EPIST LE IV. "T Is strange,theMiser should hisCares employ To gain those riches he can ne'er enjoy: Is it lefs ftrange, the Prodigal fhould waste His wealth, to purchase what he ne'er can taste? COMMENTARY. EPISTLE IV.] The extremes of Avarice and Profufion being treated of in the foregoing Epistle; this takes up one particular branch of the later, the Vanity of Expence in people of wealth and quality; and is therefore a corollary to the preceding, juft as the Epiftle on the Characters of Women is to that of the Knowledge and Characters of Men. It is equally remarkable for exactness of method with the reft. But the nature of the subject, which is lefs philofophical, makes it capable of being analyfed in a much narrower compafs.. VER. 1. 'Tis ftrange, &c.] The poet's introduction (from I to 39] confifts of a very curious remark, arifing from his intimate knowledge of nature; together with an illustration of that remark, taken from his obfervations on life. It is this, That the Prodigal no more enjoys his Profufion, than the Mifer, his Rapacity. It was generally thought that Avarice only kept without enjoyment; but the poet here firft acquaints us with a circumftance in human life much more to be lamented, viz. that Profufion too can communicate without it; whereas Enjoyment was thought to be as peculiarly the reward of the beneficent paffions (of which this has the appearance) as want of enjoyment was the punishment of the selfish. The phænomenon obferved is odd enough. But if we look more narrowly into this matter, we fhall find, that Prodigality, when in purfuit of Tafte, is only a Mode of Vanity, and confequently as felfifh a paffion as even avarice itself, and it is of the ordonance and conftitution N.Blakey inv. et del. Ravenet Sculp What brought S." Visto's ill-got Wealth to waste? Some Dæmon whisperdNisto! have a Taste... Ep: on Faste 5 Not for himself he fees, or hears, or eats; COMMENTARY. of all selfish paffions, when growing to excess, to defeat their own end, which is Self-enjoyment. But befides the accurate philofophy of this obfervation, there is a fine Morality contained in it; namely, that ill-got Wealth is not only as unreasonably, but as uncomfortably squandered as it was raked together; which the poet himself further infinuates in ✯ 15. What brought Sir Vifto's ill-got wealth to waite? He then illuftrates the above obfervation by divers examples in every branch of wrong Tafte; and to fet their abfurdities in the strongest light, he, in conclufion, contrafts them with feveral inftances of the true, in the Nobleman to whom the Epiftle is addreffed. This difpofition is productive of various beauties; for, by this means, the Introduction becomes an epitome of the body of the Epiftle; which, as we shall fee, confifts of general reflections on Tafte, and particular examples of bad and good. And his friend's Example concluding the Introduction, leads the poet gracefully into the subject itself; for the Lord, here celebrated for his good Tafte, was now at hand to deliver the firft and fundamental precept of it himself, which gives authority and dignity to all that follow. NOTES. VER. 7. Topham] A Gentleman famous for a judicious collection of Drawings. P. VER. 8. For Pembroke Statues, dirty Gods, and Coins.] The author speaks here not as a Philofopher or Divine, but as a Con Think we all these are for himself? no more For what has Virro painted, built, and planted? NOTES. noiffeur and Antiquary; confequently the dirty attribute here affigned thefe Gods of old renown, is not in difparagement of their worth, but in high commendation of their genuine pretenfions. SCRIBL. VER. 10. And Books for Mead, and Butterflies for Sloane.] Two eminent Phyficians; the one had an excellent Library, the other the finest collection in Europe of natural curiofities; both men of great learning and humanity. P. VER. 12. Than his fine Wife, alas! or finer Whore.] By the Author's manner of putting together thefe two different Utenfils of falfe Magnificence, it appears, that, properly speaking, neither the Wife nor the Whore is the real object of modern taffe, but the Finery only: And whoever wears it, whether the Wife or the Whore, it matters not; any further than that the latter is thought to deserve it beft, as appears from her having moft of it; and fo indeed becomes, by accident, the more fashionable Thing of the two. SCRIBL. VER. 17. Heav'n vifits with a Tafte the wealthy fool,] The prefent rage of Tafle, in this overflow of general Luxury, may be very properly represented by a defolating peftilence, alluded to in the word vifit. VER. 18. Ripley] This man was a carpenter, employed by a first Minister, who raised him to an Architect, without any genius in the art; and after some wretched proofs of his insufficiency in public Buildings,made him Comptroller of the Board of works. P. |
