See the fame man, in vigor, in the gout;
Alone, in company; in place, or out;
Early at Bus'nefs, and at Hazard late;
Mad at a Fox-chase, wife at a Debate;
Drunk at a Borough, civil at a Ball;
Friendly at Hackney, faithlefs at Whitehall.
Catius is ever moral, ever grave,

Thinks who endures a knave, is next a knave,
Save juft at dinner-then prefers, no doubt,
A Rogue with Ven'fon to a Saint without.

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80

Who would not praife Patricio's high defert, His hand unftain'd, his uncorrupted heart, His comprehenfive head! all Int'refts weigh'd, All Europe fav'd, yet Britain not betray'd. He thanks you not, his Pride is in Picquette, Newmarket-fame, and judgment at a Bett. What made (fay Montagne, or more fage Charron!) Otho a warrior, Cromwell a buffoon?

A perjur'd Prince a leaden faint revere,

A godlefs Regent tremble at a Star?

VER. 81. Patritio] Lord G-n.

85

go

VER. 89. A perjur'd Prince] Louis XI. of France, wore

VARIATIONS.

After ver. 86. in the former Editions,

Triumphant leaders, at an army's head,
Hemm'd round with glories, pilfer cloth or bread;
As meanly plunder as they bravely fought,
Now fave a People, and now fave a groat.

The throne a Bigot keep, a Genius quit,
Faithlefs thro' Piety, and dup'd thro' Wit?
Europe a Woman, Child, or Dotard rule,
And juft her wifeft monarch make a fool?

Know, GoD and NATURE Only are the fame: 95 In Man, the judgment fhoots at flying game; A bird of paffage! gone as foon as found, Now in the Moon perhaps, now under ground.

in his Hat a leaden image of the Virgin Mary, which when he fwore by, he feared to break his oath.

VER. 90. A godless Regent tremble at a Star ? ] Philip Duke of Orleans, Regent of France in the minority of Louis XV. fuperftitious in judicial aftrology, though an unbeliever in all religion.

VER. 9 .91. The throne a Bigot keep, a Genius quit,] Philip V. of Spain, who, after renouncing the throne for Religion, refumed it to gratify his Queen; and Victor Amadeus II. King of Sardinia, who refigned the crown, and trying to reaffume it, was imprifoned 'till his death.

VER. 93. Europe a Woman, Child, or Dotard rule, — And just her wisest monarch made a fool?] The Czarina, the King of France, the Pope, and the abovementioned King of Sardinia.

VER. 95. Know, God and Nature, etc.] By Nature is not here meant any imaginary substitute of God, called a Plaftic nature; but his moral taws: And this obfervation was inferted with great propriety and difcretion, in the conclufion of a long detail of the various characters of men: For, from this circumftance, Montagne and others have been bold enough to infinuate, that morality is founded more in custom and fashion than in the nature of things. The fpeaking therefore of a moral law of God as having all the conftancy and durability of his Essence, had an high expediency in this place.

In vain the fage, with retrospective eye,

Would from th' apparent What conclude the Why,
Infer the Motive from the Deed, and shew,

That what we chanc'd was what we meant to do.
Behold! If Fortune or a Mistress frowns,`

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Some plunge in bus'ness, others fhave their crowns :
To ease the Soul of one oppreffive weight,
This quits an Empire, that embroils a State:
The fame aduft complexion has impell'd
Charles to the Convent, Philip to the Field.
Not always Actions fhew the man: we find
Who does a kindness, is not therefore kind:
Perhaps Profperity becalm'd his breaft,
Perhaps the Wind juft fhifted from the east:
Not therefore humble he who feeks retreat,
Pride guides his fteps, and bids him fhun the great:
Who combats bravely is not therefore brave,

He dreads a death-bed like the meanest slave :

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115

Charles

VER. 107. The fame aduft complexion bas impell'd to the Convent, Philip to the Field.] The attrabilaire complexion of Philip II. is well known, but not so well that he derived it from his father Charles V. whose health, the hiftorians of his life tell us, was frequently difordered by bilious fevers. But what the author meant principally to obferve here was, that this humour made both these princes act contrary to their Character; Charles, who was an active man, when he retired into a Convent; Philip, who was a Man of the Clofet, when he gave the battle of St. Quintin.

Who reafons wifely is not therefore wise,

His pride in Reas'ning, not in Acting, lies.
But grant that actions best discover man;

Take the most strong, and fort them as you can. 120
The few that glare, each character must mark,
You balance not the many in the dark.
What will you do with fuch as difagree?
Supprefs them, or mifcall them policy?
Muft then at once (the character to fave)
The plain rough Hero turn a crafty Knave?
Alas! in truth the man but chang'd his mind,
Perhaps was fick, in love, or had not din'd.
Ask why from Britain Cæfar would retreat ?
Cæfar himself might whisper he was beat.

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130

VER. 117. Who reasons wifely, etc.] By reafoning is not here meant fpeculating; but deliberating and refolving in public counfels; for this instance is given as one, of a variety of ac

tions.

VER. 139. Cæfar himself might whisper be was beat.] Cæfar wrote his Commentaries, in imitation of the Greek Generals, for

VARIATIONS.

VER. 129. In the former Editions ;

Afk why from Britain Cæfar made retreat?
Cæfar himself would tell you he was beat.
The mighty Czar what mov'd to wed a Punk?
The mighty Czar would tell you he was drunk.

Altered as above, because Cæfar wrote his Commentaries of this war, and does not tell you he was beat.

As Cæfar too

afforded an instance of both cafes, it was thought better to make him the fingle Example,

Why risk the world's great empire for a Punk?
Cæfar perhaps might answer he was drunk.
But, fage hiftorians! 'tis your task to prove

One action Conduct; one, heroic Love.

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"Tis from high Life high Characters are drawn;
A Saint in Crape is twice a Saint in Lawn;
A Judge is juft, a Chanc'lor jufter still;
A Gownman, learn'd; a Bishop, what you will;
Wife, if a Minifter; but, if a King,

More wife, more learn'd, more juft, more every thing.
Court-Virtues bear, like Gems, the highest rate, 14!
Born where Heav'n's influence scarce can penetrate;
In life's low vale, the foil the Virtues like,

They pleafe as beauties, here as wonders ftrike.
Tho' the fame fun with all-diffufive
Blush in the rofe, and in the Di'mond blaze,

rays

145

the entertainment of the world: But had his friends asked him, in his ear, the reason of his fudden retreat from Britain, after fo many pretended victories, we have cause to suspect, even from his own public relation of that matter, that he would have whisper'd be was beat.

VER. 131. Why rifk the world's great empire for a Punk ? ] After the battle of Pharfalia, Cæfar purfued his enemy to Alexandria, where he became infatuated with the charms of Cleopatra, and inftead of pufhing his advantages, and difperfing the relicks of the Pharfalian quarrel, (after narrowly efcaping the violence of an enraged populace) brought upon himself an unneceifary war, at a time his arms were most wanted elsewhere.

VER. 141. Court-virtues bear, like Gems, etc.] This whole reflection, and the fimilitude brought to fupport it, have a great delicacy of ridicule.

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