Yet why? that Father held it for a rule,
It was a fin to call our neighbour fool:

That harmless Mother thought no wife a whore: Hear this, and spare his family, James Moore !385 Unfpotted names, and memorable long!

If there be force in Virtue, or in Song.

Of gentle blood (part shed in Honour's cause, While yet in Britain Honour had applause) Each parent sprung ---A. What fortune, pray?--P. Their own,

And better got, than Befia's from the throne.

NOTES.

390

was the daughter of William Turnor, Efq. of York: She had three brothers, one of whom was killed, another died in the fervice of King Charles; the eldest following his fortunes, and becoming a general officer in Spain, left her what eftate remained after the fequeftrations and forfeitures of her family— Mr. Pope died in 1717, aged 75; She in 1733, aged 93, a very few weeks after this poem was finifhed. The following infcription was placed by their fon on their Monument in the parish of Twickenham, in Middlesex.

D. O. M.

ALEXANDRO. POPE. VIRO. INNOCVO. PROBO. PIO.

QVI. VIXIT. ANNOS. LXXV. OB. MDCCXVII.

ET. EDITHAE. CONIVGI. INCVLPABILI.
PIENTISSIMAE. QVAE. VIXIT. ANNOS,
XCIII. OB. MDCCXXXIII.

PARENTIBVS. BENEMERENTIBVS. FILIVS. FECIT.

VER. 390. A. What fortune, pray?] His friend's perfonating the Town in this place, and affuming its impertinent curiofity, gives great fpirit to the ridicule of the question.---Julian has a parallel Aroke, in his farcaftic difcourfe to the people of An

Born to no Pride, inheriting no Strife,

Nor marrying Discord in a noble wife,
Stranger to civil and religious rage,

The good man walk'd innoxious thro' his age.395
No Courts he faw, no fuits would ever try,
Nor dar'd an Oath, nor hazarded a Lye.
Unlearn'd, he knew no schoolman's fubtile art,
No language, but the language of the heart.
By Nature honest, by Experience wise,
Healthy by temp'rance, and by exercise;
His life, tho' long, to sickness past unknown,
His death was inftant, and without a groan.
O grant me, thus to live, and thus to die!
Who fprung from Kings shall know less joy than I.

VARIATIONS.

After 405. in the MS.

And of myself, too, something must I say?
Take then this verse, the trifle of a day.

And if it live, it lives but to commend

The man whofe heart has ne'er forgot a Friend,
Or head, an Author: Critic, yet polite

And friend to Learning, yet too wife to write.

NOTES.

400

404

On

tioch, where he tells them a ftory out of Plutarch, concerning Cato; who, when he came near their City, found their youth under arms, and the magiftrates in their robes of office. which alighting, in an ill humour with his friends, who he imagined had informed them of his approach, the master of the ceremonies came up, and, advancing before the company, accofted him in this manner; "Stranger, how far off is Deme

O Friend! may each domestic blifs be thine! Be no unpleafing Melancholy mine:

Me, let the tender office long engage,

To rock the cradle of repofing Age,

With lenient arts extend a Mother's breath, 410
Make Languor fmile, and smooth the bed of Death,
Explore the thought, explain the asking eye,
And keep a while one parent from the sky!
On cares like these if length of days attend,
May Heav'n, to bless those days, preserve my friend,
Preserve him focial, chearful, and ferene,
And just as rich as when he serv'd a QUEEN.
A. Whether that bleffing be deny'd or giv'n,
Thus far was right, the rest belongs to Heav'n.

NOTES.

416

"trius ?" Now this Demetrius (fays Julian) was one of Pompey's freedmen, and immenfely rich. You will ask me what he was warth; for I know nothing fo likely to excite your curiofity. Why, truly, for this, you must confult Demophilas the Bythinian, whofe anecdotes turn chiefly upon fubjects of this high importance.

VER. 417. And just as rich as when he ferv'd a Queen.] An honeft compliment to his Friend's real and unaffected difinterestednefs, when he was the favourite Physician of Queen Anne.

VER. 418. A. Whether that bling, &c.] He makes his friend close the Dialogue with a fentiment very expreffive of that religious refignation, which was the Character both of his temper, and his piety.

SATIRES

AND

EPISTLES

O F

HORACE

IMITATE D.