III.

Then why to courts should I repair,
Where's such ado with Townshend?
To hear each mortal stamp and swear,
And ev'ry speech with Zounds end;
To hear 'em rail at honest Sunderland,
And rashly blame the realm of Blunderland.*
With a fa, la, la.

IV.

Alas! like Schutz I cannot pun,
Like Grafton court the Germans;
Tell Pickenbourg how slim she's grown,
Like Meadowst run to sermons;
To court ambitious men may roam,
But I and Marlbro' stay at home.
With a fa, la, la.

ฐ.

In truth, by what I can discern,
Of courtiers 'twixt you three,
Some wit you have, and more may learn
From court, than Gay or Me:
Perhaps, in time, you'll leave high diet,
To sup with us on milk and quiet.
With a fa, la, la.

NOTES.

* Ireland.

+ Mentioned before in the verses to Mrs. Howe,

VI.

At Leicester-Fields, a house full high,
With door all painted green,
Where ribbons wave upon the tye,
(A Milliner I mean ;)

There may you meet us three to three,
For Gay can well make two of Me.
With a fa, la, la.

VII.

But shou'd you catch the prudish itch,
And each become a coward,
Bring sometimes with you lady Rich,
And sometimes mistress Howard;
For virgins to keep chaste must go
Abroad with such as are not so.
With a fa, la, la.

VIII.

And thus, fair maids, my ballad ends;
God send the king safe landing ;*
And make all honest ladies friends
To armies that are standing;
Preserve the limits of those nations,
And take off ladies limitations.

With a fa, la, la.

NOTES.

*This Ballad was written anno 1717.

NOTWITHSTANDING Pope's affected contempt of the Court, he was proud of the acquaintance of some of the beautiful young women belonging to it.

The Ladies mentioned in this Ballad, Pope speaks of in a letter: "I met the Prince, with all his Ladies on horseback, coming from hunting.

"Mrs. B-(Bellenden) and Mrs. L-(Lepell) took me into protection (contrary to the law against harbouring Papists), and gave me a dinner."

Bowles.

THE THREE GENTLE SHEPHERDS.

Or gentle Philips will I ever sing,

5

With gentle Philips shall the valleys ring.
My numbers too for ever will I vary,
With gentle Budgell, and with gentle Carey.
Or if in ranging of the names I judge ill,
With gentle Carey and with gentle Budgell,
Oh! may all gentle bards together place ye,
Men of good hearts, and men of delicacy.
May satire ne'er befool ye, or beknave ye,
And from all wits that have a knack, God save ye. 10

NOTES.

Ver. 1. Philips] Ambrose Philips.
Ver. 4. Budgell,] Eustace Budgell.

Ver. 4. Carey,] Henry Carey.

Ver. 10. And from all wits that have a knack,] Curl said, that in prose he was equal to Pope, but that in verse Pope had merely

a particular knack.

Bowles.

EPIGRAM,

ENGRAVED ON THE COLLAR OF A DOG, WHICH I GAVE TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS.

I AM his Highness's Dog at Kew;
Pray tell me, Sir, whose dog are you?

The idea of this inscription is taken from Sir William Temple's "Heads designed for an Essay on Conversation."

"Mr. Grantam's Fool's reply to a great Man that asked, whose fool he was"-I am Mr. Grantam's fool-pray tell me whose fool are you?"—Vol. i. p. 311, fol. ed. 1720.