Does admiration thro' the world beget, Scarce more his age's ornament is thought, Or greater credit to his country brought.
While Fame is young, too weak to fly away, 45' Malice pursues her like fome bird of prey;
But once on wing then all the quarrels ceafe;
Envy herself is glad to be at peace,
Gives over, weary'd with so high a flight
Above her reach, and scarce within her fight.
Hobbes, to this happy pitch arriv'd at last,
Might have look'd down with pride on dangers past;
But fuch the frailty is of human-kind,
Men toil for fame, which no man' lives to find;
Long ripening under ground this China lies,
Fame bears no fruit till the vain planter dies.
Thus Nature, tir'd with his unusual length
Of life, which put her to her utmost strength,
Such stock of wit unable to fupply,
To fpare herself was glad to let him die.
ON THE LOSS OF AN ONLY SON,
ROBERT MARQ, OF NORMANBY.
UR morning 's gay and fhining;
The days our joys declare;
At evening no repining,
And night's all void of care.
A child of whom kind Heav'n
Not only hope bestows,
But has already giv'n
Him all our hopes propofe.
The happy fire's poffeffing
His fhare in fuch a boy
Adds still a greater blessing
To all my other joy.
But, ah! this fhiny weather
Became too hot at last;
Black clouds began to gather,
And all the fky o'ercaft.
So fierce a fever rages,
We all lie drown'd in tears,
And difmal fad prefages
Come thund'ring in our ears.
The doubts that made us languish
Did worse, far worse, than kill;
Yet, oh! with all their anguifl
Would we had doubted ftill!
But why fo much digreffion
This fatal lofs to fhow?
Alas! there's no expreffion
Can tell a parent's woe.
ON MR. POPE AND HIS POEMS.
WITH age decay'd, with courts and bus’ness tir'd,
Caring for nothing but what ease requir'd,
Too ferious now a wanton Mufe to court,
And from the critics fafe arriv'd in port,
I little thought of lanching forth again
Amidft advent'rous rovers of the pen,
And after fome small undeferv'd fuccefs
Thus hazarding at last to make it lefs.
Encomiums fuit not this cenforious time,
Itself a fubject for fatiric rhyme;
Ignorance honour'd, Wit and Worth defam'd,
Folly triumphant, and ev'n Homer blam'd.
But to this genius, join'd with fo much art,
Such various learning mix'd in ev'ry part,
Poets are bound a loud applaufe to pay;
Apollo bids it, and they must obey.
And yet fo wondrous, so fublime, a thing
As the great Iliad, scarce could make me fing,
Except I juftly could at once commend
A good companion and as firm a friend.
One moral, or a mere well-natur'd deed,
Can all defert in fciences exceed.
'Tis great delight to laugh at some men's ways, But a much greater to give merit praise.
ON THE TIMES.
SINCE in vain our parfons teach,
Hear, for once, a poet preach.
Vice has loft its very name,
Skill and cozenage thought the fame,
Only playing well the ganie.
Foul contrivances we fee
Call'd but ingenuity;
Ample fortunes often made
Out of frauds in ev'ry trade,
Which an awkward child afford
Enough to wed the greatest lord.
The miser starves to raise a fon,
But if once the fool is gone,
Years of thrift fcarce ferve a day;
Rakehell fquanders all away.
Hufbands feeking for a place,
Or toiling for their pay,
While their wives undo their race
Breeding boys to drink and dice,
Carrying girls to comedies,
Where mamma's intrigues are fhown,
Which ere long will be their own.
Having first at fermon flept,
Tedious day is weekly kept
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