'You laugh half-beau, half sloven, if I stand,
My wig all powder, and ali snuff my band;
You laugh if coat and breeches strangely vary,
White gloves, and linen worthy Lady Mary!
But when 2no prelate's lawn, with hair-shirt lin'd
Is half so incoherent as my mind,

166

When (each opinion with the next at strife,
One 3 ebb and flow of follies all my life)

14 plant, root up; I build, and then confound;

Turn round to square, and square again to round;

5 You never change one muscle of your face,
You think this madness but a common case,
Nor once to chanc'ry nor to Hale apply,
Yet hang your lip to see a seam awry!
Careless how ill I with myself agree,
Kind to my dress, my figure, not to me.
Is this my guide, philosopher, and friend?
This he who loves me, and who ought to mend?

7

171

175

'Si curtatus inæquali tonsore capillos Ocurri; rides: si forte subucula pexæ Trita subest tunicæ, vel si toga dissidet impar; Rides: quid, 2 mea cum pugnat sententia secum? Quod petiit, spernit; repetit quod nuper omisit; 3 Æstuat, et vitæ disconvenit ordine toto? * Diruit, ædificat, mutat quadrata rotundis ? 5 Insanire putas solennia me, neque rides, Nec medici credis, nec curatoris egere

6

A prætore dati; rerum tutela mearum

Cum sis, et prave sectum stomacheris ob unguen

Who ought to make me (what he can, or none)
That man divine whom Wisdom calls her own; 180
Great without title, without fortune bless'd;
Richev'n when plunder'd, honour'd while op-
press'd;

Lov'd without youth, and follow'd without pow'r ;
At home tho' exil'd; 3 free tho' in the Tow'r :
In short, that reas'ning, high, immortal thing, 185
Just less then Jove, and 5 much above a king:
Nay, half in heav`n except (what's mighty odd)
A fit of vapours clouds this demigod.

4

De te pendentis, te respicientis amici.

I

188

Ad summam, sapiens uno minor est Jove, 1 dives, 2 Liber, 3 honoratus, 4 pulcher, 5 rex denique regum; Præcipue sanus, nisi cum pituita molesta est.

6

HORACE BOOK I. EPISTLE VI.

IMITATED.

TO MR. MURRAY.

"Nor to admire is all the art I know

"To make men happy, and to keep them so." (Plain truth, dear Murray! needs no flow'rs of speech,

So take it in the very words of Creech.)

1 This vault of air, this congregated ball,
Self-centred sun, and stars, that run and fall,
There are, my Friend! whose philosophic eyes
Look thro', and trust the Ruler with his skies;
To him commit the hour, the day, the year,
And view 2 this dreadful All without a fear.

Admire we then what 3 earth's low entrails hold, Arabian shores, or Indian seas infold;

All the mad trade of 4 fools and slaves for gold?

5

10

HOR. LIB. I. EPIST. VI.

NIL admirari, prope res est una, Numici,
Solaque quæ possit facere et servare beatum.
1 Hunc solem, et stellas, et decedentia certis
Tempora momentis, sunt qui 2 formidine nulla
Imbuti spectent. 3 quid censes munera terræ ?
Quid mari, extremos Arabas 4 ditantis et Indos?

Or popularity? or stars, and strings?

The mob's applauses, or the gift, of kings?

Say with what 2 eyes we ought, at courts, to gaze,
And pay the great our homage of amaze?

If weak the 3 pleasure that from these can spring,
The fear to want them is as weak a thing:
Whether we dread, or whether we desire,
In either case believe me we admire:
Whether we 41
#joy, or grieve, the same the curse,
Surpris'd at better, or surpris'd at worse.
Thus good, or bad, to one extreme betray
Th' unbalanc'd mind, and snatch the man away:
For virtue's self may too much zeal be had;
The worst of madmen is a saint run mad.

6 Go then, and if you can, admire the state Of beaming diamonds and reflected plate;

Ludicra quid, 2 plausus, et amici dona Quiritis,
Quo spectanda modo, 2 quo sensu credis, et ore?
3 Qui timet his adversa, fere miratur eodem
Quo cupiens pacto: pavor est utrobique molestus:
Improvisa simul species exterret utrique;

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25

4 Gaudeat, an doleat ; cupiat, metuatne, quid ad rem; Si quidquid vidit melius pejusve sua spe, Defixis oculis, animoque et corpore torpet? 5 Insani sapiens nomen ferat, æquus iniqui; Ultra, quam satis est, virtutem si petat ipsam.

6 I nunc, argentum, et marmor vetus, æraque et

artes

35

3333

30

99

Epist. VI.

IMITATIONS OF HORACE.

Procure a taste to double the surprise,

And gaze on Parian charms with learned eyes;
Be struck with bright 2 brocade, or Tyrian dye,
Our birth-day nobles' splendid livery.
If not so pleas'd, at 3 council-board rejoice
To see their judgments hang upon thy voice;
From 4 morn to night, at senate, rolls, and hall,
Plead much, read more, dine late, or not at all.
But wherefore all this labour, all this strife?
For 5 fame, for riches, for a noble wife?

Shall 6 one whom Nature, learning, birth, conspir'd
To form, not to admire, but be admir'd,

Sigh, while his Chloe, blind to wit and worth,
Weds the rich dulness of some son of earth?
Yet 7 time ennobles, or degrades each line;
It brighten'd Cragg's, and may darken thine.
And what is fame? the meanest have their day;
The greatest can but blaze, and pass away.
Grac'd as thou art8 with all the pow'r of words,
So known, so honour'd, at the House of Lords:

Suspice: cum gemmis 2 Tyrios mirare colores: Gaude, quod spectant oculi te 3 mille loquentem: Gnavus4 mane forum, et vespertinus pete tectum, 5 Ne plus frumenti dotalibus emetat agris Mucius: (indignum, quod sit pejoribus ortus) 6 Hic tibi sit potius, quam tu mirabilis illi.

7 Quicquid sub terra est, in apricum proferet atas; Defodiet, condetque nitentia. cum bene notum

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