80

8

Sacred to ridicule his whole life long,
And the sad burthen of some merry song,

y Slander or Poison dread from Delia's rage,
Hard words or hanging, if your Judge be Page.
From furious Sappho scarce a milder fate,
P-x'd by her love, or libeld by her hate.
3 Its proper power 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 ftung by Pug.
a So drink with Walters, or with Chartres eat,
They 'll never poison you, they'll only cheat.

Then, learned Şir! (to cut the matter short) Whate'er my fate, or well or ill at Court, Whether Old

age,

with faint but chearful ray, Attends to gild the Evening of my day,

90

b

y Cervius iratus leges minitatur et urnam; Canidia Albutî, quibus est inimica, venenum; Grande malum Turius, fi quid fe judice certes : 2Ut, quo quisque valet, suspectos terreat, utque Imperet hoc Natura potens, fic collige mecum. Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit; unde, nifi intus Monstratum ; a Scaevae vivacem crede nepoti Matrem ; nil faciet feeleris pia dextra (mirum ? Ut neque calce lupus quemquam, neque dente petit bos ). Sed mala tollet anum vitiato melle cicuta.

b Ne longum faciam : feu me tranquilla senectus Expectat, leu mors atris circumvolat alis;

95

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 skewer to write :
In durance, exile, Bedlam, or the Mint.
Like Lee or Budgell, I will rhyme and print.
F. d Alas, young man ! your days can ne'er be

long,
In flower of Age you perish for a song!
Plums and Directors, Shylock and his wife,
Will club their Testers, now, to take your

life!
P. e What? arm’d for Virtue when I point the pen,
Brand the bold front of shameless guilty men ;
Dash the proud Gamester in his gilded Car;
Bare the mean Heart that lurks beneath a Star;
Can there be wanting, to defend Her cause,
Lights of the Church, or Guardians of the Laws: 110
Could pension’d Boileau laih in honest strain
Flatterers and Bigots ev’n in Louis' reign?
Could Laureate Dryden Pimp and Fryar engage,
Yet neither Charles nor James be in a rage?

And

Dives, inops ; Romae, seu fors ita jufferit, exsul;
Quisquis erit vitae, scribam, color.

T. do puer, ut fis
Vitalis metuo ; et majorum ne quis amicus
Frigore te feriat.

H. - Quid ? cum est Lucilius ausus Primus in hunc operis componere carmina morem,

120

And I not f ftrip the gilding off a Knave,

115 Unplac'd, unpenfion'd, no man's heir, or fave? I will, or perish in the generous cause : 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. 8 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. h There, my retreat the best Companions grace, 125 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 foul : And He, whose lightning pierc'd th' Iberian Lines, Now forms my Quincunx; and now ranks my Vines,

Or

f Detrahere et pellem, nitidus qua quisque per ora
Cederet introrsum turpis ; num Laelius, et qui
Duxit ab oppressa meritum Carthagine nomen,
Ingenio offensi? aut laeso doluere Metello,
Famosisque Lupo cooperto versibus ? atqui
Primores populi arripuit populumque tributim ;
Scilicet & Uni æquus virtuti atque ejus Amicis.
h Quin ubi se a vulgo et scena in secreta remorant
Virtus Scipiadae et mitis fapientia Laeli,
Nugari cum illo, et discineti ludere, donec
Decoqueretur olus, foliti.

Quidquid fum ego, quamvis
VOL. II.

N

Or tames the Genius of the stubborn plain,
Almost as quickly as he conquer'd Spain.

i 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, 135 Fond to spread friendships, but to cover heats ; 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.

140 This is my Plea, on this I rest

my

cause k What faith my Council, learned in the laws ?

F. 1Your 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 145 A man was hang'd for very honest rhymes; m Consult the Statute, “ quart.” I think, it is, “ Edwardi sext.” or “prim. et quint. Eliz.”

See

Infra Lucilî censum, ingeniumque; tamen me
i Cum magnis vixiffe invita fatebitur ufque
Invidia ; et fragili quaerens illidere dentem,
Offendet solido:

nisi quid tu, docte Trebati, Dissentis.

T. !Equidem nihil hinc diffingere poffum. Sed tamen ut monitus caveas, ne forte negotî Incutiat tibi quid fanctarum inscitia legum:

“ m Si mala condiderit in quem quis carmina, jus est “ Judiciumque."

See Libels, Satires — here you have it-read.

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; o In such a case the Plaintiff will be hiss’d,

155 My Lords the judges laugh, and you're dismiss d.

H. Efto, fiquis n mala, fed bona fi quis Judice condiderit laudatus Caesare? si quis Opprobriis dignum laceraverit, integer ipfe? T. • Solventur risu tabulæ: tu miffus abibis.