Yet, to his Guest tho' no way sparing,
He eat himself the rind and paring.
Our Courtier fcarce could touch a bit,
But show'd his Breeding and his Wit;
He did his best to seem to eat,

And cry'd, "I vow you're mighty neat.
"But Lord, my Friend, this favage Scene!
"For God's fake, come and live with Men:
"Confider, Mice, like Men, muft die,

"Both small and

great, both you

and I:

"Then spend your life in Joy and Sport,

"(This doctrine, Friend, I learnt at Court.)

The verieft Hermit in the Nation

May yield, God knows, to strong temptation.
Away they come, thro' thick and thin,
To a tall house near Lincoln's-Inn;
('Twas on the night of a Debate,
When all their Lordships had fate late.)

Behold the place, where if a Poet

Shin'd in Difcription, he might show it;

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Effet ador loliumque, dapis meliora relinquens. Tandem urbanus ad hunc, Quid te juvat, inquit, amice,

Praerupti nemoris patientem vivere dorfo !

Vin' tu homines urbemque feris praeponere fylvis?
Carpe viam (mihi crede) comes: terreftria quando
Mortales animas vivunt fortita, neque ulla est,
Aut magno aut parvo, leti fuga. quo, bone, circa,
Dum licet, in rebus jucundis vive beatus:
Vive me mor quam fis aevi brevis.
Agreftem pepulere, domo levis exfilit

Haec ubi dicta

inde

Tell how the Moon-beam trembling falls,

And tips with filver all the walls;
Palladian walls, Venetian doors,

Grotefco roofs, and Stucco floors:
But let it (in a word) be faid,

The Moon was up, and Men a bed,

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The Napkins white, the Carpet red:

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The Guests withdrawn had left the Treats.

And down the Mice fate tête a tête.

Our Courtier walks from dish to dish, Taftes for his Friend of Fowl and Fish;

Tells all their names, lays down the law, "Que ça eft bon? Ah goutor ça!·

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"That Jelly's rich, this Malmfey healing,.
"Pray, dip your Whiskers and your Tail in."
Was ever fuch a happy Swain ?

He ftuffs and fwills, and ftuffs again.
"I'm quite afham'd-'tis mighty rude
"To eat fo much-but all's fo good,

Ambo propofitum peragunt iter, urbis aventes
Moenia nocturni fubrepere. jamque tenebat
Nox medium coeli fpatium, cum ponit uterque
In locuplete domo veftigia: rubro ubi cocco
Tincta fuper lectos canderet veftis eburnos;
Multaque de magna fupereffent fercula coena,
Quae procul exftructis inerant hefterna caniftris,,
Ergo ubi purpurae porrectum in vefte locavit
Agreftem; veluti fuccinctus curfitat hofpes,
Continuatque dapes: nec non verniliter ipfis
Fungitur officiis, praelibans omne quod affert..

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"I have a thousand thanks to give—
"My Lord alone knows how to live.”
No fooner faid, but from the Hall
Rush Chaplain, Butler, Dogs and all:
"A Rat, a Rat! clap to the door-
The Cat comes bouncing on the floor.
O for the heart of Homer's Mice,
Or Gods to fave them in a trice!
It was by Providence they think,

For your damn'd Stucco has no chink.)

"An't please your Honour, quoth the Peasant, "This fame Deffert is not fo pleasant:

"Give me again my hollow Tree, "A Crust of Bread, and Liberty!

Ille cubans gaudet mutata forte, bonifque
Rebus agit laetum convivam: cum fubito ingens
Valvarum ftrepitus lectis excuffit utrumque.
Currere per totum pavidi conclave; magifque
Exanimes trepidare, fimul domus alta Moloffis
Perfonuit canibus. tum rufticus, Haud mihi vita
Eft opus hae, ait, et valeas: me fylva, cavufque
Tutus ab infidiis tenui folabitur ervo.

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BOOK IV.

O DE I.

TO VEN US.

GAIN! new Tumults in my breaft?

Ao

Ah fpare me, Venus! let me, let me reft?

I am not now, alas! the man

As in the gentle Reign of My Queen Anne. Ah found no more thy soft alarms,

Nor circle fober fifty with thy Charms. Mother too fierce of dear Defires!

Turn, turn to willing hearts your wanton fires.

To Number five direct your Doves,

There fpread round MURRAY all your blooming

Loves;

Intermiffa, Venus, diu

Rurfus bella moves? parce precor, precor..

Non fum qualis eram bonae

Sub regno Cynarae. define, dulcium

Mater faeva Cupidinum,

Circa luftra decem flectere mollibus

Jam durum imperiis: abi

Quo blandae juvenum te revocant preces.

Tempeftivius in domum

Paulli, purpureis ales oloribus,

Noble and young, who ftrikes the heart

With ev'ry sprightly, ev'ry decent part: Equal, the injur'd to defend,

To charm the Mistress, or to fix the Friend. He, with a hundred Arts refin'd,

Shall ftretch thy conquefts over half the kind: To him each Rival shall submit,

Make but his Riches equal to his Wit. Then shall thy Form the Marble grace,

(Thy Grecian Form) and Chloe lend the Face. His House, embofom'd in the Grove,

Sacred to focial life and focial love, Shall glitter o'er the pendent green,

Where Thames reflects the vifionary scene: Thither, the filver-founding lyres

Shall call the finiling Loves, and young Defires;

Commiffabere Maximi;

Si torrere jecur quaeris idoneum. Namque et nobilis, et decens,

Et pro folicitis non tacitus reis,

Et centum puer artium,

Late figna feret militiae tuae.

Et, quandoque potentior

Largi muneribus riferit aemuli,

Albanos prope te lacus

Ponet marmoream fub trabe citrea. Illic plurima naribus

Duces thura; lyraque et Berecynthia Delectabere tibia

Mixtis carminibus, non fine fiftula.