I shall here present the Reader with a valuable Literary Curiosity, a Fragment of an unpublished Satire of Pope, entitled, ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND FORTY; communicated to me by the kindness of the learned and worthy Dr. Wilson, formerly fellow and librarian of Trinity College, Dublin; who speaks of the Fragment in the following terms: “This Poem I transcribed from a rough draft in Pope's own hand. He left many blanks for fear of the Argus Eye of those who, if they cannot find, can fabricate treason; yet, spite of his precaution, it fell into the hands of his enemies. To the hieroglyphics, there are direct allusions, I think, in some of the notes on the Dunciad. It was lent me by a grandson of Lord Chetwynd, an intimate friend of the famous Lord Bolingbroke, who gratified his curiosity by a boxful of the rubbish and sweepings of Pope's study, whose executor he was, in conjunction with Lord Marchmont." 1740. A POEM. TRETCHI O WRETCHED B ---, jealous now of all, Thro’ Clouds of Passion P--'s views are clear, Grave, righteous S - joggs on till, past belief, He finds himself companion with a thief. To purge and let thee blood, with fire and sword, Is all the help stern S -- would afford. That those who bind and rob thee, would not kill, Good C-- hopes, and candidly sits still. Of Ch-s W -- who speaks at all, No more than of Sir Har-y or Sir P-. Whose names once up, they thought it was not wrong To lie in bed, but sure they lay too long. G--r, C-m - B-t, pay thee due regards, Unless the ladies bid them mind their cards. with wit that must And C---d who speaks so well and writes, Whom (saving W.) every S. harper bites, must needs . Whose wit and equally provoke one, Finds thee, at best, the butt to crack his joke on. As for the rest, each winter up they run, And all are clear, that something must be done. Then urg'd by C--t, or by C--t stopt, Inflam’d by P--, and by P-- dropt; They follow rev'rently each wond'rous wight, Amaz'd that one can read, that one can write: . So geese to gander prone obedience keep, Hiss if he hiss, and if he slumber, sleep.. Till having done whate’er was fit'or fine, Utter'd a speech, and ask'd their friends to dine; Each hurries back to his paternal ground, Content but for five shillings in the pound, Yearly defeated, yearly hopes they give, And all agree, Sir Robert cannot live. Rise, rise, great W -- fated to appear, What can thy H ............ Or those foul copies of thy face and tongue, Voracious W --- and frontless Young; Sagacious Bub, so late a friend, and there So late a foe, yet more sagacious H---? Hervey and Hervey's school, F-H--y, H--n, Yea, moral Ebor, or religious Winton. How! what can O--w, what can D--The wisdom of the one and other chair, N--- laugh, or D--s sager, Or thy dread truncheon M.'s mighty peer? What help from J--s opiates canst thou draw, .. Or H --k’s quibbles voted into law ? C. that Roman in his nose alone, Who hears all causes, B--, but thy own, Or those proud fools whom nature, rank, and fate Made fit companions for the Sword of State. Can the light packhorse, or the heavy steer, The plague is on thee, Britain, and who tries Thy Nobles Sl - s, thy Se--s bought with gold, |