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Publish the prefent age; but where my text
Is vice too high, reserve it for the next:
My foes fhall with my life a longer date,
And ev'ry friend the less lament my fate.
My head and heart thus flowing through my quill,
r) Verfe-man or profe-man, term me which you

will,

Papift or Proteftant, or both between,

Like good Erafmus in an honest mean,

In moderation placing all my glory,

65

70

While Tories call me Whig, and Whigs a Tory. (s) Satire's my weapon, but I'm too discreet To run a muck, and tilt at all I meet; (t) I only wear it in a land of Hectors, Thieves, fupercargoes, fharpers, and directors. (u) Save but our army! and let Jove incrust Swords, pikes, and guns, with everlasting rust!

Decurrens alio, neque fi bene: quo fit, ut omnis Votiva pateat veluti defcripta tabella [anceps: Vita fenis. fequor hunc, (r) Lucanus an Appulus, [Nam Venufinus arat finem fub utrumque colonus, Miffus ad hoc, pulfis (vetus eft ut fama) Sabellis, Quo ne per vacuum Romano incurreret hoftis ; Sive quod Appula gens, feu quod Lucania bellum Incuteret violenta.] (s) fed hic ftylus haud petet

ultro

Quemquam animantem, et me veluti cuftodiet enfis Vagina tectus: quem cur deftringere coner,

(1) Tutus ab infeftis latronibus? (u) O pater et rex

NOTES.

Peace

Ver. 72. Thieves, fupercargoes,] The names at that time ufually beftowed on thofe whom the trading companies fent with their hips, and intrusted with their concerns abroad. Ver. 73. Save but our army! etc.] "Une maladie nou

76

(x) Peace is my dear delight---not FLEURY'S more

But touch me, and no minister so fore.
Whoe'er offends, at fome unlucky time

(y) Slides into verse, and hitches in a rhyme,
Sacred to ridicule his whole life long,
And the fad burthen of fome merry fong.

80

(x) Slander or poifon dread from Delia's rage, Hard words or hanging, if your judge be Page:

Jupiter, ut pereat pofitum rubigine telum,
Nec quifquam noceat (x) cupido mihi pacis! at ille,
Qui me commorit, (melius non tangere, clamo),
(y) Flebit, et infignis tota cantabitur urbe.

(2) Cervius iratus leges minitatur et urnam ; Canidia Albuti, quibus eft inimica, venenum ; Grande malum Turius, fi quid fe judice certes :

NOTES.

velle (fays the admirable author de L'efprit des loix) s'eft repandue en Europe; elle a faifi nos princes, et leur fait entretenir un nombre defordonne de troupes. Elle a fes redoublemens, et elle devient neceffairement contagieufe. Car fi-tot qu'un etat augmente ce qu'il appelle les troupes, les autres foudain augmentent les leurs, de facon qu'on ne gagne rien par-la que la ruine commune. Chaque Monarque tient fur pied toutes les armees qu'il pourroit avoir fi fes peuples etoient en danger d'etre extermines; et on nomme paix cet etat d'effort de tous contre tous. Auffi l'Europe eft elle fi ruinee, que les particuliers, qui feroient dans la fituation ou font les trois puiffances de cette partie du monde les plus opulentes, n'auroient pas de quoi vivre. Nous fommes pauvres avec les richeffes et le commerce de tout l'univers; et bientot, a force d'avoir des foldats, nous n'aurons plus que des foldats, et nous ferons comme des Tartares."

From

7

From furious Sappho scarce a milder fate; P---x'd by her love, or libell'd by her hate. (a) Its proper pow'r to hurt, each creature feels; 85 Bulls aim their horns, and Affes lift their heels; 'Tis a bear's talent not to kick, but hug; And no man wonders he's not ftung by Pug. (b) So drink with Watters, or with Chartres * eat; They'll never poifon you, they'll only cheat. 90

(c) Then, learned Sir! (to cut the matter short), Whate'er my fate, or well or ill at court; Whether Old Age, with faint but cheerful ray, Attends to gild th' ev'ning of my day, Or Death's black wing already be difplay'd, Το wrap me in the univerfal fhade; Whether the darken'd room to muse invite, Or whiten'd wall provoke the skew'r to write: In durance, exile, Bedlam, or the Mint,

95

(d) Like Lee or Budgell, I will rhyme and print.

(a) Ut, quo quifque valet, fufpectos terreat, utque Imperet hoc Natura potens, fic collige mecum. Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit; unde, nifi intus Monftratum? (b) Scævæ vivacem crede nepoti Matrem; nil faciet fceleris pia dextera: (mirum ? Ut neque calce lupus quemquam, neque dente petit bos):

Sed mala tollet anum vitiato melle cicuta.

(c) Ne longum faciam: feu me tranquilla senectus 、 Exfpectat, feu mors atris circumvolat alis;

Dives, inops; Romæ, feu fors ita jufferit, exful; (d) Quifquis erit vitæ, fcribam, color.

* See note on Moral Effays, epift. 3. v. 20.

(e) F.

(e) F. Alas, young man! your days can ne'er be In flow'r of age you perifh for a fong! [long, Plums and Directors, Shylock and his Wife, With club their tefters, now, to take your life! [pen,

P. (f) What? arm'd for virtue when I point the Brand the bold front of fhameless guilty men; 106 Dash the proud gamefter in his gilded car; Bare the mean heart that lurks beneath a star; Can there be wanting, to defend Her caufe, Lights of the church, or guardians of the laws? 110 Could penfion'd Boileau lafh in honest strain Flatt'rers and bigots ev'n in Louis' reign?" Could Laureat Dryden pimp and fry'r engage, Yet neither Charles nor James be in a rage? And I not (g) ftrip the gilding off a knave, Unplac'd, unpenfion'd, no man's heir, or flave?

115

I will

T. (e) O puer, ut fis Vitalis metuo; et majorum ne quis amicus Frigore te feriat.

H. (f) Quid? cum eft Lucilius aufus

Primus in hunc operis componere carmina morem, (g) Detrabere et pellem, nitidus qua quifque per ora Cederet, introrfum turpis; num Lælius, et qui

NOTES.

Ver. 116. Unplac'd, unpenfion'd, no man's heir, or flave?] Mr Pope, it is well known, made his fortune by his Homers. Lord Treasurer Oxford affected to difcourage that defign; for fo great a genius (he faid) ought not to be confined to tranflation. He always used Mr Pope civilly; and would often exprefs his concern that his religion rendered him incapable of a place. At the fame time he never fpoke one word of a penfion. For this offer he was folely indebted to the Whig minifters. In the beginning of George I. Lord

I will, or perish in the gen'rous caufe:

Hear this, and tremble! you, who 'fcape the laws. Yes, while I live, no rich or noble knave

Shall walk the world, in credit, to his grave. 120

Duxit ab oppreffa meritum Carthagine nomen,
Ingenio offenfi? aut læfo doluere Metello,
Famofifque Lupo cooperto verfibus? atqui
Primores populi arripuit populumque tributim;

NOTES.

Halifax, of his own motion, fent for Mr Pope, and told him, it had often given him concern, that fo great a poet had never been diftinguished; that he was glad it was now in his power to ferve him; and, if he chufed to accept it, he fhould have a penfion not clogged with any engagements. Mr Pope thanked him, and defired time to confider of it. After three months (having heard nothing further from that Lord) he wrote him a letter to repeat his thanks; in which he took occafion to mention the affair of the penfion with much indifference. So the thing dropt till 'Mr Craggs came into the ministry. The affair of the penfion was then refumed. And this minifter, in very frank and friendly manner, told Mr Pope, that three hundred pounds a-year was then at his fervice; he had the management of the fecret fervice money, and could pay him fuch a penfion, without it being known, or ever coming to account. But now Mr Pope declined the offer without hefitation: only, in return for fo friendly a proposal, he told the Secretary, that if at any time he wanted money. he would draw upon him for 100 or 2001. which liberty, notwithstanding, he never took. Mr Craggs more than once preffed him on this head; and urged the conveniency of a chariot; which. Mr Pope was fenfible enough of: but the precarioufnefs of that supply made him very prudently decline the thoughts of an equipage; which it was much better never to fet up, than not properly to fupport.

VOL. II.

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(b) Tɔ

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