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Tim'rous by nature, of the rich in awe,
(c) I come to counfel learned in the law:
You'll give me, like a friend both fage and free,
Advice; and (as you use) without a fee.

F. (d) I'd write no more.

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P. Not write? but then I think, (e) And for my foul I cannot fleep a wink. I nod in company, I wake at night,

Fools rush into my head, and fo I write.

F. You could not do a worse thing for your life. 15 Why, if the night feem tedious---take a wife: (f) Or rather, truly, if your point be rest, Lettuce and cowflip wine; perbatum eft. But talk with Celfus; Celfus will advise Hartshorn, or something that shall close your eyes.20

Compofui, pars effe putat, fimilefque meorum

Mille die verfus deduci poffe.

Quid faciam præfcribe.

(c) Trebati,

T. (d) Quiefcas.

H. Ne faciam, inquis,

Omnino verfus ?

T. Aio.

H. Peream male, fi non

Optimum erat: (e) verum nequio dormire.

T. (f) Ter uneti Tranfnanto Tiberim, fomno quibus eft opus alto; Irriguumve mero fub noctem corpus habento,

NOTES.

Ver. 20. Hartshorn] This was intended as a pleasantry on

the novelty of the prefcription,

(g) Or

(g) Or, if you needs must write, write CÆSAR'S

praise,

(b) You'll gain af leaft a knighthood or the bays. P. What? like Sir (i) Richard, rumbling, rough, and fierce,

With ARMS, and GEORGE, and BRUNSWICK Croud

the verse,

Rend with tremendous found your ear afunder, 25
With gun, drum, trumpet, blunderbufs, and thunder?
Or nobly wild, with Budgel's fire and force,
Paint angels trembling round his falling horfe?

(g) Aut, fi tantus amor fcribendi te rapit, aude CESARIS invicti res dicere, (b) multa laborum Præmia laturus.

H. Cupidum, pater optime, vires

Deficiunt: (i) neque enim quivis horrentia pilis
Agmina, nec fracta pereuntes cufpide Gallos,

NOTES.

Ver. 23. What? like Sir Richard, etc.] Mr Molyneux, a great mathematician and philofopher, had a high opinion of Sir Richard Blackmore's poetic vein. "All our English

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poets, except Milton," (fays he, in a letter to Mr Locke), "have been mere ballad-makers in comparison of him." And Mr Locke), in anfwer to this obfervation, replies, “I find, with pleasure, a strange harmony throughout, be"tween your thoughts and mine." Juft fo a Roman lawyer and a Greek hiftorian thought of the poetry of Cicero. But these being judgments made by men out of their own profeffion, are little regarded. And Pope and Juvenal will make Blackmore and Tully pass for poetafters to the world's

end.

Ver. 28. falling horfe 2] The horfe on which his Majefty charged at the battle of Oudenard; when the Pretender, and the princes of the blood of France, fled before him.

F. (k.) Then

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F. (k) Then all your Mufe's fofter art display,

Let CAROLINA fmooth the tuneful lay,

Lull with AMELIA's liquid name the Nine,

And fweetly flow thro' all the Royal Line.

P. (/) Alas! few verses touch their nicer ear; They scarce can bear their Laureat twice a-year; And justly CESAR fcorns the Poet's lays,

It is to bitory he trufts for praise.

F. (m) Better be Cibber, I'll maintain it fill, Than ridicule all tafte, blafpheme quadrille, Abuse the City's best good men in metre,

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And laugh at Peers that put their truft in Peter. 40 (7) Ev'n thofe touch not, you

hate you.

P. What fhould ail 'em? F. A hundred fmart in Timon and in Balaam: The fewer ftill you name, you would the more; Bond is but one, but Harpax is a score.

P. (9) Each mortal has his pleasure: none deny Scarfdale his bottle, Darty his ham-pye;

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T. (k) Attamen et juftum poteras et scribere fortem.

Scipiadam ut fapiens Lucilius.

H. Haud mihi deero, Cum res ipfa feret: (/) nifi dextro tempore, Flacci Verba per attentam non ibunt Cæfaris aurem : Cui male fi palpere, recalcitrat undique tutus. T. (m) Quanto rectius hoc, quam trifti lædere verfu Pantolabum fcurram, Nomentanumve nepotem? (n) Cum fibi quifque timet, quanquam est intactus, et odit.

H. (o) Quid faciam ? faltat Milonius, ut femel icto Ridotta

NOTES.

Ver. 46. Darty his ham-pye ;] This lover of ham-pye

Ridotta fips and dances, till the fee

The doubling luftres dance as fast as she;

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(p) F loves the fenate, Hockley-hole his brother,
Like in all else, as one egg to another.
(9) I love to pour out all myfelf, as plain
As downright SHIPPEN, or as old Montagne :
In them, as certain to be lov'd as feen,
The foul stood forth, nor kept a thought within;
In me what fpots (for spots I have) appear, 55
Will prove at leaft the medium must be clear.
In this impartial glass, my Muse intends
Fair to expofe myfelf, my foes, my friends;

Acceffit fervor capiti, numerufque lucernis.
(p) Caftor gaudet equis; ovo prognatus eodem,
Pugnis. quot capitum vivunt, totidem ftudiorum
Millia. (9) me pedibus delectat claudere verba,
Lucili ritu, noftrum melioris utroque.

Ille velut fidis arcana fodalibus olim

Credebat libris; neque, fi male gefferat, ufquam

NOTES.

owned the fidelity of the poet's pencil; and said, he had done juftice to his tafte; but that if, inftead of ham-pye, be had given him fweet-pye, he never could have pardoned him.

Ver. 52. As downright Shippen, or as old Montagne :] They had this indeed in common, to ufe great liberties of fpeech, and to profefs faying what they thought. Montagne had many qualities, that have gained him the love and efteem of his readers: the other had one, which always gained him the favourable attention of his hearers. For, as a celebrated Roman orator obferves, "Maledicit INERUDITUS apertius et fæpius, cum periculo etiam fuo. Aftert et ita res OPINION EM, quia libentiffime homines audiunt ea quæ dicere ipfi noluiffent."

Publish

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 lefs lament my fate.

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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,

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While Tories call me Whig, and Whigs a Tory. (s) Satire's my weapon, but I'm too difcreet 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 incruft Swords, pikes, and guns, with everlasting rust!

Decurrens alio, neque fi bene: quo fit, ut omnis Votiva pateat veluti descripta 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 Appúla 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,
(t) Tutus ab infeftis latronibus? (u) O pater et rex
Peace

NOTES.

Ver. 72. Thieves, fupercargoes,] The names at that time ufually bestowed on thofe whom the trading companies fent with their fhips, and intrufted with their concerns abroad.

Ver. 73. Save but our army! etc.] "Une maladie nou

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