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As long as nymphs shall with attentive ear
A fiddle rather than a fermon hear;
So long the brighteft eyes fhall oft perufe

The useful lines of my inftructive Mufe ;
Each belle fhall wear them wrote upon her fan,

And each bright beau shall read them—if he can.

THE

MODERN

FINE GENTLEMA N.

Written in the Year 1746. By the Same.

Quale portentum neque militaris

Daunia in latis alt efculetis,

Nec Juba tellus generat, leonum

JUST

Arida nutrix.

UST broke from fchool, pert, impudent, and raw;
Expert in Latin, more expert in taw,

His honour posts o'er ITALY and France,

Measures St. PETER'S dome, and learns to dance.

Thence having quick thro' various countries flown,
Glean'd all their follies, and expos'd his own,
He back returns, a thing fo ftrange all o'er,
As never ages paft produc'd before:

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A monster of fuch complicated worth,
As no one fingle clime could e'er bring forth:
Half atheist, papift, gamefter, bubble, rook,

Half fidler, coachman, dancer, groom, and cook.
Next, because bus'nefs now is all the
vogue,
And who'd be quite polite must be a rogue,

In parliament he purchases a seat,

To make th' accomplish'd Gentleman compleat.
There fafe in felf-fufficient impudence,
Without experience, honefty, or fenfe,
Unknowing in her int'reft, trade, or laws,
He vainly undertakes his country's caufe:
Forth from his lips, prepar'd at all to rail,
Torrents of nonfenfe burst; like bottled ale,
Tho' fhallow, muddy; brisk, tho' mighty dull;
Fierce without ftrength; o'erflowing, tho' not full.

Now quite a Frenchman in his garb and air,
His neck yok'd down with bag and folitaire,
The liberty of BRITAIN he fupports,
And storms at place-men, minifters, and courts;
Now in crop'd greafy hair, and leather breeches,
He loudly bellows out his patriot fpeeches ;
Kings, lords, and commons ventures to abuse,
Yet dares to fhew thofe ears he ought to lose.
From hence to WHITE's our virtuous CATO flies,
There fits with countenance erect, and wife,
And talks of games of whift, and pig-tail pies.

}

Plays

Plays all the night, nor doubts each law to break, Himself unknowingly has help'd to make ;

Trembling and anxious, stakes his utmost groat,
Peeps o'er his cards, and looks as if he thought :
Next morn disowns the loffes of the night,
Because the fool would fain be thought a bite.

Devoted thus to politicks, and cards,
Nor mirth, nor wine, nor women he regards;
So far is ev'ry virtue from his heart,

That not a gen'rous vice can claim a part;
Nay, left one human paffion e'er should move
His foul to friendship, tenderness, or love,
TO FIGG and BROUGHTON he commits his breast,
To steel it to the fashionable teft.

Thus poor in wealth, he labours to no end,
Wretched alone, in crowds without a friend;
Infenfible to all that's good, or kind,
Deaf to all merit, to all beauty blind;
For love too busy, and for wit too grave,
A harden'd, fober, proud, luxurious knave,
By little actions ftriving to be great,

And proud to be, and to be thought a cheat.

And yet in this fo bad is his fuccefs, That as his fame improves, his rents grow lefs; On parchment wings his acres take their flight, And his unpeopled groves admit the light; With his eftate his interest too is done,

His honest borough seeks a warmer sun,

For him, now cash and liquor flows no more,
His independent voters cease to roar:

And BRITAIN foon must want the

Of all his honefty, and eloquence,

great

defence

But that the gen'rous youth more anxious grown
For public liberty, than for his own,
Marries fome jointur'd antiquated crone :

And boldly, when his country is at stake,

}

Braves the deep yawning gulph, like CURTIUS, for its fake.

Quickly again diftrefs'd for want of coin,
He digs no longer in th' exhausted mine,
But feeks preferment, as the last resort,
Cringes each morn at levées, bows at court,
And, from the hand he hates, implores fupport:
The minifter, well pleas'd at fmall expence
To filence fo much rude impertinence,

With squeeze and whisper yields to his demands,
And on the venal list enroll'd he ftands;
A ribband and a penfion buy the flave,
This bribes the fool about him, that the knave.
And now arriv'd at his meridian glory,
He finks apace, defpis'd by Whig and Tory;
Of independence now he talks no more,
Nor shakes the senate with his patriot roar ;
But filent votes, and with court trappings hung,
Eyes his own glitt'ring ftar, and holds his tongue.
In craft political a bankrupt made,

He fticks to gaming, as the furer trade;

I

}

Turns

Turns downright fharper, lives by fucking blood,
And grows, in fhort, the very thing he wou'd:
Hunts out young heirs, who have their fortunes spent,
And lends them ready cash at cent per cent,
Lays wagers on his own, and others lives,
Fights uncles, fathers, grandmothers and wives,
Till death at length, indignant to be made
The daily subject of his sport and trade,
Veils with his fable hand the wretch's eyes,
And, groaning for the betts he lofes by't, he dies.

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S

KILL'D in each art, that can adorn the fair,
The fpritely dance, the foft Italian air,

The tofs of quality, and high-bred fleer,
Now lady Harriot reach'd her fifteenth year.
Wing'd with diverfions all her moments flew,
Each, as it pafs'd, presenting fomething new;

Breakfasts

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