And (6) great Naffau to Kneller's hand decreed Which made old Ben and furly Dennis fwear, Not with fuch (d) majefty, fuch bold relief, The forms auguft, of king, or conquering chief, E'er fwell'd on marble; as in verfe have fhin'd (in polish'd verfe) the manners and the mind. Oh could I mount on the Mæonian wing, Your (e) arms, your actions, your repose to fing; What (f) feas you travers'd, and what fields you fought! Your country's peace, how oft, how dearly bought! How (g) barbarous rage fubfided at your word, And nations wonder'd while they dropp'd the fword! How, when you nodded, o'er the land and deep, (b) Peace ftole her wing, and wrapp'd the world in fleep; Till earth's extremes your meditation own, Edicto vetuit, ne quis fe praeter Apellem [At neque dedecorant tua de fe judicia, atque Munera quae multa dantis cum laude tulerunt, Dilecti tibi Virgilius Variufque poetae;] Nec magis expreffi (d) vultus per ahenea figna, Quam per vatis opus mores animique virorum Clarorum apparent. nec fermones ego mailema Repentes per humum, (e) quam res componere geftas, Terrarumque (f) fitus et flumina dicere, et arces Montibus impolitas, et (g) barbara regna, tuifque Aufpiciis totum (4) confecta duella per orbem, Clauftraque (b) cuftodem pacis cohibentia Janum, Et (i) formidatam Parthis, te principe, Romam : Si quantum cuperem, poffem quoque. fed neque parvum (4) Carmen majestas recipit tua; nec meus audet Rem tentare pudor, quan vires ferre recufent. Sedulitas autem (1) ftulte, quem diligit, urget; Praecipue cum fe numeris commendat et arte. Difcit enim citius, meminitque libentius illud Quod quis (m) deridet, quani quod probat et vene If true, a () woful likenefs; and if lies, "Praise undeferv'd is scandal in disguise:" Well may he (p) blufh, who gives it, or receives; And when I flatter, let my dirty leaves (Like journals, odes, and fuch forgotten things As Eufden, Philips, fettle, writ of kings) (9) Clothe fpice, like trunks, or fluttering in a row, Befringe the rails of Bedlani and Soho. In (o) pejus vultu proponi cereus ufquam, BOOK II. EPISTLE II. Ludentis fpeciem dabit, et torquebitur. Hox. DEAR Col'nel, Cohham's and your country's friend! You love a verfe, take fuch as I can fend. (6) A Frenchman comes, prefents you with his boy, Bows, and begins-" This lad, Sir, is of Blois; "Obferve his fhape how clean his locks how "curl'd! "My only fon; I'd have him fee the world: "His French is pure; his voice too-you shall "hear. "Sir, he's your flave, for twenty pound a-year. "Mere wax as yet, you fafhion him with eafe, "Your barber, cook, upholsterer, what you please: "A perfect genius at an opera fong"To fay too much, might do my honour wrong. "Take him with all his virtues, on my word; "His whole ambition was to ferve a lord: "But, Sir to you, with what would I not part ? "Though faith, I fear, 'twill break his mother's "heart. EPISTOLA II. FLORE, bono claroque fidelis amice Neroni, (b) Si quis forte velit puerum tibi vendere natumi Tibure vel Gabiis, et tecum fic agat: "Hic et "Candidus, et talos a vertice pulcher ad imos, "Fiet eritque tuus nummorum millibus octo; "Verna minifteriis ad nutus aptus heriles; "Litterulis Graecis imbutus, idoneus arti "Cuilibet: argilla quidvis imitaberis uda "Quin etiam canet indoctum, fed dulce bibenti. "Multa fidem promiffa levant, ubi plenius aeque "Laudat venales, qui vult extrudere, merces. "Res urget me nulla: meo fum pauper in aere. "Nemo hoc mangonum faceret tibi: non temere sa me [(fit "Quivis ferret idem: femel hic ceffavit, et (ut [ficto" In fcalis latuit metuens pendentis habenae: Nil moror (2) officium, quod me gravat: ac neque "Des nummos, excepta nihil te â fuga laedit." ratur. "Once (and but once) I caught him in a lie, "And then, unwhipp'd, he had the grace to cry: "The fault he has I fairly fhall reveal, "(Could you o'erlook but that) it is, to steal." (6) If, after this, you took the graceful lad, Could you complain, my friend, he prov'd so bad? Faith, in fuch cafe, if you should profecute, I think Sir Godfrey should decide the fuit : Who fent the thief that ftole the cash, away, And punish'd him that put it in his way. (d) Confider then, and judge me in this light; I told you when I went, I could not write; You faid the fame; and are you difcontent With laws, to which you gave your own affent? Nay worse, to ask for verse at such a time ! D'ye think me good for nothing but to rhyme? (-) In Anna's wars, a foldier poor and old Had dearly earn'd a little purse of gold: lir'd with a tedious march, one luckless night, He flept, poor dog' and loft it, to a doit, This put the man in fuch a defperate mind, Between revenge, and grief, and hunger join'd, Against the foe, himself, and all mankind, He leap'd the trenches, fcal'd a caftle wall, Tore down a ftandard, took the fort and all. "Frodigious well!" his great commander cry'd, Gave him much praife, and fome reward befide. Next, pleas'd his excellence a town to batter (Its name I know not, and 'tis no great matter); "Go on, my friend, (he cry'd) fee yonder walls! Advance and conquer go where glory calls! "More honours, more rewards, attend the brave." Don't you remember what reply he gave? "D'ye think me, noble general, fuch a sot? "Let hini take caftles who has ne'er a groat." (f) Bred up at home, full early I begun To read in Greek the wrath of Peleus' fon. (4) Ille ferat pretium, poenae fecurus, opinor. Prudens emifti vitiofum: di&a tibi eft lex. Infequeris tamen hunc, et lite moraris iniqua. (d) Dixi me pigrum proficifcenti tibi, dixi Talibus officiis prope mancum; ne mea faevus Jurgares ad te quod epiftola nulla veniret. Quid tum profeci, mecum facientia jura Si tamen attentas? quereris fuper hoc etiam, quod Expectata tibi non mittam carmina mendax. (e) Luculli miles collecta viatica multis Aerumnis, laffus dum noctu ftertit, ad affem Perdiderat poft hoc vehemens lupus, et sibi et hofti Iratus pariter, jejunis dentibus acer, (/) Romac nutriri mihi contigit atque doceri, Befides, my father taught me from a lad, To hunt for truth in Maudlin's learned grove.) But (thanks to Homer) hence I live and thrive, Sure I fhould want the care of ten Monroes, (g) Years following years, fteal something every day, At laft they fteal us from ourselves away; (b) But after all, what would you have me do? (i) But graut I may relapfe, for want of grace, Again to rhyme: can London be the place ? Iratus Graiis quantum nocuiffet Achilles. (g) Singula de nobis anni praedantur euntes; Eripuere jocos, venerem, convivia, ludum; Tendunt extorquere poemata. quid faciam vis? (b) Denique non omnes eadem mirantur amant Who there his mufe, or felf, or foul attends, My courfel fends to execute a deed: (4) Go, lofty poet and in fuch a crowd, How match the bards whomnon e c'er match'd before? () The man, who, ftretch'd in Ifis' calm re treat, To books and study gives seven years complete, Scribere poffe, inter tot curas totque labores? "Purae funt platea, nihil ut meditantibus obftet." Feftinat calidus mulis gerulifque redemtor: Each had a gravity would make you split, And fhook his head at Murray, as a wit. Dear Cibber! never match'd one ode of thine. "My dear Tibullus!" if that will not do, (6) In vain, bad rhymers all mankind reject, They treat themselves with most profound respect; 'Tis to fmall purpofe that you hold your tongue, Each prais'd within, is happy all day long: (m) Frater erat Romae confulti rhetor; ut alter Alterius fermone meros audiret honores: Gracchus ut hic illi foret, huic ut Mucius ille. Qui minus argutos vexat furor ifte poetas? () Carmina compono, hic elegos; mirabile vifu, Caelatumque novem Mufis opus. afpiče primum, Quanto cum faflu, quanto molimine circum Toquet nunc lapidem, nunc ingens machina tig- | fpectemus vacuam Romanis vatibus aedem Mox etiam (fi forte vacas) fequere, et procul audi, () Ridentur mala qui componunt carmina: verum Gaudet fcribentes, et fe venerantur, et ultro, But how feverely with themselves proceed Nay though at Court (perhaps) it may find grace: Him, the damn'd doctors and his friends immur'd, They bled, they cupp'd, they purg'd; in short, they cur'd: Whereat the gentleman began to ftare— Audebit quaecunque parum fplendoris habebunt, (r) Well, on the whole, plain profe must be my fate : Wisdom (curfe on it) will come foon or late. (s) Soon as I enter at my country door, [crave, (1) If, when the more you drink, the more you You tell the doctor; when the more you have, The more you want, why not with equal cafe Confefs as well your folly, as difeafe? The heart refolves this matter in a trice, "Men only feel the smart, but not the vice." (u) When golden angels cease to cure the evil, You give all royal witchcraft to the devil: When fervile chaplains cry, that birth and place Indue a peer with honour, truth, and grace; Look in that breast, most dirty Dean be fair, Say, can you find out one such lodger there? Yet ftill, not heeding what your heart can teach, You go to church to hear these flatterers preach. Indeed, could wealth beflow or wit or merit, A grain of courage, or a spark of fpirit, The wifeft man might blush, I must agree, If D* lov'd fixpence, more than.ke. (v) If there be truth in law, and use can give A property, that's yours on which you live. More; bonus fane vicinus, amabilis hofpes, Poffet qui rupem, et puteum vitare patentem. (r) Nimirum fapere eft abjectis utile nugis, Et tempeftivum pueris concedere ludum; (s) Ac non verba fequi fidibus modulanda Latinis Sed verae numerofque modofque ediscere vitae. Quocirca mecum loquor haec, tacitufque recordor: (t) Si tibi nulla fitim finiret copia lymphae, Narrares medicis: quod quanto plura parasti, Tanto plura cupis, nulline faterier audes? (u) Si vulnus tibi monftrata radice vel herba Non fieret levius, fugeres radice vel herba Proficiente nihil curarier: audieras, cui Rem Dî donarint, ille decedere pravam Stultitiam; et, cum fis nihilo fapientior, ex que Plenior es, tamen uteris monitoribus îfdem ? At fi divitiae prudentem reddere poffent, Si cupidum timidumque minus te: nempe ruberes Viveret in terris, te fi quis avarior uno. (v) Si proprium eft, quod quis libra mercatus et acre eft, Delightful Abs-court, if its fields afford (y) Heathcote himself, and fuch large-acred men, Yet these are wights, who fondly call their own Half that the devil o'erlooks from Lincoln-town, 'The laws of God, as well as of the land, Abhor a perpetuity should stand: Eftates have wings, and hang in fortune's power Heir urges heir, like wave impelling wave. And trees, and ftones, and farms, and farmer fall. (a) Gold, filver, ivory, vafes fculptur'd high, Paint, marble, gems, and robes of Persian dye, Quaedam (fi credis confultis) mancipat ufus: (x) das nummos; accipis uvam, (y) Emtor Aricini quondam, Veientis et arvi, Emtum coenat olus, quamvis aliter putat ; emtis Sub noctem gelidam lignis calefactat ahenum. Sed vocat ufque fuum, qua populus ad fita certis Limitibus dicina refigit jurgia: tanquam (z) Sit proprium cuiquam, puncto quod mobilis horae, [prema, Nunc prece, nunc pretio, nunc vi, nunc forte fuPermutet dominos, et cedat in altera jura. Sic, quia perpetuus nulli datur ufus, et haeres Hacredem alterius, velut unda fupervenit undam: Quid vici profunt, aut horrea? quidve Calabris Saltibus adjecti Lucani; fi metit Orcus Grandia cum parvis, non exorabilis auro? (a) Gemmas, marmor, ebur, Tyrrhena figilla, tabellas, Argentum, veftes Gaetulo murice tinctas, Sunt qui non habeant; eft qui non curat habere. There are who have not-and thank heaven there are, Who, if they have not, think not worth their care. (6) Talk what you will of tafte, my friend, you'll find Two of a face, as soon as of a mind. (6) Yes, Sir, how small foever be my heap, (f) What is 't to me (a passenger God wot) (6) Cur alter fratrum ceffare, et ludere, et ungi Praeferat Herodis palmetis pinguibus; alter Dives et importunus, ad umbram lucis ab ortu Silveftrem flammis et ferro mitiget agrum : Scit Genius, natale comes qui temperat aftrum: Naturae Deus bumane, mortalis in unum Quodque caput, vulta mutabilis, albus, et ater. (c) Utar, et ex modico, quantum res pofcet, acervo Tollam: nec metuam, quid de me judicet haeres, Quod non plura datis invenerit. et tamen idem Scire volam. quantum fimplex hilarisque nepoti Difcrepet, et quantum difcordet parcus avaro. Diftat enim, fpargas tua prodigus, an neque fum tum. Invitus facias, nec plura parare labores; |