The love of politicks fo vulgar's grown,
My landlord's party from his fign is known :
Mark of French wine, fee Ormond's head appear,
While Marlb'rough's face directs to beer and beer;
Some Buchanan's, the Pope's head fome like beft,
The Devil tavern is a ftanding jeft.
Whoe'er you are that have a feat fecure,
Duly return'd, and from petition fure,
Stick to your friends in whatsoe'er you say ;
With ftrong averfion fhun the middle-way;
The middle-way the best we fometimes call,
But 'tis in politicks no way at all.
A Trimmer's what both parties turn to fport,
By country hated, and defpis'd at court.
Who would in earnest to a party come,
Muft give his vote not whimfical, but plumb.
There is no medium; for the term in vogue,
On either fide is, honeft man, or rogue.
Can it be difficult our minds to fhew,.
Where all the difference is, yes, or no?
Hac amat obfcurum, volet hæc fub luce videri;
Hæc placuit femel, hæc decies repetita placebit.
Omajor juvenum - -hoc tibi dictum
Tolle memor, certis medium & tolerabile rebus
Recte concedi.
Non homines, non Dii, non concefsére columnæ.
Sic animis natum inventumque Poëma juvandis,
Si paulum a fummo deceffit, vergit ad imum.
In all profeffions, time and pains give fkill;
Without hard study dare phyficians kill?
Can he that ne'er read statutes or reports,
Give chamber counfel, or urge law in courts?
But ev'ry whipfter knows affairs of state,
Nor fears on niceft fubjects to debate.
A knight of eighteen hundred pounds a year.
Who minds his head, if his eftate be clear?
Sure he may speak his mind, and tell the house,
He matters not the government a louse.
Lack-learning knights, these things are fafely faid
To friends in private, at the Bedford-head;
But in the house, before your tongue runs on,
Confult fir James, lord William's dead and gone.
Words to recall is in no member's power,
One fingle word may send you to the Tower.
The wrong'd to help, the lawless to restrain,
Thrice ev'ry year in ancient Egbert's reign,
b Ludere qui nefcit, campeftribus abftinet armis :
Indoctufque pile, difcive, trochive, quiefcit,
Ne fpiffe rifum tollant impunè coronæ ;
Qui nefcit, verfus tamen audet fingere.—
Quid ni?
Liber ingenuus præfertim cenfus equeftrem
Summam nummorum, vitioque remotus ab omni.
Membranis intus pofitis, delere licebit
Quod non edideris: nefcit vox missa reverti.
Sylveftres homines facer interprefque Deorum
victu fædo deterruit Orpheus.
Fuit hæc fapientia quondam,
Publica privatis fecernere, facra profanis :
The members to the Mitchelgemot went,
In after-ages called the Parliament;
Early the Mitchelgemot did begin
'T' inroll their ftatutes on a parchment skin :
For impious treason hence no room was left,
For murder, for polygamy, or theft:
Since when the fenate's power both fexes know
From hops and claret, foap and callico.
Now wholfome laws young fenators bring in
'Gainst goals, attorneys, bribery, and gin.
Since fuch the nature of the British state,
The power of parliament fo old and great,
Ye 'fquires and Irish lords, 'tis worth your care
To be return'd for city, town, or shire,
By fheriff, bailiff, conftable, or mayor.
Some doubt, which to a feat has best pretence,
A man of fubflance, or a man of sense:
But never any member feats will do,
Without a head-piece and a pocket too;
Concubitu probibere vago, dare jura maritis;
Oppida moliri, leges incidere ligno.
Diata per carmina fortes,
Et vite monftrata via eft, & gratia regum
Pieriis tentata modis: ludufque repertus
Et longorum operum finis:
Sit tibi Mufa lyre folers, & cantor Apollo.
d Natura fieret laudabile carmen, an arte,
Quæfitum eft; ego nec ftudium fine divite venâ,
Senfe is requir'd the depth of things to reach,
And money gives authority to speech.
e A man of bus'nefs won't till ev'ning dine,
Abftains from women; company, and wine:
From Fig's new theatre he'll miss a night,
Tho' cocks, and bulls, and Irish women fight;
Nor fultry fun, nor ftorms of foaking rain,
The man of bus'nefs from the house detain:
Nor fpeaks he for no reafon but to fay,
I am a member, and I spoke to-day.
I speak fometimes, you'll hear his lordship cry,
Because some speak that have less sense than I.
f The man that has both land and money too,
May wonders in a trading borough do:
They'll praise his ven'son, and commend his port,
Turn their two former members into fport,
And, if he likes it, fatirize the court.
Nec rude quid profit video ingenium: alterius fic
Altera pofcit opem res, & conjurat amice.
Qui ftudet optatam curfu contingere metam,
Multa tulit fecitque puer; fudavit & alfit,
Abflinuit venere vino.
Nunc fatis eft dixiffe, Ego mira poëmata pango:
Occupet extremum fcabies, mihi turpe relinqui eft,
Et, quod non didici, fane nefcire fateri.
Affentatores jubet ad lucrum ire Poëta,
Dives agris, dives pofitis in fœnore nummis.
Si vero eft undum qui recte ponere poffit,
Et fpondere levi pro paupere, & eripere atris
Litibus implicitum, mirabor, fi fciet inter-
But at a feaft 'tis difficult to know
From real friends an undiscover'd foe;
The man that swears he will the poll fecure,
And pawns his foul that your election's fure,
Sufpect that man: beware, all is not right,
He's, ten to one, a corporation-bite.
Alderman Pond, a downright honeft man,
Would fay, I cannot help you, or I can :
To spend your money, fir, is all a jeft;
Matters are settled, fet your heart at reft :
We've made a compromife, and, fir, you know,
That fends one member high, and t'other low.
But if his good advice you would not take,
He'd fcorn your fupper, and your punch forsake,
Leave you of mighty intereft to brag,
And poll two voices like fir Robert Fag.
nofcere mendacem verumque beatus amicum.
Tu feu donaris, feu quid donare voles cui,
Nolito ad verfus tibi factos ducere plenum
Lætitiæ: clamabit enim, Pulchre, bene, recte!
-fi carmina condes,
Nunquam te fallant animi fub vulpe latentes.
B Quintilio fi quid recitares, corrige, fodes,
Hoc, aiebat, & hoc : melius te poffe negares,
Bis terque expertum fruftra, delere jubebat.
Si defendere delictum, quam vertere, malles,
Nullum ultra verbum, aut operam fumebat inanem,
Quin fine rivali teque & tua folus amares,
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