'Tis mine to wash a few light ftains; but theirs
To deluge fin, and drown a Court in tears.
Howe'er what's now Apocrypha, my Wit,
In time to come, may pafs for Holy Writ.
To wash the stains away: Although I yet
(With Maccabees modefty) the known merit
Of my work leffen, yet fome wife men shall,
I hope, esteem my Writs Canonical.
OT twice a twelvemonth you appear in Print,
FR.NOT
And when it comes, the Court fee nothing in't.
You grow correct, that once with Rapture writ,
And are, befides, too moral for a Wit.
Decay of Parts, alas! we all must feel-
Why now,
this moment, don't I see you steal?
'Tis all from Horace; Horace long before ye
Said, "Tories call'd him Whig, and Whigs a Tory;"
You don't, I hope, pretend to quit the trade,
Because you think your reputation made:
Like good Sir Paul, of whom so much was faid,
That when his name was up, he lay a-bed.
Come, come, refresh us with a livelier fong,
Or, like Sir Paul, you'll lie a-bed too long.
P. Sir, what I write, fhould be correctly writ.
F. Correct! 'tis what no genius can admit.
Befides, you grow too moral for a Wit.
And taught his Romans, in much better metre,
"To laugh at Fools who put their truft in Peter."
But Horace, Sir, was delicate, was nice;
Bubo obferves, he lafh'd no fort of Vice:
Horace would fay, Sir Billy ferv'd the Crown,
Blunt could do Business, Higgins knew the Town;
In Sappho touch the Failings of the Sex,
In reverend Bishops note fome fmall Neglects,
And own the Spaniard did a waggish thing,
Who cropt our Ears, and fent them to the King.
His fly, polite, infinuating ftyle
Could please at Court, and make AUGUSTUS fmile:
An artful Manager, that crept between
His Friend and Shame, and was a kind of Screen.
But 'faith your very Friends will foon be fore;
Patriots there are, who wish you'd jeft no more—
And where's the Glory? 'twill be only thought
The Great man never offer'd you a groat.
P. See Sir ROBERT !--hum
And never laugh-for all my life to come?
Seen him I have, but in his happier hour
Of Social Pleasure, ill-exchang'd for Power;
Seen him, uncumber'd with a Venal tribe,
Smile without Art, and win without a Bribe.
Would he oblige me! let me only find,
He does not think me what he thinks mankind.
Come, come, at all I laugh he laughs, no doubt;
The only difference is, I dare laugh out.
F. Why yes: with Scripture still you may be free; A Horse-laugh, if you please, at Honesty;
A Joke on JEKYLL, or fome odd Old Whig,
Who never chang'd his Principle, or Wig;
A Patriot is a Fool in every age,
Whom all Lord Chamberlains allow the Stage:
These nothing hurts; they keep their Fashion still,
And wear their strange old Virtue, as they will.
If any afk "Who's the Man, so near you, "His Prince, that writes in Verse, and has his ear?" Why anfwer LYTTELTON, and I'll engage The worthy Youth shall ne'er be in a rage: But were his Verses vile, his Whisper base: You'd quickly find him in Lord Fanny's cafe. Sejanus, Wolfey, hurt not honeft FLEURY, But well may put fome Statesmen in a fury. Laugh then at any, but at Fools or Foes; Thefe you but anger, and you mend not those. Laugh at your Friends, and, if your Friends are fore, 55 So much the better, you may laugh the more.
To Vice and Folly to confine the jeft,
Sets half the world, God knows, against the reft;
Did not the Sneer of more impartial men
At Senfe and Virtue balance all again.
Judicious Wits spread wide the Ridicule,
And charitably comfort Knave and Fool.
P. Dear Sir, forgive the Prejudice of Youth:
Adieu Distinction, Satire, Warmth, and Truth!
Come, harmless Characters that no one hit;
Come, Henley's Oratory, Ofborn's Wit!
U 2
And taught his Romans, in much better metre,
To laugh at Fools who put their trust in Peter." IO But Horace, Sir, was delicate, was nice;
Bubo oblerves, he lash'd no fort of Vice :
Horace would fay, Sir Billy ferv'd the Crown,
Bot could do Bufinefs, Higgins knew the Town;
In Sappho touch the Failings of the Sex,
In reverend Bithops note fome fmall Neglects,
And own the Spaniard did a waggish thing,
Who crept our Ears, and fent them to the King.
His tly, polite, infinuating ftyle
Could pleafe at Court, and make AUGUSTUS fmile:
An artful Manager, that crept between
His Friend and Shame, and was a kind of Screen.
But 'faith your very Friends will foon be fore;
Patriots there are, who with you'd jest no more—
And where's the Glory? 'twill be only thought
The Great man never offer'd you a groat.
Go fee Sir ROBERT-
P. See Sir ROBERT !--hum-
And never laugh-for all my life to come?
Seen him I have, but in his happier hour
Of Social Pleafure, ill-exchang'd for Power;
Seen him, uncumber'd with a Venal tribe,
without Art, and win without a Bribe.
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