And fure, the deadlieft Foe to Virtue's flame, Our worst of Evils, is perverted Shame. Beneath this load what abject numbers groan, Th' entangled Slaves to folly not their own! Meanly by fashionable fear oppress'd, We feek our Virtues in each other's breast; Blind to ourselves, adopt each foreign Vice, Another's weakness, int'reft, or caprice. Each Fool to low Ambition, poorly great, That pines in fplendid wretchedness of state, 70 Tir'd in the treach'rous Chafe, would nobly yield, And but for Shame, like SYLLA, quit the field: The Dæmon Shame paints ftrong the ridicule, And whispers close, "the World will call you Fool."

Behold, yon Wretch, by impious fashion driv'n, Believes and trembles while he fcoffs at Heav'n. By weakness strong, and bold thro' fear alone, He dreads the fneer by fhallow Coxcombs thrown Dauntless pursues the path Spinoza trod; To Man a Coward, and a Brave to God.

IMITATIONS.

65

VER. 80. To Man a Coward, etc.]

Vois tu ce Libertin en public intrepide,
Qui preche contre un Dieu que dans fon Ame il croit?

;

80

Faith, Juftice, Heav'n itself now quit their hold, When to false Fame the captiv'd heart is fold: Hence, blind to truth, relentless Cato dy'd; Nought could fubdue his Virtue, but his Pride. Hence chaste Lucretia's Innocence betray'd 85 Fell by that Honour which was meant its aid. Thus Virtue finks beneath unnumber'd woes, When Paffions, born her friends, revolt her foes.

90

Hence SATIRE's pow'r : 'Tis her corrective part, To calm the wild diforders of the heart. She points the arduous height where Glory lies, And teaches mad Ambition to be wife : In the dark bofom wakes the fair defire,

Draws good from ill, a brighter flame from fire;
Strips black Oppreffion of her gay disguise, 95
And bids the Hag in native horror rise;
Strikes tow'ring Pride and lawless Rapine dead,
And plants the wreath on Virtue's awful head.

Nor boasts the Mufe a vain imagin'd Pow'r, Tho' oft fhe mourn thofe ills fhe cannot cure. 100

IMITATIONS.

Il iroit embraer la Verité, qu'il voit;
Mais de fes faux Amis il craint la Raillerie,
Et ne brave ainfi Dieu que par Poltronnerie.

BOILEAU, Ep. iii.

104

The Worthy court her, and the Worthlefs fear;
Who fhun her piercing eye, that eye revere.
Her awful voice the Vain and Vile obey,
And ev'ry foe to Wisdom feels her sway.
Smarts, Pedants, as she smiles, no more are vain;
Defponding Fops refign the clouded cane :
Hufh'd at her voice, pert Folly's felf is still,
And Dulness wonders while fhe drops her quill.
Like the arm'd BEE, with art most subtly true,
From poys'nous Vice fhe draws a healing dew:
Weak are the ties that civil arts can find,
To quell the ferment of the tainted mind:
Cunning evades, fecurely wrapt in wiles;
And force strong-finew'd rends th' unequal toils:
The stream of vice impetuous drives along, 115
Too deep for Policy, for Pow'r too strong.
Ev'n fair Religion, Native of the skies,
Scorn'd by the Crowd, feeks refuge with theWise;
The Crowd with laughter fpurns her awful train,
And Mercy courts, and Justice frowns in vain. 120
But SATIRE's fhaft can pierce the harden'd breast :
She plays a ruling Paffion on the rest:

IMITATIONS.

VER. 110. From poys'nous Vice, etc.] Alluding to these Lines of Mr. Pope;

In the nice Bee what Art fo fubtly true

From poys'nous Herbs extracts a healing Dew?

Undaunted storms the batt'ry of his pride,
And awes the Brave that Earth and Heav'n defy'd.
When fell Corruption, by her vaffals crown'd, 125
Derides fall'n Justice proftrate on the ground;
Swift to redress an injur'd People's groan,

Bold SATIRE shakes the Tyrant on her throne;
Pow'rful as Death, defies the fordid train,
And Slaves and Sycophants furround in vain. 130

But with the friends of Vice, the foes of SATIRE, All truth is fpleen; all juft reproof, Ill-nature.

;

Well may they dread the Muse's fatal skill Well may they tremble when she draws her quill: Her magic quill, that, like ITHURIEL's fpear, 135 Reveals the cloven hoof, or lengthen'd ear: Bids Vice and Folly take their natural shapes, Turns Ducheffes to ftrumpets, Beaux to apes; Drags the vile Whisp'rer from his dark abode, Till all the Dæmon starts up from the toad. 140

O fordid maxim, form'd to fcreen the vile, That true good-nature still must wear a smile! In frowns array'd her beauties ftronger rife, When love of Virtue wakes her scorn of Vice:

145

Where Justice calls, 'tis Cruelty to save;
And 'tis the Law's good-nature hangs the Knave.
Who combats Virtue's foe is Virtue's friend:

Then judge of SATIRE'S merit by her end:
To Guilt alone her vengeance ftands confin'd,
The object of her love is all Mankind.
150
Scarce more the friend of Man, the wife muft own
Ev'nALLEN's bounteous hand, thanSATIRE's frown:
This to chastise, as That to bless, was giv’n;
Alike the faithful Minifters of Heav'n.

Oft in unfeeling hearts the fhaft is fpent: 155 Tho' ftrong th' example, weak the punishment. They leaft are pain'd, who merit fatire moft; Folly the Laureat's, Vice was Chartres' boaft: Then where's the wrong, to gibbet high the name Of Fools and Knaves already dead to fhame? 160 Oft SATIRE acts the faithful Surgeon's part; Gen'rous and kind tho' painful is her art: With caution bold, fhe only ftrikes to heal, Tho' Folly raves to break the friendly steel. Then fure no fault impartial SATIRE knows, 165 Kind ev'n in Vengeance, kind to Virtue's foes. Whofe is the crime, the fcandal too be theirs: The Knave and Fool are their own Libellers.