Empedocles, a fage of old, would raise
A name immortal by unusual ways:
At laft his fancies grew fo very odd

He thought by roasting to be made a god.
Tho' fat, he leapt with his unwieldy stuff
In Ætna's flames, so to have fire enough.
Were my Cook fat, and I a stander-by,
I'd rather than himself his fish should fry.

There are some perfons fo exceffive rude
That to your private table they'll intrude.
In vain you fly, in vain pretend to fast;
Turn like a fox they 'll catch you at the last.
You must, fince bars and doors are no defence,
Ev'n quit your houfe as in a peftilence.

610

615

675

Be quick, nay very quick, or he 'll approach,
And as you 're scanıp'ring top you in your coach.
Then think of all your fins, and you will fee
How right your guilt and punishment agree:
Perhaps no tender pity could prevail,

But you would throw fome debtor into jail :
Nów mark th' effect of this prevailing curse,
You are detain'd by fomething that is worse.
Were it in my election, I should chufe

625

To meet a rav'nous wolf or bear got loose.
He'll eat and talk, and talking still wil' eat:

630

No quarter from the parafite you 'll get;

But like a leech well fix'd he 'll fuck what 's good, And never part till satisfy'd with blood.

634

IN FOURTEEN PARTS.

IN IMITATION OF

OVID DE ARTE AMANDI.

TO THE LORD HERBERT

Eldeft Son of bis Excellency the Earl of Pembroke and Mont gomery, Baron Herbert of Caerdiff, Rofs of Kendal, Parr, Fitz-Hugh Marmion, St. Quintin, and Herbert of Shutland, Knight of the Garter, Fc. Sc.

MY LORD,

THE following lines are written on a fubject that will naturally be protected by the goodness and tem→ per of your Lordship; for as the advantages of your mind and perfon must kindle the flames of love in the coldest breast, so you are of an age moft fufceptible of them in your own. You have acquired all thofe accomplishments at home which others are forced to feek abroad, and have given the world affurance, by fuch beginnings, that you will foon be qualified to fill the highest offices of the crown with the fame univerfal applaufe that has conftantly attended your illuftrious father in the difcharge of them. For the good of your pofterity may you ever be happy in the choice of

* Henry Lord Herbert fucceeded to his father's titles in 1732, and died in 1749.

Volume I.

K

what you love! and though thefe Rules will be offmal} ufe to you that can frame much better, yet let me beg leave that by dedicating them to your fervice F may have the honour of telling the world that I am obliged to your Lordship, and that I am most entirely Your Lordship's

moft faithful humble fervant,

WILLIAM KING.

PREFACE.

Ir is endeavoured in the following Poems to give

the readers of both fexes fome ideas of The Art of Love; fuch a love as is innocent and virtuous, and whofe defires terminate in present happiness and that of pofterity. It would be in vain to think of doing it without help from the Ancients, amongst whom none has touched that paffion more tenderly and juftly than Ovid. He knew that he bore the maftership in that art; and therefore in the fourth book De Triftibus, when he would give fome account of himself to future ages, he calls himself Tenerorum Lufor Amorum, as if he gloried principally in the defcriptions he had made of that paffion.

The prefent Imitation of him is at least such a one as Mr. Dryden mentions "to be an endeavour of a "later poet to write like one who has written before "him on the fame subject; that is, not to tranilate "his words, or be confined to his fenfe, but only to "fet him as a pattern, and to write as he supposes "that author would have done had he lived in our

46

age and in our country. But he dares not fay that "Sir John Dẹnhàm * or Mr. Cowley have carried "this libertine way, as the latter calls it, fo far as

* Mr. Dryden alludes to The Destruction of Troy, &c.

"this definition reaches." But, alas! the prefent imi tator has come up to it, if not perhaps exceeded it.. Sir John Denham had Virgil, and Mr. Cowley had Pindar, to deal with, who both wrote upon lafting foundations; but the present fubject being Love, it would be unreasonable to think of too great a confinement to be laid on it. And though the paffion and grounds of it willcontinue the fame thro' all ages, yet there will be many little modes, fashions, and graces, ways of complaifance and addrefs, entertainments and diverfions, which time will vary. Since the world will expect new things, and perfons will write, and the Ancients have so great a fund of learning, whom can the Moderns take better to copy than fuch originals? it is moft likely they may not come up to them; but it is a thousand to one but their imitation is bet ter than any clumfy invention of their own. Whoever undertakes this way of writing has as much reafon to understand the true fcope, genius, and force, of the expreffions of his author as a literal translator; and after all he lies under this misfortune, that the faults are all his own; and if there is any thing that may feem pardonable, the Latin at the bottom fhews to whom he is engaged for it *. An imitator and his

*In the first editions of The Art of Cookery and of The Art of Love Dr. King printed the original under the refpecs tive pages of his tranflations.