"To facrifice Old England's glory,'
"And make her infamous in ftory:
"When fuch a tempeft fhook the land,
"How could unguarded Virtue stand!

"With horror, grief, defpair, the Dean
"Beheld the dire deftructive scene:
"His friends in exile, or the Tower,
"Himself within the frown of power;
"Pursued by base-invenom'd pens,
"Far to the land of f and fens;
"A fervile race in folly nurs'd,

"Who truckle moft, when treated worst..

"By innocence and resolution,

455

pen, defeat

Against him lifting up their heels. "The Dean did, by his "An infamous deftructive cheat; "Taught fools their interest how to know, "And gave them, arms to ward the blow. "Envy hath own'd, it was his doing, "To fave that hapless land from ruin ; "While they who at the fteerage stood, "And reap'd the profit, fought his blood, "To fave them from their evil fate, "In him was held a crime of state.

470

475

480 "A wicked

"A wicked monster on the bench,
"Whose fury blood could never quench;
"As vile and profligate a villain,
"As modern Scroggs, or old Treffilian;
"Who long all juftice had difcarded,
"Nor fear'd he God, nor man regarded;
"Vow'd on the Dean his rage to vent,
"And make him of his zeal repent:
"But Heaven his innocence defends,
"The grateful people stand his friends;
"Not ftrains of law, nor judges frown,

485

499

Nor topics brought to please the crown,

"Nor witness hir'd, nor jury pick'd,

"Prevail to bring him in convict. "In exile, with a steady heart,

495

"He spent his life's declining part;

"Where folly, pride, and faction sway,

"Remote from St. John, Pope, and Gay.”

"Alas, poor Dean! his only scope

Was to be held a misanthrope.

500

"This into general odium drew him,

"Which if he lik'd, much good may 't do bim.

"His zeal was not to lash our crimes,

"But difcontent against the times:

"For, had we made him timely offers

595

"To raife his poft, or fill his coffers,
Perhaps he might have truckled down,

"Like other brethren of his gown ;
"For party he would scarce have bled: -
"I fay no more, because he 's dead...

510 "What

"What writings has he left behind?"

"I hear they're of a different kind: "A few in verse; but most in profe

"Some high-flown pamphlets, I suppose: "All fcribbled in the worst of times,

"To palliate his friend Oxford's crimes; "To praife queen Anne, nay more, defend her, "As never favouring the Pretender :

Or libels yet conceal'd from fight,

"Against the court to fhew his fpite:

Perhaps his travels, part the third; "A lye at every second word "Offenfive to a loyal ear: —

"But

not one fermon, you may swear."

"He knew an hundred pleafing stories,

520

525

"With all the turns of Whigs and Tories:

“Was chearful to his dying-day;

"And friends would let him have his way.
"As for his works in verfe or profe,
"I own myself no judge of thofe.
"Nor can I tell what criticks thought them
"But this I know, all people bought them,
"As with a moral view defign'd,

"To please and to reform mankind:
"And, if he often mifs'd his aim,
"The world muft own it to their fame,
"The praise is bis, and theirs the blame.
"He gave the little wealth he had
-“To build a houfe for fools and mad;
VOL. IL

T

;

530

5357

Το

540

"To fhew, by one fatiric touch,.
"No nation wanted it fo much.
"That kingdom he hath left his debtor,
"I wish it foon may have a better.
"And, fince you dread no farther lashes,
"Methinks you may forgive his afbes."

545

AN EPISTLE TO TWO FRIENDS*.

TO DR. HELSHA M.

SIR,

Nov. 23, at night, 1731.

WHEN I left you, I found myself of the grape's

juice fick;

I'm fo full of pity, I never abufe fick ;

And the patienteft patient that ever you knew fick;
Both when I am purge-fick, and when I am fpew-fick.
I pitied my cat, whom I knew by her mew fick ;
She mended at first, but now the 's a-new fick.
Captain Butler made fome in the church black and blue

fick;

Dean Cross, had he preach'd, would have made us all pew-fick.

Are not you, in a crowd when you fweat and stew, fick? Lady Santry got out of the church when the grew fick,

*This medley (for it cannot be called a poem) is given as a fpecimen of those bagatelles for which the Dean hath perhaps been too feverely cenfured. Some which were still more exceptionable are fuppreffed. N.

And,

And, as fast as she could, to the deanry flew fick.
Miss Morice was (I can you affure 'tis true) fick :
For, who would not be in that numerous crew fick ?
Such mufick would make a fanatick or Jew fick,
Yet, ladies are feldom at ombre or lue fick :
Nor is old Nanny Shales, whene'er fhe does brew, fick.
My footman came home from the church of a bruise fick,
And look'd like a rake, who was made in the ftews fick;
But
you learned doctors can make whom you chufe fick :
And poor I myself was, when I withdrew, fick;

For the smell of them made me like garlick and rue fick, And I got through the crowd, though not let by a clue, fick.

You hop'd to find many (for that was your cue) fick ; But there was not a dozen (to give them their due) sick, And those, to be fure, ftuck together like glew, fick. So are ladies in crowds, when they fqueeze and they fcrew, fick,

You

may find they are all, by their yellow pale hue, fick; So am I, when tobacco, like Robin, I chew, fick.

TO DR.

SHERIDAN,

IF I write any more, it will make my poor Mufe fick. This night I came home with a very cold dew fick, And I wish I may foon be not of an ague fick; But I hope I fhall ne'er be, like you, of a fhrew fick, Who often has made me, by looking afkew, fick.