315

320

There, victor of his health, of fortune, friends,
And fame; this lord of useless thousands ends.
His Grace's fate fage Cutler could foresee,
And well (he thought) advis'd him, “ Live like me.”
As well his Grace reply'd, "Like you, Sir John?
"That I can do, when all I have is gone."
Refolve me, Reason, which of these is worse,
Want with a full, or with an empty purse ?
Thy life more wretched, Cutler, was confefs'd,
Arife, and tell me, was thy death more bless'd?
Cutler faw tenants break, and houses fall,
For very want; he could not build a wall.
His only daughter in a stranger's pow'r,
For very want; he could not pay a dow'r.
A few grey hairs his rev'rend temples crown'd,
"Twas very want that fold them for two pound.
What ev'n deny'd a cordial at his end,
Banifh'd the doctor, and expell'd the friend?
What but a want, which you perhaps think mad,
Yet numbers feel the want of what he had!
Cutler and Brutus, dying both exclaim,

325

330

Virtue! and Wealth! what are ye but a name !

tafte. For the taking pleasure in fools, for the fake of laughing at them, is nothing else but the complaifance of flattering ourselves, by an advantageous comparison, which the mind makes between itself and the object laughed at, Hence too we may fee the Reason of mens preferring this to other kinds of flattery. For we are always inclined to think that work best done, which we do ourselves.

336

Say, for fuch worth are other worlds prepar❜d?
Or are they both, in this their own reward?
A knotty point! to which we now proceed.

P. Where London's column, pointing at the skies Like a tall bully, lifts the head, and lyes ; There dwelt a Citizen of fober fame,

340

A plain good man, and Balaam was his name ;
Religious, punctual, frugal, and fo forth;
His word would pass for more than he was worth.
One folid dish his week-day meal affords,

345

An added pudding folemniz'd the Lord's :
Conftant at Church, and Change; his gains were fure,
His givings rare, fave farthings to the poor.

The Dev'l was piqu'd fuch faintship to behold, And long'd to tempt him, like good Job of old: 350 But Satan now is wifer than of yore,

And tempts by making rich, not making poor.

Rouz'd by the Prince of Air, the whirlwinds fweep The furge, and plunge his Father in the deep;

VER. 339. Where London's column,] The Monument, built in memory of the fire of London, with an infcrip tion, importing that city to have been burnt by the papists.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 337. In the former Editions,

That knotty point, my Lord, fhall I discuss,
Or tell a tale ? - A Tale, It follows thus,

Then full against his Cornish lands they roar,
And two rich shipwrecks blefs the lucky fhore.

355

Sir Balaam now, he lives like other folks, He takes his chirping pint, and cracks his jokes : "Live like yourself," was foon my Lady's word; And lo! two puddings fmoak'd upon the board. 360 Asleep and naked as an Indian lay,

An honeft factor ftole a Gem away:

He pledg'd it to the knight; the knight had wit, So kept the Di'mond, and the rogue was bit. Some fcruple rofe, but thus he eas'd his thought, "I'll now give fix-pence where I gave a groat; 366 "Where once I went to church, I'll now go twice--"And am fo clear too of all other vice."

The Tempter faw his time; the work he ply'd ; Stocks and Subfcriptions pour on ev'ry fide, 370 "Till all the Dæmon makes his full descent In one abundant fhow'r of Cent per Cent,. Sinks deep within him, and possesses whole, Then dubs Director, and fecures his foul.

VER. 355. Corni] The author has placed the scene of thefe fhipwrecks in Cornwall, not only from their frequency on that coaft, but from the inhumanity of the inhabitants to those to whom that misfortune arrives: When a ship.hap pens to be ftranded there, they have been known to bore holes in it, to prevent its getting off; to plunder, and fometimes even to maffacre the people: Nor has the Parliament of England been yet able wholly to fupprefs these barbarities.

Behold Sir Balaam now a man of spirit,

Afcribes his gettings to his parts and merit;
What late he call'd a Bleffing, now was Wit,
And God's good Providence, a lucky Hit.
Things change their titles, as our manners turn :
His Compting-house employ'd the Sunday-morn:
Seldom at Church ('twas such a busy life)

But duly fent his family and wife.

There (fo the Dev'l ordain'd) one Christmas-tide
My good old Lady catch'd a cold, and dy’d.

375

381

A Nymph of Quality admires our Knight; 335 He marries, bows at Court, and grows polite: Leaves the dull Cits and joins (to please the fair) The well-bred cuckolds in St. James's air: First, for his Son a gay Commission buys,

Who drinks, whores, fights, and in a duel dies : His daughter flaunts a Viscount's tawdry wife; 391 She bears a Coronet and P--x for life.

395

In Britain's Senate he a feat obtains,
And one more Penfioner St. Stephen gains.
My Lady falls to play; fo bad her chance,
He must repair it; takes a bribe from France;
The House impeach him; Coningsby harangues;
The Court forfake him, and Sir Balaam hangs :
Wife, fon, and daughter, Satan! are thy own,
His wealth, yet dearer, forfeit to the Crown: 400

The Devil and the King divide the prize,
And fad Sir Balaam curfes God and dies.

VER. 401. The Devil and the King divide the Prize.] This is to be underflood in a very fober and decent sense; as a Satire only on fuch Minifters of State which History informs us have been found, who aided the Devil in his temptations, in order to foment, if not to make, Plots for the fake of confifcations. So fure always, and juft is our author's fatire, even in those places where he seems most to have indulged himself only in an elegant badinage. But this Satire on the abufe of the general Laws of forfeiture for high treafon, which all well-policied communities have found expedient to provide themselves withal, is by no means to be understood as a reflection on the Laws themselves, whose necessity, equity, and even lenity have been excellently well vindicated in that very learned and elegant Difcourfe intitled, Some Confderations on the Law of Forfeiture for high Treafon. Third Edition, London 1748.

VER. ult. curfes God and dies.] i. e. Fell under the temptation; alluding to the story of Job referred to above,

IMITATIONS.

VER. 394. And one more Penfioner St. Stephen gains.]

atque unum civem donare Sibyllæ.

Juv.