Too blest, indeed, were such without alloy; Nor this the worst. As nature's ties decay, 340 345 350 Till time may come, when, stript of all her charms, 355 The land of scholars, and the nurse of arms, Where noble stems transmit the patriot flame, Where kings have toil'd and poets wrote for fame, One sink of level avarice shall lie, And scholars, soldiers, kings, unhonour'd die. 360 Yet think not, thus when Freedom's ills I state, I mean to flatter kings, or court the great: 365 By proud contempt, or favour's fostering sun, Still may thy blooms the changeful clime endure! 370 That those who think must govern those that toil; And all that Freedom's highest aims can reach, Is but to lay proportion'd loads on each. 375 Oh, then how blind to all that truth requires, Who think it freedom when a part aspires! Calm is my soul, nor apt to rise in arms, Except when fast approaching danger warms: 380 But when contending chiefs blockade the throne, Contracting regal power to stretch their own; To call it freedom when themselves are free; 385 Tear off reserve, and bare my swelling heart; 390 Till, half a patriot, half a coward grown, I fly from petty tyrants to the throne. Yes, Brother, curse with me that baleful hour, When first ambition struck at regal power, And thus polluting honour in its source, 395 Gave wealth to sway the mind with double force. Seen all her triumphs but destruction haste, And over fields where scatter'd hamlets rose, 400 405 410 Even now, perhaps, as there some pilgrim strays 415 And all around distressful yells arise, The pensive exile, bending with his woe, To stop too fearful, and too faint to go, 420 Casts a long look where England's glories shine, Vain, very vain, my weary search to find 425 That part which laws or kings can cause or cure! Our own felicity we make or find: With secret course, which no loud storms annoy Luke's iron crown, and Damiens' bed of steel, 430 435 RETALIATION 5 Or old, when Scarron his companions invited, To make out the dinner, full certain I am Magnanimous Goldsmith a gooseberry fool. IO 15 At a dinner so various, at such a repast, Here lies the good dean, reunited to earth, Who mixt reason with pleasure, and wisdom with mirth: If he had any faults, he has left us in doubt, At least in six weeks I could not find 'em out; Yet some have declar'd, and it can't be denied 'em, That slyboots was cursedly cunning to hide 'em. 20 25 30 35 Here lies our good Edmund, whose genius was such, We scarcely can praise it or blame it too much; Who, born for the universe, narrow'd his mind, And to party gave up what was meant for mankind; Though fraught with all learning, yet straining his throat To persuade Tommy Townshend to lend him a vote; Who, too deep for his hearers, still went on refining, And thought of convincing, while they thought of dining: Though equal to all things, for all things unfit; Too nice for a statesman, too proud for a wit; For a patriot too cool, for a drudge disobedient, And too fond of the right to pursue the expedient. In short, 'twas his fate, unemploy'd or in place, sir, To eat mutton cold, and cut blocks with a razor. Here lies honest William, whose heart was a mint, While the owner ne'er knew half the good that was in 't; The pupil of impulse, it forc'd him along, His conduct still right, with his argument wrong. 40 45 |