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And strives to carry on the Work,

Like a true primitive reforming Turk,
With holy rage, and edifying war,
More fafe and powerful ways by far:
For the Turk's patriarch, Mahomet,

Was the first great Reformer, and the chief
Of th' ancient Chriftian belief,

That mix'd it with new light, and cheat,

With revelations, dreams, and visions,

And apoftolic fuperftitions,

To be held forth and carry'd on by war;
And his fucceffor was a Presbyter,

With greater right than Haly or Abubeker.

XI.

For, as a Turk, that is to act some crime
Against his Prophet's holy law,
Is wont to bid his foul withdraw,
And leave his body for a time;

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So, when fome horrid action 's to be done,

Our Turkish profelyte puts on

Another fpirit, and lays by his own ;

And, when his over-heated brain

Turns giddy, like his brother Muffulman,

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He 's judg'd infpir'd, and all his frenzies held

To be prophetic, and reveal'd.

The one believes all madmen to be faints,

Which th' other cries him down for and abhors,

And yet in madness all devotion plants,

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And where he differs moft concurs ;

Both

Both equally exact and just

In perjury and breach of truft ;

So like in all things, that one Brother

Is but a counterpart of th' other;

And both unanimously damn

And hate (like two that play one game)

Each other for it, while they ftrive to do the fame.

XII.

Both equally design to raise

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Their churches by the felf-fame ways;

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With war and ruin to affert

Their doctrine, and with fword and fire convert;

To preach the gofpel with a drum,

And for convincing overcome:

And though, in worthiping of God, all blood

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Was by his own laws difallow'd,

Both hold no holy rites to be fo good,

And both, to propagate the breed

Of their own Saints, one way proceed;

For luft and rapes in war repair as faft
As fury and deftruction waste :

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Both equally allow all crimes,

As lawful means to propagate a fe&t;
For laws in war can be of no effect,

And licence does more good in gofpel-times.
Hence 'tis that holy wars have ever been.

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The horrid't feenes of blood and fin;

For, when Religion does recede

From her own nature, nothing but a breed
Of prodigies and hideous monfters can fucceed.

U.4

260

UPON

UPON

MODERN CRITICS.

A PINDARIC ODE.

"T

I.

IS well that equal Heaven has plac'd
Thofe joys above, that to reward

The just and virtuous are prepar'd,

Beyond their reach, until their pains are paft;
Elfe men would rather venture to poffefs
By force, than earn, their happiness ;
And only take the devil's advice,
As Adam did, how fooneft to be wife,
Though at th' expence of Paradise :
For, as fome fay, to fight is but a base
Mechanic handy-work, and far below
A generous fpirit t' undergo;

So 'tis to take the pains to know:

Which fome, with only confidence and face,
More eafily and ably do;

For daring nonfenfe feldom fails to hit,

Like scatter'd shot, and pass with some for wit.
Who would not rather make himself a judge,
And boldly ufurp the chair,

Than with dull industry and care

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Endure to study, think, and drudge,

For

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For that which he much sooner may advance
With obftinate and pertinacious ignorance?

II.

For all men challenge, though in fpite
Of Nature and their fars, a right
To cenfure, judge, and know,
Though she can only order who

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Shall be, and who shall ne'er be, wife:

Then why should those whom she denies
Her favour and good graces to,

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Not strive to take opinion by furprize,

And ravish what it were in vain to wooe?

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Their homely nether-parts t' adorn),

Can never fail to captive fome,

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That will fubmit to his oraculous doom,

And reverence what they ought to scorn;
Admire his sturdy confidence

For folid judgment and deep fense:

And credit purchas'd without pains or wit,
Like stolen pleasures, ought to be most sweet.

III.

Two felf-admirers, that combine

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Against the world, may pass a fine

Upon

Upon all judgment, fenfe, and wit,

And fettle it as they think fit

On one another, like the choice

Of Perfian princes, by one horfe's voice :
For thofe fine pageants which fome raise,
Of falfe and difproportion'd praife,
T'enable whom they please t' appear
And pafs for what they never were,
In private only being but nam'd,
Their modefty must be asham'd,
And not endure to hear,

And yet may be divulg'd and fam'd,
And own'd in public every where :
So tain fome authors are to boast
Their want of ingenuity, and club
Their affidavit wits, to dub

Each other but a Knight o' the Post,

As falfe as fuborn'd perjurers,

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That vouch away all right they have to their own ears.

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