You laugh, if coat and breeches strangely vary,
White gloves, and linen worthy Lady Mary!
But when 'no Prelate's Lawn with hair-shirt lind,
Is half so incoherent as my Mind, 166
When (each opinion with the next at strife,
One 'ebb and flow of follies all my life)
I'plant, root up; I build, and then confound;
Turn round to square, and square again to round;
*You never change one muscle of your face, 171
You think this Madness but a common case,
Nor once to Chanc’ry, nor to Hale apply;
Yet hang your lip, to see a Seam awry!
Careless how ill I with myself agree, 175
Kind to my dress, my figure, not to Me.
Is this my *Guide, Philosopher, and Friend?
This he, who loves me, and who ought to mend?
Who ought to make me (what he can, or none)
That Man divine whom Wisdom calls her own;
Great without Title, without Fortune bless’d;
Rich 'ev’n when plunder'd, ? honour'd while
oppress’d;

182 Lov'd - without youth, and follow'd without

pow'r; At home, tho' exild; 'free, tho' in the Tow'r; In short, that reas’ning, high, immortal Thing, Just less than Jove, and much above a King, 186 Nay, half in heav'n--- except (what's mighty

odd) A Fit of Vapours clouds this Demy-God.

TH e

SIXTH EPISTLE

OF THE

FIRST BOOK

OF

HORA C E. EPISTOLA VI.

MTIL admirari, prope res est una, Numici,

Solaque quae poffit facere et servare beatum. Hunc solem, et ftellas, et decedentia certis Tempora momentis, sunt qui formidine nulla

NOT E S.

Ver. 3. dear MURRAY,] This piece is the most finished of all his Imitations, and executed in the high manper the Italian Painters call con amore. By which they mean, the exertion of that principle, which puts the faculties on the ftretch, and produces the supreme degree of excellence. For the Poet had all the warmth of affection for the great Lawyer to whom it is addressed: and, indeed, no man ever more deserved to have a Poet for his friend. In the obtaining of which, as neither vanity, party, nor fear, had any share, (which gave birth to the attachments of many of his noble Acquaintance) so he supported his title to it by all the good offices of a generous and true Friendship.

VER. 4. Creech.) From whose Translation of Horace the two first lines are taken.

P. VER, 6. —.Stars that rise and fall,] The Original is

«- decedentia certis • Tempora momentis ;" which words simply and literally signify, the change of seafons. But this change being considered as an object of admiration,

E P I S

T L E

VI.

To Mr. MURR A Y.

" N TOT to admire, is all the Art I know, “ IV To make men happy, and to keep

“ them fo." (Plain Truth, dear MURRAY, needs no flow'rs

: of speech, So take it in the very Words of Creech.)

This Vault of Air, this congregated Ball, 5 Self-center'd Sun, and Stars that rise and fall, There are, my Friend! whose philosophic eyes Look thro', and trust the Ruler with his Skies, To him commit the Hour, the Day, the Year, And view this dreadful All without a fear. 10

NOTE s. his imitator has judiciously expressed it in the more sublime figurative terms of

« Stars that rise and fall,” by whose courses the seasons are marked and distinguished.

VER. 8. trust the Ruler with his skies, -To him commit the Hour,] Our Author, in these imitations, has been all along careful to correct the loose morals, and absurd theology of his Original.

Ver. 10. And view this dreadful All without a fear.] He has added this idea to his text; and it greatly heightens the