Sacred to ridicule his whole life long,
And the fad burthen of fome merry fong.

y Slander or Poifon dread from Delia's rage,
Hard words or hanging, if your Judge be Page.
From furious Sappho scarce a milder fate,
P-x'd by her love, or libel'd by her hate.

Its proper power to hurt, each creature feels;
Bulls aim their horns, and Affes lift their heels;
'Tis a Bear's talent not to kick, but hug;
And no man wonders he's not ftung by Pug.
a So drink with Walters, or with Chartres eat,
They 'll never poison you, they'll only cheat.

Then, learned Sir! (to cut the matter short) Whate'er my fate, or well or ill at Court, Whether Old age, with faint but chearful ray, Attends to gild the Evening of my day,

y Cervius iratus leges minitatur et urnam; Canidia Albutî, quibus eft inimica, venenuin; Grande malum Turius, fi quid fe judice certes: zUt, quo quifque valet, fufpectos terreat, utque Imperet hoc Natura potens, fic collige mecum. Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit ; unde, nifi intus Monftratum; a Scaevae vivacem crede nepoti Matrem; nil faciet fceleris pia dextra (mirum ? Ut

neque calce lupus quemquam, neque dente petit bos)

Sed mala tollet anum vitiato melle cicuta.

b Ne longum faciam: feu me tranquilla fenectus Expectat, feu mors atris circumvolat alis ;

Or Death's black wing already be difplay'd,
To wrap me in the universal shade;

Whether the darken'd room to muse invite,
Or whiten'd wall provoke the skewer to write:
In durance, exile, Bedlam, or the Mint.

Like Lee or Budgell, I will rhyme and print.

F.

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100

Alas, young man! your days can ne'er be long,

In flower of Age you perish for a fong!

Plums and Directors, Shylock and his Wife,

Will club their Testers, now, to take your life!

P. What? arm'd for Virtue when I point the pen, Brand the bold front of fhameless guilty men;

Dash the proud Gamester in his gilded Car;
Bare the mean Heart that lurks beneath a Star;

Can there be wanting, to defend Her cause,

Lights of the Church, or Guardians of the Laws? 110
Could penfion'd Boileau lash in honest strain
Flatterers and Bigots ev'n in Louis' reign?
Could Laureate Dryden Pimp and Fryar engage,
Yet neither Charles nor James be in a rage?

Dives, inops; Romae, feu fors ita jufferit, exful
Quifquis erit vitae, fcribam, color.

T. O puer, ut fis Vitalis metuo; et majorum ne quis amicus Frigore te feriat.

H. Quid? cum eft Lucilius aufus Primus in hunc operis componere carmina morem,

And

And I notf strip the gilding off a Knave,

Unplac'd, unpenfion'd, no man's heir, or slave?
I will, or perish in the generous caufe:

Hear this, and tremble! you, who 'scape the Laws.
Yes, while I live, no rich or noble knave

Shall walk the World, in credit, to his grave.
g To Virtue only and her friends a Friend,
The World befide may murmur, or commend.
Know, all the distant din that world can keep,
Rolls o'er my Grotto, and but fooths my fleep.

115

120

125

There, my retreat the best Companions grace, Chiefs out of war, and Statesmen out of place. There St. John mingles with my friendly bowl The Feaft of Reafon and the Flow of foul: And He, whofe lightning pierc'd th' Iberian Lines, Now forms my Quincunx, and now ranks my Vines,

Or

f Detrahere et pellem, nitidus qua quifque per ora
Cederet introrfum turpis; num Laelius, et qui
Duxit ab oppreffa meritum Carthagine nomen,
Ingenio offenfi? aut laefo doluere Metello,
Famofifque Lupo cooperto verfibus? atqui
Primores populi arripuit populumque tributim;
Scilicet Uni æquus virtuti atque ejus Amicis.
h Quin ubi fe a vulgo et scena in fecreta remorant
Virtus Scipiadae et mitis fapientia Laeli,

Nugari cum illo, et difcincti ludere, donec
Decoqueretur olus, foliti.

VOL. II.

Quidquid fum ego, quamvis

• N

1

Or tames the Genius of the stubborn plain,
Almoft as quickly as he conquer'd Spain.

i Envy must own, I live among the Great, No Pimp of pleasure, and no Spy of state,

With eyes that pry not, tongue that ne'er repeats, 135
Fond to spread friendfhips, but to cover heats;

To help who want, to forward who excel;
This, all who know me, know; who love me, tell;
And who unknown defame me, let them be

Scriblers or Peers, alike are Mob to me.

This is my Plea, on this I reft my cause

k What faith my Council, learned in the laws?
F. Your Plea is good; but ftill I fay, beware!
Laws are explain'd by men-so have a care.
It stands on record, that in Richard's times

A man was hang'd for very honest rhymes;
Confult the Statute, "quart." I think, it is,
"Edwardi fext." or "prim. et quint. Eliz."

Infra Lucilî cenfum, ingeniumque; tamen me
i Cum magnis vixiffe invita fatebitur ufque
Invidia; et fragili quaerens illidere dentem,
Offendet folido:

Diffentis.

140

145

See

knifi quid tu, docte Trebati,

T. Equidem nihil hinc diffingere poffum. Sed tamen ut monitus caveas, ne forte negotî Incutiat tibi quid fanctarum infcitia legum:

❝m Si mala condiderit in quem quis carmina, jus eft "Judiciumque."

See Libels, Satires-here you have it-read.

P. ʼn Libels and Satires! lawless things indeed! 150 But grave Epiftles, bringing Vice to light,

Such as a King might read, a Bishop write,
Such as Sir Robert would approve—

F. Indeed?

The Cafe is alter'd-you may then proceed;
• In fuch a cafe the Plaintiff will be hifs'd,
My Lords the judges laugh, and you're dismiss'd.

H. Efto, fiquis " mala, fed bona fi quis Judice condiderit laudatus Caefare? fi quis Opprobriis dignum laceraverit, integer ipfe ? T. Solventur rifu tabulæ: tu miffus abibis.

155