Rofcius orabat fibi adeffes ad Puteal cras.
De re communi scribae magna atque nova te
Orabant hodie meminiffes, Quinte, reverti.
Imprimat his cura Maecenas figna tabellis.
Dixeris, Experiar: Si vis, potes, addit; et inftat.
Septimus octavo propior jam fugerit annus,
Ex quo Maecenas me coepit habere fuorum
In numero: duntaxat ad hoc, quem tollere rheda
Vellet, iter faciens, et cui concredere nugas
Hoc genus, Hora quota eft? Threx eft Gallina
Syro par.
Matutina parum cautos jam frigora mordent:
Et quae rimofa bene deponuntur in aure.
A hundred other Men's affairs,
Like bees, are humming in my ears.
"To-morrow my Appeal comes on,
"Without your help the Caufe is gone---
The Duke expects my Lord and you,
About fome great Affair, at Two---
"Put my Lord Bolingbroke in mind,
"To get my Warrant quickly fign'd:
"Confider, 'tis my first request.---
Be fatisfy'd, I'll do my best :---
Then presently he falls to teize,
"You may for certain, if you please ;
"I doubt not, if his Lordship knew---
And, Mr. Dean, one word from you --
'Tis (let me fee) three years
and more,
(October next it will be four)
Since HARLEY bid me first attend,
And chofe me for an humble friend;
Would take me in his Coach to chat,
And question me of this and that;
As, What's o'clock?" And, "How's the Wind?" "Whofe Chariot's that we left behind?
Or gravely try to read the lines
Writ underneath the Country Signs;
Or, "Have you nothing new to-day
"From Pope, from Parnel, or from Gay? Such tattle often entertains
My Lord and me as far as Stains,
Per totum hoc tempus, fubjectior in diem et horam
Invidiae nofter. ludos fpectaverit una;
Luferit in campo: Fortunae filius, omnes.
Frigidus a Roftris manat per compita rumor:
Quicunque obvius eft, me confulit; O bone (nam te
Scire, Deos quoniam propius contingis, oportet)
Num quid de Dacis audifti? Nil equidem. Ut tu
Semper eris derifor! At omnes Di exagitent me,
Sic quicquam. Quid? militibus promissa Triquetra
Praedia Caefar, an eft Itala tellure daturus?
Jurantem me fcire nihil miratur, ut unum
Scilicet egregii mortalem altique filentî.
As once a week we travel down
To Windsor, and again to Town,
Where all that passes, inter nos,
Might be proclaim'd at Charing-Crofs.
Yet fome I know with envy fwell,
Because they see me us'd fo well:
"How think you of our Friend the Dean? "I wonder what fome people mean;
My Lord and he are grown so great,
"Always together, tête à tête,
"What, they admire him for his jokes--"See but the fortune of fome Folks!
There fries about a ftrange report
Of fome exprefs arriv'd at Court;
I'm stopp'd by all the fools I meet,
And catechis'd in every street.
"You, Mr. Dean, frequent the Great;
"Inform us, will the Emp'ror treat?
"Or do the Prints and Papers lye?
Faith, Sir, you know as much as I.
"Ah Doctor, how you love to jest?
" "Tis now no fecret---I protest
"Tis one to me--- " Then tell us, pray,
"When are the Troops to have their pay?
And, tho' I folemnly declare
I know no more than my Lord Mayor,
They stand amaz'd, and think me grown
The closest mortal ever known.
Perditur haec inter mifero lux; non fine votis,
O rus, quando ego te afpiciam? quandoque licebit,
Nunc veterum libris, nunc fomno et inertibus horis,
Ducere folicitae jucunda oblivia vitae ?
O quando faba Pythagorae cognata, fimulque
Uncta fatis pingui ponentur oluscula lardo?
O no&tes coenaeque Deûm! quibus ipfe meique,
Ante Larem proprium vefcor, vernafque procaces
Pafco libatis dapibus: cum, ut cuique libido est,
Siccat inaequales calices conviva, folutus.
Legibus infanis: feu quis capit acria fortist
Pocula; feu modicis uvefcit laetius. ergo
Sermo oritur, non de villis domibusve alienis,
Nec male necne Lepos faltet: fed quod magis ad
Pertinet, et nefcire malum eft, agitamus; utrumne
Divitiis homines, an fint virtute beati :
Quidve ad amicitias, ufus rectumne, trahat nos:
Et quae fit natura boni, fummumque quid ejus.
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