32 Prepare for death if here at night you roam, And fign your will before you fup from home. 33 Some fiery fop, with new commiffion vain, Who fleeps on brambles till he kills his man; Some frolick drunkard, reeling from a feast, Provokes a broil, and ftabs you for a jeft. 34 Yet ev'n thefe heroes, mifchievously gay, Lords of the ftreet, and terrors of the way; Flush'd as they are with folly, youth, and wine, Their prudent infults to the poor confine; Afar they mark the flambeau's bright approach, And shun the shining train, and golden coach. 35 In vain, these dangers paft, your doors you close, And hope the balmy bleffings of repose ; Cruel with guilt, and daring with despair, The midnight murd'rer burfts the faithlefs bar; Invades the facred hour of filent rest,

And leaves, unfeen, a dagger in your breast.

36 Scarce can our fields, fuch crowds at Tyburn die, With hemp the gallows and the fleet fupply.

32 Poffis ignavus haberi,

Et fubiti cafus improvidus, ad cœnam fi
Inteftatus eas.--

33 Ebrius, ac petulans, qui nullum forte cecidit, Dat pœnas, noctem patitur lugentis amicum Peleidæ.

34 Sed, quamvis improbus annis,

Atque mero fervens, cavet hunc, quem coccina læna
Vitari jubet, & comitum longiffimus ordo,

Multum præterea flammarum, atque ænea lampas.

35 Nec tamen hoc tantum metuas: nam qui fpoliet te

Non deerit; claufis domibus, &c.

36 Maximus in vinclis ferri modus; ut timeas, ne Vomer deficiat, ne marræ & farcula defint.

2

Propose

Propose your schemes, ye fenatorian band,

Whofe # ways and means fupport the finking land :
Left ropes be wanting in the tempting fpring,
To rig another convoy for the king.

37 A fingle gaol, in ALFRED's golden reign,
Could half the nation's criminals contain;
Fair Juftice, then, without constraint ador'd,
Held high the fteady fcale, but sheath'd the fword;
No fpies were paid, no fpecial juries known,
Bleft age! but ah! how diff'rent from our own!

38 Much could I add,-but fee the boat at hand, The tide retiring calls me from the land:

32 Farewell!-When youth, and health, and fortune fpent,

Thou fly'ft for refuge to the Wilds of Kent;
And, tir'd like me with follies and with crimes,
In angry numbers warn'ft fucceeding times;
Then fhall thy friend, nor thou refufe his aid,
Still foe to vice, forfake his Cambrian fhade;
In virtue's cause once more exert his rage,
Thy fatire point, and animate thy page.

37 Felices proavorum atavos, felicia dicas Secula, quæ quondam fub regibus atque tribunis Viderunt una contentam carcere Romam.

38 His alias poteram, & pluries fubnectere caufas : Sed jumenta vocant.

39

Ergo vale noftri memor: & quoties te
Roma tuo refici properantem reddet Aquino,

Me quoque ad Elvinam Cererem, veftramque Dianam
Convelle à Cumis: fatirarum ego, ni pudet illas,

Adjutor gelidos veniam calligatus in agros.

* A cant term in the Houfe of Commons for methods of raifing money.

The nation was discontented at the vifits made by the King to Hanover.

THE

T

LET * Observation, with extenfive view,
Survey mankind from China to Peru;
Remark each anxious toil, each eager ftrife,
And watch the bufy fcenes of crowded life;
Then fay how hope and fear, defire and hate,
O'erfpread with fnares the clouded maze of fate,
Where wav'ring man, betray'd by vent'rous pride
To chafe the dreary paths without a guide,
As treach'rous phantoms in the mist delude,
Shuns fancied ills, or chafes airy good;

How rarely reafon guides the stubborn choice,
Rules the bold hand, or prompts the fuppliant voice;
How nations fink, by darling fchemes opprefs'd,
When Vengeance liftens to the fool's request.
Fate wings with ev'ry wifh th' afflictive dart,
Each gift of nature and each grace of art;
With fatal heat impetuous courage glows,
With fatal sweetness elocution flows,
Impeachment stops the speaker's pow'rful breath,
And restless fire precipitates on death.

* Ver. I-II.

But,

*But, fcarce obferv'd, the knowing and the bold Fall in the gen'ral maffacre of gold;

Wide wafting peft! that rages unconfin'd,

And crowds with crimes the records of mankind;
For gold his fword the hireling ruffian draws,
For gold the hireling judge diftorts the laws;
Wealth heap'd on wealth, nor truth nor fafety buys,
The dangers gather as the treasures rise.

Let Hift'ry tell where rival kings command,
And dubious title fhakes the madded land,
When statutes glean the refuse of the sword,
How much more fafe the vaffal than the lord;
Low fculks the hind beneath the rage of power,
And leaves the wealthy traitor in the Tower,
Untouch'd his cottage, and his flumbers found,
Tho' Confifcation's vultures hover round.

The needy traveller, ferene and gay,

Walks the wild heath, and fings his toil away.
Does envy feize thee? crush th' upbraiding joy,
Increase his riches, and his peace destroy,
Now fears in dire viciffitude invade,

The ruftling brake alarms, and quiv'ring fhade,
Nor light nor darkness bring his pain relief,
One fhews the plunder, and one hides the thief.
Yet ftill one gen'ral cry the fkies affails,
And gain and grandeur load the tainted gales;
Few know the toiling ftatefman's fear or care,
Th' infidious rival and the gaping heir.
Once more, Democritus, arife on earth,
With cheerful wifdom and inftructive mirth,

* Ver. 12- 2; 20

+ Ver. 23-27. + Ver. 28-55

See

See motley life in modern trappings drefs'd,
And feed with varied fools th' eternal jeft:

Thou who could'ft laugh where want enchain'd caprice,

Toil crush'd conceit, and man was of a piece; Where wealth unlov'd without a mourner dy'd; And scarce a fycophant was fed by pride; Where ne'er was known the form of mock debate, Or feen a new-made mayor's unwieldy ftate; Where change of fav'rites made no change of laws, And fenates heard before they judg'd a caufe; How would'st thou shake at Britain's modifh tribe, Dart the quick taunt, and edge the piercing gibe? Attentive truth and nature to defcry, And pierce each scene with philosophick eye, To thee were folemn toys, or empty fhow, The robes of pleasure and the veils of woe: All aid the farce, and all thy mirth maintain, Whofe joys are causeless, or whose griefs are vain. Such was the fcorn that fill'd the fage's mind, Renew'd at ev'ry glance on human kind; How juft that fcorn ere yet thy voice declare, Search ev'ry ftate, and canvafs ev'ry pray'r.

* Unnumber'd fuppliants crowd Preferment's gate, Athirst for wealth, and burning to be great; Delufive Fortune hears th' inceffant call, They mount, they fhine, evaporate, and fall. On ev'ry ftage the foes of peace attend,

Hate dogs their flight, and infult mocks their end.

Love ends with hope, the finking ftatefman's door Pours in the morning worshiper no more;

VOL. I.

* Ver. 56-107.
C

For