No Pow'r the Mufe's Friendship can command; No Pow'r, when Virtue claims it, can withstand: To Cato, Virgil pay'd one honest line;

120

O let my Country's Friends illumin mine!
What are you thinking? F. Faith the thought's
no fin,

I think your Friends are out, and would be in.
P. If merely to come in, Sir, they go out,
The way they take is strangely round about. 125
F. They too may be corrupted, you'll allow ?
P. I only call thofe Knaves who are so now.
Is that too little? Come then, I'll comply-
Spirit of Arnall! aid me while I lye.

NOTES,

an inftance in 231. where the topic of adulation is exceeding childish and extravagant.

VER. 120. To Cato, Virgil pay'd one honeft line.] It is in the ÆN.

His dantem jura Catanem.

Ibid. Virgil paid one honeft line,] i. e. If Virgil, who was a Courtier, paid one honeft line, how many are due from me, who am none?

VER. 121. O let my Country's friends iliumin mine!] A pretty expreffion, alluding to the old practice of illuminating MSS. with gold and vermilion.

VER. 127. I only call thofe Knaves who are fo now.] He left it to Time to tell them,

Cato is as great a Rogue as you.

not the Cato of Virgil, but the Cato of Mr. Pope. See the Ep. on Riches.

VER.129. Spirit of Arnall!] Look for him in his place. Dunc. ·B. ii. 315.

COBHAM'S a Coward, POLWARTH is a Slave,
And LYTTLETON a dark, defigning Knave,
ST. JOHN has ever been a wealthy Fool-
But let me add, Sir ROBERT's mighty dull,
Has never made a Friend in private life,
And was, befides, a Tyrant to his Wife.

135

But pray, when others praise him, do I blame? Call Verres, Wolfey, any odious name? Why rail they then, if but a Wreath of mine, Oh All-accomplish'd ST. JOHN ! deck thy fhrine? What? fhall each fpurgall'd Hackney of the day, When Paxton gives him double Pots and Pay, 141 Or each new-penfion'd Sycophant, pretend To break my Windows if I treat a Friend? Then wifely plead, to me they meant no hurt, But 'twas my Gueft at whom they threw the dirt?

NOTES.

VER. 130. Polwarth.] The Hon. Hugh Hume, Son of Alexander Earl of Marchmont, Grandfon of Patric Earl of Marchmont, and diftinguished, like them, in the caufe of Liberty. P.

VER. 136. do I blame? Call Verres, Wolfey, any odious name?] The Leaders of Parties, be they as florid as they will, generally do their business by compendium: A fingle rule of Rhetoric, which they may have learnt of Quintilian, or perhaps of a much older Sophift, does their business, Si nihil, quod nos adjuvet, erit, quæramus quid Adverfarium lædat. SCRIB.

VER.141. When Paxton gives him double pots and pay,] If this band of Penfioners were fo offenfive while embodied and unler difcipline, what must we think of their diforders fince they were difbanded and become free-booters? No virtue nor merit hath efcaped them. They have made a great City in the South, VOL. IV.

Sure, if I fpare the Minister, no rules

Of Honour bind me, not to maul his Tools;
Sure, if they cannot cut, it may be said

His Saws are toothless, and his Hatchet's Lead.

It anger'd TURENNE, once upon a day, · 150 To fee a Footman kick'd that took his pay: But when he heard th' Affront the Fellow gave, Knew one a Man of honour, one a Knave; The prudent Gen'ral turn'd it to a jest,

154

And begg'd, he'd take the pains to kick the rest: Which not at present having time to do

F. Hold Sir! for God's-fake where's th' Affront to you?

Against your worship when had S-k writ?
Or P-ge pour'd forth the Torrent of his Wit?
Or grant the Bard whose distich all commend 160
[In Pow'r a Servant, out of Pow'r a friend]

To W-le guilty of fome venial fin ;

What's that to you who ne'er was out nor in?

The Priest whofe Flattery be-dropt the Crown, How hurt he you? he only ftain'd the Gown,

NOTES.

too much refemble another in the North, where the products of night and darkness are discharged from Garrets on every honeft man that comes within their reach.

VER. 160. the Bard] A verfe taken out of a poem to Sir R. W. P.

And how did, pray, the florid Youth offend, 166
Whofe Speech you took, and gave it to a Friend?
P. Faith, it imports not much from whom it came,
Whoever borrow'd, could not be to blame,
Since the whole Houfe did afterwards the fame.
Let Courtly Wits to Wits afford fupply,
As Hog to Hog in huts of Westphaly;
If one, thro' Nature's Bounty or his Lord's,
Has what the frugal, dirty foil affords,

171

From him the next receives it, thick or thin, 175 As pure a mess almost as it came in ;

The bleffed benefit, not there confin'd,

Drops to the third, who nuzzles close behind; From tail to mouth, they feed and they caroufe: The last full fairly gives it to the House.

F. This filthy fimile, this beastly line

Quite turns my stomach

180

P. So does Flatt'ry mine;

And all your courtly Civet-cats can vent,

Perfume to you, to me is Excrement.

NOTES.

VER. 164. The Priest, etc.] Spoken not of any particular... priest, but of many priests. P.

VER. 166. And how did, etc.] This feems to allude to a complaint made 71. of the preceding Dialogue, P.

But hear me further

Japhet, 'tis agreed, 185

Writ not, and Chartres fcarce could write or read,
In all the Courts of Pindus guiltless quite;
But Pens can forge, my Friend, that cannot write;
And muft no Egg in Japhet's face be thrown,
Because the Deed he forg'd was not my own?
Muft never Patriot then declaim at Gin,
Unless, good man! he has been fairly in?
No zealous Paftor blame a failing Spouse,
Without a staring Reason on his brows?

And each Blafphemer quite escape the rod,
Because the infult's not on Man, but God?

191

195

Ask you what Provocation I have had? The strong Antipathy of Good to Bad. When Truth or Virtue an Affront endures, Th'Affront is mine, my friend, and should be yours. Mine, as a Foe profefs'd to falfe Pretence,

201

Who think a Coxcomb's Honour like his Senfe;

VARIATIONS.

VER. 185. in the MS.

I grant it, Sir; and further, 'tis agreed,

Japhet writ not, and Chartres fcarce could read.

NOTES.

VER. 185. Japhet Bathurft. P.

Chartres] See the Epistle to Lord