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ONE THOUSAND

SEVEN HUNDRED

AND

THIRTY EIGHT.

FR.

NOT

DIALOGUE I

OT twice a twelvemonth you appear in Print, And when it comes, the Court fee nothing in't. You grow correct, that once with Rapture writ, And are, befides, too Moral for a Wit. Decay of Parts, alas! we all must feel Why now, this moment, don't I fee you steal? 'Tis all from Horace; Horace long before ye, Said, Tories call'd him Whig, and Whigs a Tory; And taught his Romans, in much better metre, To laugh at Fools who put their trust in Peter. But Horace, Sir, was delicate, was nice; Bubo obferves, he lash'd no fort of Vice;

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Horace

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Horace would fay, Sir Billy ferv'd the Crown,
Blunt could do Bus'nefs, Huggins knew the Town,
In Sapho touch the Failings of the Sex,
In rev'rend Sutton note fome fmall Neglects,

And own, the Spaniard did a waggish thing,

Who cropt our Ears, and sent them to the King.
His fly, polite, infinuating stile

Could please at Court, and make AUGUSTUS fmile:
An artful Manager, that crept between

His Friend and Shame, and was a kind of Screen.t

But 'faith your very Friends will foon be fore;

Patriots there are, who wish you'd jest no more —

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And where's the Glory? 'twill be only thought 25
The Great man never offer'd you a groat,

Go fee Sir ROBERT

P. See Sir ROBERT !

-hum

And never laugh-for all my life to come?
Seen him I have, but in his happier hour
Of focial Pleafure, ill-exchang'd for Pow'r ;
Seen him, uncumber'd with the Venal tribe,
Smile without Art, and win without a Bribe.
Would he oblige me? let me only find,
He does not think me what he thinks mankind.
Come, come, at all I laugh he laughs, no doubt,
The only diff'rence is, I dare laugh out.

Omne vafer vitium ridenti Flaccus amico
Tangit, admiffus circum præcordia ludit.

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PERS.

F. Why

F. Why yes: with Scripture ftill you may be free; A Horfe-laugh, if you pleafe, at Honesty;

A Joke on JEKYL, or fome odd Old Whig
Who never chang'd his Principle, or Wig.
A Patriot is a Fool in ev'ry age,

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Whom all Lord Chamberlains allow the Stage:
These nothing hurts; they keep their Fashion ftill, 45
And wear their ftrange old Virtue, as they will.

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If any ask you, "Who's the Man, so near "His Prince, that writes in Verfe, and has his ear? Why anfwer LYTTELTON, and I'll engage The worthy Youth shall ne'er be in a rage: But were his Verfes vile, his Whisper base, You'd quickly find him in Lord Fanny's cafe. Sejanus, Wolfey, hurt not honeft FLEURY, But well may put fome Statesmen in a fury,

Laugh then at any, but at Fooks, or Foes; These you but anger, and amend not those.

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Laugh at your Friends, and if your Friends are fore, So much the better, you may laugh the more.

To Vice and Folly to confine the jeft,

Sets half the world, God knows, against the reft; 6a
Did not the Sneer of more impartial men
At Senfe and Virtue, balance all agen.
Judicious Wits spread wide the Ridicule,
And charitably comfort Knave and Fool.

P. Dear Sir, forgive the Prejudice of Youth: 65 Adieu Diftinction, Satire, Warmth, and Truth! Come harmless Characters that no one hit,

Come Henley's Oratory, Ofborn's Wit!

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