410 Befides, a fate attends on all I write, Quod quis [q] deridet, quam quod probat et vene ratur. [ficta Nil moror (r) officium, quod me gravat; ac neque In (s) pejus vultu proponi cereus ufquam, Nec prave factis decorari verfibus opto : Ne (1) rebeam pingui donatus munere, et una Cum (u) fcriptore meo capfa porrectus aperta, Deferar in vicum vendentem thus et odores, Et piper, et quicquid chartis amicitur ineptis. THE You love a verfe, take fuch as I can fend, (a) A Frenchman comes, prefents you with his boy, Bows and begins---" This lad, Sir, is of Blois : F LORE, bono claroque fidelis amice Neroni, natum Tibure vel Gabiis, et tecum fic agat: "Hic et "Candidus, et talos a vertice pulcher ad imos, "Fiet eritque tuus numorum millibus octo; NOTES. Ver. 4. This lad, Sir, is of Blois :] a town in Beauce, where the French tongue is spoken in great purity. "Obferve "Obferve his fhape how clean! his locks how "curl'd! 6 "My only fon, I'd have him fee the world; "His French is pure; his voice too---you shall hear. "Sir, he's your flave, for twenty pound a-year. "Mere wax as yet, you fashion him with cafe, "Your barber, cook, upholt'rer, what you please: 10 "A perfect genius at an op'ra-fong--"To fay too much, might do my honour wrong. "Take him with all his virtues, on my word; "His whole ambition was to ferve a lord: 66 But, Sir, to you with what would I not part? 15 "Tho' 'faith, I fear, 'twill break his mother'sheart. "Once (and but once) I caught him in a lie, "And then, unwhipp'd, he had the grace to cry: "The fault he has I fairly fhall reveal, "(Could you o'erlook but that), it is, to fteal." 20 [b] If, after this, you took the graceless lad, Could you complain, my friend, he prov'd fo bad? "Verna minifteriis ad nutus aptus heriles; "Litterulis Græcis imbutus, idoneus arti "Cuilibet argilla quidvis imitaberis uda: "Quin etiam canet indoctum, fed dulce bibenti. "Multa fidem promiffa levant, ubi plenius æquo "Laudat venales, qui vult extrudere, merces. "Res urget me nulla: meo fum pauper in ære. "Nemo hoc mangonum faceret tibi: non temere a me "Quivis ferret idem : femel hic ceffavit, et (ut fit) “In fcalis latuit metuens pendentis habenæ : "Des nummos, excepta nihil te fi fuga lædit." b) Ille ferat pretium, poenæ fecurus, opinor. 'Faith, 'Faith, in fuch cafe, if you should profecute, I think Sir Godfrey should decide the fuit; [c] Confider then, and judge me in this light; Prudens emifti vitiofum: dicta tibi eft lex. Si tamen attentas? quereris fuper hoc etiam, quod Præfidium regale loco dejecit, ut aiunt, NOTES. Ver. 24. I think Sir Godfrey] Sir G. Kneller, an eminent juftice of peace, who decided much in the manner of Sancho Panca. } This put the man in fuch a defp'rate mind, Between revenge, and grief, and hunger join'd Against the foe, himself, and all mankind, He leap'd'the trenches, fcal'd à caftle-wall, Tore down a standard, took the fort and all. "Prodigious well;" his great commander cry'd, Gave him much praise, and some reward befide. Next pleas'd his Excellence a town to batter; (Its name I know not, and 'tis no great matter): 45 "Go on, my friend, (he cry'd), fee yonder walls! "Advance and conquer! go where glory calls! "More honours, more rewards, attend the brave." Don't you remember what reply he gave? D'ye think me, noble Gen'ral, fuch a fot? "Let him take caftles who has ne'er a groat." [e] Bred up at home, full early I begun To read in Greek the wrath of Peleus' fon. έσ 50 Clarus ob id factum, donis ornatur honeftis, NOTES. Ver. 52. Bred up at home, etc.] Mr Pope was taught his letters very early by an aunt; and, from thence to his eighth year, he took great delight in reading. He learned cwrite of himself by copying after printed books, whose |