Is there a Variance? enter but his Door, Balk'd are the Courts, and Contest is no more. Defpairing Quacks with Curfes fled the Place, And vile Attornies, now an useless Race. "Thrice happy Man! enabled to purfue "What all fo with, but want the Pow'r to do.. "Oh fay, what Sums that gen'rous Hand fupply? "What Mines to fwell that boundless Charity? Of Debts and Taxes, Wife and Children clear, This Man poffeft-five hundred Pounds a Year. Blush Grandeur, blufh! proud Courts withdraw your Ye little Stars! hide your diminish'd Rays. [Blaze!

"And what? to Monument, Infcription, Stone? "His Race, his Form, his Name almoft unknown? Who builds a Church to God, and not to Fame, Will never mark the Marble with his Name: Go fearch it there*, where to be born and die, Of Rich and Poor makes all the History; Enough, that Virtue fills the Space between ; Prov'd, by the Ends of Being, to have been.

It may be plainly perceiv'd that Mr. Pope preferr'd the Man of Rofs to the great Man mention'd immediately after, which was no less then George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, who died, after a whimficali and chimerical Life exceeding poor, in the worst Room of a very bad Inn.

Riches are doubtless very great Bleffings, if made: fo, and it must be an extreme pleafing Thought to have it one's Power to do good, to relieve the Sick and Hungry, and cloath the Naked, to relieve the Orphan and the Widow, and fet the Prifoner at Liberty; to have the neceffary Comforts of Life always at Command, and the Power of saving a Friend from

*The Parish Register

from Bankruptcy, perhaps from quitting his Country, or being forc'd into a Confinement for Life, these Things are all exceeding great Pleafures to Minds well feafon'd with Humanity, and the generous Delight of doing and communicating Good; it is not fufficient to love or praise Society, and Actions of Benevolence and Beneficence, but to do them too, and there are very few, if any, in fuch diftreis'd Circumstances, but they might find frequent Occafions to exercise their Talent, and the Power which they at Times may have to do Good: But on the contrary, Riches are the fpoiling of many People, who without them were fafe enough, fome they make imperious, fome covetous, fome extravagant, and others only make use of them to obtain and purchafe that very Iniquity that they ought to be glad to be depriv'd of all their Riches to avoid; it is in these Cafes that Riches are dangerous and a Snare; but, on the other Hand, they bring Safety, and certain Peace They are, as they are employ'd, may be a Bribe, or a Reward, may purchase Neceffaries or Prodigalities, pay Harlots, or give Portions to Virgins, buy Criminals from Punishment, or hire Affaffins to murder the Innocent; they are like moft other Things (if not all with which Man has to do) in his Power, to be made to become to him very useful, or very hurtfvl.

An Instance of the total Deftruction of a Man by becoming very rich, Mr. Pope concludes this Epiftle to the Lord Bathurst with:

Where London's Column pointing at the Skies Like a tall Bully, lifts the Head, and lyes:

F 2

There

The Monument built in memory of the Fire of London, with an Infcription importing that City to have been burnt by the Papifls, which Mr. Pope, as a Papift, is loth

There dwelt a Citizen of fober Fame,

A plain good Man, and Balaam was his Name.
Religious, punctual, frugal, and fo forth;
His Word would pass for more than he was worth.
One folid Dish his Week-day Meal affords,
An added Pudding folemniz'd the Lord's.

Conftant at Church, and Change; his Gains were
His Givings rare, fave Farthings to the Poor. [fure,
The Dev'l was piqu'd, fuch Saintfhip to behold,
And long'd to tempt him like good Job of old:
But Satan now is wifer than of Yore,

And tempts by making rich, not making poor.

Rouz'd by the Prince of Air, the Whirlwinds The Surge, and plunge his Father in the Deep; [fweep Then full againft his Cornish Lands they roar, And two rich Ship-wrecks bless the lucky Shore. Sir Balaam now, he lives like other Folks, He takes his chirping Pint, he cracks his Jokes: "Live like Yourself," was foon my Lady's Word; And lo! two Puddings fmoak'd upon the Board. Afleep and naked as an Indian lay,

An honeft Factor ftole a Gem away:

He pledg'd it to the Knight; the Knight had Wit, So kept the Diamond and the Rogue was bit. Some Scruple rofe, but thus he eas'd his Thought, "I'll now give Six-pence where I gave a Groat, "Where once I went to Church, I'll now go twiceAnd am fo clear too of all other Vice.”

The Tempter faw his Time; the Work he ply'd Stocks and Subfcriptions pour on ev'ry Side, Till all the Dæmon makes his full Descent, In one abundant Shower of Cent-per Cent.

Sinks

to affent to; but if it was not fet on Fire by Papifts, it is not doubted but it was done on fet Purpose, and that there was a fecret Hand of Power at the Bottom.

3

EARL OF BURLINGTON