Shades that to Bacon could retreat afford,
Become the portion of a booby lord;
And Hemfley, once proud Buckingham's delight,
Slides to a fcriv'ner or a city knight.
2 Let lands and houfes have what lords they will,
Let us be fix'd, and our own masters still.
1 Nunc ager Umbreni fub nomine, nuper Ofelli
Dictus, erit nulli proprius; fed cedet in ufum
Nunc mihi, nunc alii. 2 quocirca vivite fortes;
Fortiaque adverfis opponite pectora rebus.
[The Fira Part imitated in the Year 1714, by Dr. Swift; the latter Part added afterwards.]
I'VE often with'd that I had clear
For life fix hundred pounds a-year,
A handfome houfe to lodge a friend,
A river at my garden's end,
A terrace-walk, and half a rood
Of land fet out to plant a wood.
Well, now I have all this, and more,
I afk not to increase my ttore;
• But here a grievance feems to lie, All this is mine but till I die;
I can't but think 't would found more clever,
To me and to my heirs for ever.
If I ne'er got or loft a groat,
By any trick or any fault;
And if I pray by Reafon's rules,
And not like forty other fools,
As thus, "Vouchtafe, oh, gracious Maker!
To grant me this and t' other acre;
Or, if it be thy will and pleasure,
Direct my plough to find a treafure;
HOR. LIB. II. SAT. VI.
HOC erat in votis: modus agri non ita magnus,
Hortus ubi, et testo vicinus jugis aquæ fons,
Et paulum filvæ fuper his foret. auctius, atque
Dimelius fecere. bene eft: nihil amplius oro,
Maia nate, nifi ut propria hæc mihi munera faxis.
Si neque majorem feci ratione mala rem,
Nec fum facturus vitio culpave minorem;
Si veneror ftultus nihil horum; O fi angulus ille
Proximus accedat, qui nunc denormat agellum!
O fi urnam argenti fors qua mihi monftret! ut illi,
Thefauro invento qui mercenarius agrum
Illum ipfum mercatus aravit, dives amico
Hercule: fi, quod adelt, gratum juvat: hac prece te oro;
But only what my ftation fits, And to be kept in my right wits, • Preferve, almighty Providence! just what you gave me, competence; And let me in thefe fhades compofe Something in verfe as true as profe, Remov'd from all th' ambitious fcene,
• Nor puff'd by pride, nor funk by spleen.” In short, I'm perfectly content,
Let me but live on this fide Trent,
Nor croís the Channel twice a-year,
To fpend fix months with fateimen here.
I muit by all means come to Town,
'Tis for the fervice of the Crown; "Lewis, the Dean will be of use;
Send for him up, take no excufe." The toil, the danger, of the feas, Great minifters ne'er think of thefe; Or, let it coft five hundred pound, No matter where the money's found, It is but fo much more in debt,
And that they ne'er confider'd yet.
"Good Mr. Dean, go change your gown;
"Let my Lord know you're come to Town." I hurry me in hafte away,
And find his Honcur in a pound,
Not thinking it is levee-day,
Hemm'd by a triple circle round,
Pingue pecus domino facias, et cætera, præter
Ingenium: utque foles, cuitos mihi maximus adfis.
Ergo ubi me in montes et in arcem ex Urbe removi,
Quid prius illuftrem Satiris mulaque pedestri?
Nec mala me ambitio perdit, nec plumbeus Aufter,
Autumnufque gravis, Libitinæ quæftus afcerbæ.
Matutine pater, feu Jane libentius audis,
Unde homines operum primos vitæque labores
Infituunt, (ic Dis placitum) tu carminis efto
Principium. Romæ fponforem me rapis: Eia,
Ne prior officio quifquam refpondeat, urge:
Sive Aquilo radit terras, feu bruma nivalem
Chequer'd with ribbons blue and green,
How should I thruft myfelf between?
Some wag obferves me thus perplex'd,
And, fmiling, whispers to the next,
"I thought the Dean had been too proud,
"To jottle here among a crowd.”
Another, in a furly fit,
Tells me I have more zeal than wit;
"So eager to express your love,
"You ne'er confider whom you shove,
"But rudely prefs before a duke."
I own I am pleas'd with this rebuke,
And take it kindly meant, to thow
What I defire the world thould know.
I get a whifper and withdraw,
When twenty fools, I never faw,
Come with petitions, fairly penn'd,
Defiring I would itand their friend.
This humbly offers me his cafe--
That begs my int'reft for a place-
A hundred other men's affairs,
Like bees, are humming in my ears.
"To-morrow my appeal comes on;
"Without your help the caufe is gone.'
"The duke expects iny lord and you,
"About fome great affair, at two.'
"Put my Lord Bolingbroke in mind
"To get my warrant quickly fign'd:
Interiore diem gyro trahit, ire neceffe eft.
Poftmodo, quod mi obfit, clare certumque locuto,
Luctandum in turba; facienda injuria tardis.'
Quid vis, infane, et quas res agis? (improbus urget
Iratis precibus) tu pulfes omne quod obftat,
Ad Mæcenatem memori fi mente recurras.
Hoc juvat, et melli eft; non mentiar. at fimul atras
Ventum eft Efquilias; aliena negotia centum
Per caput, et circa faliunt latus. Ante fecundam
Rofcius orabat fibi adefles ad Puteal cras.
De re communi fcribæ magna atque nova te
Orabant hodie meminiffes, Quinte, reverti.
"Confider, 'tis my first requeft."
Be fatisfy'd, I'll do my beit:
Then presently he fails to tease,
"You may for certain, if you please;
"I doubt not, if his Lordfhip knew.-
"And, Mr. Dean, one word from vou.'
'Tis (let me fee) three years and more,
(October next it will be four,)
Since Harley bid me first attend,
And chote me for an humble friend;
Would take me in his coach to chat,
And question me of this and that:
As, "What's o'clock ?" and, "How's the wind ?" "Whofe chariot's that we left behind?"
Or gravely try to read the lines
Writ underneath the country figns;
Or, "Have you nothing new to-day,
"From Pops, from Parnell, or from Gay?"
Such tattle often entertains
My Lord and me as far as Staines,
As once a week we travel down
To Windfor and again to Town,
Where all that paffes inter nos,
Might be proclaim'd at Chasing crofs.
Yet fome I know with envy fwell,
Because they fee me us'd to well.
Imprimat his cura Mæcenas figna tabellis.
Dixeris, Experiar: Si vis, potes, addit; et inftat.
Septimus octavo proprior jam fugerit annus,
Ex quo Mecenas me cœpit habere fuorum
In numero; duntaxat ad hoc, quam tollere rheda
Vellet, iter faciens, et cui concredere nugas
Hoc genus: Hora quota eft? Thrax eft Gallina Syro par?
Matutina parum cautos jam frigora mordent;
Et quæ rimofa bene deponuntur in avre.
Per totum hoc tempus, mbjectior in diem et horam
Invidiæ. Nofter ludos fpectaverat una,
Luferat in campo, Fortunæ filius, omnes.
Frigidus a rotiris manat per compita rumor;
Quicunque obvius eft, ne confulit: O bone, (nam te
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