Blind to ourselves, adopt each foreign Vice, 70 Fool." Behold, yon Wretch, by impious fashion driv'n, 75 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. 80 Faith, Juftice, Heav'n itself now quit their hold, When to falfe Fame the captiv'd heart is sold : IMITATIONS. 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? Mais de fes faux Amis il craint la Raillerie, BOILEAU, Ep. iii. Hence, blind to truth, relentless Cato dy'd; 85 Hence SATIRE's pow'r: 'Tis her corrective part, To calm the wild diforders of the heart. 90 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, 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, And ev'ry Foe to Wisdom feels her sway. 95 100 Smarts, Pedants, as fhe fmiles, no more are vain; 105 Defponding Fops refign the clouded cane: Hush'd at her voice, pert Folly's felf is ftill, From poys'nous Vice she draws a healing dew: 110 115 To quell the ferment of the tainted mind: 120 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; IMITATIONS. VER. 110. From poys'nous Vice, etc] Alluding to thefe Lines of Mr Pope; In the nice Bee what Art fo fubtly true From poys'nous Herbs extracts a healing Dew? Swift to redress an injur'd People's groan, Bold SATIRE fhakes the Tyrant on her throne; And Slaves and Sycophants furround in vain. 130 But with the friends of Vice, the foes of SATIRE, All truth is spleen; all just reproof, Ill-nature. Well may they dread the Mufe'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 fhapes, 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. O fordid maxim, form'd to fcreen the vile, 140 145 150 To Guilt alone her vengeance ftands confin'd, 160 Oft in unfeeling hearts the shaft is spent : 155 Tho' strong th' example, weak the punishment. They least are pain'd, who merit satire most ; Folly the Laureat's, Vice was Chartres' boast: Then where's the wrong, to gibbet high the name Of Fools and Knaves already dead to fhame? 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 scandal too be theirs: The Knave and Fool are their own Libellers. |