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And Gold but fént to keep the Fools in play,
For fome to heap, and fome to throw away.

But I, who think more highly of our kind,
(And furely, Heav'n and I are of a mind)
Opine, that Nature, as in duty bound,
Deep hid the shining mifchief under ground:
But when by Man's audacious labour won,
Flam'd forth this rival to, its Sire, the Sun,
Then careful Heav'n supply'd two forts of Men,
To fquander These, and Those to hide agen.

5.

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 Heav'n or token of th' Elect;

10

16

Giv'n to the Fool, the Mad, the Vain, the Evil,
To Ward, to Waters, Chartres, and the Devil. 2Q

VER. 20. JOHN WARD, of Hackney, Efq; Member of Parliament, being profecuted by the Duchefs of Buckingham, and convicted of Forgery, was first expelled the House, and then flood in the Pillory on the 17th of March 1727. He was fufpected of joining in a conveyance with Sir John Blunt, to fecrete fifty thousand pounds of that Director's Eftate, forfeited to the South-Sea company by Act of Parliament. The Company recovered the fifty thousand pounds against Ward; but he fet up prior conveyances of his real estate to his brother and fon, and concealed all his perfonal, which was computed to be one hundred and fifty thousand pounds. These conveyances being alfo fet afide by a bill in Chancery, Ward was imprisoned, and hazarded the forfeiture of his life, by not giving in his effects 'till the laft day, which was that of his examination. During his confinement, his amusement was to give poifon to dogs and cats, and fee them expire

B. What Nature wants, commodious Geld beftows, 'Tis thus we eat the bread' another fows.

by flower or quicker torments. To fum up the worth of this gentleman, at the feveral æra's of his life. At his ftanding in the Pillory he was worth above two hundred thousand pounds; at his commitment to Prifon, he was worth one bundred and fifty thousand; but has been fince fo far diminished in his reputation, as to be thought a worse man" by fifty of fixty tboufand.

FR. CHARTRES, a man infamous for all manner of vices. When he was an enfign in the army, he was drummed out of the regiment for a cheat; he was next banished Bruffels, and drummed out of Ghent on the fame account. After a hundred tricks at the gaming-tables, he took to lending of money at exorbitant intereft and on great penalties, accumulating premium, interest, and capital into a new capital, and seizing to a minute when the payments became due; in a word, by a constant attention to the vices, wants, and foll es of mankind, he acquired an immenfe fortune. His house was a perpetual Bawdy-houfe. He was twice condemned for rapes, and pardoned; but the last time not without imprifonment in Newgate, and large confifcations. He died in Scotland in 1731, aged 62. The populace at his funeral raised a great riot, almoft tore the body out of the coffin, and caft dead dogs, etc. into the grave along with it. The following Epitaph contains his character very justly drawn by Dr. Arbuthnot:

HERE continueth to rot

The Body of FRANCIS CHARTRES,
Who, with an INFLEXIBLE CONSTANCY,
and INIMITABLE UNIFORMITY of Life,
PERSISTED,

In fpite of AGE and INFIRMITIES,
In the Practice of EVERY HUMAN VICE;
Excepting PRODIGALITY and HYPOCRISY:
His infatiable AVARICE exempted him from the first,

P. But how unequal it beftows, obferve,

"Tis thus we riot, while, who fow it, starve:

His matchlefs IMPUDENCE from the fecond.
Nor was he more fingular

in the undeviating Pravity of his Manners,
Than fuccefsful

in Accumulating WEALTH;

For, without TRADE OF PROFESSION,
Without TRUST of PUBLIC MONEY,
And without BRIBE-WORTHY Service,
H acquired, or more properly created,
A MINISTERIAL ESTATE.

He was the only Perfon of his Time, Who could CHEAT without the Mask of HONESTY, Retain his Primeval MEANNESS

When possessed of TEN THOUSAND a Year,
And having daily deferved the GIBBET for what he did,
Was at laft condemned to it for what he could not do,
Oh Indignant Reader!

Think not his Life ufelefs to Mankind!
PROVIDENCE connived at his execrable Designs,
To give to After-ages

A confpicuous PROOF and EXAMPLE,
Of how fmall Eftimation is EXORBITANT WEALTH
in the Sight of GOD,

By his bestowing it on the moft UNWORTHY OF ALL MORTALS.

This gentleman was worth seven thousand pounds a year estate, in Land, and about one hundred thousand in Money.

Mr. WATERS, the third of these worthies, was a man no way resembling the former in his military, but extremely fo in his civil capacity; his great fortune having been raised by the like diligent attendance on the neceffities of others. But this gentleman's history must be deferred till his death, when his worth may be known more certainly.

What Nature wants (a phrafe I much diftruft) 25 Extends to Luxury, extends to Luft;

Useful, I grant, it serves what life requires,

But dreadful too, the dark Affaffin hires: B. Trade it may help, Society extend.

P. But lures the Pyrate, and corrupts the Friend. 30
B. It raifes Armies in a Nation's aid,

P. But bribes a Senate, and the Land's betray'd.
In vain may Heroes fight, and Patriots rave;
If fecret gold fap on from knave to knave.
Once, we confefs, beneath the Patriot's cloak, 35
From the crack'd bag the dropping Guinea spoke,
And jingling down the back-stairs, told the crew,
"Old Cato is as great a Rogue as you."
Bleft paper-credit! last and best fupply!
That lends Corruption lighter wings to fly!
Gold imp'd by thee, can compass hardest things,
Can pocket States, can fetch or carry Kings;

40

VER. 34. If fecret Gold sap on from knave to knave.] The expreffion is fine, and gives us the image of a place invefted, where the approaches are made by communications which fupport each other; as the connections among knaves, after they have been taken in by a state engineer, serve to fcreen and encourage one another's private corruptions. VER. 35. beneath the Patriot's cloak,] This is a true ftory, which happened in the reign of William III. to an unfufpected old Patriot, who coming out at the back-door from having been clofeted by the King, where he had received a large bag of Guineas, the bursting of the bag difcovered his bufinefs there.

VER. 42.fetch or carry Kings;] In our author's time,

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