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From furious Sappho scarce a milder fate,
P-x'd by her love, or libell'd by her hate.

Its proper pow'r to hurt, each creature feels;
Bulls aim their horns, and asses lift their heels ;
'Tis a bear's talent not to kick, but hug;
And no man wonders he's not stung by pug.

85

So drink with Walters, or with Chartres eat,
They'll never poison you, they'll only cheat.

90

Then, learned Sir! (to cut the matter short)
Whate'er my fate, or well or ill at court,
Whether old age, with faint but cheerful ray,
Attends to gild the ev'ning of my day,
Or death's black wing already be display'd,
To wrap me in the universal shade;
Whether the darken'd room to muse invite,
Or whiten❜d wall provoke the skew'r to write ;
In durance, exile, bedlam, or the mint,

Like Lee or Budgel, I will rhyme and print.

95

100

F. Alas, young man! your days can ne'er be long;

In flow'r of age you perish for a song!

Plums and directors, Shylock and his wife,

Will club their testers, now, to take life!

your

P. What? arm'd for virtue when I point the pen,

Brand the bold front of shameless guilty men;

106

Dash the proud gamester in his gilded car;

Bare the mean heart that lurks beneath a star ;

Can

VER. 100. Like Lee or Budgel,] Lee, the dramatic writer, a true genius, is here coupled with Budgel.

Can there be wanting, to defend her cause,
Lights of the church, or guardians of the laws?.
Could pension'd Boileau lash in honest strain
Flatt'rers and bigots e'en in Louis' reign?
Could Laureate Dryden pimp and fry'r engage,
Yet neither Charles nor James be in a rage?
And I not strip the gilding off a knave,

Unplac'd, unpension'd, no man's heir, or slave?

I will, or perish in the gen'rous cause:

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Hear this, and tremble! you, who 'scape the laws. Yes, while I live, no rich or noble knave

Shall walk the world, in credit, to his

grave.

120

125

TO VIRTUE ONLY and HER FRIENDS A FRIEND,
The world beside may murmur, or commend.
Know, all the distant din that world can keep,
Rolls o'er my grotto, and but sooths my sleep.
There, my retreat the best companions grace,
Chiefs out of war, and statesmen out of place.
There ST. JOHN mingles with my friendly bowl
The feast of reason and the flow of soul:
And HE, whose lightning pierc'd th' Iberian lines,
Now forms my quincunx, and now ranks my vines,
Or tames the genius of the stubborn plain,
Almost as quickly as he conquer'd Spain.

131

Envy

VER. 129. And HE, whose lightning, &c.] Charles Mordaunt Earl of Peterborow, who in the year 1705 took Barcelona, and in the winter following, with only 280 horse and 900 foot, enterprised and accomplished the conquest of Valentia.

Envy must own, I live among the great, No pimp of pleasure, and no spy of state,

With eyes that pry not, tongue that ne'er repeats, Fond to spread friendships, but to cover heats; 136 To help who want, to forward who excel;

This all who know me, know; who love me, tell;
And who unknown defame me, let them be
Scriblers or peers, alike are mob to me.
This is my plea, on this I rest my cause
What saith my council, learned in the laws?
F. Your plea is good; but still I say, beware!
Laws are explain'd by men
—so have a care.
It stands on record, that in Richard's times
A man was hang'd for very honest rhymes.
Consult the statute: quart. I think, it is,
Edwardi sext. or prim. et quint. Eliz.

See Libels, Satires-here you

have it read.

140

145

P. Libels and Satires! lawless things indeed!

150

But grave epistles, bringing vice to light,

Such as a king might read, a bishop write.
Such as Sir ROBERT would approve

F. Indeed?

The case is alter'd-you may then proceed;
In such a cause the plaintiff will be hiss'd,
My lords the judges laugh, and you're dismiss'd.

155

THE SECOND SATIRE

OF THE

SECOND BOOK OF HORACE.

TO MR. BETHEL.

WHAT, and how great, the virtue and the art
To live on little with a cheerful heart;

(A doctrine sage, but truly none of mine;)
Let's talk, my friends, but talk before we dine.
Not when a gilt buffet's reflected pride
Turns you from sound philosophy aside;
Not when from plate to plate your eye-balls roll,
And the brain dances to the mantling bowl.

5

ΙΟ

Hear BETHEL's sermon, one not vers'd in schools, But strong in sense, and wise without the rules. Go work, hunt, exercise! (he thus began,) Then scorn a homely dinner, if you can. Your wine lock'd up, your butler stroll❜d abroad, Or fish deny'd, (the river yet unthaw'd,)

If then plain bread and milk will do the feat,

15

The pleasure lies in you, and not the meat.

Preach as I please, I doubt our curious men

Will choose a pheasant still before a hen;

Yet

VER. 9. BETHEL] The same to whom several of Mr. Pope's Letters are addressed.

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