The honey dropping from Favonio's tongue,
The flow'rs of Bubo, and the flow of Yng!
The gracious dew of pulpit-eloquence,
And all the well-whipt cream of courtly fenfe,
That firft was H-vy's, F-'s next and then
The St-e's, and then H-vy's once agen.
O come, that eafy, Ciceronian ftyle,
So Latin, yet fo English all the while,
As, tho' the pride of Middleton and Bland,
All boys may read, and girls may understand!
Then might I fing without the leaft offence,
And all I fung fhould be the Nation's Senfe;
Or teach the melancholy Mufe to mourn,
Hang the fad verfe on CAROLINA's urn,
And hail her paffage to the realms of reft,
All parts perform'd, and all her children bleft?
So-Satire is no more I feel it die-
No Gazetteer more innocent than I-

75

80

NOTES.

And

Ver. 69. The gracious der] Alludes to fome court fermons, and florid panegyrical fpeeches; particularly one very full of puerilities and flatteries; which afterwards got into an addrefs in the fame pretty ftyle; and was laftly ferved up in an epitaph, between Latin and English, published by its author.

Ver. 80. Carolina] Queen-confort to King George II. She died In 1737. Her death gave occafion, as is obferved above, to many indic creet and mean performances unworthy of her memory, whose laft moments manifefted the utmost courage and refolution.

How highly our poet thought of that truly great perfonage, may be feen by one of his letters to Mr. Allen, written at that time; in which, amongst others equally respectful, are the following words: "The Queen fhowed, by the confeffion of all about her, the utmoft "firmnefs and temper to her last moments, and through the courfe " of great torments. What character hiftorians will allow her, I do "not know; but all her domeftic fervants, and thofe nearest her, give "her the beft teftimony, that of fincere tears."

Ver. 84. No Gazetteer more innocent than I.] The Gazetteer is one of the low appendices to the Secretary of State's office, to write the government's news-paper, published by authority. Sir Richard Steele had once this poft. And he defcribes the condition of it very well in The apology for himself and his writings," My next appearance as a writer was in the quality of the lowell minifter of ftate, to wit, "in the office of gazetteer; where I worked faithfully, according to "order, without ever erring against the rule observed by all minifters

And let, a God's name, ev'ry fool and knave
Be grac'd thro' life, and flatter'd in his grave.
F. Why fo? if Satire knows its time and place,
You ftill may lafh the greateft-in difgrace:
For merit will by turns forfake them all;
Would you know when; exactly when they fall.
But let all Satire in all changes fpare
Immortal S-k, and grave De- -re.
Silent and foft, as faints remove to heav'n,
All ties diffolv'd, and ev'ry fin forgiv'n,
These may fome gentle minifterial wing
Receive, and place for ever near a king!

There, where no paffion, pride, or fhame tranfport,
Lull'd with the fweet Nepenthe of a court;
There where no father's, brother's, friend's difgrace

NOTES

85

99

95

Once

"to keep that paper very innocent and very infipid. It was to the re"proaches I heard every gazette-day againit the writer of it, that I "owe the fortitude of being remarkably negligent of what people fay which I do not deferve."

Ver. 92. Immortal S-k, and grave De-re!] A title given that Lord by King James II. He was of the bedchamber to King William; he was fo to King George I. and II. This Lord was very ikilful in all the forms of the Houfe, in which he discharged himself with great gravity.

Ver. 97. There, where no paffion, &c.] The excellent writer De Efprit des Loix gives the following character of the Spirit of courts, and the principle of monarchies: Qu'on life ce que les hiftoriens de "tous les tems ont dit fur la cour des monarques: qu'on le rapelle les "converfations des hommes des tous les pais ur le inferable charac"tére des Courtifans; ce ne font point des chofes de fpeculation, mais "d'une trifte experience. L'ambition dans l'oifiveté, la baffeffe dans "l'orgueil, le defir de s'enricher fans travail, l'averfion pour la vérité; la flaterie, la trahifon, la perfidie, l'abandon de tous fes engagemens, "le nepris des devoirs du citoyen, la crainte de la vertu du prince, "l'efperance de fes foiblefles, et plus, que tout cela LE RIDICULE "PERPETUEL JETTE SUR LA VERTU, font, je crois le charactère "de la plupart des Courtifans marqué dans tous les lieux et dans tous "les tems. Or il cit très mal-aifé que les principaux d'un etat foient "malhonnêtes-gens, et que les inferieurs foient gens-de-bien, que "ceux-là foyent trompeurs, et que ceux-ci confentent à n'être que "dupes. Que fi dans le peuple il le trouve quelque malheureux hon"nête-homme, le Cardinal de Richelieu dans fon Teftament politique infinue, qu'un Monarque doit fe garder de s'en fervir. Tant-il ́es vrai que la vertu n'eft pas le reffort de ce gouvernement,"

Once break their reft, or ftir them from their place : But past the sense of human miferies,

All tears are wip'd for ever from all eyes;

No cheek is known to blufh, no heart to throb,
Save when they lofe a queftion, or a job.

P. Good Heav'n forbid, that I fhould blaft their glory,

105

Who know how like Whig minifters to Tory,
And when three fov'reigns dy'd, could fcarce be vext,
Confid'ring what a gracious prince was next.
Have I, in filent wonder, feen fuch things
As pride in flaves and avarice in kings;
And at a peer, or peerefs fhall I fret,
Who ftarves a fifter, or forfwears a debt?
Virtue, I grant you, is an empty boast ;.
But fhall the dignity of Vice be loft?

Ye gods! fhall Cibber's fon, without rebuke,

115

Swear like a Lord, or Rich outwhore a Duke?

A fav'rite's porter with his mafter vie,

Be brib'd as often, and as often lie?

Shall Ward draw contracts with a statesman's skill?
Or Japhet pocket, like his Grace, a will?
Is it for Bond, or Peter, (paltry things),

To pay their debts, or keep their faith, like kings?
If Blount difpatch'd himfelf, he play'd the man,
And fo may'ft thou, illuftrious Pafferan!

120

But

VARIATIONS.

Ver. 112. in fome editions,

Who ftarves a mother,

NOTES.

Ver. 115. Cibber's fon-Rich] Two players: look for them in the Dunciad.

Ver. 123. If Blount] Author of an impious foolish book called The oracles of reafon, who, being in love with a near kinfwoman of his, and rejected, gave himself a ftab in the arm, as pretending to kill himself, of the confequence of which he really died.

Ver.124. Pafferan!]Author of another figure of the fame ftamp,called A philofophical difcourfe on Death, being a defence of Suicide. He was a nobleman of Piedmont, banished from his country for his impieties,

But fhall a Printer, weary of his life,

125

Learn, from their books, to hang himself and wife?
This, this, my friend, I cannot, must not bear ;
Vice thus abus'd, demands a nation's care:
This calls the church to deprecate our fin,
And hurls the thunder of the laws on Gin.
Let modeft FOSTER, if he will, excel
Ten metropolitans in preaching well;
A fimple Quaker, or a Quaker's wife,
Out do Landaffe in doctrine,-yea in life:

Let humble ALLEN, with an aukward Shame,
Do good by ftealth, and blush to find it Fame.
Virtue may chufe the high or low degree,
'Tis juft alike to Virtue, and to me;
Dwell in a monk, or light upon a king,
She's ftill the fame, belov'd, contented thing.

NOTES.

130

135

140

babay Vice

and lived in the utmoft mifery, yet feared to practife his own precepts; of which there went a pleafant ftory about that time. Amongst his pupils, it feems, to whom he read in moral philofophy, was a noted gamefter, who lodged under the fame roof with him. This ufeful citi zen, after a run of ill luck, came one morning early into his mafter's bed-chainber with two loaded piftols. And, as Englishmen do not understand raillery in a cafe of this nature, told the philofopher, on prefenting him with one of his piftols, that now was come the time to put his doctrine in practice: that, as to himfelf, having loft his laft ftake, he was become an ufelefs member in fociety, and fo was refolved to quit his ftation; and that, as to him, his guide, philofopher, and friend, furrounded with miferies, the outcaft of government, and the sport even of that chance which he adored, he doubtlefs would rejoice for fuch an opportunity to bear him company. All this was faid and done with so much refolution and folemnity, that the Italian found himself under a neceffity to cry out Murder! which brought in company to his relief. This unhappy man at laft died a penitent.

Ver. 125. But fhall a Printer, &c.] A fact that happened in Lon. don a few years paft. The unhappy man left behind him a paper justifying his action by the reafonings of fome of thefe authors.

Ver. 130. Gin.] A fpirituous liquor, the exorbitant ufe of which had almoft deftroyed the lowest rank of the people, till it was reftrained by an act of parliament in 1736.

Ver. 131. Let modeft FOSTER,] This confirms an observation which Mr. Hobbes made long ago, 'That, "there be very few bishops that act a fermon fo well, as divers Prefbyterians and fanatic preachers can do." Hift. of civ. wars, p. 62.

Ver. 134, Landaffe] A poor bishopric in Wales, as poorly fupe plied,

Vice is undone, if the forgets her birth,
And ftoops from angels to the dregs of earth:
But 'tis the fall degrades her to a whore;
Let Greatness own her, and fhe's mean no more,
Her birth, her beauty, crouds and courts confefs,
Chafte matrons praise her, and grave bishops blefs;
In golden chains the willing world fhe draws,
And hers the Gofpel is, and hers the Laws,
Mounts the tribunal, lifts her scarlet head,
And fees pale Virtue carted in her ftead.

147

159

Lo! at the wheels of her triumphal car,
Old England's Genius, rough with many a fear,
Drag'd in the duft! his arms hang idly round,
His flag inverted trails along the ground!
Our youth all liv'ry'd o'er with foreign gold,
Before her dance; behind her, crawl the old!
See thronging millions to the Pagod run,
And offer country, parent, wife, or son!

155

Hear her black trumpet thro' the land proclaim,

That NOT TO BE CORRUPTED IS THE SHAME. 16

In foldier, churchman, patriot, man in pow'r, 'Tis av'rice all, ambition is no more!

See, all our nobles begging to be flaves!
See, all our fools afpiring to be knaves!

The wit of Cheats, the courage of a Whore,

165

Are what ten thousand envy and adore:
All, all look up, with reverential awe,
At crimes that 'fcape, or triumph o'er the law
While truth, worth, wisdom, daily they decry-
"Nothing is facred now but Villany."

Yet may this verse (if such a verse remain)
Show there was one who held it in difdain.

NOTES.

170

EPILOGUE

Ver. 165, The wh of Cheats the courage of a Whore Are what ten thousand envy and adore:] And no wonder, for the wit of cheats being the evation of juftice, and the courage of a whore the contempt for reputation; there emancipate men from the two tyrannical reftraints upon free fpirits fear of punishment, and fear of fhame,