Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

360

But this inhuman triumph fhall decline,
And thy revolting Naiads call for wine;
Spirits no longer fhall ferve under thee;
But reign in thy own cup, exploded tea!,
Citronia's nofe declares thy ruin nigh,
And who dares give Citronia's nofe the lye !
The ladies loug at men of drink exclaim'd,
And what impair'd both health and virtue,
blam'd;

At length, to rescue man, the generous lafs 365
Stole from her confort the pernicious glafs.
As glorious as the British queen renown'd,
Who fuck'd the poifon from her husband's wound.
Nor to the glass alone are nymphs inclin'd,
But every bolder vice of bold mankind.

O Juvena!! for thy feverer rage!
To lafh the ranker follies of our age.

370

381

Are there, among the females of our ifle, Such faults, at which it is a fault to fmile? There are. Vice, once by modeft nature chain'd And legal ties, expatiates unreftrain'd; Without thin decency held up to view, Naked fhe ftalks o'er Law and Gospel too. Our matrons lead fuch exemplary lives, Men figh in vain for none but for their wives; Who marry to be free, to range the more, And wed one man, to wanton with a fcore.' Abroad too kind, at home 'tis ftedfaft hate, And one eternal tempeft of debate. What foul eruptions, from a look moft meek! What thunders burting, from a dimpled cheek! Their paffions bear it with a lofty hand! But then, their reafon is at due command. Is there whom you deteft, and feek his life? Truft no foul with the fecret-but his wife. Wives wonder that their conduct I condemn, And ask, what kindred is a poufe to them?

What fwarms of amorous grandmothers i fee! And miffes, ancient in iniquity!

390

395

What blafting whifpers, and what loud declaim-
ing!
What lying, drinking, bawding, fwearing, ga
ming!

Friendship fo cold. fuch warm incontinence;
Such griping avarice, fuch profufe expence;
Such dead devotion, fuch a zeal for crimes;
Such licens'd ill. fuch mafquerading times; 400
Such venal faith, fuch mifapply'd applaufe;
Such flatter'd guilt, and fuch inverted laws;

Such diffolution through the whole find, 'Tis not a world, but chacs of mankind, Since Sundays have no balls, the well-drefs'd

belie

405

Shines in the pew, but smiles to hear of bell;
And cafts an eye of fwec: difdain on ali,
Who liftens lefs to Collins than St. Paul.
Atheists have been but rare; fince nature's birth,
Till now, She-atheifts ne'e appear'd on earth.
Ye men of deep researches, fay, whence fprings
This daring character, in timorous things?
Who ftart at feathers, from an infect fly,
A match for nothing-but the Deity.
But, not to wrong the fair, the Muse muft own
In this purfuit they court not fame alone :

But join to that a more fubftantial view,
"From thinking free, to be free agents too.",

They ftrive with their own hearts, and keep them down,

420

In complaifance to all the fools in town.
O how they tremble at the name of prude!
For what will Artimis, the rich and gay,
And die with fhame at thought of being good!
What will the wits, that is, the coxcombs, fay?
They heaven defy, to earth's vile dregs a flave;
Through cowardice, most execrably brave. 416
With our own jugdments durft we to co nply,
In virtue fhould we live, in glory die.
Rife then, my Mufe, in honeft fury rise ;
They dread a Satire, who defy the skies.
Atheists are few: most nymphs a Godhead

own;

And nothing but his attributes dethrone.
From atheists far, they stedfaftly believe
God is, and is Almighty-to forgive.
His other excellence they'll not difpute;
But mercy, fure, is his chief attribute.
Shall pleafures of a short duration chain
A lady's foul in everlating pain?

430

435

Will the great Author us poor worms destroy,

[blocks in formation]

F

* Poor K-p! cries Livia; I have not been there * These two nights; the poor creature will defpair.

530

But wanders not my Satire from her theme? Is this too owing to the love of fame? Though now your hearts on lucre are beftow'd, "I hate a crowd-but to do good, you know-'Twas firft a vain-devotion to the mode; And people of condition fhould beftow." Convinc'd, o'ercome, to K-p's grave matrons 475 Now fet a daughter, and now flake a fon; Let health, fame, temper, beauty, fortune, fly; And beggar half their race-through charity.

run;

Immortal were we, or elfe mortal quite,
I lefs fhould blame this criminal delight:
But fince the gay affembly's gayeft room
Is but an upper story to fome tomb,
Methinks, we need not our fort being fhun,
And, thought to fly, contend to be undone.
We need not buy our ruin, with our crime,
And give eternity to murder time.

[ocr errors]

480

485

The love of gaming is the worst of ills;
With ceafelefs ftorms the blacken'd foul it fills;
Inveighs at heaven, neglects the ties of blood;
Deftroys the power and will of doing good; 490
Kills health, pawns honour, plunges in difgrace,
And, what is still more dreadful-fpoils your

face.

See yonder fet of thieves that live on spoil,
The fcandal and the ruin of our isle!
And fee, (ftrange fight!) amid that ruffian band.
A form divine high wave her fnowy hand; 496

That rattles loud a fmall enchanted box,

Which, loud as thunder, on the board the knocks.

And as fierce ftorms, which earth's foundation fhook,

500

535

540

Nor cease we here, fince 'tis a vice fo ftrong;
The torrent sweeps all womankind along.
This may be faid, in honour of our times,
That none now ftand diftinguifh'd by their crimes.
If fin you must, take nature for your guide :
Love has fome foft excufe to footh your pride:
Ye fair apoftates from love's antient power!
Can nothing ravib, but a golden shower?
Can cards alone your glowing fancy feize;
Muft Cupid learn to punt, e'er he can please?
When you're enamour'd of a lift or caft,
What can the preacher more, to make us chafle?
Why muft ftrong youths unmarry'd pine away?
They find no woman difengag'd-from play. 546
Why pine the marry'd?-0 leverer fate!
They find from play no difengag'd-eftate.
Flavia, at lovers falfe, untouch'd, and hard,
Turns pale, and trembles at a cruel card.
Nor Arria's Bib'e can fecure her age;
Her threefcore years are fhuffling with her page.
While death ftands by, but till the game is done,
To fweep that flake, in juftice, long his ozun;
Like old cards ting'd with fulphur, fhe takes fire;
Or, like fnuffs funk in fockets, blazes higher. 556
Ye gods! with new delights infpire the Fair;
Or give us fons, and fave us from despair.

550

Sons, brothers, fathers, hufbands, tradefmen,
clofe

From Æolus's cave impetuous broke,
From this fmall cavern a mix'd tempest Aies,
Fear, rage, convulfion, tears, oaths, blafphe-In fpite of all our wifdom, you'll proceed:

In my complaint, and brand your fins in profe:
Yet I believe, as firmly as my Creed,
561

mies!

For men, I mean-the fair discharges none;
She (guiltless creature) fwears to heaven alone.
See her eyes start! checks glow! and mufcles
fwell!

505

Like the mad maid in the Cumean cell.
Thus that divine one her foft nights employs !
Thus tunes her foul to tender nuptial joys!
And when the cruel morning calls to bed,
And on her pillow lays her aking head,
With the dear images her dreams are crown'd,
The die fpins lovely, or the cards go round;
Imaginery ruin charms her ftill;
Her happy lord is cuckol'd by spadille;
And if he's brought to bed, 'tis ten to one,
He marks the forehead of her darling fon.

O fcene of horror, and of wild despair,
Why is the rich Atrides' fplendid heir
Conftrain'd to quit his ancient lördly feat,
And hide his glories in a mean retreat?

510

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

SATIRE VII.

To the Right Hon. SIR ROBERT WALPOLE.

Carmina tum mellus, cum venerit Ipfe, canemus."

VIRG.

N laft closing strain,

When, after battle, I the field have feen Spread o'er with ghaftly flapes, which once

were men;

A nation crush'd, a nation of the brave!
A realm of death! and on this fide the grave!
Are there, faid I, who from this fad furvey,

On this labour, this mye vind inspire in This bum in cbass, Carry fihiles away?

vain:

To thee, 'tis due; that verfe how justly thine,
Where Brunswick's glory crowns the whole defign?
That glory, which thy counfeis make fo bright;
That glory, which on thee reflects a light.
Illuftrious commerce, and but rarely known;
To give, and take, a luftre from the throne.

10

Nor think that thou art foreign to my theme; The fountain is not foreign to the ftream. How all mankind will be furpriz'd to fee This flood of British folly charg'd on thee! Say, Britain! whence this caprice of thy fons, Which through their various ranks with fury runs? The caufe is plain, a cause which we must bleís; For caprice is the daughter of fuccefs, (A. bad effect, but from a pleafing caufe!) And gives our rulers undefign'd applaufe ; Tells how their conduct bids our wealth increase, And lulls us in the downy lap of peace. While I furvey the biefings of our isle, Her arts triumphant in the royal fmile, Her public wounds bound up, her credit high, Her commerce (preading fails in every sky, The pleafing scene recalls my theme again,And fhews the madness of ambitious men, Who, fond of bloodshed, draw the murdering fword,

And burn to give mankind a fingle lord.

25

The follies paft are of a private kind; Their fphere is fmall; their mischief is confin'd: But daring men there are (Awake, ny Muse, And raise thy verse !) who bolder phrenzy chufe; Who, ftung by glory, rave, and bound away; The world their field, and bumankind their prey. The Grecian chief, th' enthufiait of his pride, With rage and terror talking by his fide, Raves round the globe; he foars into a God! Stand faft, Olympus and fuftain his nod. The peft divine in horrid grandeur reigns, And thrives on mankind's miferies and pains. 40 What flaughter'd bofts! what cities in a blaze! What walled countries! and what crimfon feas! With orphans tears his impious bowl o'erflows, And cries of kingdoms lull him to repose.

And cannot thrice ten hundred years unpraise The boisterous boy, and blaft his guilty bays? Why want we then encomiums on the ftorm, Or famine or volcano? They perform Their mighty deeds; they, hero-like, can flay, And spread their ample defarts in a day. O great alliance! O divine renown!

[ocr errors]

With dearth, and peftilence, to share the crown.
When men extol a wild defroyer's name,
Earth's Builder and Preferver they blafpheme.
One to deftroy, is murder by the faw;.
And gibbets keep the lifted hand in awe;
To murder thousands, take a fpecious name,
War's glorious art, and gives immortal fame.

55

60

65

How did my heart with indignation rife t
How hond nature fwell'd into my eyes!
How was i fhock'd to think the hero's trade
Of fuch materials, fame and triumph, made !
How guilty thefe! Yet not lefs guilty they,
Who reach falfe glory by a smoother way:
Who wrap deftruction up in gentle words,
And bows, and fmiles, more fatal than their
✓ fwords;

70

25

Who ftifle nature, and fubfift on art;
Who coin the face, and petrify the heart;
All real kindnefs for the fhew difcard,
As marble pol.fh'd, and as marble hard;
Who do for gold what Chriftians do through
grace,

"With open arms their enemies embrace "
Who give a nod when broken hearts repine;
"The

nneft food on which a wretch can dine:" Or, if they ferve you, ferve you difinclin ́d, And, in their height of kindnefs, are unkind. Such courtiers were, and fach again may be, Walpole, when men forget to copy thee.

Here ceale my Mufe! the catalogue is writ; 85 Nor one more candidate for fume admit, Though difappointed thousands justly blame Thy partial pen, and boast an equal claim: Be this their comfort, fools, omitted here, May furnish laughter for another year. Then let Crifpino, who was ne'er refus'd The juice yet of being well abus'd, With patience wait; and be content to reign The pink of puppies in fome future strain.

[ocr errors]

Some future ftrain, in which the Mufe fhall tell How Science dwindles, and how volumes fwell. How commentators cach dark passage fhun, And hold their farthing candle to the fun. How tortur'd texts to speak our fenfe are made, Aud every vice is to the Scripture laid.

100

How mifers 1queeze a young voluptuous peer; His fins to Lucifer uot half fo dear.

How Verfus is lefs qualify'd to steal With fword and piftol, than with wax and seal., How lawyers fees to fuch excess are run, 105 That clients are redrefs'd till they're undone. How one man's anguifh is another's sport; And ev'n denials coft us dear at court. How man eternally falfe judgments makos, And all his joys and forrows are mistakes.

110

[ocr errors]

This fwarm of themes that fettles on my pen, Which I, like fummer flies, hake off again, Let others fing; to whom my weak effay But founds a prelude, and points out their prey That duty done, I hasten to complete HIS My own defign; for Tonfon's at the gate. The love of fame in its effect lurvey'd, The Mufe has fung! be now the caufe display'd: Since fo diffufive, and fo wide its fway, What is this power, whom all mankind obey?

Shot from above, by heaven's indulgence, came
This generous ardor, this unconquer'd flame,
To warm, to raife, to deify, mankind,
Still barning brightest in the noblest mind.
By large foul'd men, for thirft of fame renown'd,
Wife laws were fram'd, and facred, arts were
found;
126

Defire of praise first broke the patriot's rest;
And na le a bulwark of the warrior's breast;
It bids Argyll in fields and ferrate shine.
What more can prove its origin divine?

140

Bu, oh! this paffion planted in the foul,
On eagle's wings to mount her to the pole,
The flaming minifter of virtue meant,
Set up falfe gods, and wrongd her high defcent.
Ambition, hence, exerts a doubtful force, 135
Of blots and beauties, an alternate fource;
Hence Gilden rails, that raven of the pit,
Who thrives upon the carcafes of wit;
And in art-loving Scarborough is feen
How kind a pattern Polia might have been.
Purfuit of fame with pedants fills our fchools,
And into cqxcombs burnishes our fools;
Purfuit of fame makes folid learning bright,
And Newton lifts above a mortal height;
That key of nature by whole wit the clears
Her long, long fecrets of five thousand years.
Would you then fully comprehend the whole,
Why, and in what degrees, pride sways the foul?
(For, though in all not equally, she reigns)
Awake to knowledge, and attend my firains.

Ye doctors! hear the doctrine I difclofe,
As true, as if 'twere writ in dulieft profe;
As if å letter'd dunce had said, "'Tis right,"
And imprimator usher'd it to light.

145

155

Ambition, in the truly noble mind, With Sifter-virtue is for ever join d; As in fam'd Lucrece, who, with equal dread, From guilt and fham by her last conduct, fled: Her virtue long rehell'd in firm difdain, And the sword pointed at her heart in vain; 160 But, when the flave was threaten'd to be laid Dead by her fide her Love of Fame obcy'd.

In meaner minds ambition works alone;
Bus with fuch art puts virtue's afpect on,
That not more like in feature and in mien, 165
The God and mortal in the comic fcene. *
Falfe Julius, ambush'd in this fair difguife.
Soon made the Roman liberties his prize.

No mafk in befeft minds ambition wears,
But in full light pricks up her afs's ears:
All I have fung are inftances of this,
And prove my theme unfoided not amifs.

Ye vain! defift from your erroneous firife ;
Be wife, and quit the fulfe fublime of life.
The true ambition there alone refides,
Where juftice vindicates, and wiflom guides;
Where inward dignity joins outward state;
Our purpose good, as our atchievement great;
Where public bleffings public praise attend;
Where glory is our motive, not our end.

VOL, VIII.

* Amphitryon.

Would'st thou be fum`d? Have those high deeds

in view

Brave men would act, though scandal should enfue. Behold a Prince! whom no fwoln thoughts inflame;

185

No pride of thrones, no fever after Fame:
But when the welfare of mankind infpires,
And death in view to dear-bought glory fires,
Proud conquefts then, then regal pomps delight;
Then crowns, then triumphs fparkle in his fight;
Tumult and noise are dear, which with them bring
His people's bleffings to their ardent king: Iga
But, when those great heroic motives cease,
His fwelling foul fubfides to native peace;
From tedious grandeur's faded charms withdraws,
A fudden foe to fplendor and applaufe;
Greatly deferring his arrears of fame,
Till men and angels jointly fhout his name.
O pride celeftial! which can pride difdain;
O bleft ambition! which can ne'er be vain.
From one fam'd Alpine hill, which props the

170

175

380

íky,

195

In whofe deep womb unfathom'd waters lie, 200 Here burst the Rhone and founding Po; there

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

220

And fported with a king's and kingdom's fate,
Depriv'd of what the lov'd, and prefs'd by fear
Of ever lofing what the held most dear,
How did Britannia, like Achilles, weep,
And tell her forrows to the kindred deep!
Hang o'er the floods, and, in devotion warm,
Strive, for Thee, with the furge, and fight the
form!

What felt thy Walpole, pilot of the realmı! 225
Our Palinurus flept not at the helm ;
His eye ne'er clos'd; long fince enur'd to wake,
And out-watch every star for Brunswick's fake :
By thwarting paflions toft, by cares oppreft,
He found the tempest pictur'd in his breaft:
But, now, what joys that gloom of heart difpel,
No powers of language-but his own, can tell;
His own, which nature and the graces form,
At will, to raise, or hufh, the civil ftorm,

2 N

* The king in danger by sea.

230

TO

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
« ПредишнаНапред »