B. And what? no monument, infcription, ftone? His race, his form, his name almost unknown?

290

P. Who builds a Church to God, and not to Fame, Will never mark the marble with his Name : 286 Go, fearch it there, where to be born and die, Of rich and poor makes all the history; Enough, that Virtue fill'd the space between ; Prov'd, by the ends of being, to have been. When Hopkins dies, a thousand lights attend The wretch, who living fav'd a candle's end: Should'ring God's altar a vile image stands, Belies his features, nay extends his hands; That live-long wig which Gorgon's self might own, Eternal buckle takes in Parian ftone.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 287. thus in the MS.

The Regifter inrolls him with his Poor,
Tells he was born and dy'd, and tells no more.
Juft as he ought, he fill'd the Space between ;
Then stole to reft, unheeded and unfeen.

NOTES.

fhined in their own proper pretenfions to Splendour and Magnificence. SCRIBL.

VER. 287. Go, fearch it there,] The Parish-regifter.

VER. 296. Eternal buckle takes in Parian ftone.] The

296

poet ridicules the wretched tafte of carving large perriwigs on bufto's, of which there are feveral vile examples in the tombs at Weftminster and elsewhere. P.

Behold what bleffings Wealth to life can lend !
And fee, what comfort it affords our end.

300

In the worst inn's worft room, with mat half-hung,
The floors of plaifter, and the walls of dung,
On once a flock-bed, but repair'd with straw,
With tape-ty'd curtains, never meant to draw,
The George and Garter dangling from that bed,
Where tawdry yellow ftrove with dirty red,
Great Villers lies-alas! how chang'd from him,
That life of pleasure, and that foul of whim! 306
Gallant and gay, in Cliveden's proud alcove,

The bow'r of wanton Shrewsbury and love;
Or just as gay, at Council, in a ring

Of mimick'd Statesmen, and their merry King. 310

NOTES.

VER. 305. Great Villers | banks of the Thames, built lies-]This Lord, yet more by the D. of Buckingham. famous for his vices than P. his misfortunes, after having been poffefs'd of about 50,000l. a year, and paffed thro' many of the higheft pofts in the kingdom, died in the year 1687, in a remote inn in Yorkshire, reduced to the utmoft mifery. P.

VER. 307. Cliveden] A delightful palace, on the

VER. 308. Shrewsbury] The Countess of Shrewsbury, a woman abandoned to gallantries. The Earl her husband was killed by the Duke of Buckingham in a duel; and it has been faid, that during the combat she held the Duke's horfes in the habit of a page. P.

No Wit to flatter, left of all his store!

No Fool to laugh at, which he valu’d more.
There, Victor of his health, of fortune, friends,
And fame; this lord of useless thousands ends.
His Grace's fate fage Cutler could foresee, 315
And well (he thought) advis'd him, “Live like me.”
As well his Grace reply'd, "Like you, Sir John?
"That I can do, when all I have is gone."
Refolve me, Reason, which of these is worse,
Want with a full, or with an empty purse?
Thy life more wretched, Cutler, was confefs'd,
Arife, and tell me, was thy death more bless'd?

NOTES.

VER. 313. There, Victor of his health, of fortune, friends, And fame-] The term implies the difficulty he had to get the better of all these incumbrances. And it is true, as his hiftory informs us, he had the impediment of good parts, which, from time to time, a little hindered and retarded his Victories.

VER. 319. Refolve me, Reason, which of thefe is worfe, Want with a full, or with an empty purse ?] The poet did well in appealing to Reason, from the

320

parties concerned; who, it is likely, had made but a very forry decifion. The abhorrence of an empty purse would have certainly perverted the judgment of Want with a full one: And the longings for a full one,would probably have as much mifled Want with an empty one. Whereas Reason refolves this matter in a trice. There being a poffibility that Want with an empty purse may be relieved; but none, that Want with a full purse ever

can.

325

Cutler faw tenants break, and houfes fall,
For very want; he could not build a wall.
His only daughter in a stranger's pow'r,
For very want; he could not pay a dow'r.
A few grey hairs his rev'rend temples crown'd,
'Twas very want that fold them for two pound.
What ev'n deny'd a cordial at his end,
Banish'd the doctor, and expell'd the friend? 330
What but a want, which you perhaps think mad,
Yet numbers feel, the want of what he had!
Cutler and Brutus, dying both exclaim,

but

a name !"

"Virtue! and Wealth! what are ye
Say, for fuch worth are other worlds prepar'd?
Or are they both, in this their own reward?
A knotty point! to which we now proceed.
But you are tir'd-I'll tell a tale-B. Agreed.

336

P. Where London's column, pointing at the skies Like a tall bully, lifts the head, and lyes;

VARIATIONS.

VER. 337. in the former Editions,

That knotty point, my Lord, shall I difcufs,
Or tell a tale?-A Tale.-It follows thus.

NOTES.

340

VER. 339. Where Lon- | ment, built in memory of don's column,] The Monu- the fire of London, with an

There dwelt a Citizen of fober fame,

A plain good man, and Balaam was his name;
Religious, punctual, frugal, and so forth;

His word would pass for more than he was worth.
One folid difh his week-day meal affords,

345

An added pudding folemniz'd the Lord's:
Conftant at Church, and Change; his gains were

fure,

His givings rare, fave farthings to the poor.

The Dev❜l was piqu'd such saintship to behold, And long'd to tempt him like good Job of old: 350 But Satan now is wiser than of yore,

And tempts by making rich, not making poor.

Rouz'd by the Prince of Air, the whirlwinds sweep The furge, and plunge his Father in the deep; Then full against his Cornish lands they roar, 355 And two rich ship-wrecks bless the lucky fhore.

NOTES.

infcription, importing that | inhabitants
city to have been burnt by
the Papists. P.

to those to whom that misfortune arrives: When a fhip happens to be ftranded there, they have been known to bore

VER. 355. Cornish] The author has placed the fcene of these shipwrecks in Corn-holes in it, to prevent it's wall, not only from their getting off; to plunder, and frequency on that coaft, but fometimes even to maffacre from the inhumanity of the the people: Nor has the