Fanes, which admiring Gods with pride furvey, Perhaps, by its own ruins fav'd from flame, 10 15 20 Ambition figh'd: fhe found it vain to trust The faithlefs Column and the crumbling Buft: Huge moles, whose shadow stretch'd from shore to shore, Their ruins perifh'd, and their place no more! Convinc'd, the now contracts her vast design, And all her Triumphs fhrink into a Coin. A narrow orb each crouded conqueft kceps, Beneath her Palm here fad Judea weeps. Now fcantier limits the proud Arch confine, And scarce are feen the proftrate Nile or Rhine; A fmall Euphrates through the piece is roll'd, And little Eagles wave their wings in gold. 25 30 The Medal, faithful to its charge of fame, Through climes and ages bears each form and name : In one fhort view fubjected to our eye Gods, Emperors, Heroes, Sages, Beauties, lie. 35 Th' infcription value, but the rust adore. VOL. II. L Το To gain Pefcennius one employs his Schemes, 40 Poor Vadius, long with learned spleen devour'd, Can taste no pleasure since his Shield was scour'd: Sighs for an Otho, and neglects his bride. Their's is the Vanity, the Learning thine: 45 Touch'd by thy hand, again Rome's glories shine: 50 Oh, when shall Britain, confcious of her claim, 55 There, Warriors frowning in historic brass: How Plato's, Bacon's, Newton's looks agree; 60 A Virgil there, and here an Addison. Then shall thy Craggs (and let me call him mine) 65 With aspect open shall erect his head, "Who "Who broke no promife, ferved no private end, 70 EPISTLE TO DR. ARBUTHNOT, BEING THE PROLOGUE TO THЕ SATIRES. ADVERTISEMENT то The firft Publication of this Epistle. THIS paper is a fort of bill of complaint, begun, many years fince, and drawn up by fnatches, as the feveral occafions offered. I had no thoughts of publishing it, till it pleased some perfons of Rank and Fortune [the Authors of Verfes to the Imitator of Horace, and of an Epistle to a Doctor of Divinity from a Nobleman at Hampton-Court] to attack, in a very extraordinary manner, not only my Writings (of which, being public, the Publick is judge) but my Perfon, Morals, and Family, whereof, to those who know me not, a truer information may be requifite. Being divided between the neceflity to fay fomething of myself, and my own lazinefs to undertake fo aukward a task, I thought it the shortest way to put the Iaft hand to this Epiftle. If it have any thing pleasing, it will be that by which I am most defirous to please, the Truth and the Sentiment; and if any thing offenfive, it will be only to those I am leaft forry to offend, the vicious or the ungenerous. Many will know their own pictures in it, there being not a circumstance but what is true: but I have, for the most part, spared their Names; and they may escape being laughed at, if they please. I would have fome of them know, it was owing to the request of the learned and candid Friend to whom it is infcribed, that I make not as free Ufe of theirs as they have done of mine. However, I fhall have this advantage, and honour, on my fide, that whereas, by their proceeding, any abuse may be directed at any man, no injury can poffibly be done by mine, since a nameless Character can never be found out, but by its truth and likeness. P. HUT, fhut the door, good John! fatigued I faid, SHUT, Tye up the knocker, fay I'm fick, I'm dead. The Dog-ftar rages! nay, 'tis paft a doubt, All Bedlam, or Parnaffus, is let out: Fire in each eye, and papers in each hand, 5 What walls can guard me, or what shades can hide? They pierce my thickets, through my Grot they glide, By land, by water, they renew the charge, They ftop the chariot, and they board the barge. No place is facred, not the Church is free, Ev'n Sunday shines no Sabbath-day to me; L 3 10 Then |