I nod in company, I wake at night,
Fools rush into my head, and so I write.

F. You could not do a worse thing for your life. 15
Why, if the nights seem tedious--take a Wife:
f Or rather truly, if your point be reft,
Lettuce and cowflip-wine; Probatum eft.
But talk with Celsus, Celsus will advise
Hartshorn, or something that shall close your eyes. 20
& Or, if you needs must write, write Caesar's Praise,
You'll gain at least a Knighthood, or the Bays.
P. What? like Sir i Richard, rumbling, rough,

and fierce,
With ARMS, and GEORGE, and BRUNSWICK crowd

the verse,
Rend with tremendous found your ears afunder, 25
With Gun, Drum, Trumpet, Blunderbuss, and

Thunder?
Or nobly wild, with Budgel's fire and force,
Paint Angels trembling round his falling Horse?

F. * Then all your Muse's softer art display,
Let CAROLINA smooth the tuneful lay,

30
Lull with AMELIA's liquid name the Nine,
And sweetly flow thro' all the Royal Line.

P. · Alas! few verses touch their nicer ear;
They scarce can bear their Laureate twice a year;

NOTES
tender, and the Princes of the blood of France, fcd be-
fore him.

Verba per attentam non ibunt Caesaris aurem :
Cui male fi palpere, recalcitrat undique tutus.

T." Quanto rectius hoc, quam tristi laedere versu

Pantolabum (curram, Nomentanumve nepotem?

* Cum sibi quisque timet, quamquam est intactus, et

odit.

H.° Quid faciam? faltat Milonius, ut femel ico

Acceffit fervor capiti, numerusque lucernis,
P Caftor gaudet equis; ovo prognatus eodem,
Pugnis. quot capitum vivunt, totidem ftudioram
Millia. 9 me pedibus delectat claudere verba,

Notes.

VER. 41. What frould ail them?] Horace hints at one reason, that each fears his own turn may be next ; his imi. tator gives another, and with more art, a reason which infinuates, that his very lenity, in using feigned names, increases the number of his Enemies.

Ver. 50. Like in all else, as one Egg to another.] This has neither the juftnefs nor elegance of

ovo prognatus eodem. For tho'it may appear odd, that those who come from the Same Egg should have tempers and pursuits directly contrary ; yet there is nothing strange, that two Brothers, alike in all things else, should have different amusements.

VER. 52. As downright Shippen, or as old Montagne :]

And justly CAESAR scorns the Poet's lays, 35
It is to History he trusts for Praise.

F. m Better be Cibber, I'll maintain it still,
Than ridicule all Tafte, blaspheme Quadrille,
Abuse the City's best good men in metre,
And laugh at Peers that put their trust in Peter.

40 * Ev’n those you touch not, hate you.

P. What should ail them?
F. A hundred smart in Timon and in Balaam :
The fewer still you name, you wound the more ;
Bond is but one, but Harpax is a score.

P.° Each mortal has his pleasure: none deny 45
Scarsdale his bottle, Darty his Ham-pye;
Ridotta fips and dances, till she see
The doubling Luftres dance as fast as the ;
P Framloves the Senate, Hackley-hole his brother,
Like in all else, as one Egg to another.

50
. I love to pour out all my felf, as plain
As downright SHIPPEN, or as old Montagne :

Notes.

They had this, indeed, in common, to use great liberties of speech, and to profefs saying what they thought. Montagne had many qualities, that have gained him the love and efteem of his Readers: The other had one, which always gain'd him the favourable attention of his Hearers, For, as a celebrated Roman Orator observes, “ Maledi. “ cit INERUDITUS apertius et faepius, cum periculo eti

am suo. 'Affert et ifta res OPINIONEM, quia libentifas fime homines audiunt ea quae dicere ipli noluissent.'

Lucilî ritu, noftrum melioris utroque.
Ille velut fidis arcana sodalibus olim

Credebat libris ; neque, si male gefferat, usquam

Decurrens alio, neque si bene: quo fit, ut omnis
Votiva pateat veluti descripta tabella
Vita fenis. fequor hunc, Lucanus an Appulus, an-

ceps:

[Nam venufinus arat finem sub utrumque colonus, Missus ad hoc, pulsis (vetus est ut fama) Sabellis,

Quo ne per vacuum Romano incurreret hoftis ;

Sive quod Appula gens, feu quod Lucania bellum

Incuteret violenta.] s fed hic stylus haud petet ultro

Quemquam animantem, et me veluti custodiet ensis

Vagina tectus, quem cur destringere coner,

Notes. VER. 56. the medium must be clear.] Allusion to a fountain of limpid water, thro' which the contents of the bottom are discovered. This thought, tho' not very exact, affifted him in the easy and happy change of the metaphor in the following line.

Ver. 63. My head and heart thus flowing from my quill) Inferior to the Original :

Ille velut fidis arcana fodalibus olim
Credebat libris, etc.

In them, as certain to be lov'd as seen,
The Soul stood forth, nor kept a thought within ;
In me what spots (for spots I have) appear, 55
Will prove at least the Medium must be clear.
In this impartial glass, my Muse intends
Fair to expose myself, my foes, my friends;
Publish the present age; but where my text
Is Vice too high, reserve it for the next :

60
My foes shall wish my life a longer date,
And ev'ry friend the less lament my fate.
My head and heart thus flowing thro' my quill,

Verse-man or Prose-man, term me which you will,
Papist or Protestant, or both between,

65
Like good Erasmus in an honest Mean,
In moderation placing all my glory,
While Tories call me Whig, and Whigs a Tory.

s Satire's my weapon, but I'm too discreet To run a muck, and tilt at all I meet;

70

Nores.
Persius alluded to this idea, when he said,

Vidi, vidi ipse, Libelle ! etc.
VER. 64. Verse-man or Profe-man, term me which you
will, Papist 17 Proteftant, etc.] The original thought
(which is very flat, and so ill and aukwardly expressed, as
to be taken for a monkish Addition) is here admirably
imitated, in a lively character of himself, and his Writ-
ings.

VER. 69. Saiire's my weapon] In these Words, our Author has happily explained the true Character of Ho