Soft words fuit best petitioners' intent;
Soft words, O ye petitioners of Kent!
k Whoe'er harangues before he gives his vote,
Should send sweet language from a tuneful throat.
Pultney the coldest breast with zeal can fire,
And Roman thoughts by Attic ftile inspire;
He knows from tedious wranglings to beguile
The serious house into a cheerful smile;
When the great patriot paints his anxious fears
For England's fafety, I am loft in tears.
But when dull speakers ftrive to move compaffion,
I pity their poor hearers, not the nation :
young members to the purpose keep,
I fall a laughing, or I fall asleep.
1 Can men their inward faculties controul? Is not the tongue an index to the soul?
* Non fatis eft pulchra effe Poemata, dulcia funto.
Ut ridentibus arrident, ita flentibus adfunt
Humani vultus: fi vis me flere, dolendum eft
Primum ipfi tibi: tunc tua me infortunia lædent.
Telephe, vel Peleu, male fi mandata loquêris,
Aut dormitabo, aut ridebo.
'Format enim natura prius nos intus ad omnem
Fortunarum habitum, &c.
Poft effert animi motus interprete linguâ.
-triftia moeftum
Vultum verba decent, &c.
Si dicentis erunt fortunis abfona dicta,
Romani tollent equites peditefque cachinnum.
Laugh not in time of service to your God,
Nor bully, when in custody o' th' rod;
Look grave, and be from jokes and grinning far,
When brought to fue for pardon at the bar :
you let your ill-tim'd wit appear, Knights, citizens, and burgeffes will sneer.
m For land, or trade, not the fame notions fire
The city-merchant, and the country-'fquire;
Their climes are diftant, though one cause unites
The lairds of Scotland, and the Cornish knights.
"To likelihood your characters confine;
Don't turn Sir Paul out, let Sir Paul refign.
In Walpole's voice (if factions ill intend)
Give the two univerfities a friend;
Give Maidstone wit, and elegance refin'd;
To both the Pelhams give the Scipio's mind;
To Cart'ret learning, eloquence, and parts;
To George the second, give all English hearts.
m Intererit multum Davufne loquatur, an Heros:
Mercatorne vagus, cultorne virentis agelli;
Colchus, an Affyrius; Thebis nutritus, an Argis.
Aut famam fequere, aut fibi convenientia finge.
Scriptor honoratum fi forte reponis Achillem,
Impiger, iracundus, inexorabilis, acer,
Jura neget fibi nata, nihil non arroget armis;
Sit Medea ferox invictaque, flebilis Ino,
Perfidus Ixion, Io vaga, triftis Orestes.
• Sometimes fresh names in politics produce, And factions yet unheard of introduce;
you dare attempt a thing fo new, Make to itself the flying fquadron true.
To speak is free, no member is debarr'd;
But funds and national accounts are hard:
Safer on common topics to discourse,
The malt-tax, and a military force.
On these each coffee-houfe will lend a hint,
Besides a thousand things that are in print.
But steal not word for word, nor thought for thought,
For you'll be teaz'd to death, if you are caught.
When factious leaders boast increafing ftrength,
Go not too far, nor follow every length :
Leave room for change, turn with a grace about,
And swear you left 'em, when you found 'em out.
• Si quid inexpertum fcenæ committis, & audes
Perfonam formare novam, fervetur ad imum
Qualis ab incepto procefferit, & fibi conftet.
P Difficile eft proprie communia dicere: tuque
Rectius Iliacum carmen deducis in actus,
Quam fi proferres ignota indictaque primus.
Publica materies privati juris erit, fi
Nec circa vilem patulumque moraberis orbem ;
Nec verbum verbo curabis reddere fidus
Interpres; nec defilies imitator in arctum,
Unde pedem proferre pudor vetet, aut operis lex.
With art and modefty your part maintain ;
And talk like Col'nel Titus, not like Lane.
The trading knight with rants his fpeech begins,
Sun, moon, and ftars, and dragons, faints, and kings :
But Titus faid, with his uncommon fenfe,
When the exclufion-bill was in fufpence,
I hear a lion in the lobby roar;
Say, Mr. Speaker, fhall we shut the door
And keep him there, or fhall we let him in
if we can turn him out again?
* Some mighty blufterers impeach with noife, And call their private cry, the public voice.
• From folio's of accounts they take their handles, And the whole ballance proves a pound of candles ; As if Paul's cupola were brought to bed,
After hard labour, of a small pin's head.
* Some Rufus, fome the Conqueror bring in,
And fome from Julius Cæfar's days begin.
4 Nec fic incipies, ut fcriptor Cyclicus olim,
"Fortunam Priami cantabo & nobile bellum."
Quanto rectius hic, qui nil molitur inepte,
Dic mihi Mufa virum, captæ poft tempora Troja,
Qui mores hominum multorum vidit & urbes.
Non fumum ex fulgore, fed ex fumo dare lucem
Cogitat
Quid dignum tanto feret hic promiffor hiatu?
Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.
t Nec reditum Diomedis ab interitu. Meleagri,
Nec gemino bellum Trojanum orditur ab ovo;
A cunning speaker can command his chops,
And when the house is not in humour, ftops;
In falsehood probability employs,
Nor his old lies with newer lies destroys.
" If when you speak, you'd hear a needle fall, And make the frequent hear-hims rend the wall, In matters fuited to your tafte engage,
Rememb'ring ftill your quality and age.
Thy task be this, young knight, and hear my fong, What politics to every age belong.
* When babes can speak, babes fhould be taught to say King George the second's health, huzza, huzzá! Boys should learn Latin for Prince William's fake, And girls Louisa their example make.
> More loves the youth, juft come to his eftate,
range the fields, than in the house debate;
& quæ
Defperat tractata nitefcere poffe, relinquit;
Atque ita mentitur, fic veris falfa remifcet,
Primo ne medium, medio ne difcrepet imum.
Tu, quid ego & populus mecum defideret, audi;
Si plauforis eges aulæa manentis, & ufque
Seffuri, donec cantor, Vos plaudite, dicat;
Atatis cujufque notandi funt tibi mores
Mobilibufque decor naturis dandus & annis.
* Reddere qui voces jam fcit puer, & pede certo
Signat humum, geftit paribus colludere, & iram
Colligit ac ponit temere, & mutatur in horas.
Imberbis juvenis, tandem cuftode remoto,
Gaudet equis canibufque, & aprici gramine campi;
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