385
And b great Naffaú to Kneller's hand decreed
To fix him graceful on the bounding Steed;
So well in paint and stone they judg’d of merit:
But Kings in Wit may want difcerning Spirit.
The Hero William, and the Martyr Charles,
One knighted Blackmore, and one penfion'd Quarles ;
Which made old Ben and furly Dennis fwear,
"No Lord's anointed, but a ‹ Ruffian Bear."
Not with fuch & majesty, fuch bold relief,
The Forms august, of King, or conquering Chief,
E'er fwell'd on marble; as in verse have shin'd
(In polish'd verfe) the manners and the Mind.
Oh! could I mount on the Mæonian wing,
Your Arms, your Actions, your Repose to fing! 395
What f feas you travers'd, and what fields you fought!
Your Country's Peace, how oft, how dearly bought!
d
How
Fortis b Alexandri vultum fimulantia. quod fi
Judicium fubtile videndis artibus illud
Ad libros et ad haec Mufarum dona vocares';
c Boeotum in craffo jurares aëre natum.
[At neque dedecorant tua de se judicia, atque Munera quae multa dantis cum laude tulerunt, Dilecti tibi Virgilius Variufque poetae ;]
d
Nec magis expreffi & vultus per ahenea figna, Quam per vatis opus mores animique virorum Clarorum apparent. nec fermones ego mallem Repentes per humum, quam res componere geftas, Terrarumque f fitus et flumina dicere, et arces
e
How g barbarous rage fubfided at
your word,
And Nations wonder'd while they dropp'd the sword!
How, when you nodded, o'er the land and deep, 400
h Peace ftole her wing, and wrapt the world in fleep;
Till earth's extremes your mediation own,
And i Afia's Tyrants tremble at your Throne-
But k Verse, alas! your Majesty disdains;
And I'm not us'd to Panegyric ftrains:
The Zeal of Fools offends at any time,
But most of all, the Zeal of Fools in rhyme.
Befides, a fate attends on all I write,
That when I aim at praise, they say m I bite.
A vile Encomium doubly ridicules:
There's nothing blackens like the ink of fools.
If true, a ° woful likeness; and if lyes,
"Praise undeferv'd is fcandal in disguise :"
h
Montibus impofitas, et s barbara regna, tuisque
Aufpiciis totum h confecta duella per orbem,
Clauftraque cuftodem pacis cohibentia Janum,
Et i formidatam Parthis, te principe, Romam:
Si quantum cuperem, poffem quoque. fed neque parvum
* Carmen majestas recipit tua; nec meus audet
Rem tentare pudor, quam vires ferre recufent.
Sedulitas autem 1 ftulte, quem diligit, urget;
Praecipue cum fe numeris commendat et arte.
Difcit enim citius, meminitque libentius illud
Quod quis deridet, quam quod probat et veneratur.
Nil moror" officium, quod me gravat: ac neque ficto
In pejus vultu proponi cereus ufquam,
Well may he p blush, who gives it, or receives;
And when I flatter, let my dirty leaves
(Like Journals, Odes, and fuch forgotten things
As Eufden, Philips, Settle, writ of Kings)
a Clothe fpice, line trunks, or, fluttering in a row,
Befringe the rails of Bedlam and Soho.
Nec prave factis decorari verfibus opto:
Ne p rubeam pingui donatus munere, et una
Cum fcriptore meo capfa porrectus aperta,
9 Deferar in vicum vendentem thus et odores,
Et piper, et quicquid chartis amicitur ineptis.
BOOK II.
EPISTLE II.
"Ludentis fpeciem dabit, & torquebitur." Hor.
DEAR
EAR Col'nel, Cobham's and your country's
Friend!
You love a Verfe, take fuch as I can fend.
b A Frenchman comes, prefents you with his Boy, Bows, and begins-" This Lad, Sir, is of Blois : "Obferve his fhape how clean! his locks how curl'd! "My only fon, I'd have him fee the world: "His French is pure; his Voice too-you shall hear. "Sir, he's your flave, for twenty pound a year. "Mere wax as yet, you fashion him with ease, "Your Barber, Cook, Upholsterer, what you please: "A perfect genius at an Opera fong"To fay too much, might do my honour wrong.
EPISTOLA II.
F
LORE, bono claroque fidelis amice Neroni,
b Si quis forte velit puerum tibi vendere natum
Tibure vel Gabiis, et tecum fic agat: "Hic et
"Candidus, et talos a vertice pulcher ad imos,
"Fiet eritque tuus nummorum millibus octo;
"Verna ministeriis ad nutus aptus heriles;
"Litterulis Graecis imbutus, idoneus arti
"Cuilibet: argilla quidvis imitaberis uda:
15
"Take him with all his virtues, on my word;
"His whole ambition was to ferve a Lord:
"But, Sir, to you, with what would I not part?
“Though faith, I fear, 'twill break his Mother's heart.
"Once (and but once) I caught him in a lie,
"And then, unwhipp'd, he had the grace to cry:
"The fault he has I fairly fhall reveal,
66 (Could you o'erlook but that) it is, to steal.”
c If, after this, you took the graceful lad,
с
Could you complain, my Friend, he prov'd fo bad?
Faith, in fuch cafe, if you should profecute,
I think Sir Godfrey should decide the fuit;
Who fent the Thief that stole the Cash, away,
And punish'd him that put it in his way.
d Confider then, and judge me in this light,
I told you when I went, I could not write;
"Quin etiam canet indoctum, fed dulce bibenti.
"Multa fidem promiffa levant, ubi plenius aequo
“Laudat venales, qui vult extrudere, merces.
fum
“Res urget me nulla: meo
in aere.
pauper
"Nemo hoc mangonum faceret tibi: non temere a me
Quivis ferret idem: femel hic ceffavit, et (ut fit)
" In scalis latuit metuens pendentis habenae :
"Des nummos, excepta nihil te fi fuga laedit."
66
c Ille ferat pretium, poenae fecurus, opinor. Prudens emifti vitiofum: dicta tibi eft lex. Infequeris tamen hunc, et lite moraris iniqua.
d Dixi me pigrum proficifcenti tibi, dixi Talibus officiis prope mancum; ne mea faevus
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