ད EPISTLE III. P.WHO HO fhall decide, when Doctors difagree, EPISTLE III.] This Epiftle was written after a violent outcry against our Author, on a fuppofition that he had ridiculed a worthy nobleman merely for his wrong taste. He juftified himself upon that article, in a letter to the Earl of Burlington; at the end of which are these words: "I have learnt that there are fome who would rather be "wicked than ridiculous; and therefore it may be safer "to attack vices than follies. I will therefore leave my "betters in the quiet poffeffion of their idols, their groves, "and their high places; and change my fubject from "their pride to their meannefs, from their vanities to "their miferies; and as the only certain way to avoid mifconftructions, to leffen offence, and not to multiply ill-natured applications, I may probaby, in my next, "make use of real names inftead of fictitious ones." P. VER. 1. Who fhall decide, &c.] The addrefs of the Introduction (from 1 to 21) is remarkable: The poet reprefents himself and the noble Lord his friend, as in a converfation, philofophifing on the final caufe of Riches; and it proceeds by way of dialogue, which moft writers ufe to hide want of method; our Author only to soften and enliven the drynefs and feverity of it. You (fays the poet) bold the word from Jove to Momus giv'n, But 1, who think more highly of our kind, &c. Opine that Nature, &c. EP. III. You hold the word, from Jove to Momus giv❜n, That Man was made the ftanding jeft of Heav'n; And Gold but fent to keep the fools in play, For fome to heap, and fome to throw away. 66 66 5 As much as to say, "You, my Lord, hold the subject we are upon as fit only for Satire; I, on the contrary, "efteem it a cafe of Philofophy and profound Ethics: "But as we both agree in the main Principle, that Riches were not given for the reward of Virtue, but for very different purposes (See Effay on Man, Ep. iv.) let us compromife the matter, and confider the subject joint"ly, both under your idea and mine, i. e. Satirically "and Philofophically.”—And this, in fact, we shall find to be the true character of this poem, which is a Species peculiar to itself, and partaking equally of the nature of his Ethic Epiftles and his Satires, as the best pieces of Lucian arofe from a combination of the Dialogues of Plato, and the Scenes of Ariftophanes. This it will be neceffary to carry with us, if we would see either the Wit or the Reafoning of this Epiftle in their true light. NOTES. VER. 3. Momus giv'n] A- | mongst the earliest abuses of reason, one of the first was to cavil at the ways of Providence. But as, in those times, every Vice as well as Virtue, had its Patron God, Momus came to be at the head of the old Freethinkers. Him, the Mythologifts very ingeniously made the Son of Sleep and Night, and fo, confequently, halfbrother to Dulness. But having been much employed, in after ages, by the Greek Satirifts, he came, at last, to pafs for a Wit; and under this idea, he is to be confidered in the place before us. But I, who think more highly of our kind, ΙΟ 16 Like Doctors thus, when much dispute has past, We find our tenets just the same at last. Both fairly owning, Riches, in effect, No grace of Heav'n or token of th’Elect; Giv❜n to the Fool, the Mad, the Vain, the Evil, NOTES. VER. 9. Opine,] A term | Sun,] The rival of its Sire facred to controversy and high debate. in its brightness, and in its power of drawing mankind into error and delufion; the two first idols of the world, natural and moral, being the Sun and Gold. VER. 20 JOHN WARD Of Hackney, Efq; Member of Parliament, being profecuted by the Duchefs of Buckingham, and convicted of Forgery, was firft expelled B. What Nature wants, commodious Gold beftows, 'Tis thus we eat the bread another fows. ny NOTES. | ments. To fum up the worth of this gentleman, at the feveral æra's of his life, At his ftanding in the Pillory he was worth above two hundred thousand pounds ; at his commitment to Prifon, he was worth one hundred and fifty thousand; but has been fince fo far diminished in his reputation, as to be thought a worse man by fifty or fixty thousand. P. the House, and then stood in the Pillory on the 17th of March 1727. He was fufpected of joining in a conveyance with Sir John Blunt, to fecrete fifty thoufand pounds of that Director's Eftate, forfeited to the South-Sea company by Act of Parliament. The Comparecovered the fifty thou- | fand pounds against Ward; but he fet up prior conveyances of his real estate to his brother and fon, and conceal'd all his perfonal, which was computed to be one hundred and fifty thoufand pounds. Thefe conveyances being alfo fet afide by a bill in Chancery, Ward was imprisoned, and hazarded the forfeiture of his life, by not giving in hising-tables, he took to lendeffects till the laft day, ing of money at exorbitant which was that of his exa- intereft and on great pemination. During his con- nalties, accumulating prefinement, his amusement was mium, intereft, and capital to give poison to dogs and into a new capital, and feizcats, and fee them expire ing to a minute when the by flower or quicker tor payments became due ; in FR. CHARTRES, a man infamous for all manner of vices. When he was an enfign in the army, he was drumm'd out of the regiment for a cheat; he was next banish'd Bruffels, and drumm'd out of Ghent on the fame account. After a hundred tricks at the gam P. But how unequal it beftows, observe, 4 'Tis thus we riot, while, who fow it, ftarve: NOTES. a word, by a conftant attention to the vices, wants, and follies of mankind, he acquired an immenfe fortune. His house was a perpetual bawdy-houfe. He was twice condemn'd for rapes, and pardoned; but the laft time not without imprisonment in Newgate, and large confifcations. He died in 26 Scotland in 1731, aged 62. The populace at his funeral rais'd a great riot, almost tore the body out of the coffin, and caft dead dogs, &c. into the grave along with it. The following Epitaph contains his character, very justly drawn by Dr Arbuthnot: HERE continueth to rot The Body of FRANCIS CHARTRES, Who, with an INFLEXIBLE CONSTANCY, and INIMITABLE UNIFORMITY of Life, PERSISTED, In fpite of AGE and INFIRMITIES, In the Practice of EVERY HUMAN VICE; Excepting PRODIGALITY and HYPOCRISY: His infatiable AVARICE exempted him from the first, His matchlefs IMPUDENCE from the fecond. |