The Worthy court her, and the Worthlefs fear; eye revere. And ev'ry foe to Wisdom feels her sway. 104. Smarts, Pedants, as she smiles, no more are vain ; Cunning evades, fecurely wrapt in wiles ; Scorn'd by the Crowd, fecks refuge with the Wife; IMITATIONS. VER. 110. From poys'nous Vice, etc] Alluding to thefe Lines of Mr. Pope; In the nice Bee what Art fo fubtly true From poys'nous Herbs extracts a healing Dew? Undaunted storms the batt'ry of his pride, ; But with the friends of Vice, the foes of SATIRE, All truth is Spleen; all just reproof, Ill-nature. Well may they dread the Mufe's fatal skill; Well may they tremble when she draws her quill: Her magic quill, that, like ITHURIEL's fpear, 135 Reveals the cloven hoof, or lengthen'd ear: Bids Vice and Folly take their nat❜ral shapes, Turns Ducheffes to ftrumpets, Beaux to apes; Drags the vile Whisp'rer from his dark abode, 'Till all the Dæmon starts up from the toad. 140 O fordid maxim, form'd to skreen the vile, That true good-nature ftill must wear a smile! In frowns array'd her beauties ftronger rife, When love of Virtue wakes her fcorn of Vice: Where Juftice calls, 'tis Cruelty to save; 145 And 'tis the Law's good-nature hangs the Knave. 150 Scarce more the friend of Man, the wife muft own, Ev'nALLEN's bounteous hand, thanSATIRE'sfrown: This to chastise, as That to blefs, was giv'n; Alike the faithful Minifters of Heav'n. Oft in unfeeling hearts the shaft is fpent: 155 Tho' ftrong th' example, weak the punishment. They least are paid, who merit fatire moft; Folly the Laureat's, Vice was Chartres' boast : Then where's the wrong, to gibbet high the name Of Fools and Knaves already dead to shame? 160 Oft SATIRE acts the faithful Surgeon's part; Gen'rous and kind tho' painful is her art: With caution bold, fhe only strikes to heal ; Tho' folly raves to break the friendly steel. Then fure no fault impartial SATIRE knows, 165 Kind ev'n in Vengeance, kind to Virtue's foes, Whofe is the crime, the scandal too be theirs : The Knave and Fool are their own Libellers. D4 PART II. ARE nobly then: But confcious of As ever warm and bold be ever juft: Nor court applaufe in these degen'rate days: But chief, be fteady in a noble end, your 170 And fhew Mankind that Truth has yet a friend. 'Tis mean for empty praise of wit to write, 175 As Foplings grin to show their teeth are white: 180 O loft to honour's voice, O doom'd to shame, That name, than liberty, than life more dear! With rage retorted, wing the deadly dart; And empty all it's poyson in thy heart. 190 With caution next, the dang'rous pow'r apply; An eagle's talon asks an eagle's eye : Let SATIRE then her proper object know, 195 And ere fhe ftrike, be fure she strike a foe. Who therefore fmil'd, because they saw a Fool; We therefore fee a Fool, because we fmile. Lo, gay she fits in Laughter's dimpled cheek ; 205 211 And courts the fpruce Freethinker and the Beau. |