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As thy own laurels flourishing appear,

Unfully'd still with cares, nor clogg'd with hope and fear!

As from its wants, be from its vices free,

From nauseous servile flattery;

Nor to a patron prostitute thy mind,

1

Though like Augustus great, as fam'd Mæcenas kind.

III.

Though great in fame! believe me, generous youth,
Believe this oft-experienc'd truth,

Form him that knows thy virtues, and admires their worth.
Though thou 'rt above what vulgar poets fear,

Trust not th' ungrateful world too far; Trust not the smiles of the inconstant town; Trust not the plaudits of a theatre

(Which Durfey shall with Thee and Dryden share);
Nor to a stage's interest sacrifice thy own.
Thy genius, that 's for nobler things design'd,
May at loose hours oblige mankind :
Then, great as is thy fame, thy fortunes raise,
Join thriving interest to thy barren bays,

And teach the world to envy, as thou doft to praise.
The world, that does like common whores embrace,
Injurious still to those it does caress :
Injurious as the tainted breath of Fame,

That blafts a poet's fortunes, while it sounds his name.

IV.

When first a Muse inflames some youthful breaft,

Like an unpractis'd virgin, still she 's kind :

Adorn'd with graces then, and beauties blest,

She charms the ear with fame, with raptures fills the mind.

mind.

Then

Then from all cares the happy youth is free,
But those of love and poetry :

Cares, still allay'd with pleasing charms,

That crown the head with bays, with beauty fill the arms. But all a woman's frailties foon she shows,

Too foon a stale domeftic creature grows :

Then, wedded to a Muse that's nauseous grown, We loath what we enjoy, drudge when the pleasure's gone. For, tempted with imaginary bays,

Fed with immortal hopes and empty praise,

He fame purfues, that fair and treacherous bait, Grows wife when he's undone, repents when 'tis too late..

V.

Small are the trophies of his boafted bays,
The great man's promife for his flattering toil,
Fame in reversion, and the public fmile,

All vainer than his hopes, uncertain as his praise..
'Twas thus in mournful numbers heretofore,
Neglected Spenser did his fate deplore :

Long did his injur'd Muse complain, Admir'd in midst of wants, and charming still in vain.. Long did the generous Cowley mourn, And long oblig'd the age without return. Deny'd what every wretch obtains of Fate,

An humble roof, and an obfcure retreat, Condemn'd to needy fame, and to be miferably great. Thus did the world thy great fore-fathers use; Thus all th' inspir'd bards before

Did their hereditary ills deplore;

From tuneful Chaucer's down to thy own Dryden's Muse.

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VI.

Yet, pleas'd with gaudy ruin, youth will on, As proud by public fame to be undone; Pleas'd, though he does the worst of labours chuse, To ferve a barbarous age, and an ungrateful Mufe. Since Dryden's self, to Wit's great empire born, Whose genius and exalted name

Triumph with all the spoils of Wit and Fame, Must, 'midst the loud applaufe, his barren laurels mourn. Ev'n that fam'd man, whom all the world admires, Whom every Grace adorns, and Muse inspires, Like the great injur'd Tasso, shows

Triumphant in the midst of woes; In all his wants, majestic still appears, Charming the age to which he owes his cares, And cherishing that Muse whose fatal curse he bears.

THE

INSECT.

AGAINST BULK.

"Inest sua gratia parvis."

WHERE greatness is to Nature's works deny'd,

In worth and beauty it is well fupply'd:

In a small space the more perfection 's shown,
And what is exquifite in little's done.
Thus beams, contracted in a narrow glass,
To flames convert their larger useless rays.
'Tis Nature's smallest products please the eye,
Whilft greater births pass unregarded by;

J

Her

Her monsters feem a violence to fight;

They 're form'd for terror, infects to delight.
Thus, when the nicely frames a piece of art,
Fine are her strokes, and small in every part;
No labour can the boaft more wonderful
Than to inform an atom with a foul;
To animate her little beauteous fly,
And cloath it in her gaudiest drapery.

Thus does the little epigram delight,
And charm us with its miniature of wit;
Whilft tedious authors give the reader pain,
Weary his thoughts, and make him toil in vain;
When in less volumes we more pleasure find,
And what diverts, still best informs the mind.

'Tis the small infect looks correct and fair,

And feems the product of her niceft care.
When, weary'd out with the stupendous weight
*Of forming prodigies and brutes of state;
Then the the infect frames, her master-piece,
Made for diverfion, and design'd to please.
Thus Archimedes, in his crystal sphere,
Seem'd to correct the World's Artificer :
Whilft the large globe moves round with long delay,
His beauteous orbs in nimbler circles play :
This feem'd the nobler labour of the two,
Great was the sphere above, but fine below.

Thus smallest things have a peculiar grace,
The great w' admire, but 'tis the little please;
Then, since the leaft so beautifully show,
B' advis'd in time, my Muse, and learn to know
A Poet's lines should be correct and few.

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TO TO HIS FRIEND

CAPTAIN CHAMBERLAIN,

In Love with a Lady he had taken in an Algerine Prize at Sea.

In Allufion to HORACE 2 Od. iv.

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I.

IS no disgrace, brave youth, to own
By a Fair Slave you are undone :
Why doft thou blush to hear that name,
And ftifle thus a generous flame ?
Did not the fair Brifeïs heretofore

With powerful charms fubdue?
What though a captive, still she bore
Those eyes that freedom could restore,

And make her haughty lord, the proud Achilles, bow.

11.

Stern Ajax, though renown'd in arms,

Did yield to bright Tecmessa's charms :
And all the laurels he had won

As trophies at her feet were thrown.

When, beautiful in tears, he view'd the mourning fair,

The hero felt her power :

Though great in camps, and fierce in war,
Her softer looks he could not bear,

Proud to become her flave, though late her conqueror.

III. When

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