Virtue may chuse the high or low Degree, 'Tis just alike to Virtue, and to me;

Notes. much more than he had feigned in the imaginary virtues of the man of Rafs. One, who, whether he be considered in his civil, focial, domestic, or religious character, is, in all these views, an ornament to human nature.

And, indeed, we shall see, that what is here said of him agrees only with such a Character. But as both the thought and the expression have been censured, we fall consider them in their order.

Let bumble Allen, with an aukward Shame,

Do good by fealth ---This encomium has been called obfcure (as well as penu. rious.) It may be so; not from any defect in the conception, but from the deepness of the sense ; and, what may feem more strange, (as we shall see afterwards) from the elegance of phrase, and exactness of expression. We are fo absolutely governed by custom, that to act contrary to it, creates even in virtuous men, who are ever modet, a kind of diffidence, which is the parent of Shame. But when, to this, there is joined a consciousness that, in forfaking custom, you follow truth and reason, the indignation arising from such a conscious virtue, mixing with foame, produces that amiable aukwardness, in going out of the fashion, which the Poet, here, celebrates.

and blush to find it Fame. i.e. He blushed at the degeneracy of his times, which, at beft, gave his goodnels its due commendation (the thing he never aimed at) instead of following and imitating his example, which was the reason why some acts of it were not done by stealth, but more openly. So far as to the thought: but it will be said,

tantamne rem tam negligenter? And this will lead us to say something concerning the ex

Dwell in a Monk, or light upon a King,
She's still the same, belov'd, contented thing. 140
Vice is undone, if the forgets her Birth,
And stoops from Angels to the Dregs of Earth :
But 'tis the Fall degrades her to a Whore ;
Let Greatness own her, and she's mean no more, 144
Her Birth, her Beauty, Crowds and Courts confess,
Chafte Matrons praise her, and grave Bishops bless;
In golden Chains the willing World she draws,
And hers the Gospel is, and hers the Laws,
Mounts the Tribunal, lifts her scarlet head,
And sees pale Virtue carted in her stead.

150
Lo! at the wheels of her Triumphal Car,
Old England's Genius, rough with many a Scar,
Dragg’d in the Duft! his arms hang idly round,
His Flag inverted trails along the ground !
Our Youth, all livery'd o'er with foreign Gold, 155
Before her dance : behind her, crawl the Old !
See thronging Millions to the Pagod run,
And offer Country, Parent, Wife, or Son!

Notes. preslion, which will clear up what remains of the difficulty. In these lines, and in those which precede and follow them, are contained an ironical neglect of Virtue, and an ironical concern and care for Vice. So that the Poet's elegant correctness of composition required, that his lan. guage, in the first cale should present something of regii. gence and censure ; - which is admirably implied in che expression of the thought.

Hear her black Trumpet thro' the Land proclaim,
That NOT TO BE CORRUPTED IS THE SHAME. 160.
In Soldier, Churchman, Patriot, Man in Pow'r,
'Tis Av'rice all, Ambition is no more !
See, all our Nobles begging to be Slaves !
See, all our Fools aspiring to be Knaves !
The Wit of Cheats, the Courage of a Whore, 165
Are what ten thousand envy and adore :
All, all look up, with reverential Awe,
At Crimes that 'scape, or triumph o'er the Law:
While Truth, Worth, Wisdom, daily they dcery
« Nothing is Sacred now but Villainy." 170

Yet may this Verse (if such a Verse remain)
Show, there was one who held it in disdain.

?T

FR.
IS all a Libel - Paxton (Sir) will say
P. Not yet, my Friend ! to morrow faith

it may
And for that very cause I print to day.
How should I fret to mangle ev'ry line,
In rev’rence to the Sins of Thirty-nine !

5
Vice, with such Giant ftrides comes on amain,
Invention strives to be before in vain ;
Feign what I will, and paint it e'er so strong,
Some rising Genius fins up to my Song

F. Yet none but you by Name the guilty lash; 10 Ev’n Guthry saves half Newgate by a Dalh.

Notes. Ver, 1. Paxton.) Late sollicitor to the Treasury. VER. II. Ev'n Gutbry.) The Ordinary of Newgate, VOL IV.

* R 3

20

Spare then the Person, and expose the Vice.

P. How, Sir ! not damn the Sharper, but the Dica? Come on then, Satire ! gen'ral, unconfin'd, Spread thy broad wing, and fouce on all the kind. 15 Ye Statesmen, Priefts, of one Religion all! Ye Tradesmen, vile, in Army, Court, or Hall ! Ye Rey'rend Atheists. F. Scandal ! name them, Who?

P. Why that's the thing you bid me not to do. Who stary'd a Sifter, who forswore a Debt, I never nam'd; the Town's enquiring yet, The pois’ning Dame - F. You mean - P. I don't.

F. You do. P. See, now I keep the Secret, and not you! The bribing Statesman--F. Hold, too high you go. 24

P. The brib'd Elector--F. There you stoop too low.

P. I fain would please you, if I knew with what ; Tell me, which Knave is lawful Game, which not? Must great Offenders, once escap'd the Crown, Like Royal Harts be never more run down?. Adinit your Law to fpare the Knight requires, As Beasts of Nature may we hunt the Squires ? Suppose I censure you know what I mean To save a Bishop, may I name a Dean?

30

Notes.

who publishes the memoirs of the Malefactors, and is often prevailed upon to be so tender of their reputation, as to fet down no more than the initials of their name. P.