BOOK II.

SA TIRE I.

To Mr. FORTESCUE.

P. I.

, ) a There are, to whom my Satire seems too bold: Scarce to wise Peter complaisant enough, And fomething faid of Chartres much too rough. B The lines are weak, another's pleas’d to say, 5 Lord Fanny spins a thousand such a day. Timorous by nature, of the Rich in awe, c I come to Council learned in the Law : You'll give me, like a friend both sage and free, Advice; and (as you use) without a Fee. F. d I'd write no more.

P. Not

10

HORATIUS.

TREBATIUS.

HORATIUS. •Sunt quibus in Satira videar nimis acer, et ultra Legem tendere opus ; b fine nervis altera, quidquid Composui, pars effe putat, fimilesque meorum Mille die versus deduci posse. Trebati, Quid faciam? praescribe.

T Quiefcas.

H. Ne faciam, inquis, Omnino versus ?

T. Aio.

P. Not write ? but then I think,
e And for my soul I cannot sleep a wink.
I nod in company, I wake at night,
Fools rush into my head, and so I write.

F. You could not do a worse thing for your life. 15 Why, if the nights seem tedious-take a wife : f Or rather truly, if your point be rest, Lettuce and cowslip wine ; “ Probatum est." But talk with Celsus, Celsus will advise Hartshorn, or something that shall close your eyes. & Or, if you needs must write, write Cæsar's Praise, n You 'll gain at least a Knighthood, or the Bays. P. What? like Sir i Richard, rumbling, rough, and

fierce, With Arms and George and Brunswick crowd the

verse, Rend with tremendous sound your ears afunder,

25 With Gun, Drum, Trumpet, Blunderbuss, and Thun

der?

Or

alto;

H. Peream male, fi non
Optimum erat: verum nequeo dormire.

T. f Ter uneti
Transnanto Tiberim, fomno quibus eft opus
Irriguumve mero sub noctem corpus habento.

8 Aut fi tantus amor scribendi te rapit, aude Cæsaris invicti res dicere, h multa laborum Praemia laturus.

H. Cupidum, Pater optime, vires Deficiunt : i neque enim quivis horrentia pilis

Or nobly wild, with Budgell's fire and force,
Paint Angels trembling round his falling Horse?

F. k Then all your Muse's softer art display,
Let Carolina smooth the tuneful lay,

30 Lull with Amelia's liquid name the Nine, And sweetly flow through all the Royal Line.

P. 1 Alas! few verses touch their nicer ear; They scarce can bear their Laureate twice a year; And justly Cæsar scorns the Poet's lays,

55 It is to History he trusts for Praise.

F. m Better be Cibber, I'll maintain it still, Than ridicule all Taste, blaspheme Quadrille, Abuse the City's best good men in metre, And laugh at Peers that put their trust in Peter. 40 Ev'n those touch not, hate you.

P. What should ail them? F. A hundred smart in Timon and in Balaam :

The

you

Agmina, nec fracta pereuntes cuspide Gallos,
Aut labentis equo describat vulnera Parthi.

T. * Attamen et juftum poteras et scribere fortem, Scipiadam ut fapiens Lucilius.

H. Haud mihi deero, Cum res ipsa feret : 1 nisi dextro tempore, Flacci Verba per attentam non ibunt Cæsaris aurem : Cui male si palpere, recalcitrat undique tutus. T. m Quanto rectius hoc, quam trifti lædere versu Pantolabum (curram, Nomentanumve nepotem ? * Cum sibiquisque timet, quamquam est intactus, et odit.

45

50

The fewer ftill you name, you wound the more;
Bond is but one, but Harpax is a score.

P. • Each mortal has his pleasure : none deny
Scarsdale his Bottle, Darty his Ham-pye;
Ridotta sips and dances, till the fee
The doubling Lustres dance as fast as she;
PF- loves the Senate, Hockleyhole his brother,
Like in all else, as one Egg to another.
9 I love to pour out all myself, as plain
As downright Shippen, or as old Montagne :
In them, as certain to be lov'd as seen,
The Soul stood forth, nor kept a thought within ;
In me what spots (for spots I have) appear,
Will prove at least the Medium must be clear.
In this impartial glass, my Muse intends
Fair to expose myself, my foes, my friends;
Publish the present age; but where my text
Is Vice too high, reserve it for the next :
My foes shall with my life a longer date,
And
every

friend the less lament my fate.

55

60

My

H. - Quid faciam ? faltat Milonius, ut femel icto
Accessit fervor capiti, num

imerufque lucernis.
p Castor gaudet equis; ovo prognatus eodem,
Pugnis. quot capitum vivunt, totidem ftudiorum
Millia. q me pedibus delectat claudere verba,
Lucili ritu, noftrûm melioris utroque.
Ille velut fidis arcana fodalibus oliin
Credebat libris ; neque, fi male gesserat, usquam,
Decurrens alio, neque fi bene; quo fit, ut omnis

65

My head and heart thus flowing through my quill,
r Verseman or Proseman, term me which you will,
Papist or Protestant, or both between,
Like good: Erasmus in an honest mean,
In moderation placing all my glory,
While Tories call me Whig, and Whigs a Tory.

s Satire's my weapon, but I'm too discreet To run a-muck, and tilt at all I meet ;

70 t I only wear it in a land of Hectors, Thieves, Supercargoes, Sharpers, and Directors. u Save but our army! and let Jove incrust Swords, pikes, and guns, with everlasting rust! w Peace is my dear delight—not Fleury's more: 75 But touch me, and no minister fo fore. Whoe'er offends, at some unlucky time, * Slides into verse, and hitches-in a rhyme,

Sacred

Votiva pateat veluti descripta tabella
Vita senis. sequor hunc,' Lucanus an Appulus, anceps :
(Nam Venusinus arat finem fub utrumque colonus,
Miffus ad hoc, pulfis (vetus est ut fama) Sabellis ;
Quo ne per vacuum Romano incurreret hoftis;
Sive quod Appula gens, seu quod Lucania bellum
Incuteret violenta] s fed hic stylus haud petet ultro
Quemquam animantem, et me veluti custodiet enfis
Vagina tectus, quem cur destringere coner,
+ Tutus ab infestis latronibus ? u opater et rex
Jupiter, ut pereat positum rubigine telum,
Nec quisquam noceat w cupido mihi pacis! at ille,
Qui me commôrit, (melius non tangere, clamo)
* Flebit, et insignis-tota cantabitur urbe.