What shocks one part will edify the rest, And what rewards your Virtue, punish mine. 16 And which more bleft? who chain'd his country, fay, Or he whofe Virtue figh'd to lose a day? 150 "But fometimes Virtue ftarves, while Vice is fed.” What then? Is the reward of Virtue bread? That, Vice may merit, 'tis the price of toil; The knave deferves it, The knave deferves it, 155 when he tills the foil. when he tempts the main, Where folly fights for kings, or dives for gain. The good man may be weak, be indolent; Nor is his claim to plenty, but content. But grant him riches, your demand is o'er ? "No-fhall the good want Health, the good want "" Pow'r?" Add Health and Pow'r, and ev'ry earthly thing, "Why bounded Pow'r? why private king?" Nay, why external for internal giv'n? why no 160 Why is not man a God, and Earth a Heav'n VARIATION S. After ver. 142. in fome Editions, Give each a System, all must be at strife; What diff'rent Systems for a man and wife? The joke, though lively, was ill placed, and therefore ftruck out of the text. 170 175 180 Is Virtue's prize: A better would you fix? 185 190 VER. 177. Go, like the Indian, etc.] Alluding to the example of the Indian, in Epift. i. ver. 99. and fhewing, that that example was not given to difcredit any rational hopes of future happiness, but only to reprove the folly of feparating them from charity: as when -Zeal, not Charity, became the guide, And hell was built on spite, and heav'n on pride. VARIATION S. After ver. 172. in the MS. Say, what rewards this idle world imparts, ; Honour and fhame from no Condition rife; A&t well your part, there all the honour lies. Fortune in Men has fome fmall diff'rence made, 195 One flaunts in rags, one flutters in brocade The cobler apron'd, and the parfon gown'd, The frier hooded, and the monarch crown'd. "What differ more (you cry) than crown and cowl ♪ I'll tell you, friend! a wife man and a fool. You'll find, if once the monarch acts the monk, Or, cobler-like, the parfon will be drunk, Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow : The reft is all but leather or prunella. 204 Stuck o'er with titles and hung round with ftrings, That thou may't be by kings, or whores of kings, Boaft the pure blood of an illuftrious race, In quiet flow from Lucrece to Lucrece : But by your fathers' worth if your's you rate, 200 210 VER. 193. Honour and fame from no Condition rife;—A&t well your part, there all the bonour lies.] What power then has Fortune over the Man? None at all; for as her favours can confer neither worth nor wisdom; fo neither can her difpleasure cure him of any of his follies. On his Garb indeed the hath fome little influence; but his heart ftill remains the fame. Fortune in Men has fome fmall diff'rence made, One flaunts in rags, one flutters in brocade. But this difference extends no further than to the habit; the pride of heart is the fame both in the flaunter and flutterer, as it is the poet's intention to infinuate by the ufe of those terms. VARIATIONS. VER. 207. Boaft the pure blood, etc.] in the MS. thus, The richest blood, right-honourably old, Down from Lucretia to Lucretia roll'd, Go! and pretend your family is young; Nor own your fathers have been fools fo long. What can ennoble fots, or flaves, or cowards? 215 Alas! not all the blood of all the HowARDS. 220 225 Look next on Greatnefs; fay where Greatnefs lies? "Where, but among the Heroes and the Wife? Heroes are much the fame, the point's agreed, From Macedonia's madman to the Swede; The whole ftrange purpofe of their lives, to find Or make, an enemy of all mankind! Not one looks backward, onward ftill he goes, Yet ne'er looks forward further than his nofe. No lefs alike the Politic and Wife; All fly flow things, with circumfpective eyes : Men in their loofe unguarded hours they take, Not that themselves are wife, but others weak. But grant that those can conquer, these can cheat; "Tis phrase abfurd to call a Villain Great: Who wickedly is wife, or madly brave, Is but the more a fool, the more a knave. Who noble ends by noble means obtains, Or failing, fmiles in exile or in chains, Like good Aurelius let him reign, or bleed Like Socrates, that Man is great indeed. 230 235 What's Fame a fancy'd life in others breath, A thing beyond us, ev'n before our death. Just what you hear, you have, and what's unknown The fame (my Lord) if Tully's, or your own. All that we feel of it begins and ends 240 In the small circle of our foes, or friends; To all befide as much an empty fhade An Eugene living, as a Cæfar dead; Alike or when, or where, they fhone or fhine, 245 A Wit's a feather, and a Chief a rod; An honeft Man's the nobleft work of God. Fame but from death a villain's name can fave, 250 As Juftice tears his body from the grave; Plays round the head, but comes not to the heart: And more true joy Marcellus exil'd feels, In Parts fuperior what advantage lies? 260 Truths would you teach, or fave a finking land? 265 All fear, none aid you, and few understand. Painful preheminence! yourself to view Above life's weakness, and its comforts too. Bring then these bleffings to a ftri&t account; Make fair deductions; fee to what they mount: 270 How much of other each is fure to cost; How each for other oft is wholly loft; How fometimes life is rifqu'd, and always ease: Look but on Gripus, or on Gripus' wife. 275 |