Butler.

Dryden.

Butler.

(Von ihm unten bei dem komischen Heldengedichte. Unter seinen kleinern Stücken, oder Remains, find freilich nur wenige ganz seiner würdig.)

T

On a Club of Sots.

he jolly members of a toping club, Like pipeftaves, are but hoop'd into a tub, And in a close confederacy link,

For nothing else but only to hold drink.

Dryden.

(Vergl. B. I. S. 126. Auch seine kleinern Gedichte vers dienen Aufmerksamkeit; und Pope sagte von seinen Werken mit Recht, man könne aus ihnen bessere Proben einer jeden Dichtungsart sammeln, als aus irgend einem andern englis schen Poeten.)

Under MILTON'S Picture.

Three poets, in three difiant ages born,
Greece, Italy, and England, did adorn.
The first in loftinefs of thought furpaft;
The next in majefty; in both the laft.
The force of Nature could no further go;
To make a third fhe join'd the famous two..

1

Prior.

Prior.

(S. B. I. S. 144. Dr. Johnson urtheilt von feis nen Epigrammen und andern leichtern Stücken, daß sie bald schön, bald unbedeutend, bald geschmacklos sind; der Fall bei den meisten Epigrammatisten, selbst nach dem Geständniss se des besten und fruchtbarsten:

Sunt bona, funt quaedam mediocria, funt mala plura,

Swift. pope.

ANOTHER,

1

We fly from luxury and wealth
To hardship in pursuit of health;
From gen'rous wines and coftly fare,
And dozing in an eafy chair;
Purfue the goddess Health in vain,
To find her in a country icene;
And ev'ry where her footsteps trace,
And fee her marks in ev'ry face;
And ftill her favourites we meet,
Crowding the roads with naked feet;
But, oh! fo faintly we pursue,
We ne'er can have her full in view.

Pope.

(S. B. I. S. 148.)

On a certain Lady at Court.

know the thing that's most uncommon, (Envy, be filent, and attend!)

I know a reasonable woman,

Handsome and witty, yet a Friend.

Not warp'd by paffion, aw'd by rumour,

Not grave thro' pride, nor gay thro' folly,
An equal mixture of good humour,
And fenfible foft melancholy.

,,Has fhe no faults then, (Envy fays) Sir?" Yes, fhe has one, I must aver;

When

When all the world confpires to praise her,
The woman's deaf, and does not hear.

Pope.

EPITAPH.

On Mr. Elijah Fenton.

This modeft stone, what few fine marbles can,
May truly fay: Here lieth an honest man;
A poet bleft beyond the poet's fate;

Whom Heav'n kept facred from the proud and great.
Foe to loud praife, and friend to learned ease,

Content with fcience in the vale of peace.
Calmly he look'd on either life, and here
Saw nothing to regret, or there to fear;
From Nature's temp'rate feaft rofe fatisfy'd,
Thank'd Heav'n that he had liv'd, and that he dy'd.