LOVET. Cease your contention, which has been too long; I grow impatient, and the Tea's too strong. Attend, and yield to what I now decide; The Equipage shall grace SMILINDA's Side : The Snuff-Box to CARDELIA I decree, Now leave complaining, and begin your Tea.

Verbatim from BOILE A U.

Un Jour dit un Auteur, etc.

ONCE fays an Author, (where I need not fay)

Two Trav'lers found an Oyster in their way;
Both fierce, both hungry; the dispute grew strong,
While Scale in hand Dame Justice paft along.
Before her each with clamour pleads the Laws,
Explain’d the matter and would win the cause.
Dame Justice weighing long the doubtful Right,
Takes, opens, swallows it before their sight.
The caufe of strife remov'd so rarely well,
There take (says Justice) take ye each a Shell.
We thrive at Westminster on Fools like you :
'Twas a fat Oyster-Live in peace--Adieu.

ANSWER

ANSWER to the following

Question of Mrs. Howe,

WHAT

HAT IS PRUDERY?

'Tis a Beldam, Seen with Wit and Beauty seldom. 'Tis a fear that starts at shadows. 'Tis, (no, 'tisn't) like Miss Meadows. 'Tis a Virgin hard of Feature, Old, and void of all good-nature; Lean and fretful; would seem wife; Yet plays the fool before she dies. 'Tis an ugly envious Shrew, That rails at dear Lepell and You.

Occasioned by some Verses of

his Grace the Duke of Buck

INGH AM.

MUSE,

USE, 'tis enough : at length thy labour

ends, And thou shalt live, for Buckingham commends. Let Crowds of Critics now my verse affail, Let Dennis write, and nameless numbers rail : This more than pays whole years of thankless pain, Time, health, and fortune are not lost in vain. Sheffield approves, consenting Phæbus bends; And I and Malice from this hour are friends.

A PRO

A

PROLOGUE

By Mr. POPE To a Play for Mr. Dennis's Benefit, in

1733,' when he was old, blind, and in great Distress, a little before his Death.

A

S when that Hero, who in cach Campaign,

Had brav'd the Goth, and many a Vandal slain, Lay Fortune-struck, a spectacle of Woe! Wept by each Friend, forgiv'n by ev'ry Foe: Was there a gen'rous, a reflecting mind, 5 But pitied BELISARIUS old and blind? Was there a Chief but melted at the Sight? A common Soldier, who but clubb’d his Mite?

NOTES. Ver.6. But pitied Belisarius, etc.) Nothing was cver more happily imagined than this allution, or finelier conducted. And the continued pleasantry so delicately touched, that it took nothing from the felf satisfaction the Critic had in his merit, or the Audience in their charity. With so much mastery has the Poet executed, in this be. nevolent irony, that which he supposed Dennis himself, had he the wit to fee, would have the ingenuity to own :

This dreaded Sixt’rifi, Dennis will confess,

Foe to his pride, but Friend po his Dijirefs. VER.7. Was there a Chief, etc.] The fine figure of the Commander in that capital Picture of Belisarius 20 Chiswick, fupplied the Poet with this beautiful idea.