Despise a fool in half his pension dress'd, Well may they rise, while I, whose rustick tongue Live unregarded, unlamented die. k For what but social guilt the friend endears? Who shares Orgilio's crimes, his fortune shares. 'But thou, should tempting villany present All Marlb'rough hoarded, or all Villiers spent, Turn from the glitt'ring bribe thy scornful eye, Nor sell for gold, what gold could never buy, The peaceful slumber, self-approving day, Unsullied fame, and conscience ever gay. m "The cheated nation's happy fav'rites, see! Mark whom the great caress, who frown on me! London! the needy villain's gen'ral home, The common sewer of Paris and of Rome; With eager thirst, by folly or by fate, Sucks in the dregs of each corrupted state. Forgive my transports, on a theme like this, "I cannot bear a French metropolis. -Ferre ad nuptam, quæ mittit adulter, Quæ mandat, norunt alii; me nemo ministro k Quis nunc diligitur, nisi conscius? Carus erit Verri, qui Verrem tempore, quo vult, -Tanti tibi non sit opaci Omnis arena Tagi, quodque in mare volvitur aurum, Ut somno careas m Quæ nunc divitibus gens acceptissima nostris Et quos præcipue fugiam, properabo fateri. Illustrious Edward! from the realms of day, Of France the mimick, and of Spain the prey. Hiss'd from the stage, or hooted from the court, And, bid him go to hell, to hell he goes. S Studious to please, and ready to submit, The supple Gaul was born a parasite : Still to his int'rest true, where'er he goes, Wit, brav'ry, worth, his lavish tongue bestows; • Rusticus ille tuus sumit trechedipna, Quirine, Et ceromatico fert niceteria collo. Ingenium velox, audacia perdita, sermo Promptus 4 Augur, schoenobates, medicus, magus: omnia novit. Græculus esuriens in cœlum, jusseris, ibit. Usque adeo nihil est, quod nostra infantia cœlum * Quid? quod adulandi gens prudentissima laudat *And what their armies lost, their cringes gain. In ev'ry face a thousand graces shine, From ev'ry tongue flows harmony divine. t These arts in vain our rugged natives try, Strain out, with fault'ring diffidence, a lie, And get a kick for awkward flattery. Besides, with justice, this discerning age Admires their wondrous talents for the stage: u Well may they venture on the mimick's art, And view each object with another's eye; х * How, when competitors, like these, contend, Can surly virtue hope to fix a friend? Slaves that with serious impudence beguile, For arts, like these, preferr'd, admir'd, caress'd, Hæc eadem licet et nobis laudare: sed illis Creditur. u Natio comoda est. Rides? majore cachinno Concutitur, &c. * Non sumus ergo pares: melior, qui semper et omni Nocte dieque potest alienum sumere vultum, A facie jactare manus, laudare paratus, Si bene ructavit, si rectum minxit amicus. ! Scire volunt secreta domus atque inde timert. * And gain a kick. Then soon your ill-placed confidence repay, By numbers here from shame or censure free, All crimes are safe, but hated poverty. This, only this, the rigid law pursues, This, only this, provokes the snarling muse. Wakes from his dream, and labours for a joke; с This mournful truth is ev'ry where confess'd, SLOW RISES WORTH, BY POVERTY DEPRESS'D: But here more slow, where all are slaves to gold, Where looks are merchandise, and smiles are sold; -Materiam præbet causasque jocorum Omnibus hic idem, si foeda et scissa lacerna, &c. Quam quod ridiculos homines facit. Debuerant olim tenues migrasse Quirites. e Haud facile emergunt, quorum virtutibus obstat Res angusta domi; sed Romæ durior illis * The Spaniards at this time were said to make claim to some of our American provinces. But hark! th' affrighted crowd's tumultuous cries Roll through the streets, and thunder to the skies : Rais'd from some pleasing dream of wealth and pow'r, Some pompous palace, or some blissful bow'r, Aghast you start, and scarce, with aching sight, Sustain th' approaching fire's tremendous light; Swift from pursuing horrours take your way, And leave your little ALL to flames a prey; Then through the world a wretched vagrant roam; For where can starving merit find a home? In vain your mournful narrative disclose, While all neglect, and most insult your woes. e Should heav'n's just bolts Orgilio's wealth confound, *And spread his flaming palace on the ground, And hopes from angry heav'n another fire. Ærumnæ cumulus, quod nudum et frustra rogantem e Si magna Asturii cecidit domus, horrida mater: Pullati proceres,— -Jam accurrit, qui marmora donet, Conferat impensas: hic &c. 8 Hic modium argenti. Meliora, ac plura reponit Persicus orborum lautissimus This was by Hitch, a bookseller, justly observed to be no picture of modern manners, though it might be true at Rome. MS. note in Dr. Johnson's hand-writing. |