I never (to my forrow I declare)

Din'd with the MAN of Ross, or my LORD MAY'R. Some, in their choice of Friends (nay look not grave) Have still a fecret Byass to a Knave:

To find an honeft man I beat about,

And love him, court him, praise him, in or out.
F. Then why fo few commended ?..

P. Not fo fierce ;

Find you the Virtue, and I'll find the Verfe.

But random Praife-the task can ne'er be done;
Each Mother asks it for her booby Son,
Each Widow afks it for the Best of Men,

For him fhe weeps, and him fhe weds agen.

ΙΩΙ

105

Praise cannot stoop, like Satire, to the ground; 110
The Number may be hang'd, but not be crown'd.
Enough for half the Greatest of these days,

To 'fcape my Cenfure, not expect my Praise.
Are they not rich? what more can they pretend?
Dare they to hope a Poet for their Friend?

NOTES.

115*

VER. 99. my Lord May'r] Sir John Barnard, Lord Mayor in the year of the Poem, 1738. A Citizen eminent for his virtue, public Spirit, and great talents in Parliament. An excellent Man, Magiftrate, and Senator. In the year 1747, the City of London, in memory of his many and fignal fervices to his Country, erected a Statue to him. But his image had been placed long before in the heart of every good Man.

What RICHLIEU wanted, Louis fcarce could gain, And what young AMMON wish'd, but wish'd in vain. No Pow'r the Mufe's Friendship can command; No Pow'r, when Virtue claims it, can withftand: To Cato, Virgil pay'd one honeft line;

Olet my Country's Friends illumin mine!

120

-What are you thinking? F. Faith the thought's no fin,

I think

your Friends are out and would be in. P. If merely to come in, Sir, they go out, The way they take is strangely round about.

F. They too may be corrupted, you'll allow?
P. I only call thofe Knaves who are so now.
Is that too little? Come then, I'll comply-
Spirit of Arnall! aid me while I lye.

NOTES.

125

VER. 116. Louis fcarce could gain,] By this expreffion finely infinuating, that the great Boileau always falls below himself in those paffages where he flatters his Mafter. Of which flattery he gives an inftance in 231. where the topic of adulation is exceeding childish and extravagant. VER. 127. I only call thofe Knaves who are so now.] He left it to Time to tell them,

Cato is as great a Rogue as you. not the Cato of Virgil, but the Cato of Mr. Pope. See the Ep. on Riches.

VER. 129. Spirit of Arnall!] Look for him in his place. Dunc. B. ii. 315.

COBHAM's a Coward, POLWARTH is a Slave, 130
And LYTTLETON a dark, defigning Knave,
ST. JOHN has ever been a wealthy Fool---
But let me add, Sir ROBERT's mighty dull,
Has never made a Friend in private life,
And was, befides, a Tyrant to his Wife.

But pray, when others praise him, do I blame?

135

Call Verres, Wolfey, any odious name ?
Why rail they then, if but a Wreath of mine,
Oh AH-accomplish'd ST. JOHN! deck thy shrine?
What? fhall each spurgall'd Hackney of the day,
When Paxton gives him double Pots and Pay,
Or each new-penfion'd Sycophant, pretend
To break my Windows if I treat a Friend?
Then wifely plead, to me they meant no hurt,
But 'twas my Guest at whom they threw the dirt?

NOTES..

141

VER. 130. Polwarth.] The Hon. Hugh Hume, Son of Alexander Earl of Marchmont, Grandfon of Patric Earl of Marchmont, and distinguished, like them, in the cause of Liberty. P.

VBR. 136. do I blame? Call Verres, Wolfey, any odious name?] The Leaders of Parties, be they as Horid as they will, generally do their bufinefs by compendium: A fingle rule of Rhetoric, which they may have learnt of Quintilian, or perhaps of a much older Sophift, does their bufinefs, Si nihil, quod nos adjuvet, erit, quæramus quid Adverfarium lædat. SCRIB.

VBR 141. When Paxton gives him double pots and pay,] If this band of Penfioners were lo offenfive while embodied

Sure, if I fpare the Minifter, no rules

146

Of Honour bind me, not to maul his Tools;

Sure, if they cannot cut, it may be faid

His Saws are toothlefs, and his Hatchets Lead.

f

It anger'd TURENNE, once upon a day,

150

To fee a Footman kick'd that took his pay:

But when he heard th' Affront the Fellow gave,
Knew one a Man of honour, one a Knave;

The prudent Genʼral turn'd it to a jest,

And begg'd, he'd take the pains to kick the rest: 155 Which not at prefent having time to do--

F. Hold Sir! for God's-fake where's th' Affront to you?

Against your worship when had S---k writ ?

Or P---ge pour'd forth the Torrent of his Wit ?.
Or grant the Bard whofe diftich all commend
[In Pow'r a Servant, out of Pow'r a friend]
To W-.-le guilty of fome venial fin ;

What's that to you who ne'er was out nor in ?

NOTES.

160

and under difcipline, what must we think of their diforders fince they were disbanded and become free-booters ? No virtue nor merit hath escaped them. They have made a great City in the South, too much resemble another in the North, where the products of night and darkness are discharged from Garrets on every honeft man that comes within their reach.

VER. 160. the Bard] A verse taken out of a poem to Sir R. W. P.

165

The Priest whofe Flattery be-dropt the Crown,
How hurt he you? he only ftain'd the Gown.
And how did, pray, the florid Youth offend,
Whofe Speech you took, and gave it to a Friend?
P. Faith, it imports not much from whom it came ;
Whoever borrow'd, could not be to blame,
Since the whole Houfe did afterwards the fame.
Let Courtly Wits to Wits afford fupply,
As Hog to Hog in huts of Weftphaly;

}

171

If one, thro' Nature's Bounty or his Lord's,
Has what the frugal, dirty foil affords,

From him the next receives it, thick or thin,
As a mess almost as it came in ;
pure

175

The bleffed benefit, not there confin'd,

Drops to the third, who nuzzles close behind;

From tail to mouth, they feed and they carouse:
The last full fairly gives it to the House.

180

F. This filthy fimile, this beastly line Quite turns my ftomach

P. So does Flatt'ry mine;

And all your courtly Civet-cats can vent,

Perfume to you, to me is Excrement.

NOTES.

VER. 164. The Prieft etc.] Spoken not of any particular prieft, but of many priests.

P.

VER. 166. And how did, etc.] This feems to allude to a complaint made 71. of the preceding Dialogue, P.

2