And gave you beauty, but denied the pelf Kept dross for duchesses, the world shall know it, To you gave sense, good-humour, and a poet. EPISTLE III. TO ALLEN, LORD BATHURST. OF THE USE OF RICHES. ARGUMENT. That it is known to few, most falling into one of the extremes, avarice or profusion. The point discussed, whether the invention of money has been more commodious or pernicious to mankind. That riches, either to the avaricious or the prodigal, cannot afford happiness, scarcely necessaries. That avarice is an absolute frenzy, without an end or purpose. Conjectures about the motives of avaricious men. That the conduct of men, with respect to riches, can only be accounted for by the order of Providence, which works the general good out of extremes, and brings all to its great end by perpetual revolutions. How a miser acts upon principles which appear to him reasonable. How a prodigal does the same. The due medium and true use of riches. The Man of Ross. The fate of the profuse and the covetous, in two examples; both miserable in life and in death. The story of Sir Balaam. ? P. WHO shall decide when doctors disagree, For some to heap, and some to throw away. But I, who think more highly of our kind, (And surely heaven and I are of a mind) Opine that nature, as in duty bound, Deep hid the shining mischief under ground: But when by man's audacious labour won, Flam'd forth this rival to its sire, the sun, Then careful heaven supplied two sorts of men, To squander these, and those to hide again. Like doctors thus, when much dispute has past, We find our tenets just the same at last : Both fairly owning riches, in effect, No grace of heaven, or token of th' elect; Given to the fool, the mad, the vain, the evil, To1 Ward, to Waters, Chartres, and the devil. B. What nature wants, commodious gold bestows; 'Tis thus we eat the bread another sows. P. But lures the pirate, and corrupts the friend. P. But bribes a senate, and the land's betray'd. 1 Three personages notorious for having amassed money by nefarious practices: for an account of Chartres, see note* p. 75. In vain may heroes fight and patriots rave, Our fates and fortunes as the winds shall blow; Oh! that such bulky bribes as all might see Or water all the quorum ten miles round? This is said to have happened to Sir Christopher Musgrave, as he was coming out at the back door, after having been closeted with King William III. Poor avarice one torment more would find, Drive to St. James's a whole herd of swine? To spoil the nation's last great trade, - quadrille ! P. What riches give us let us then inquire: Meat, fire, and clothes. B. What more? P. Meat, clothes, and fire. Is this too little? would you more than live? Sir William Colepepper, Bart., who ruined himself at the gaming-table. 4 A person who, possessing three hundred thousand pounds, laid down his coach, because interest was reduced from five to four per cent. |