Sacred to ridicule his whole life long, y Slander or Poifon dread from Delia's rage, Its proper power to hurt, each creature feels; 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, Whether the darken'd room to muse invite, Like Lee or Budgell, I will rhyme and print. F. 95 100 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; Can there be wanting, to defend Her cause, Lights of the Church, or Guardians of the Laws? 110 Dives, inops; Romae, feu fors ita jufferit, exful 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? Hear this, and tremble! you, who 'scape the Laws. Shall walk the World, in credit, to his grave. 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 Nugari cum illo, et difcincti ludere, donec VOL. II. Quidquid fum ego, quamvis • N 1 Or tames the Genius of the stubborn plain, 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 To help who want, to forward who excel; 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? A man was hang'd for very honest rhymes; Infra Lucilî cenfum, ingeniumque; tamen me 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, F. Indeed? The Cafe is alter'd-you may then proceed; 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 |