9 I love to pour out all myself, as plain
As downright SHIPPEN, or as old Montagne :
In them, as certain to be lov'd as seen,
The Soul ftood forth, nor kept a thought within:
In me what fpots (for fpots I have) appear,
Will prove at least the Medium must be clear.
In this impartial glafs, my Mufe intends
Fair to expofe myfelf, my foes, my friends;
Publish the prefent age; but where my text
Is Vice too high, reserve it for the next :
My foes fhall with my life a longer date,
And ev'ry friend the less lament fate.
My head and heart thus flowing thro' my quill,
r Verfe-man or Profe-man, term me which you will,
Papift or Proteftant, or both between,
Like good Erafinus in an honest Mean,
In moderation placing all my glory,
While Tories call me Whig, and Whigs a Tory.
Pugnis. quot capitum vivunt, totidem ftudiorum
Millia. 9 me pedibus delectat claudere verba,
Lucili ritu, noftrûn melioris utroque.
Ille velut fidis arcana fodalibus olim
Credebat libris; neque, fi male gefferat, ufquam
Decurrens alio, neque fi bene: quo fit, ut omnis
Votiva pateat veluti defcripta tabella
Vita fenis. fequor hunc, Lucanus an Appulus, anceps:
[Nam Venufinus arat finem fub utrumque colonus,
Miffus ad hoc, pulfis (vetus eft ut fama) Sabellis;
Quo ne per vacuum Romano incurreret hoftis;
Sive quod Appula gens, feu quod Lucania bellum
s Satire's my weapon, but I'm too discreet To run a muck, and tilt at all I meet;
I only wear it in a land of Hectors,
Thieves, Supercargoes, Sharpers and Directors.
"Save but our Army! and let Jove incruft
Swords, pikes, and guns, with everlasting rust!
Peace is my dear delight-not FLEURY'S more: 75 But touch me, and no minifter fo fore. Whoe'er offends, at some unlucky time * Slides into verfe, and hitches in a rhyme, Sacred to Ridicule his whole life long, And the fad burthen of fome merry
y Slander or Poifon dread from Delia's rage,
Hard words or hanging, if your Judge be Page.
From furious Sappho scarce a milder fate,
P-x'd by her love, or libell'd by her hate.
z Its proper pow'r to hurt, each creature feels;
Bulls aim their horns, and Affes lift their heels ;
'Tis a Bear's talent not to kick, but hug;
And no man wonders he's not ftung by Pug.
Incuteret violenta.] s fed hic ftylus haud petet ultro Quernquam animantem, et me veluti cuftodiet enfis Vagina tectus, quem cur deftringere coner,
t Tutus ab infeftis latronibus? "O pater et rex Jupiter, ut pereat pofitum rubigine telum,
Nec quifquam noceat w cupido mihi pacis ! at ille, Qui me commôrit, (melius non tangere, clamo) * Flebit, et infignis tota cantabitur urbe.
y Cervius iratus leges minitatur et urnam ; Canidia Albuti, quibus eft inimica, venenam; Grande malum Turius, fi quid fe judice certes: z Ut, quo quifque valet, fufpectos terreat, utque
a So drink with Walters, or with Chartres eat, They'll never poifon you, they'll only cheat.
b Then, learned Sir! (to cut the matter short)
Whate'er my fate, or well or ill at Court,
Whether Old age, with faint but chearful ray,
Attends to gild the Evening of my day,
'Or Death's black wing already be display'd,
To wrap me in the univerfal fhade;
Whether the darken'd room to muse invite,
Or whiten❜d wall provoke the fkew'r to write:
In durance exile, Bedlam, or the Mint,
Like Lee or Budgell, I will rhyme and print.
F. Alas young man'! your days can ne'er be long, In flow'r of age you perish for a song!
Plums and Directors, Shylock and his Wife,
Will club their Tefters, now, to take your life!
P. What? arm'd for Virtue when I point the pen, Brand the bold front of fhameless guilty men ; 166
Imperet hoc Natura potens, fic collige mecum.
Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit; unde, nifi intus
Monftratum! a Scaevae vivacem crede nepoti
Matrem ; nil faciet fceleris pia dextra (mirum?
Ut neque calce lupus quemquam, neque dente petit bos)
Sed mala tollet anum vitiato melle cicuta.
b Ne longum faciam feu me tranquilla fenectus Expectat, feu mors atris circumvolat alis,
Dives, inops; Romae, feu fors ita jufferit, exful;
Quifquis erit vitae, fcribam, color.
Vitalis metuo; et majorum ne quis amicus
Frigore te feriat.
Dafh the proud Gamester in his gilded Car;
Bare the mean Heart that lurks beneath a Star;
Can there be wanting, to defend Her cause,
Lights of the Church, or Guardians of the Laws?
Could penfion'd Boileau lash in honest strain
Flatt'rers and Bigots ev`n in Louis' reign?
Could Laureate Dryden Pimp and Fry'r engage,
Yet neither Charles nor James be in a rage?
And I not f ftrip the gilding off a Knave,
Unplac'd, unpenfion'd, no man's heir, or flave?
I will, or perish in the gen'rous caufe:
Hear this, and tremble! you who 'fcape the Laws.
Yes, while I live, no rich or noble knave
Shall walk the World, in credit, to his grave.
: TO VIRTUE ONLY and HER FRIENDS a FRIEND,
The World befide may murmur, or commend.
Know, all the distant din that world can keep,
Rolls o'er my Grotto, and but fooths my fleep.
There, my retreat the best Companions grace, 125
Chiefs out of war, and Statesmen out of place.
Primus in hunc operis componere carmina morem,
f Detrahere et pellem, nitidus qua quifque per ora
Cederet, introrfum turpis; num Lælius, et qui
Duxit ab oppreffa meritum Carthagine nomen,
Ingenio offenfi? aut laefo doluere Metello,
Famofifque Lupo cooperto verfibus? atqui
Primores populi arripuit populumque tribution;
Scilicet & UNI EQUUS VIRTUTI ATQUE EJUS AMICIS.
h Quin ubi fe a vulgo et feena in fecreta remôrant
Virtus Scipiadae et mitis fapientia Laeli,
Nugare cum illo, et difcincti ludere, donec
There St JOHN mingles with my friendly bowl
The Feaft of Reafon and the Flow of foul:
And He, whofe lightning pierc'd th' Iberian Lines,
Now forms my Quincunx, and now ranks my Vines,
Or tames the Genius of the stubborn plain,
Almoft as quickly as he conquer'd Spain.
i Envy must own, I live among the Great,
No Pimp of pleasure, and no Spy of state,
With eyes that pry not, tongue that ne'er repeats, 135
Fond to spread friendships, but to cover heats;
To help who want, to forward who excel;
This, all who know me, know; who love me, tell;
And who unknown defame me, let them be,
Scriblers or Peers, alike are Mob to me.
This is my Plea, on this 1 rest my caufe
k What faith my Council, learned in the laws!
F. Your Plea is good; but still I fay, beware!
Laws are explain'd by men-fo have a care.
It ftands on record, that in Richard's times
A man was hang'd for very honeft rhymes;
Decoqueretur olus, foliti.
Quidquid fum ego, quamvis
Infra Lucili cenfum, ingeniumque; tamen me
i Cum magnis vixiffe invita fatebitur ufque
Invidia; et fragili quaerens illidere dentem,
Offendet folido:
k nifi quid tu, docte Trebati,
T. Equidem nihil hinc diffingere poffum Sed tamen ut monitus caveas, ne forte negotî Incutiat tibi quid fanctarum infcitia legum:
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