285

So well in paint and ftone they judg'd of merit:
But Kings in Wit may want difcerning Spirit.
The Hero William, and the Martyr Charles,
One knighted Blackmore, and one penfion'd Quarles;
Which made old Ben, and furly Dennis fwear,

"No Lord's anointed, but a Ruffian Bear."

d

390

Not with fuch 4 majefty, fuch bold relief, The Forms auguft, of King, or conqu'ring Chief, E'er fwell'd on marble; as in verfe have fhin'd (In polish'd verfe) the Manners and the Mind. Oh! could I mount on the Mæonian wing, Your Arms, your Actions, your Repose to fing! What f feas you travers'd, and what fields you fought! Your Country's Peace, how oft, how dearly bought! How barb'rous rage fubfided at your word,

394

And Nations wonder'd while they drop'd the sword! How, when you noded, o'er the land and deep, 4c0 h Peace stole her wing, and wrapt the world in sleep;

Ad libros et ad haec Mufarum dona vocares; < Boeotum in craffo jurares aere natum.

[At neque dedecorant tua de fe judicia, atque Munera, quae multa dantis cum laude tulerunt, Dilecti tibi Virgilius Variufque poetae ;]

d

Nec magis expreffi & vultus per ahenea figna, Quam per vatis opus mores animique virorum Clarorum apparent. nec fermones ego mallem Repentes per humum, quam res componere geftas, Terrarumque f fitus et flumina dicere, et arces Montibus impofitas, et & barbara regna, tuifque Aufpiciis totum confecta duella per orbem, Clauftraque cuftodem pacis cohibentia Janum,

'Till earth's extremes

your

mediation own,

And i Asia's Tyrants tremble at your Throne

But k Verse, alas! your Majefty disdains;
And I'm not us'd to Panegyric ftrains :
The Zeal of Fools offends at any time,
But most of all, the Zeal of Fools in rhyme ;
Besides, a fate attends on all I write,
That when I aim at praife, they fay m I bite.
A vile Encomium doubly ridicules:
There's nothing blackens like the ink of fools.
If true, a woful likeness; and if lyes,
"Praise undeserv'd is fcandal in difguife:"
Well may he P blufh, who gives it, or receives;
And when I flatter, let my dirty leaves
(Like 9 Journals, Odes, and fuch forgotten things
As Eufden, Philip, Settle, writ of Kings)

405

410

475

Et i formidatam Parthis, te principe, Romam:
Si quantum cuperem, poffem quoque. fed neque par-

* Carmen majeftas recipit tua; nec meus audet
Rem tentare pudor, quem vires ferre recufent ̧
Sedulitas autem fulte, quem diligit, urget;
Praecipue cum fe numeris commendat et arte.
Difcit enim citius, meminitque libentius illud
Quod quis mn deridet, quam quod probat et veneratur.
Nil moror" officium, quod me gravat: ac neque ficto
In pejus vultu proponi cereus ufquam,

in

Nec prave factis decorari verfibus opto:
Ne P rubeam pingui donatus munere, et una
Cum 9 fcriptore meo capfa porrectus aperta,

1

Cloath fpice, line trunks, or flutt'ring in a row, Befringe the rails of Bedlam and Soho.

Deferar in vicum vendentem thus et odores,
Et piper, et quicquid chartis amicitur ineptis.

THE

Second Epistle of the Second Book

OF

HORA CE.

D

Ludentis fpeciem dabit, et torquebitur. HoR.

EAR Col'nel, COBHAM's and your country's
Friend!

You love a Verfe, take fuch as I can fend.

b A Frenchman comes, prefents you with his Boy, Bows and begins-"This Lad, Sir, is of Blois: "Obferve his shape how clean! his locks how curl'd! "My only fon, I'd have him fee the world:

Flore, bono claroque fidelis amice Neroni. b Si quis forte velit puerum tibi vendere natum Tibure vel Gabiis, et tecum fic agat: "Hic et "Candidus, et talos a vertice pulcher ad imos, "Fiet eritque tuus nummorum millibus octo; "Verna minifteriis ad nutus aptus heriles;

VER. 4. This Lad, Sir, is of Blois :] A Town in Beauce,

where the French tongue is spoken in great purity.

"His French is pure; his Voice too-you shall hear.
"Sir, he's your flave, for twenty pound a year.
"Mere wax as yet, you fashion hin with ease,
"Your Barber, Cook, Upholst'rer, what you please:
"A perfect genius at an Op'ra-fong-

"To fay too much, might do my honour wrong.
"Take him with all his virtues, on my word;
"His whole ambition was to ferve a Lord:

66 But, Sir, to you, with what would I not part? 15 "Tho 'faith, I fear, 'twill break his Mother's heart. "Once (and but once) I caught him in a lye, "And then unwhipp'd, he had the grace to cry: "The fault he has I fairly fhall reveal, "(Could you o'erlook but that) it is to steal. If, after this, you took the graceless lad, Could you complain, my Friend, he prov'd fo bad? Faith, in fuch cafe, if you fhould profecute, I think Sir Godfrey fhould decide the fuit;

"Litterulis Græcis imbutus, indoneus arti
"Culibet: argilla quidvis imitaberis uda :
"Quin etiam canet indoctum, fed dulce bibenti.
"Multa fidem promiffa levant, ubi plenius aequo
"Laudat venales, qui vult extrudere, merces.

Res urget me nulla meo fum pauper in aere. "Nemo hoc mangonum faceret tibi: non temere

a me

"Quivis ferret idem : femel hic ceffavit, et (ut fit)
"In fealis latuit metuens pendentis habenae:
"Des nummos, excepta nihil te fi fuga laedit.

20

VER. 24. I think Sir Godfrey] An eminent Juftice of Peace, who decided much in the manner of Sancho Pancha.---Sir lodfrey Kneller.