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MISCELLANEOUS
WORK S,
I N
VERSE and PROSE,
O F
Mr. JOHN BANCKS
Confiſting of
to||
ODES, SONGS, &c. facred to | EPISTLES, Ethic, Amorous,
Love, Friendſhip, and De-
votion.
TALES and FABLES, Hu-
morous, Moral, and Satiri
cal.
and Familiar.
EPIGRAMS, and other Occa-
fional Poems.
ESSAYS in Literature, Theo-
logy, and Criticiſm.
Adorned with Sculptures,
AND
ILLUSTRATED with NOTE S.
VOL. II.
Si non peccaſſem, quid tu concedere poſſes ?
Materiam veniæ fors tibi noftra dedit.
THE SECOND EDITION, Corrected.
LONDON:
OVID.
Printed for JAMES HODGES, at the Looking-Glafs on
London-Bridge. MDCCXXXIX.
GRADI BUHR
PR
3316
B25
Ad
1739
v.2
1
5/0
CONTENTS
OF THE
SECOND VOLUME.
HE Progress of Petitioning, &c. to Mr. Pope
TH
*
Epistle the First
* Epistle the Second
*
Epistle the Third
Page I
5
14
23
*The Author's Picture: A Fourth Epistle to Mr. Pope
At the Painting Cloe's Picture
Love without Art
* An Unlucky Diſcovery
33
44
45
46
47
Extempore Advice: To Damon
* A Coquet's Anſwer
The Difaftrous Morning: To Mira
* To Mr. Mitchell: An Epifle
* A Lover's Interpretation
*
Apollo's Defcent: A New Ballad
* Joan's Opinion
* OF against ON: A Law Cafe
*To Cælia's Linnet
A very reaſonable Billet- Doux
* An Ode To Mr. Bellamy
To follow the Title of Vol. II.
48
49
55
64
65
73
74
78
79
81
CONTENT S.
*
**
Like Difeafe, like Remedy: A Tale
Mercury's Embaffy: A Tale
Epigram
The Dignity of the Mufe
The Devil correcting Sin
To Cælia, fond of a Cat
Infcription for a Tankard
Epigram on Matrimony
83
88
93
94
95
96
97
98
The Waſh-Ball : A Tale
*To Cynthia: An Epifile
99
III
*
*To Cloe: A Reproof
*Over the Orders of a Friendly Society
*To the Memory of Daddy Wilks
*Female Virtue
Epigram on Non-Refidents
116
118
119
123
124
* On Reading fome very obscene Verſes
125
The Diurnal: To Mr. Benjamin G*
127
Friendship: To the Same
134
*
Epigram
141
Solomon's Good Wife
142
* Continence indeed
146
*The Royal Guardian: A Poem
147
*To Mr. Jonathan Nelfon: An Epiftle
159
* Virgins rather than Wives
161
162
* Delia's Wedding-Night: For the Year 1731
* On the fame Occafion: Containing a full and true
163
Delia's Wedding-Night: For the Year 1732. Pre-
State of the Cafe
fented to her Husband
* To a Coquet
A juft Complaint: To Apollo
166
168
169
CONTENT S.
*To Cynthia: A Second Epiftle
The Knight difmay'd: A Tale
172
Fame: An Ode
To Boreas: An Ode
Against Fortune: An Epistle
175
179
190
194
A Critical Epiftle: Written in the Dark
201
* Will and his Wife
The Confcientious Keeper: A Tale
* An Undecided Cafe
* A very Impartial Opinion
* Omne tulit punctum, qui mifcuit utile dulci
*The Immortality of Good Writers: An Ode
* A Woman with a Confcience
209
223
ibid.
224
ibid.
225
230
To Mr. P*, Distiller
231
Auguſta Triumphans: For the Year 1733
233
*
Mifs Polly to Mifs Betty
235
A very familiar Epiftle
237
241
251
258
"
Monf. Voltaire to the Marchioness du Ch**
* An Explanatory Epiftle: To a Friend
*The Double Preſcription
* Of Religious Difputes: A Letter in Verfe and Profe
259
* A Difcourfe of Societies for the Advancement of Know-
ledge
267
* A Difcourfe of Method and Perfpicuity in Compof-
tion and Study
276
* A Difcourfe concerning Language, especially the Eng-
lifh
291
*To Mr. Loughton: On his practical Grammar of
#
the English Tongue
* A Sermon in Defence of Prieftcraft
316
321
CONTENT
S.
* Of the Force and Reaſonableness of Love: To Con-
ftans
*To Sylvia: An Elegy
357
363
*Of Divine Poetry: To Eufebius. With two Speci-
mens
*The Invocation: An Irregular Ode
*To the Redeemer: An Irregular Ode
POSTSCRIPT
369
372
378
383
THE
Progreſs of Petitioning;
IN
THREE EPISTLES
Mr.
то
POP PE.
To which is added, A
FOURTH EPISTLE,
Containing
The AUTHOR'S PICTURE.
Imitez de Marot l'elegant Badinage. BOILEAU.
M DCC XXXVIII.
X
3
ADVERTISEMENT.
M
OST of the Lines in thefe Epiftles were
written in the Year 1731, merely in
Purſuit of an odd Thought, that acci-
dentally produced a few of them. I had
not then any fettled Intention of expoſing them, ei-
ther to the World or Mr. POPE. They were all
contained in a ſingle Piece, in the Form of an Epi-
ftle to that Gentleman. But upon cafting my Eyes
over them again, I found in them a natural Progress
of Petitioning, rifing gradually from a pretty reafon-
able Requeſt to a very unreaſonable one. The Title
alfo, thus inadvertently hit on, pleas'd me well, as I
did not remember ever to have feen it among the many
Progreffes that had been publiſhed. This occafion'd
the dividing my one Epiſtle into three; which I eaſily
did, with the Addition only of a few Paragraphs;
prefixing to the whole my new Title. Again was
the Work laid by, with as little Regard as before,
till the Engagement I had enter'd into for publifh-
ing my Poems produced a fecond Revifal. Then
I diſcovered that my First Epiftle was much too long
in Proportion to the reft, and that it would be more
complete in itſelf, if a great Part of it was left out,
B 2
4. ADVERTISEMENT.
The Lines taken from thence, an Inventory of my
Goods, which I had already by me, and about thirty
new Verſes, made up my Fourth Epiftle. I could
not properly rank this with the other three in The
Progress of Petitioning, becauſe, inſtead of advanc-
ing, I have fallen many Degrees from the Height
I was arrived at in my Third, and concluded with
a Requeſt as modeft as that which I begun with.
For this Reaſon it is put by Way of Supplement,
with the Title of The Author's Picture. And this is
the whole Hiſtory of the following Performance.
$
?.
EPI-
I
EPISTLE the FIRST.
F
Noife,
ROM Hurry, Stink, and Smoke, and
To Peace, free Air, and wholeſome Joys:
From Linen dark with fev'n Days' Dirt,
To Sword, long Wig, and ruffled Shirt:
From Small-Beer Bibber, pent in Garret,
To 'Squire, who topes, or may tope, Claret:
From Witling, whom the Small defpife,
To Wit, by whom Great Criticks rife:
5
* The three Things for which our Author petitions his Pa-
tron, are, ift. That he would give an impartial Judgment of
1
B 3
6
The Progress of Petitioning:
་
Or, (not with From's and To's to fill a
GARDE ARE SOME GAs good water
Whole Page) This comes to TwIT'NAM Villa, 10
From SPITAL-FIELDS, with all Submiffion,
To certify your Slave's Condition;
Who, brought up neither Clerk nor Poet,
Grown both by Chance, is urg'd to fhow it;
To cultivate his Fund of Wit,
And to the World his Works fubmit.
For having made fome thoufand Verfes,
His Friends, whenever he rehearſes,
Proteft, his Genius they admire:
He writes almoft as well as PRIOR!
Tho', worthy Sir, 'twixt you and I,
He knows how wickedly they lye;
Yet, loth to baulk fo good a Cauſe,
And proud to have their kind Applaufe,
He's willing they thould think fo ftill;
15
20
25
his Writings; aly. That he would recommend him to the Town;
3dly. That he would help him to a Place. Each of theſe Re-
quefts our Poet has made the Subject of an Epiftle. The Firft he
introduces with a Contraft between Mr. POPE's Situation and
his own, both with regard to Fortune and Reputation. He
then gives the Reaſon of this Addrefs, viz. the good Opinion
ཀ
EPISTLE I.
7
Nay, put him foremoft-if they will.
In common Crofs-way DOBSON delves
A Grave, for Folks who kill themſelves;
And drives a Stake (fo Laws enact)
Quite thro' their Corps, to brand the Fact:
By which our Legiſlature ftrives
30
To make good Men preferve their Lives.
Now 'tis, at leaft, FELO DE SE,
To caft one Life of Fame away.
But then, to publifh,-that's the Story.
35
Could he preferve his prefent Glory?
Would ev'ry Reader be his Friend?
Would furly Criticks too commend?
To ask the Judgment of his Betters,
(Either by Word of Mouth, or Letters)
Men fo judicious, one may truft 'em,
40
Agrees with Caution, tho' not Cuſtom:
of his Friends, which he thinks it his Duty to take the Advan-
tage of. But, as he cannot ſuſpect himſelf to be ſuch a Poet as
they imagine, he is willing to be informed whether or no there
be any Probability of his having that Title at all from other Peo-
ple. Who fo proper to tell him this as Mr. POPE? To him
therefore he applies for Satisfaction.
1
B 4
8
The Progreſs of Petitioning:
1
And fince You frankly are allow'd
By all, except th' obfcurely proud,
To be the moſt authentic Wit,
That for theſe ten Years paft has writ,
He craves your Senſe on this Occafion,
Without Reſerve, or fly Evaſion:
Say, fhall his Labours come to Light?
Or would you lofe a Lad fo bright?
Now here, to bribe you in her Favour,
The Muſe ſhould fhew her beft Behaviour;
And, Faith! fhe little thought to jeſt
In Numbers to your Name addreft.
45
50
But who can guide the Flow of Ryme?
55
You rife direct to the Sublime;
Whilft I, an humble, artleſs Elf,
Talk in low Doggrel of Myfelf;
Yet am not luſcious, nor myfterious:
Tho' odd my Stile, my Meaning's ferious.
68
"Great Soul of Poetry and Senfe!"
Ver. 66. To fing, &c. In mighty Numbers mighty Matter.] A
Parody on theſe Lines of COWLEY;
EPISTLE I
9
e:
Thus I determin'd to commence :
Then gravely to put on the Stoick,
And fwell with Sentiments heroic;
To fing of Providence and Nature,
65
In mighty Numbers, mighty Matter.
Or elfe fome Landſcape to have taken:
In the beſt Light a Swain forfaken
Should hurl away his Pipe and Crook,
And leap into fome neighbouring Brook,
70
Hard by a lonely filent Grove,
And Meadow, Witneſs of his Love!
My Friends too ſaid, I muſt not hope
To pleaſe with Trifles Matter POPE:
The Numbers fhould be fmooth and founding, 75
The Senſe apparent, ftrong, and wounding:
In Thoughts, and Language too, I muſt
Be ftill furprizing, always juſt!
Afraid to write, loth to forbear,
Some Time I wag'd a mental War.
80
I'll fing of Heroes, and of Kimgs,
In mighty Numbers, mighty Things.
10
The Progress of Petitioning:
1
Heroicks ask a World of Pains ;
But eafy are my genuine Strains,
Ungovern❜d as the Notes of Hedge-
Bird, when he fings foon after fledge.
What could I do?-Calm Reaſon rifes,
Swells in my Breaſt, and thus adviſes:
Strive your own Tafte alone to pleaſe,
And write what flows with greateſt Eaſe:
Whate'er the Verfe, whate'er the Theme,
POPE's piercing Genius is the fame.
Limit his Judgment! O nefandum!
He from an Arrow fhot at random
Can guefs as well a Writer's Strength,
As tho' he faw drawn forth at length,
In Rank and File, on Paper Plain,
The whole Artillery of his Brain.—
Admoniſh'd thus, the Muſe begun,
And, at the Rate her Numbers run,
85
90
95
Ver. 87. Strive your own Tafte, &c.] It is one of the moſt im-
portant Maxims in HORACE.
Sumite materiam veftris, qui fcribitis, aquam
t
Viribus; & verfate diu, quid ferre recufent,
•
EPIST LE I.
IL
Soon might the modulate a Song,
Juft in this Strain, God knows how long;
100
Obferving ftill her Theme to fhift,
Whene'er Invention wants a Lift.
But ſhould I trifle with your Time,
The World would brand it as a Crime :
Ev'n diftant Nations might demand
Their leffen'd Pleaſure at my Hand;
Abridg'd, while I my Rymes rehéarfe,
At least, of one immortal Verfe.
Then, Sir, to help me fairly out,
And leave no longer Things in Doubt,"
Perform the candid Critick's Tafk;
For that's the Sum of what I afk:
Which Office that you may diſcharge,
Yet never fee my Works at large,
105
IIO
Might here be prov'd, by Scholars able,
115
Either from Story, or from Fable:
Quid valeant humeri.
Ver. 105. Ev'n diftant Nations, &c.] Moft of Mr. POPE'S
Pieces have been tranflated into FRENCH, or ITALIAN, Or
both.
IZ
The Progress of Petitioning:
One Inftance I ſhall fet before ye;
Take it for Fable, or for Story.
When Science reign'd in antient GREECE,
And Nature charm'd in ev'ry Piece,
Such was ALCIDES in each Part,
And fo complete the Sculptor's Art,
120
That when the Hero's Foot was feen
Alone; his Features, Shape, and Mien,
Were all 'preſented in a Figure,
125
Exact as high, nor leſs nor bigger.
This crafty Tale, contriv'd of old,
Has been thro' thirty Ages told,
The GRECIAN Glory to difplay.-
Is POPE lefs perfect in his Way?
You've here a Foot, or what you will,
Of your Petitioner's poor Skill;
For Language, Humour, Tafte, and Wit,
Much like the reft that he has writ:
130
Ver. 119, &c.] PYTHAGORAS, by meaſuring the Stadium at
PISA, which, according to Tradition, was mark'd out by
HERCULES, Computed the Stature of that Hero. As the Sta
dium was fix hundred Feet in Length, according to the Meaſure
*
EPISTLE I.
13
135
Obſerve the Manner, Stile, and Spirit ;
Whence form your Judgment of his Merit:
And fix his Character, at once,
For Life-A Poet-or, A Dunce!
of HERCULES, the Philofopher foon found out the Length
of HERCULES his Foot; and by this, according to the trueft
Proportion of a Man, formed an Idea of his whole Perfon.
This Story is related after PLUTARCH by AULUS GELLIUS,
Lib. I. cap. 1, and feems to be the Original of that concern-
ing the Statuary: They both anſwer the fame End; viz. inti-
mate the exact Symmetry and Proportion of HERCULES, who
could be thus reprefented, and the great Judgment and Skill
of the Artiſt or Philofopher, who, from ſo ſmall a Part of the
Body, could trace out an Image of the whole Man.
EPI-
14
GERS
EPISTLE the SECOND.*
IND Sir, your Goodneſs will excufe,
K™
And fo forth-from a Sifter Mufe;
Who, tho' unanfwer'd lies her Firſt,
Muft write a Second, or muft burſt.
'Tis the juft Tax on your Repute,
That Fools fhould teize and perfecute.
DRYDEN was King of Wits confefs'd;
And DRYDEN daily was addrefs'd.
In ev'ry Science 'tis the fame;
We always court the Firſt in Fame.
One previous Paragraph thus paft,
This comes to fuperfede my Laft :
Your Judgment tho' I greatly prize,
Should you condemn, your Suppliant dies;
17
ΙΟ
Having in the former requeſted Mr. POPE's Opinion of
his Writings, and left the fixing of his Character to that
Gentleman's Determination; the Author proceeds in this to
retract what he had there faid, and, with great Sincerity, to
1
EPISTLE II.
15
Who now perceives, on fecond Trial,
A great Defect of Self-denial.
To hide my Talent (thus I reaſon)
Is againſt Heav'n the worſt of Treafon:
Then for the flothful Servant's Curfe
I quote the Chapter, and the Verſe.
In fober Sadnefs, Sir, I feel
The Tranſports of poetic Zeal:
Nor can I live (they grow fo ftrong)
Without 'em, nor yet with 'em long.
15
20
From worldly Pelf they make me fly;
25
And who but Abftinence and I!
But there's a Remedy (they fay)
Among the Bookfellers, call'd Pay;
A Noftrum that fo well agrees
With People in this dire Diſeaſe,
As to remove all Doubt of Danger,
And make this Abftinence a Stranger;
30
confefs that he has fo much of the Poet in him, as not to
be able to abide by any Judgment which might not paſs in his
Favour. Taking it therefore for granted, that he actually is
what his Friends are willing to think him, a graduate Poet, his
16
The Progrefs of Petitioning:
*
On Wings of Glee to bear them up,
And give them wherewithal to fup.
If this be conſtantly apply'd,
(Tho' their Distemper ftill abide)
B' evacuating, now and then,
Thro' horny Tube, yclep'd a Pen,
They live as long as other Men;
And are fo pleas'd with their Condition,
They laugh at Lawyer and Phyfician.
3
35
40
Now fome of This, my Friends were fpeaking,
Could I procure, 'twere worth the Taking:
"Twould ſmooth the Roughness of my Outſide,
And make me fhew a plump and ftout Side.
But how procure?-There hangs our Plot!
Some Friend in Credit muſt be got,
Who, both to Bookfeller and Reader,
(For both are won by fuch Procedure)
Shall pawn the Fame himſelf inherits,
45
50
Petition now is that he may be brought into Practice, and that
the World may be informed of his great Abilities under his
Patron's Hand; whom he affures in the End, that he is al-
ready furniſhed with a very ample Teftimony to this Effect,
EPISTLE II.
17
To prove, that wond'rous are my Merits.
Now, by th' Advice of not a Few,
That Friend in Credit muſt be You;
Whofe fingle Int'reft in the Nation
Might gain Me inftant Reputation.
So, hoping, Sir, you'll not be adverſe,
Becauſe I write poor Senfe in bad Verſe;
Let this engage you, like a Friend,
My Works in grofs to recommend.-
Write a long Letter back in Anſwer:
Say all the kindeft Things you can, Sir.
55
60
Then, would you influence Dean SWIFT,
(You know the Dean's peculiar Gift)
By ſome ſmart Similé to praiſe me,
Gods! how between you might ye raiſe me!
65
Thus far I writ, and fhew'd a Critick,
Who cry'd, Your Scheme is not politic.
What Writer ever rais'd another?
which fhall be produced on his Non-compliance with this
Requeſt.
Ver. 66. A Critick.] Who this Critick was, whether the
fame with the Friend ſpoken of afterwards, Ver. 100, or ſome
VOL. II.
C
7
18
The Progress of Petitioning:
3
$
Each Bard is jealous of his Brother.
POPE is at once (who does not know it)
70
The beſt good Man, the ſweeteſt Poet:
But were he better ftill, and fweeter,
He'd recommend no Man of Meeter.
Here, tho' my Gravity was try'd,
With ferious Viſage I reply'd:
+
Your little Wits might thus excufe
Their keeping down a rifing Mufe:
But what has POPE to apprehend,
APOLLO's highly-favour'd Friend?
POPE, whom the Mufes all infpire?
Whom all the Brave and Fair admire?
FRANCE from GENEVA may fear more,
Or GEORGE THE GREAT from THEODORE,
Or the Swiss CANTONS from the Sea,
Than POPE from Rivalfhip in Me.
75
80
85
other, we are not told in the MSS. But as he is mentioned a-
gain Ver. 106. of Ep. III. with the Diſtinction of Critick Friend,
wherein both Appellations are united, doubtless we may thence
conjecture that the Critick and the Friend are one Perfon.
Ver. 82. FRANCE from GENEVA, &c.] This was apparent-
ly added in the laft Revifal, when the Disturbances at Ge-
EPISTLE II.
19
My Friend acknowledg'd, I was right,
And bid me courteously Good-night.
Now, Sir, I fink again, to try
The eafier Terms of You and I.
And here I promiſe, on my Word,
If you'll your genial Warmth afford,
To fetch an Author from his Shell,
And, juſt while tender, guard him well;
He'll own your Kindneſs when he flies,
And never aim to peck your Eyes.
Againſt my Maſter turn the Skill
He taught me? Faith, I never will!
Should you refufe, one Hope remains?
Not unapplauded are my
Strains.
A common Friend of yours and mine
Look'd o'er my former Line by Line;
(The Man has Wit, and Judgment too)
i
90
95
"A
100
NEVA, and in the Ifland of CORSICA, were on Foot. The
Name of King THEODORE was not heard of till long after
thefe Epiftles were firft written,
Ver. 84. The SWISS CANTONS.] SWITZERLAND is eſteemed
the higheſt Part of EUROPE, and lies remote from the Sea.
Ver. 100. A commen Friend, &c.] Vid. Note on Ver- 66.
G 2
04
The Progress of Petitioning:
Quoth he, This Letter, Lad, will do;
I, tho' ſo grave, fhall burft with Laughter:
E'en print it firſt, and ſend it after.
In two Days Time my Friend returns ;
His Cheek with confcious Pleaſure burns:
Here! take theſe Verſes down for me!
(Poor Man, he's old, and fcarce can fee!)
Theſe Verſes gratis I preſent ye.-
There are, I think, juſt fix and twenty.
Truft me, I like your Letter well:
105
110
Print this before it, and 'twill fell.
Think with what Tranſport I was ſtruck!
115
2
I ceas'd to envy STEPHEN DUCK:
I thought Myſelf fupreme in Wit,
And grew immortal whilft I writ.
Firft,
"To the Laureate of the Spittle."
This of the Compliment was little :
Before my worthy Friend had done,
120
Ver. 108. Thefe Verfes.] The following are ſome of
them.
Proceed young Bard, nor any Rival dread:
SWIFT has Preferment; boneft MATT is dead:
Thou from their Emulation art fecure,
1
EPISTLE II
2 I
He brought in Groves, and Fields, and Sun;
And made a Third Triumvirate
Of Me, Dean JONATHAN, and MATT.
Kind Sir, I thank you for your Pains:
Tho', Faith, I merit no fuch Strains.
125
Thefe Lines, e'er fince, in Oaken Cheſt
Lock'd up with Care, fecurely reft:
Theſe Midwife Lines, if you refuſe,
Shall bear aloft my infant Mufe :
Who now refolves, no more to dwell
In Garret vile, or humble Cell;
130
No more, in doggrel Rymes, to fend
Familiar Thoughts to diftant Friend.
The Court ſhall yield, and fhe rehearſe,
Some Patriot in fublimer Verfe;
135
Whofe Virtues fhall exalt her Voice,
Whoſe Bounty fhall reward her Choice,
But while your Favour I purſue,
Nor fhalt the Critick's cenf'ring Rage endure:
For who can be fo barbarous profeft,
Sternly to blame what's only meant in jeft?
Thy Lines are fo replete with mirthful Glee,
Ev'n I, who laugh not often, laugh with Thes.
C 3
ار
22
The Progress of Petitioning, &c.
Let me not loſe the Point in View.
Still may my Friend fecurely fleep,
Still may the Cheft his Verfes keep,
If Thou, Great Bard! wilt condeſcend
One Hour in my Behalf to spend.
Six Lines of Thine will better pleaſe.
Then fix and twenty fuch as Thefe:
140
145
Six Lines of Thine, with Praiſe unſtinted,
Before his Works, for COREET printed,
Your poor Petitioner might pay
For all his Labours, till this Day,
And prove fome Guineas in his Way.
150
EPI-
23
EPISTLE the THIRD. *
A
S thievifh Boys their Trade begin
By nibbling, fearful, at the Sin:
The Profecutor can alledge,
Perhaps, his Orchard, or his Hedge
Was robb'd: 'Tis only flightly tripping;
And, at the moſt, but merits Whipping :
But when they grow up lufty Fellows,
They do Things worthy of the Gallows;
Stop Footmen, Horfemen, Chaiſes, Coaches;
As Courage comes, and Vice encroaches.
So feems the Mufe in her Behaviour:
At firſt fhe bluſh'd to beg a Favour:
But having practis'd once or twice,
She now grows neither fhy nor nice;
5
10
* For as much as the getting of Money is ufually the great
End of all laudable Performances and Endeavours (even a-
mong Poets themſelves, notwithſtanding their pretended Dif-
intereſtedneſs with regard to the Affairs of this mortal Life)
A
C 4
24
The Progress of Petitioning.
!
But boldly asks for That or This;
In fhort-there's nothing comes amifs.
The Mem❜ry of the pious Dead,
O how it fills my Heart and Head!
My Grandame held this Maxim good,
"Still chufe the neareſt Way to Wood."
Which, tho' a homely country Saying,
May well deferve a wife Man's weighing,
My Grandame then was fixty-feven,
And juſt upon the Brink of Heaven :
She knew the Lanes that lead about,
And mark'd that Few fet rightly out.
What in plain Words fhe meant to ſay,
Was, "Gain your End the fhorteſt Way."
Now grant this right, and, in a Trice,
I'll prove that Modefty's a Vice:
For that's no Virtue, which prevents,
Or long retards, our beft Intents.
15
20
25
30
our Author, after two introductory Epiftles, explains himſelf
fully and honeſtly on this Article, in his third Petition. He
proves, by undeniable Arguments, that a good Place, with a
certain Salary, is much preferable to the Reputation of being
a Poet, or even to the Encouragement of Bookfellers and
Readers. He fhews at large, that Modefty is a great Ob-
EPISTLE III.
25
In Love, what hinders us from doing
The Thing we aim at in our Wooing,
As well at once, as with Purfuing?
What, but this Weakneſs of the Mind,
That cowardizes half our Kind?
Ask any Nymph who fpeaks the Truth,
You'll find her blame the bafhful Youth.
The thievifh Lads we juſt now mention'd,
No doubt, were always well intention'd;
And would at firſt have ſtopp'd a Coach,
Had they dar'd venture to approach:
But Modeſty reſtrain'd their Courage,
And turn'd thein off to meaner Forage;
Which kept them longer from a Rope,
The Sum and End of all their Hope!
Epiftles always fhould be free:
To this ev'n DENNIS must agree.
35
40
1
45
'Tis good to write all Thoughts that come,
50
ſtacle to noble Attempts, and fhould therefore be thrown
afide when we have any fuch in View; by which means be
decently excufes this laft and higheft Degree of the Progrefs of
Petitioning.
Ver.49. DENNIS ] Mr. DENNIS the Critick was alive when
this was written.
26
The Progress of Petitioning:
1
While Time permits, and Paper-room.
Nor need we mind, on freſh Conviction,
If we commit Self-contradiction:
For Contrafts give the Reader Light,
And clear the Point of which we write.
That Paragraph has no Connexion,
Obferve, with any former Section;
But comes to obviate all Objection.
Now paſs we to the Point in View,
55
As Matters ftand with Me and You.
My Muſe hath multiplied Petitions,
And ſtill advance'd in her Conditions:
Sure 'tis fo plain, there's nothing plainer,
She begs for Somewhat to maintain her?
To ſpeak her Caſe the ſhorteſt Way,
This was the Whole fhe had to ſay,
"Sir, help Me into prefent Pay!
"9
What Buf'neſs here for lengthen'd Lays,
To ask your Judgment, then your Praife?
65
60
Ver. 75. The Profit more, the Labour lefs.] Two very
neceffary Circumftances theſe to a Poet!
and which
1
EPISTLE III,
27
Her Fault confefs'd, fhe now prefents
A Third Requeſt, with plain Contents,
Sir, what I feek is how to thrive :
Now, if you kindly could contrive
A readier Way than by the Prefs,
7༠
The Profit more, the Labour lefs,
75
(Exempli gratiâ, fome fmall Place,
At Court, his Lordſhip's, or his Grace')
In fpite of all I've faid before,
I'd ferve and honour you ftill more.
To mend our Firft is often reckon'd
80
A Second Thought, a Third our Second.
To feek a Livelihood from Rymes
Suits ill with theſe profaic Times;
And as, whoe'er the Child may get,
'Tis taken in the Husband's Net;
85
So Fame, begotten by a Friend,
On him that owns it muft depend.
My Verfes might, for once, be conn'd,
very well agree with the Notion of living at learned Lei-
fure, &c.
28
The Progress of Petitioning:
If for
my
Wit
you gave your Bond:
But fhould Stock fink, and Credit fail,
Scarce would your Character prevail
With Criticks dire, to grant me bail.
My Name would not be worth one Tefter:
Myſelf below a SMITHFIELD Jeſter.
'Tis therefore good to be fecure. -
I need explain myſelf no more.
O grant me Heav'n! (implore it POPE!)
My only Wiſh, my utmoſt Hope,
Enough to live at learned Leifure;
To drink, and ſleep, and write at Pleaſure.
Ye Stewards of good Things below,
By Heav'n commiffion'd to beſtow,
Kings, Princes, Prelates, Nobles, Queens,
'Tis yours to ſpread theſe flow'ry Scenes,
On eafy Terms to purchaſe Fame,
And fix the Men that fix your Name.
до
95
ICO
105
Ver. 99. Enough to live, &c.] How much this may be, it is
impoffible to guefs: But we have Reafon to think, that the
Author had fomething very confiderable in View, when, in the
following Lines, he addreſſes himſelf to Kings, &c. in fuch an
heroical Manner.
EPISTLE III.
29
My Critick Friend, with Look fevere,
Broke in, as I was reading here.
This Paragraph deſtroys the Merit,
Which all before it feem'd t'inherit,
And favours of a fervile Spirit.
Better on Providence to truft,
Than lick a Patron's filthy Duft,
And cringe before him for a Cruft.
On what Excufe could I rely.
The beſt I knew, was this Reply:
Can there be Servitude at Helm,
Where fit the Sages of the Realm?
Where ſhould the Muſes find Support,
But in the Sunſhine of the Court?
Where ſhould the Virtues elſe refort?
Virtues fublime, that Verfe infpire,
$
And tune the free-born BRITISH Lyre?
In ev'ry Breaft behold them glow!
IIQ
نیان
115
120
1
Ver. 107. My Critick Friend] Vid. Not. on Ver. 66 of Ep. II.
Ver. 119, 121. Where should the Muſes-Where ſhould the Fir-
tues, &c.] That is, Where do they? For that this is the Au-
thor's Meaning, the following Lines abundantly manifeft, In
ev'ry Breaft, &c.
૩૦
The Progrefs of Petitioning:
་
From the leaft Minifter below,
Increafing gradual to the King,
Whoſe Praiſe 'tis Liberty to fing!
Admit fome Force in your Remark ;
Yet Reaſon leaves us in the Dark,
When Cuſtom bids the Spirit ferve,
1
125
Or lets the Man, unpitied, ftarve.
Ought then the Mufe to be difcarded?
Or muft fhe labour unrewarded?
130
Or fhould the Bard, in this Condition,
Prepare and put up his Petition,
And fwear the King muft lofe a Subject,
135
If Mercy make him not her Object?
O fay, ye Bards! who live in Fame,
(Thou, POFE, the foremoſt of the Name)
That Life of yours in Others Breath,
That Life ye lengthen after Death,
Can it create and keep itſelf,
Without the Means of mortal Pelf?
140
Ver. 156. My Cafe bath OvID, &c.] There is a remarkable
Difference obferved by Criticks between thofe Works of Ovin
EPISTLE III.
3 I
The Life of Senfe muft high afpire,
To raiſe high Fancy, and high Fire:
Or, ſpite of all the Scripture faith,
145
He'd live but low, who lives on Faith.
(For Fame and Faith alike I paint ;
That feeds the Poet, this the Saint.)
But when they mutually commence,
The Life of Fame, and Life of Senſe;
The latter, like a chearful Brother,
Supports and cheriſhes the other ;
The other gathers gradual Strength,
2
150
And makes us All-alive at length.
One more Divifion brings the End.-
155
My Cafe hath OVID for its Friend:
In him there's Teſtimony ample,
(And he's an Orthodox Example)
That Place and Circumſtance avail
To make a Bard fucceed or fail.
160
Who more politely wrote at Rome?
which he writ when he lived in Affluence and Favour at Roм8,
and thoſe which he compoſed after his Banifhment.
!
+
32
The Progress of Petitioning, &c.
Who more was loft exil'd to TOME?
Ev'n I at Court might hope to fhine
A POET DEATHLESS AND DIVINE.
So Crab-tree Stocks, remov'd with Care,
165
To richer Soil, and purer Air,
And grafted on with genuine Shoots,
Loſe their Hedge-Tafte, and bear good Fruits.
Ver. 162. TOME.] TOMOS was a City in SCYTHIA MI-
NOR, or the LowER MESIA. OVID was baniſhed hither by
Command of the Emperor AUGUSTUS; for which various
Reaſons are affign'd. Some fay it was on Account of his irre-
gular Life, and the Impurity of his Writings; Others, for his
debauching JULIA, the Emperor's Daughter, whom they
imagine he celebrates under the Name of CORINNA; Others
again, that it was becauſe he unluckily faw AUGUSTUS him-
felf incestuoufly bufy with this Daughter. Whatever was the
Cauſe of his Exile, it is certain that he died in it, about the
Year of CHRIST 17. He was honoured by the Natives of
the Country with a ftately Sepulchre, which is faid to be ex-
tant at this Day.
0
The
33
GERS
THE
AUTHOR's PICTURE:
A Fourth Epiſtle to Mr. POPE. *
AD my Petitions been to Thofe,
HA cenfure Verfe in ſtupid Profe
Who cenfure Verſe in ftupid Profe;
But of their Wiſdom make no Work,
Except by Way of Pun or Quirk ;
Then, Sir, of Courſe it had behov’d me,
Before they damn'd me, or approv'd me,
To let them know, in formal Guife,
My Drefs, Religion, Age, and Size.
For Theſe are always fertile Fields,
The leaft of which Sufficient yields.
$
10
*The Author takes Notice in his Advertiſement, that this
Picture was originally Part of the Firft Epiftle: Confequently
the Subſtance of it was drawn up in the Year 1731. It was ima-
gined at that Time, that there was a pretty good Likeneſs pre-
ferved throughout, fo that it would have been difficult to havp
D
1
34 The AUTHOR's PICTURE:
To guide a Critick in his Gueſs,
And make One's Merit more or leſs.
But You judiciouſly can find
Th' intrinfic Value of the Mind,
Abſtracted from exterior Parts;
And ſcorn the vulgar Critick's Arts:
With You the Poetry's the fame,
Whate'er the Poet's State or Name.
Yet, as our modern Wits have thought,
That all the Antients were in Fault,
Among their Gods, and Nymphs, and Elves,
To leave fo little of Themſelves;
(Themfelves, more worthy, 'tis agreed,
Than all the Gods that fill'd their Creed)
Willing to fhun th' exploded Error,
To Time I confecrate this Mirror;
In which Hereafter fhall be feen
What Sort of Fellow I have been.
15
20
25
taken a better. What Errors there may now feem to be in it,when
compared with the Original, muſt therefore be aſcribed to Time.
Ver. 40. MONTAIGNE.] MICHAEL DE MONTAIGNE, the
celebrated FRENCH Author, appears very fond of ſpeaking of
himself in his Effays. The SPECTATOR fays, he has woven all his
To Mr. POPE.
35
You wonder at the Word Hereafter:
But, gentle Sir, hold in your Laughter:
For not the Writer, but Receiver,
+
Shall make this Labour live for-ever.
A Work fo blended with Your Name,
Borne on that Wing, afpires to Fame:
And Time and Rage in vain fhall arm
30
35
Againſt the Virtue of that Charm!
Here pleaſe to note, the Mufe fhall take
(For Form and Elegancy's Sake)
The genteel Pronouns Him and He;
Not, like MONTAIGNE, talk all of Me:
40
So, while her PEGASUS trots hard on,
She craves your Patience, and your Pardon.
Firſt (with his Perfon to begin)
Like young JESSIDES, ftrait and thin:
Near two and twenty Years of Age,
(The Prime for pure poetic Rage:)
45
bodily Infirmities into his Works. The Title of an Effay pro-
mifes perhaps a Difcourfe upon VIRGIL or JULIUS CAESAR,
but when you look into it, you are fure to meet with more up.
on Monfieur MONTAIGNE, than upon either of them.
Ver. 44. JESSIDES.] DAVID, the Son of JASSE.
D 2
36 The AUTHOR'S PICTURE:
Full fixty-fix good Inches high :
Hath a ſmall Blemiſh in one Eye:
Complexion'd 'twixt the Fair and Sad:
In Speech, a downright Country Lad.
His Drap❜ry waves before your Eyes!
A fcanty Coat, of Weſtern Frize:
(Ah! would ſome friendly Taylor turn it;
For thro' each Elbow he hath worn it)
His Hat difplays a Chafin before :
His Shoes can't laft a Fortnight more.
+
50
*
55
Tho' you might think he knows but little,
They count him learn'd in AGRO-SPITTLE.
Not one that haunts the Houſe he uſes,
But grows familiar with the Mufes ;
And can fuch Authors Names rehearſe,
As wrote in GREEK and ROMAN Verfe..
The very Quill-boys have been told,
60
That OVID's foft, and HORACE bold;
Of PINDAR'S Fire, ANACREON's Eafe,
65
Ver. 58. AGRO-SPITTLE.] SPITTLE-FIELDS, where, it
feems, the Author lived when he writ this.
Ver. 77. GORDIAN Knot.] The Harneffes belonging to the
To Mr. POPE.
37
n
And VIRGIL'Sev'ry Art to pleaſe.
He often gives his Neighbours Reſt,
By proving IRELAND in the Weft;
That JULIUS reign'd before VESPASIAN;
That CHARLES of SWEDEN was no ASIAN;
That Presbyterians may be Chriſtians;
70
That BRUNSWICKERS are not PHILISTIANS;
That ev'n a TURK's a human Creature;
And twenty Secrets of like Nature:
For when good Friends are in Diſpute,
75
And neither yields, nor can confute,
He ftill unties the GORDIAN Knot:
They give him Thanks, and pay his Shot.
Your daily Writers, who diffufe
Good BRITISH Puns in foreign News,
80
Some LATIN Phraſe are often gleaning:
He, when 'tis wanted, gives the Meaning
The public Benefit enlarging,
By writing ENGLISH on the Margin,
Chariot of GORDIUS, Father of MIDAS King of PHRYGIA,
were made into a Knot fo very intricate, that the Beginning
and End of it were imperceptible. It was given out, that
D3
*
i
38 The AUTHOR'S PICTURE:
?
And then, for Epitaphs and Motto's,
And hard Words, ſuch as Bufto's, Grotto's,
Half his Eftate poor Landlord KNOTT' owes.
For all which Labours and Endeavours,
He lives much honour'd by the Weavers;
Who give him Titles, which they vary,
The BARD, The SOPH, The DICTIONARY.
His Thoughts and Principles religious,
Are neither intricate nor tedious:
Founded on Maxims free and rational;
85
More univerfal than mere national.
In Life, not fcrupulous, nor vicious;
In Mind, not brave, nor fuperftitious;
Myft'ries he leaves to Men of Learning,
And future Things to Faith's Difcerning.
Unwarp'd by Rev'rence, or Contempt,
From Prieſts, and theirs, he lives exempt:
For dreading Fury, Fire, and Treaſon,
He trufts them only when they reafon :
90
95
100
whoever fhould untie it, fhould become Mafter of ASIA.
ALEXANDER having undertaken the Task, left he ſhould be
To Mr. POPE.
39-
And when from Myft'ry they defcend,
The Prieft is ſwallow'd in the Friend.
105
Yet then, and always, he prefers
His own weak Reaf'ning-ev'n to theirs,
For State Affairs; his humble Station
Can little influence the Nation :
But Friends, who like him for his Rymes,
Will have his Judgment of the Times;
110
And often interrupt his Mufe,
To make him comment on the News.
Hence the true Scheme of Politicks
He feeks, which he refolves to fix
And finds his Notions are fo bright,
He oft' could fet Sir ROBERT right.
The native Temper of his Mind
To Melancholy feems inclin'd:
115
But Brandy, Porter, Punch, or Sherry,
120
Makes him extravagantly merry.
When fill'd with one of theſe (or in it)
difappointed, cut it in Pieces. Any Thing difficult to un-
ravel, is fince called a GORDIAN Knot.
D 4
40
The AUTHOR's PICTURE:
1
He'll mete out Verfes in a Minute;
Tell pleaſant Tales; break Jefts; and play
With Wenches,-in no wanton Way,
Ill-Nature's what he never knew:
He pities all the fnarling Crew,
Who never learn'd, yet dully teach,
And rail at what they cannot reach.
125
He frankly owns, Your Works, when young, 130
Taught him the Numbers of our Tongue:
By Them enlighten'd, he refin'd
At firſt his Language, then his Mind,
Now turn we to his Inventory,
Took on the Spot, the Upper Story.
A Bedstead, that ſupports a Bed
With neither Tefter, Poft, nor Head:
One Curtain, ftrung upon a Cable :
An antient, framelefs, Fir-tree Table:
135
Two wooden Chairs, fome Members lacking: 140
A Third, half naked, half in Sacking:
Ver. 134, 135. His Inventory, Took on the Spot.] Viz. Anno
1734, in a Garret in WHITE-CROSS-STREET. It was in-
ferted here when this Epiftle was taken from the firft, to com
To Mr. POPE.
4r
There is a Fourth, but that is lame:
A Looking-Glafs, which had a Frame:
A broken Stove, to which belongs
A rufty, clawleſs Pair of Tangs ;
Poker, and Shovel; but no Fender:
Flint, Matches, Steel, and Box for Tinder:
The Stick, wherein he puts his Candle:
145
T
A Quart Stone Mug, without a Handle:
An Earthen Jourdain, bound with Cords:
150
(All theſe his Landlady affords!)
A Peruke-Box, his Barber's Loan:
A Hat-Box too; -but that's his own.
His genuine Goods in order follow,
That prove him Baftard of APOllo.
155
Old Books, four hundred forty-four;
Whereof in ENGLISH half a Score:
The Trunk his Manuſcripts are ſeen in;
(A Leathern Trunk, defign'd for Linnen :)
A Wooden Standifh, Sixpence Price:
160
plete the Author's Account of himself. Thoſe who have ſeen
the Room and Furniture it defcribes, affirm the Defcription to
be very full and particular.
1
42. The AUTHOR's PICTURE:
7
A Pen, that has been mended twice:
A Quartern Vial, fill'd with Ink:
A Paper Cafe-That's all, I think.
Conclude we, Sir, in Form of Reaſon :
(For Jefting now were out of Seafon)
The Youth depicted in this Letter,
Grown more difcreet, and counſell'd better,
Here finks at once in his Pretenfion,
And claims no Poem, Place, nor Penfion.
His Reprobation, or Adoption,
He leaves entirely at Your Option;
Oblig'd henceforwards in his Muſe,
If, without praifing, You excufe.
A Thought thus wantonly purfu'd,
From Free to Bold, from Bold to Rude,
Might raiſe a Blockhead to the Lawn;
To Pow'r, a Whelp who knows to fawn;
An artful Knave to guide our Laws;
But lifts no Dunce to your Applauſe,
165
170
4
175
Ver. 182. The most I seriously, &c.] A Copy of thefe Epiftles
having been fent to Mr. PoPE, he was pleafed to return them
|
To Mr. POPE.
43
Then thus we fum up our Affairs :
That, notwithſtanding former Airs,
The moſt I ſeriouſly would hope,
180
Is, juſt to read the Words, A. POPE,
Writ, without Sneer, or Shew of Banter,
Beneath your friendly Imprimantur.
185
with Subſcriptions for two Sets of the Author's Works, and
the following Couplet.
May THESE put Money in your Purſe,
For I affure you, I've read worse.
A. P.
Which Lines, we make no Queſtion, ought to be taken for a
friendly Imprimantur,
Writ without Sneer, or Shew of Banter.
At
44
}
"
At the Painting CLOE's Picture.
W
HY, Painter, you have done your Part;
I own th' Intention bold and good:
It finds fome Paffage to my Heart,
Which nothing quite unlike her could.
A
But view again that Shape! that Air!
That Hand! that Eye! that Lip! that Cheek!
There's ſtill Abundance in my Fair,
Which you can't paint, which I can't ſpeak.
Am I not right? Once more behold!
Behold, and feel Conviction rife!
Thy Lines are faint, thy Colours cold.-
He fails, my Friend, whoever tries.
Yet let him try; defy his Skill;
Smile at the utmoft Art can do:
He
Tell the Prefumer, if he will,
may attempt Love's Goddeſs too,
5
IO
15
Love
45
W
Love without Art.
}
HEN Poets lavish all their Store,
To paint a Miſtreſs gay,
They prove not how their Souls adore,
But what their Mufe can fay.
Fame, the great Object of their Vows,
By various Names they wooe;
And while to Beauty Fancy bows,
Their Souls a Breath purfue.
Me no fuch vain Ambition moves :
Ye Bards, enjoy your Fame!
My Heart can ſimply fay, it loves,
And heave MONTELIA'S Name.
MONTELIA'S Charms fo far excel,
5
10
They make my Soul her Slave:
She's more, at leaſt, than I can tell,
And All I wish to have!
15
An
46
В
An unlucky Diſcovery. *
W
HEN Popish WILL was fcolded by his Prieft
His Wife fat by, who juft had been confeft.
She heard with Patience, while the rev'rend Chief
Call'd her Good-Man, Dog, Villain, Traitor, Thief.
But when, with Scorn, by Way of Epilogue,
He brought out, Stupid, cuckoldly poor Rogue!
5
With Indignation from her Seat fhe rofe,
And feiz'd him by his venerable Nofe:-
Has Grace upon thy Heart left no Impreffion,
Thou perjur'd Wretch! what, publiſh my Confeſſion?
* Imitated from SARASIN.
Extem-
10
ì
47
Extempore Advice: To DAMON. *
HE Father averfe, and the Fair One unkind,
'Tis enough, juſt a Moment, to ruffle thy Mind.
Yet why keep thy Bed, and avoid Converſation?
Gods are there no Women but her in the Nation?
Rife, pluck up thy Spirits, and finiſh thy Billet; 5
With ſmart Innuendo's and Rallery fill it:
Then turn to fome Other, and be not fo froward:
The Second may bend, tho' the Firſt was untoward:
Should the not, 'tis no Matter: You'll find by Expe-
One may love three or four, and forget them a Year
rience,
hence! 10
* Upon feeing Part of a Letter that he had left unfiniſhed,
and being informed at the fame Time that he was fick in Bed.
1
A
48
A
A Coquet's Anſwer. *
ELEIVE my Torment, lovely Fair,
Rand
And fave thy Swain from black Deſpair;
Whom lofing, Beauty could not find,
In Love's whole Empire, One fo kind.
Knowing thy Truth, the Nymph replies,
(With cruel Pleaſure in her Eyes)
Thus I retain Thee in my Nooſe :-
To blefs Thee,-were to let Thee loofe!
5
* Out of LA FONTAINE'S Pofthumous Works.
*
1
The
:
THE
DISASTROUS MORNING:
T
To
MIRA. *
HE Day was come; the Morning fine;
You, Madam, promis❜d us at Nine!
JAMES rofe at Six, and ftruck a Light;
Mopp'd o'er his Room; fet all Things right:
* All the Accidents here defcribed are what really happen-
ed, pretty nearly in the fame Manner as they are fet down.
+
E
3
50 The DISASTROUS MORNING:
1
$
Then clean'd my Shoes, and bid me rife.
I gap'd, and ſtretch'd, and rubb'd my Eyes.
For Shame! faid he, what lie till Noon?
Why MIRA will be with us foon!
Get
up and blow, while I fetch Tea.
The Room's all over wet, you fee!
Dear me, fhould MIRA find it thus,
She'd fcold, and fret, and make fuch Fufs!
Well! up got I; and down goes JEM;
Buys Sugar, Butter, Tea, and Cream
;
5
10
Comes back, and finds me making Ryme.- 15
Blefs us! you don't regard the Time!
How can you fit in all your Dirt?
Get fhav'd, and wafh'd, and d'on your Shirt.
It wants but half an Hour.-The Deuce
It don't! (quoth I) Dear JAMES, a Truce!
20
Lord! I was writing Verfes on her.-
Verſes? Do fomething elſe upon her!
Believe me, JOHN, 'tis downright Dreaming:
MIRA had engaged to come to Breakfaſt, and the Author
thought he could not better be revenged on her for diſappoint-
А
Á TALE
51
Learn better Ways of pleafing Women.
The Clock ftruck Nine; the Water boil'd;
The Cups were rins'd; the Board was pil'd:
JAMES borrow'd Landlady's new Pot,
And Store of Bread and Butter cut;
In fhort, the Equipage was ready,
25
But not a Tittle of the Lady.-
3d
What ſhould we do? Why, wait till Ten.
Well! fo we did. No MIRA then;
What now? Now drink the Tea without her,
Agreed.
35
And vex ourſelves no more about her.
JAMES manages the Matter;
Pours out the Tea, pours in the Water.
Six Cups a Piece. Both Tafte and Hue
Permit once more, at leaft, to brew.-
Thought JAMES, we'll leave no Strength behind;
So fills the Tea-pot to his Mind
;
(The Tea-pot, you muſt know, was Mettle)
Then decently takes off the Kettle,
40
ing him, than by afcribing to her the Misfortunes that at-
tended his waiting for her.
F. 3
52 The DISASTROUS MORNING:
And fets, where likelieft to perform it,
The deftin'd Utenfil-to warm it.
Misfortunes now come a great Pace on:
JAMES turns about, and breaks a Baſon :
Mean while the Dame's ill-fated Pot
Endures an Element too hot.
All leffer Paffions yield to greater:
(So hold the Wife, who ftudy Nature)
With Love, Refpect was never found;
And Fear in Mifery is drown'd:
Thus Dread of Woes that were to come
With woful JAMES could find no Room:
45
50
He view'd the Fragments on the Floor;
55
He ftamp'd; he fcratch'd his Head; he fwore;
Fate and his Elbow jointly curs'd;
And thought they both had done their worſt.
1
Alas! poor JAMES, thou didst not know
Ver. 49. All leffer Paffions, &c.] The fame Thing is obſerv-
ed to be in fome Meaſure true concerning bodily Pain.
Ver. 69. Sylphs.] "According to the ROS ICRUSIANS, (as Mr.
POPE informs us in the Dedication of his Rape of the Lock) the
four Elements are inhabited by Spirits, which they call Sylphs,
Gnomes, Nymphs, and Salamanders. The Gnomes, or Dæ
A TAL E.
53
What thou muft bear, what Fate could do!
60
Heavier thy Caufe of Grief behind!
How heavy two fuch Cauſes join'd!
Thoſe Eyes beheld, that Boſom felt it,
A Bafon broke! a Tea-pot melted!
65
Difaftrous thus the Moments flew,
Devoted firſt to Love and You;
Your Abfence caus'd our various Woes,
As thus the Mufe, Fair MIRA, fhows:
The Guardian Sylphs expecting came
To wait around their fav'rite Dame;
They found You not, and, in Deſpair,
Wrought this Revenge upon the Ware.
How JAMES his Soul was tortur'd now,
How fwell'd his Breaft, how look'd his Brow,
To make it in Defcription fhine,
Demands a Skill furpaffing mine;
70
75
mons of Earth, delight in Miſchief: But the Sylphs, whote
Habitation is in the Air, are the beſt-condition'd Creatures ima-
ginable. For, they fay, any Mortals may enjoy the moſt irti-
mate Familiarities with thefe gentle Spirits, upon a Continon
very eaſy to all true Adepts, an inviolable Preſervation et
Chaſtity."
E 3
54
The DISASTROUS MORNING, &c.
1
The Storm collected in his Mind,
Whether at You or Me defign'd,
He, for his Life, could not expreſs,
Nor was I capable to gueſs.
80
Thus much, however, I can ſwear,
(Let JAMES deny it if he dare)
While the big Paffion wrought within,
And ſparkling at his Eyes was feen,
It juſt permitted him to mutter:
85
One Shilling Tea nd Bread and Butter!
My Set of Cups, one would not patch it,
So there goes God knows what to match it!
Then Half a Crown the Pot for Madam!
Theſe Women,-would the Devil had 'em!
(
+
90
Ta
55
To Mr. MITCHELL:
An EPISTLE. *
HO', funk in Profe, no Mufe my Fancy fires,
TH
T500, fino in ng When
Shall I not fing when Gratitude inſpires?
Thy deep Diftrefs fhall not my Strains attend,
In Verfe my Father, and in Truth my Friend?
Yet bound by Forms, and not of Language free, 5
While thus difguis'd, what can I write to Thee?
I, who condemn Jews, Hereticks, and TURKS,
To Thee, the Friend of all thy Maker's Works?
In public Prints a rev'rend Churchman made,
Learn'd in Tranflations, Orthodox by Trade,
IO
* In Anſwer to a Letter of Adoption which he had fent the
Author, and in which he complained that he had received no
Verfes from any of his poetical Friends, during a long Confine-
ment to his Chamber.
Ver 1, 5. Tho' funk in Profe-Yet bound by Forms, &c.] Thefe,
and many of the following Lines, allude to a large Work,
theological and hiftorical,which the Author was compiling when
he writ this Epiftle, and which he finiſhed foon after.
E 4
56
To Mr. MITCHELL:
I humble ſceptic Wits with grave Rebukes,
15
And make St. MATTHEW'sText agree with LUKE's:
SOCINIANS, ARIANS, Libertines I lafh,
And brand the Deifts for their impious Trafh:
While you fit calmly by your Chimney-fide,
Neglect our Notions, and our Warmth deride:
In Search of Truth not blindly prepoffeft,
None you condemn, but thoſe who damn the reft.
Your Zeal for God fo little apt to fhine,
So ftrong, fo orthodox, fo furious Mine,
What in my Verfes can You hope to find,
But ghoſtly Cenfures to correct your Mind?
Or Chriſtian Curfes for your wanton Sneers
On MOSES, DAVID, and the facred Seers?
People fo wife, they knew both Wrong and Right; 25
And, bleft with double Store of Second-fight,
Poffefs'd more Secrets, and did more difgorge,
2Q
Than all your SCOTS from FERGUS down to GEORGE,
Ver. 12. And make St. MATT HE w's Text agree with LUKE'S
This relates to the famous Controverfy concerning the Genea-
logy of JESUS CHRIST, as it is differently given by those two
Evangelifts.
Ver. 25-28.] An Allufion to the pretended Second-fight of
An EPISTLE.
57
Thus might I rail; and each embitter'd Line,
Tho' not the Bard, would witnefs the Divine.
Thus fhould I write, if, ftarting from your Lift,
I watch'd the Wave of CODEX' hallow'd Fift.
But ſhall I leave the Mufes in the Lurch,
And wed that wither'd Matron, Mother Church?
Live to Myſelf, and be to MITCHELL dead,
Whofe facred Mantle hovers o'er my Head?
Of Senſe be heedlefs, but on Wealth intent?
Prevent it PнOBUS! All ye Nine prevent!
The Time's at Hand, when I, as oft' before,
Shall act the Zealot lefs, the Poet more;
30
35
40
Of Forins and Creeds be loos'd from the Controul;
Abridg'd of Income, but enlarg'd in Soul.
That Day fhall ftrike out all my native Fire,
To turn the Tale, or fweep the fprightly Lyre.
Then leaving the Purfuit of myftic Themes,
To court plain Reafon, Stranger to Extremes,
45
the NORTH-BRITONS.
Ver. 28. FERGUS] The firft King of Scors, who reigned,
according to their Traditions, feveral hundred Years before
CHRIST. His prefent Majefty is reckon'd the one hundred
and fifteenth Monarch in Succeffion from him.
58
To Mr. MITCHELL:
#
I'll judge of Nature's Works by Nature's Laws;
Admire not blindly, but explore the Caufe.
50
Unknown of old the Figure of this Clod,
This Earth, this Point, this Particle he trod,
What wonder Man the Characters mistook,
And wrongly read the Univerſal Book?
Where dwelt the reaf'ning Wretch, by Nature vain,
His Views what bounded, what confin'd his Reign,
That ſeem'd the Center of the mighty Whole, 55
The nobleft Creature, and Himfelf the Soul.
'Twas then rank Blafphemy with Priests profound,
To fix the Sun, or fay the Earth was round.
The World of Torment, and the World of Bliſs,
Were known much better than the Seat of This. 60
Ver. 49. Unknown of old, &c.] So lately as the fifteenth Century,
there were many Doctors who maintain'd the Earth to be flat,
longer from Eaft to Weft than from North to South, and that
the Heavens covered it in Form of a Tent.
Ver. 58. To fix the Sun, or fay the Earth was round.] The Sun,
in reality, is not fix'd, nor is the Earth perfectly round: But
as the Sun never moves entirely out of the Center of Gravity,.
and the Difference of the two Diameters of the Earth, accord-
ing to the largeft Computation, is but as 229 to 230, thefe
Terms have not been laid aſide, on Account of late Diſcove-
ries.
$
An EPISTLE.
59
At length COLUMBUS diftant Tracts explor'd:
Her Form, her Motion, Reaſon then reftor'd.
Now of fev'n Planets we conceive her one,
'Twixt MARS and VENUS rolling round the Sun.
65
Illuftrious Souls, who Cuſtom dar'd affail,
Inventive, bold, Fathers of Science, hail!
Chiefs whom our folid Praife may beſt befit,
The Sons of Wiſdom, as the Reſt of Wit ;
Who found true Principles, and fix'd their Ufe,
Ye Lights of MEGARA, and SYRACUSE!
Immortal NEWTON on your Thoughts refin'd,
And caught the Senfe of the Creator's Mind;
Thro' Nature's Tube furvey'd the vaſt Deſign;
Trace'd ev'ry Orbit, meaſur❜d ev'ry Line.
70
Ver. 61. COLUMBUS.] CHRISTOPHER. This Man, by
diſcovering AMERICA, opened a Way for proving, what was
before fufpected only by a Few, that the Earth was a Globe,
and might be encompaſſed.
Ver. 70. Ye Chiefs of MEGARA, and SYRACUSE ] EUCLID
and ARCHIMEDES. The firft we have mentioned Vol. I.
p. 115. The other was alſo an excellent Mathematician, and
of great Service to his Citizens againſt the ROMA NS. When
SYRACUSA was taken, he was fo hard at his Study, that he
never heard the Noife till the Soldier who diſpatched him broke
in upon him, Before Chrift. 212 Years.
1
60
To Mr. MITCHELL:
His brighter Day the SAMIAN Could foreſee,
The fage CORDUBAN prophefy'd fhould be,
Nor was it once Aftronomy alone,
That aw'd Mankind with Monſters not her own.
Ev'n bright Theology wore deep Difguife,
75
And feem'd all odd, all wondrous to the Eyes. 80
Her Bramins drefs'd her, as for Maſquerade,
And Pomp and Miracles maintain'd their Trade,
Their fubtil Matter, in fwift Eddies whirl'd,
Diftracted, clogg'd, the intellectual World.
At length fome Few, the NEWTONS of the Mind,85
Heav'd off that huge Incumbrance of Mankind,
The Cant of Words, and Pedantry of Rules,
That monftrous Plenitude, contriv'd in Schools:
Ver. 75. The SAMIAN.] PYTHAGORAS, born at SAMOS
who maintained feveral Notions concerning the Syftem of the
World, that have been found true in theſe latter Ages.
Ver. 76. The CORDUBAN.] SENECA the Philofopher, born
at CORDUBA in SPAIN. One remarkable Paffage of his, con-
cerning Comets, where he predicts fuch Diſcoveries as have
been made by Sir ISAAC NEWTON, is worth tranſcribing.
Ego noftris non affentior; non enim exiftimo cometem fubitaneum ig-
nem, ſed inter æterna opera naturæ, &c.— Veniet tempus, quo ifta
que nunc latent, in lucem dies extrahat, & longioris avi diligentia.
Veniet tempus, quo pofteri noftri tam aperta nos neſciſſe mirentur.
Erit qui demonftret aliquando, in quibus comete partibus errent; cur
An EPISTLE.
6¢
*
Found the true Path, by Prophets, Patriarchs trod,
A ſpacious Orbit, verging ftill to God.
Now near, now farther, tho' th' Ellipfis bends,
As draws the World, our Paffions, or our Friends,
One Pow'r impels, retains, directs our Race;
Like that which holds yon' Planets in their Place.
As Thofe, attracted, round their Center move, 95
Religion draws, by her Attraction, Love;
Draws to that One, amid the Paffions' Strife,
The Source, the Center, and th' Abyſs of Life;
One who, immenfe, all Beings fhall abforb;
Like Stars, impinging on their central Orb.
Thro' Nature, thus, two Principles we find;
The Chain of Matter, and the Chain of Mind.
ICO
tam ſeducti a cæteris eant; quanti, qualeſque fint. Queft. nat.
lib. 7.
Ver. 83, 88. Subtil Matter-Plenitude.] Alluding to the
Philofophy of DESCARTES, according to which all Space
was full, and the Planets were carried round in Whirl-
pools of fubtil Matter. Thefe Opinions were in great Re-
pute, before Sir ISAAC NEWTON demonftrated their Ab-
furdity.
Ver. 90 to 100, are full of Allufions to Sir ISAAC's Philo-
fophy, that makes all Motion depend on the great Law of At-
traction, that acts in Proportion to the Diſtances of Bodies,
and the Quantities of Matter contained in them.
62
To Mr. MITCHELL:
Keep Theſe in View ; lo! inftant diſappear
Unmanly Wonder, fuperftitious Fear.
How calm the Breaft! the Vulgar how unlike, 105
Whom Notions, Dreams, Appearances can ftrike!
Who Swallow Syſtems with fubmiffive Thought,
And bow to Miracles God never wrought!
Let Thoſe who court it feel the prieſtly Reign,
That Blight of Souls, in ENGLAND, or in SPAIN; 110
With paffive Silence into Dulneſs fink:-
My Friend, my Father, be it Ours, To think!
When SAMPSON'S Foxes are to Wheat-fheaves
turn'd,
We ceafe to wonder how the Corn was burn'd.
ELIJAH'S Ravens if to Men we change,
That Friends fhould feed him feems not mighty
115
strange.
Ver. 113. Iben SAMPSON's Fixes, &c.] It has been obferved,
that the original Word which our Tranflators have rendered
Foxes, in the Story of SAMPSON's burning the PHILISTINES
Corn, by the Alteration of the Vowel Points (none of which were
antiently writ) will be made to fignify Sheaves of Corn; and that
the HEBREW Word for Ravens, was alfo the Name of a Peo-
ple, that inhabited about Mount CARMEL when ELIJAH ab-
fconded there. If thefe Particulars are true, and were known
to the first Interpreters, it is fomewhat ftrange how the Paf-
fages before us came to be tranflated as they are.
The laying
dry Wheat-fheaves together, End to End, and fetting them
An EPISTLE.
63
So give our Bedlamites Demoniack Fury,
And SATAN reigns in ENGLAND, as in JEWRY.
To gape and ftare were always for the Croud;
But theſe are Hints we muft not give aloud.
120
on Fire, ſeems a much more natural, and lefs troubleſome
Way for SAMPSON to do what he intended, than the catching
of three hundred Foxes, (admitting, what is much diſputed that
there were fo many in the whole Country) and tying them Tail
to Tail, with Firebrands between them: And if ELIJAH's Sup
port, agreeably to the Original Text, might as well be accounted
for without a Miracle, what Reafon can there be for introducing
one on the Occafion? As to the Poffeffion by Devils, ſo often
mentioned in the New Teftament, very pious and learned Di-
vines have contended that it was no more than Madneſs, or
fome Sort of bodily Diftemper. The Controverfy is at this
Time a Foot, having been lately revived.
A
64
1
5
LO
I
A Lover's Interpretation.
BREATHE My Paffion in her Ear:
The gentle Nymph betrays her Fear.
The gentle Nymph betrays her Fear,
I ask the Reaſon, why the flies:
She dares not ſtay, the Nymph replies.
I blame her Cruelty and Art:
She tells me, neither is her Part.
Her Conduct thus will I explain;
It proves her Partner of my Pain.
That cautious, fearful, pitying State,
Tho' leſs than Love, is far from Hate:
10
'Tis Something, in the Firft Degree,
That neither binds, nor leaves her free.
APOLLO'S
khamjun (e
HOBENBUI
APOLLO's DESCENT:
A New BALLAD. *
NE Day to PARNASSUS (he dwells there
no more)
APOLLO would take from OLYMPUS a
Tour;
To ſee how the Mufes were ſpending
their Time,
What Poets there were, what Pretenders in Ryme.
* Written in the Year 1730, foon after the Appointment of
the preſent right-worthy Laureate. We have two or three
Seffions of the Poets in much the fame Sort of Verfe, wherein
thofe Gentlemen are introduced in proper Perfon before their
allegorical God: But here all the Characters of the Piece are of
the fame Kind, and not above three or four of them particular.
F
5.
66
APOLLO's DESCENT:
t
Amaz'd, when he lighted a-top of the Hill, 5
To find it fo cover'd with Weeds, and fo ftill,
He ranfack'd each Part, till the Sifters he found,
Their Inftruments by, they afleep on the Ground.
The mettlefome Steed, who BELLEROPHON threw,
Now lame with the Spavin, the God hardly knew: 10
His Wings were contracted, his Vigour quite fpent,
And he graz'd like a Pad of mere mortal Defcent.
The Dome of the Antients (a beautiful Frame,
The Labour of Ages, erected by FAME)
15
Lay deeply interr'd under many Years Duft;
And the Doors, long unopen'd, were fcal'd up with
All who by the Mufes inftructed have writ,
All who Immortality claim by their Wit,
Here ſhine in their Labours perpetually bright,
And caft all around a magnificent Light.
The Genius of HOMER aloft is enfhrin'd,
A Sun to enlighten all Ages behind:
Ruft
20
Ver. 9. The mettlefome Steed, who, &c.] PEGASUS, See
Vol. I. p. 14. n.
Ver. 25. MARO.] PUBLIUS VIRGILIUS MARO, the moſt ex-
A BALL A D.
67
1
O'er the Top of the Mountain its Glory extends,
And down the long arduous Path it defcends.
'Twas guided by this that great MARO afpir'd, 25
And reach'd, with much Labour, the Fame he defir❜d.
But Moderns in vain have attempted to rife;
The Light that darts down is too ftrong for their Eyes.
30
Hence 'tis on the Sides that fuch Multitudes throng,
Who, dazzled, turn off in a Catch or a Song:
And tho' few among them be half the Way up,
Yet each Man imagines himfelf at the Top.
For all but the Summit, and Way that leads thither,
Is fubject to Vapours, and thick foggy Weather,
Which ent❜ring the Head, in a Moment condenfe, 35
Intoxicate Reaſon, and put out the Senſe.
Nor ever afcend they (fo PHOвus decrees)
Who leave the right Road with a View to their Eafe:
Condemn'd to walk round on the Level they chufe,
Or herd with the Sons of fome fimilar Mufe.
40
put
cellent of LATIN Poets, and the only one that has ever been
in Competition with HoмER by the beft Judges, has, in the
Twelve Books of his Eneid,copy'd both the Iliad and the Odyfley.
F x
68
APOLLO's DESCENT:
Nor Nature, nor Art, have they ever in View;
But Whimfy, or Int'reft, in all Things purſue;
Whence all their Productions are monftrous or vain,
The mere Boilings-o'er of a turbulent Brain.
Now, leaving the Mufes afleep as they lay, 45
APOLLO defcended, thefe Tribes to furvey;
When lo! near the Bottom, great Numbers he fpy'd,
In various Amuſements confus'dly employ'd.
With Bufkins and Whifkers fome ftrove to look
bluff,
And all their Difcourfe was Rant, Fuftian, and Huff.
Theſe aim'd at the Flights of the God-joftler's Brain,
Who bellow'd in BEDLAM's bombaftical Strain.
50
Some foft-hearted Heroes, in true ROMAN Drefs,
Did nothing but figh, and the Ladies careſs:
Their Lives and their Country perhaps were at Stake,
Yet all they perform'd was for CALIA's dear Sake.
55
Ver. 49, &c.] The very heroical Tragedy-Writers.
Ver. 51. The God-Foftler] NAT. LEE: In Allufion to this
famous Line of his OEDIPUS.
May Gods meet Gods, and joftle in the Dark!
Ver. 53, &c] The Writers of Tragedy on the modern
amourous Pian, introduced by the FRENCH.
Ver. 57, &c.] The Writers of Comedy. In this and the
two foregoing Stanzas, the Satire feems to be chiefly levell'd
1
!!
A BALL A D.
69.
The next were intriguing Infipids, a Dozen,
Who ftill had Amours with fome Daughter or Cozen:
Thefe aukwardly mimick'd the Errors of Life,
Got drunk with Sir SIMON, and lay with his Wife. 60
To make others merry fome bent their Endeavours,
And much of their Art lay in cocking their Bevers;
Tho' they could ride Dragons; nor wanted they Skill
To fly thro' the Air, or be ground in a Mill.
The God here difcover'd great SHAKESPEAR'S
Reftorer, 65
On Comma's and Quibbles that critical Porer;
Inventing Machin'ry to keep Folks from dozing,
Projecting Propofals, and Projects propofing.
tures,
Transform'd by the Spleen, fome hollow-ey'd Crea-
Sill growling, and fnarling, would fly at their Bet-
Alike Friend and Foe theſe Malignants affail'd,
But their Teeth and their Talons continually fail'd.
ters; 70
at that Sameness of Character and Contrivance, which appears
in the greateſt Part of our modern Plays.
Ver. 61, &c.] The PANTOMIME and other late Entertain-
ments.
Ver. 65. Great SHAKESPEAR'S Reftorer] This Gentleman,
it feems, had a great Hand in introducing thofe unnatural
Spectacles before pointed at, &c.
Ver, 69, &c.] Ill-natured and impotent Satiriſts.
F 3
70
APOLLO's DESCENT:
}
Whom chiefly theirMalice would fain have oppreft,
Look'd pleas'd in himſelf, while he fneer'd at the reft:
The Scourge and the Envy he feem'd of the Croud,75
And pafs'd them on high, as the Sun o'er a Cloud.
Some complaifant Sparks, in a Gold-bearing Grove,
Were bowing and cringing, the Branches to move:
To make the charm'd Fruit drop down for their Fee,
From the Root to the Top they tickled each Tree. 80
But PHOвUS was chiefly delighted to view
What Multitudes throng'd round the loftieft two;
While a Fellow came fwinging his Flail without Fear,
And knock'd down the Fruit which the reft came not
near.
About half a Score were fo warm in Difpute, 85
Whether one, whom they knew, was a Man or a Brute,
That once 'twas a Wonder, the Mufes own Seat
Had not been polluted with Blood of the Great,
Ver. 73, &c.] The Gentleman meant here will eafily be dif
covered, if we confider who has been moft aimed at by the
Perfons laft mentioned, and who is moft able to fneer at them
without putting himſelf out of Temper.
Ver. 77, &c.] The Tribe of Dedicators.
Ver. 81, &c] The Year 1730, when this was writ, was a
very remarkable Æra for the Encouragement of Poetry.
D
A BALL A D.
71
The Motto tranflated, and moderniz'd, fome
Would counterfeit Medals of GRECIA and ROME: 90
But none of them all could get Metal fo fine,
And most of them utterly fpoil'd the Defign.
Gait,
Some known by their Whips, and their Stiffneſs of
O'er-look'd all the reft with pedantical State:
Yet moftly the utmoft their Skill could pretend, 95
Was but to condemn what they knew not to mend.
The worst of them all was a profligate Crew,
Whofe Morals were founded on Maxims quite new,
To make People ftrive for the contrary Graces,
Their Way was to whore and get drunk to their Faces.
100
At laſt on a Laurel the God caft his Eyes;
Tho' to fee who poffefs'd it was Cauſe of Surprize:
On a Throne of his Works was the Sovereign place'd;
And Hemlock and Poppies his Canopy grace'd.
Ver S5, &c.] Suppofed to be meant of Political Writers, and
Political Speakers, with particular Regard to a Duel that hap-
pened about this Time.
Ver. 89, &c.] The Generality of Tranflators and Imitators
of the Antients.
Ver. 93, &c.] Profeffed Criticks.
Ver. 97, &c.] Immoral and obfcene Writers.
F 4
72
APOLLO's DESCENT:
༣
The Hangings were painted with Stories moft fit-
ting, 105
Of CÆSAR in EGYPT, and TARTUFFE in BRI-
Nor did the whole Dignity center in One ;
TAIN.
For there ftood a Daughter, and here ftood a Son!
Is this my Vicegerent? quoth PHOEBUS enrag'd.-
But foon the dull Monarch his Pity engag'd:
The God then afcended, the Sifters awoke,
Reſum❜d his majeſtical Vifage, and ſpoke.
110
And is, O ye Mufes, your BRITAIN forfook?
On laureated Merit will none of you look?
The Man is laborious, he ſtudies for Thought: 115
And why, O ye Nine! fhould he ſtudy for nought?
MELPOMENE anfwer'd for her and the Reft:
The Charge was notorious, they freely confeft;
But with them he had never had any Concern;
And a Monarch of fixty, befure, would not learn. 120
Ver. 106. CÆSAR in EGYPT.] A Tragedy by COLLEY
CIBBER, Efq; Poet-Laureat.
Ibid. TARTUFFE in BRITAIN.] Mr. CIBBER's Nonjuror is
founded on the TARTUFFE of MOLIERE,
Ver. 117. MELPOMENE.] The Tragic Mufe.
A BAL LA D.
73
Befides, 'twere fuperfluous (faid fhe) at this Time,
To trouble the BRITONS with Reaſon in Ryme:
What need there be Senſe, where the Tafte is forSound?
And Odes, we all know, in the Mufick are drown'd.
As foon as APOLLO this Anfwer had heard, 125
He filently fiil'd, and at once difappear'd.
The Mufes all bow'd at the Flight of the God;
Then laid down their Heads, to take t'other Nod.
JOAN's OPINION.
W
HEN is it beft, faid JOHN to JOAN,
At Night, at Morning, or at Noon?
Why Faith, quoth JOAN, to tell Thee right,
I like it-Morning, Noon, and Night.
OF
22
74
OF againſt ON:
A LAW CASE. *
HO' PHOвUs had often deſcended of late,
THH
To fettle Affairs in the poetic State,
By fome Means or other, uncertain by what,
To regulate Titles had ftill been forgot.
Hence two Monofyllables, great in Renown,
Each angry at t'other's Succefs in the Town,
Commence'd a Difpute, and a mighty Alarm, on
Their Claims in the Front of a Poem or Sermon.
5
Some Time in two Factions their Int'reft had gone;
The Beft were for Or, but the Moft were for ON:
IO
* Written immediately on the Publication of Mr. POPE'S
Epistle to the Earl of BURLINGTON; in the first Edition
of which the Title was, Of Tafte: An Epistle, &c. We
have in the SPECTATOR, No. 78, a humorous Petition of
WHо and WHICH against THAT, on Account of his
OF against ON75
O N.
.
When Or would have Judgment, and fummon'd his
The Strength of his boaſted Pretenfions to fhow.
Foe,
ON, flufh'd with Succefs, on the Wits had Reliance,
And bid Brother Particle open Defiance;
Who lodg❜d a Complaint in the Court of King РHoе-
Chief Judge of PARNASSUS in omnibus rebus.
BUS, IS
A Day was appointed, the Parties appear'd;
Judge, Priefts, Poets, Criticks, were prefent, and
When or very learnedly open'd his Caufe,
Afferted his Right, and obtain'd much Applauſe. 20
heard:
He argu❜d ab equo, and fhew'd, by the Way,
That Of is in ENGLISH, in LATIN what De:
That OVID and HORACE ne'er wrote on a Thing;
And goodENGLISH Wits of theirMind he could bring.
He ſpoke, and began a Collection to draw forth 25
Of Poems, and Effays, and Sermons, and fo forth :
That Paper.
being fuffered to fupplant them as Relatives.
and what the Author had obferved concerning the pro-
mifcuous Uſe of the Words Of and Ox, joined to Mr. Pope's
Authority in Favour of the former, furnished the Occafion of
this Piece of Drollery.
76
OF againſt O N.
Their Number not great; but their Value (he faid)
Was plain from their being fo conftantly read.
30
To ſtrengthen Conviction, he then with Submiffion
Prefented a WALLER, th' exacteft Edition:
And fure, quoth he brifkly, my Countrymen all are
Convince'd of the Worth of the Works of MUN
WALLER.
35
And fhall (he continued, exalting his Tone)
This dirty Pretender be place'd on my Throne?
Who lays all the Loads on your Porters and Draymen,
Shall he be carefs'd by found Clerks, or good Laymen?
ON ftar'd on his Foe; and firſt naming a Jury,
On whom he'd depend, he reply'd with fome Fury,
On him light the Sentence who runs on Evafions!
Here, look on theſe Poems on feveral Occafions! 40
With that he preſented new Pamphlets a Cartful,
And faid, Signior OF, tho' thy Reaſons are artful,
Ver. 30. AWALLER.] The Titles of the fecond and third
of Mr. WALLER's Poems are, Of the Danger his Majefty (be-
ing Prince) eſcaped in the Road of ST. ANDRE'; Of his Ma-
jeſty's receiving the News of the Duke of BUCKINGHAM'S
Death: And thro' all his Works, he uſes this Particle much
more frequently than he does Qn; tho', it muſt be confefs'd,
the latter is to be met with at the Head of feveral of his
:
O F against ON.
77
Tho' Poets and Parfons for Proof thou haft plunder'd,
For one of thy Side, lo! on mine are an hundred.
'Tis alfo apparent to all who have Learning, 45
That De may be render'd, Of, On, or Concerning:
Then Cuftom is for Me; and HORACE will teach,
That Cuftom's the Judge, and the Standard of Speech.
Beſides, 'twill o'er-ballance the Scandal you bring,
That I put the Crown on the Head of the King: 50
Yourſelf may be prov❜d a much filthier Word,
Who help to exprefs e'en the Scent of a T *.
No railing, faid РHæвUS; two Moments attend :
Your Witneffes' Credit this Matter fhall end;
SWIFT, prithee affift in this noiſy Affair:
55
'Tis like you remember the Evidence there.
Of Gentlemen prefent I know but a few;
I think hardly fix, befides POPE and You:
Pieces.
Ver. 46. That De may be render'd, &c.] Vide the Dictionaries.
Ver. 47, 4S. HORACE will teach, That Cuſtom, &c.]
Multa renafcentur, que jam cecidère, cadentque
Que nunc funt in konore, vocabula ; fi volet ufus,
Quem penes arbitrium eft, & jus, & norma loquendi.
De Art. Poet, ver. 10-
78
OF againſt O N.
>
}
For Names now repeated, I'm not lefs to feek;
Scarce five would recur, fhould I ftudy a Week. 60
The Doctor gave up POPE's Epiſtle of Taſte :
Enough, faid the God; the Defendant is caft.
His Judgment of Words is decifive confeſt,
Who knows of all BRITONS to range them the beſt.
TO CALIA's Linnet.
HRICE happy Bird! thus favour'd of the Fair,
T Fed from her hand, and by her Care:
Fed from her Hand, and guarded by her Care:
Well may'st thou fing, impriſon'd as thou art.-
The Swain that owns her Miftrefs of his Heart,
With all his Truth, and Softneſs of Addrefs,
Tho' more her Captive, is regarded lefs.
A
"
79
A very reaſonable BILLET-DOUX.
FA
AIR Nymph, that I love you, and long for
your Love,
Is what I have often endeavour'd to prove ;
That you are unkind, and that I live in Pain,
Have alſo been mention'd again and again:
Without my repeating thefe Things in this Place, 5
Permit me now fairly to reaſon the Caſe.
Fas what I to
Firft then; as to Merit, the Thing you purfue,
So needful in all, fo confpicuous in you,
I dare not determine how much I poffefs;
But, Madam, you may have a Man that has leſs: 10
I ſpeak what I think, am what I appear;
And is there no Merit in being fincere?
Pow❜rs,
The lovelieft of Your Sex, were Choice in our
I grant, would deſerve the moſt manly of Ours:
But, where will you find, how ſecure fuch a Swain; 15
Bright VENUS, you know, woo'd ADONIS in vain.
* Written for a Friend, in Anſwer to fome Objections of his
Miftrefs.
Ver. 16. Bright VENUS, you know, woo'd ADONIS in vain.]
量
​80
A very reaſonable Billet-Doux.
{
€
AS ENGLISHMEN run, you can have fmallObjection;
Tho' far be it from me to think of Perfection!
My Fortune is little-But why ſhould I mention
What ought not to biafs a Lover's Intention?
MARS put off his Trophies to vifit his Goddeſs,
And ufually found her without Gown or Boddice.
The Value of Treafure lies all in Opinion;
Love only is current in CUPID's Dominion.
2Q
To fum up the Matter: Whate'er I inherit, 25
A Soul that is grateful can never want Merit:
Your Fancy has Power my Perſon to mould
And Riches confiſt not in Silver and Gold.
So pity my Paffion, I humbly befeech,
;
That I may be grateful, and handfome, and rich! 30
ADONIS was the Son of CYNARAS by his Daughter MYRRHA.
He was beloved by VENUS for his extraordinary Beauty; but
was fo addicted to the Chafe, that he preferr'd it to lying in
the Arms of that Goddefs. Being killed by a Boar, an annual
Festival was inftituted to lament his Death, in regard to the
exceflive Grief which the Goddefs, of Beauty felt on his Ac-
count.
Ver. 21. And ufually found, &c.] Alluding to the Cuſtom of
painting VENUS naked.
An
81
An
T
ODE:
To Mr. BELLAMY, *
HE Vulgar, Friend, are Foes to Thought,
Dull, fervile, infolent, and proud:
Shall we deſpiſe them, as we ought,
And live above this various Croud?
Their bufy Hopes, and anxious Joys,
May juſt deſerve one fcornful Smile:
Give that; then leave this World of Noiſe,
And think of Death,-but live the while.
There is a Track, which leads aloft,
Where Reaſon rules, and Thoughts are free;
In which Thy Friend expatiates oft':
And lo! the Path expands to Thee.
5
10
* With whom the Author had juft before been, at his Houfe
at WICK HAM in BUCKS.
VOL. II.
G
j
す
​82
An ODE, &c.
'Tis Meditation's friendly Way,
A Road that Vulgar never trod:
There, unmolefted, may'ft Thou ftray,
15
And mount thro' Nature up to God.
Then feek BELLAMIA's rural Seat,
And there purſue the bold Delight.
Her gentle Soul, and calm Retreat,
Shall wing the Mufe, and fhape her Flight.
There be thy next Retirement fung,
On the fame Lyre Thou wont'ft to chufe.
In WICKHAM Shades I faw it hung,
Upon BELLAMIA's Range of Yews.
*
20
Like
83
1
5
Like Diſeaſe, like Remedy:
A
ATA L E.
N Orator was whilome famous,
Says fage ERASMUS ROTERODAMUS:
The Place, he gives us Room to gueſs,
Was THEBES.-What in BœOTIA? Yes:
Why not? ERASMUS finely writ;
And have we no HIBERNIAN Wit?
How many Caufes he had pleaded,
How oft' had fail'd, how oft fucceeded,
Our Author does not fet before ye:
But here begins his genuine Story.
One lucklefs Day, the Roftrum mounted,
His Topicks having firft recounted,
ΙΟ
Ver. 2. Says fage ERASMUS ROTERODAMUS ] In his Apoph-
thegms. ERASMUS is called ROTERODAMUS from ROTERDAM,
the Place of his Birth. The Story here recited is taken origi-
nally from DIOGENES LAERTIUS his Life of METROCLES.
Ver. 4, 5,6.] See what we have faid concerning Beoria and
IRELAND in Vol. I p. 148. n. HOLLAND has lain under the
1
G 2
84 Like Difeafe, like Remedy:
#
Mellifluous METROCLES (for thus
His Name and Fame defcends to us)
Was lev'lling at the deftin'd Paffion,
With all the Force of Declamation;
When, whether ftraining Points too high,
The Strings of Eloquence might fly;
Or whether Wit, in Form of Wind,
Broke forth, impatient, from behind;
What Folks in ENGLISH call a Fart
Adds a new Figure to his Art,
Is it not ſtrange the Mouth below
Such Force of Argument fhould fhow,
As quite to filence That above,
And more profound Attention move?
While the fix'd Audience fimp'ring gaz'd,
At once diverted, and amaz'd,
The rev'rend Man defcends the Place;
15
20
;
25
2
fame Imputation as IRELAND; and therefore ERASMUS, a
DUTCHMAN, is brought as an Inftance that great Men are
found in all Nations. There were antiently two other THE BES,
befides that in BOTIA; one in UPPER EGYPT, the other in
PHTHIOTIS.
Ver. 35. CRATES,] A THEBAN Philofopher, the Diſciple
1
A
À TALE.
85
(His Blood collected in his Face)
Goes home, and fairly takes his Bed,
A thouſand Whimfies in his Head:
Still the dire Crack founds in his Ear.-
Such publick Shame what Front could bear?
Wife Doctor CRATES hears the Cafe;
('Twas quickly nois'd all o'er the Place,)
Refolves the Patriot to reſtore,
And raiſe the Advocate once more.
30
35
The Cafe demands his utmoft Art,
And prompt Invention plays her Part:
40
Conceit muſt give the Patient Eafe,
Where Fancy feeds the whole Diſeaſe.
In all his Catalogue, to find
The Simple moft replete with Wind,
He now applies.-Lupines are found
To force the loudeft downward Sound.
45
of DIOGENES the CYNIC. He threw his Money into the Sea;
or, as others fay, put it to a Banker, that his Children might
have it if they were Fools, but if wife that it might be given
to the People; efteeming Riches of no Ufe to a Philofopher.
Ver. 45. Lupines.] A Sort of Pulfe, very bitter, and proper
to expel Wind,
G 3
1
|
}
86
Like Difeafe, like Remedy:
He eats a Belly-full of theſe,
And goes to vifit METROCLES.
The gloomy Wight was all in Tears,
Depreft, and hypp'd o'er Head and Ears.
Your Servant Sir-Sir yours-were over,
When CRATES beg'd him to diſcover
What kept fo great a Man confin'd.—
'Twas anfwer'd foon-Excefs of Wind;
t
Which work'd its Way to that Degree,
No Mortal did fuch Things as He.
Is that (quoth CRATES) all the Matter?
Sure you have never ftudied Nature!
Did not the Godhead fo create us,
12
That Life depends upon a Flatus?
And Wind impriſon'd muſt be freed,
Or 'twere a Miracle indeed!
(Mean while the Lupines, inly pent,
Repeated Vollies backward fent)
:
50
55
60
Obferve but me! I ftrive in vain
55
The Courfe of Nature to reſtrain!
Ver. 57, &c.] Vid. ERASM. ibid.
}
A TAL E.
I never talk without as much.
The Cafe with all the Healthy's fuch,
CRATES was fo rever'd a Name,
His Words were Laws where'er he came :
79
The Friend receiv'd the Ipfe dixit,
And in his Soul took care to fix it:
Believ❜d, and, in the publick Forum,
Prov'd, Breaking Wind preferves Decorum :
Excus'd the Caufe of his Departing,
And wrote The Benefit of Farting.
IN Point of Manners moft are nice;
Few, in Refpect of real Vice.
Manners! under what Head d'ye range 'em?
Caprice, Authority can change 'em.
A Fart at Court, in CLAUDIUS' Time,
With CLAUDIUS' Leave, was held no Crime;
And fince with us, by Law or Reaſon,
'Tis neither Felony, nor Treafon,
Why should the Fair be rack'd to Death,
Or ftand convict of ftinking Breath?
79
80
85
MER-
•
;
Эл
1
F.
MERCURY's EMBASSY:
A L L E. *
A TA
OVE once was young, as Poets hold:
Then, confequently, Jove grows old;
And Wiſdom, as by Man appears,
Increaſes with a Perfon's Years.
"Then Jove muſt now be wife indeed!"
That Point admitted, we proceed.
Grown old and wife, in nuptial Love,
Some Ages JOVE had ſpent above :
Bulls, Swans, and Show'rs, ungrateful Names!
No more promote his lawleſs Flames:
No Change the Deity defir'd,
տ
S
IO
*It is not manifeft to whom the Compliment in this Piece
was defigned by the Author; but in all Probability, it was to the
Daughter of fome Bookfeller, who lived near DRURY-LANE.
See Ver. 63.
Ver. 9. Bulls, Swans, and Show'rs.] This amorous Deity un-
derwent various Transformations, in order to carry on his In-
ATAL E.
&g
Nor much of Men's Affairs enquir'd ;
Or ask'd 'em with no other Views
Than modʼrate Mortals read the News:
Juft to reflect on People's Actions,
Without engaging in their Factions.
One Morn however (note, 'tis ſaid,
'Twas CUPID put it in his Head)
Reſtleſs, he roſe before Day-peep,
15
And left poor JUNO faſt aſleep :
20
Walk'd round OLYMPUS once or twice,
Shook his illuftrious Treffes thrice,
Sate down alone, feem'd inly griev'd,
And this Soliloquy conceiv'd,
Am I not Sire of Gods and Men?
23
Whence flows this dull Indiff'rence then?
Do Mortals lefs deferve my Care
Than when I gave them Peace and War?
trigues with the Fair Sex. His Metamorphofes into a Bull, to
carry off EUROPA, the Daughter of AGENOR King of Рнæ-
NICIA; into a Swan for the Sake of LEDA, the Mother of
HELENA; and into a Shower of Gold to deceive the Guar-
dians of DANAE, Daughter of ACRISIUS King of Arcos, are
fome of the moſt remarkable.
MERCURY's EMBASSY:
!
Than when around the Walls of TROY
ACHILLES dragg'd her darling Joy;
While I held forth my Scales, to weigh
Th' Event of that important Day?
So having thought, he pull'd, and rung.
Swifter than Light'ning HERMES fprung.
HERMES, quoth he, be thine the Truft,
(But drink this Glafs of Nectar firft)
The Truft to eafe thy Father's Mind,
Again to Politicks inclin'd.
Methinks I'd more exactly know
The State of yonder World below.
'Tis far: Intelligence is fmall.
Once I was wont to influence all:
But I've been long difus'd to bear
The Noife, Fatigue, and Hurry there.
Books may inform me here at large.
*
30
35
40
45
29, 30. Around the Walls of TROY, ACHILLES dragg'd her
darling foy.] The Stories of ACHILLES dragging the Body of
IIECTOR, whom he had juſt before flain, three Times round
the Walls of TROY, and of JUPITER's holding forth his golden
Scales, to weigh the Event of a Battle between the GREEKS
and the TROJANS, are related by HOMER in Iliad S. and 22.
સ
Ver. 34. HERMES.] MERCURY, or HERMES, the Son of
A TALE.
91
!
At LONDON, HERMES, mind the Charge!
Go find a proper Shop, where I
To-morrow may defcend and buy:
From TONSON's fearch to Meffieurs KNAPTON'S,
Who beft can furniſh me with apt ones.
50
Whether like Lawyer, Beau, or Prieft,
Officious MERCURY was dreft;
How long he ſtay'd, how far he travell❜d,
Might elegantly be unravell'd.
But having nothing to infer on't,
55
Suffice it, he perform'd his Errand :
Came home to JUPITER at Even;
And thus addreft the Sire of Heaven.
Whatever you enjoin'd your Son,
Believe me, Thunderer, 'tis done.
See here a Catalogue of Books!
(JOVE takes it in his Hand, and looks.)
60
JUPITER by MAIA, was the Meffenger of the Gods, particu-
larly of his Father. He is reprefented with Wings at his Heels,
and a Rod called a Caduceus in his Hand. He was the God of
Eloquence and Trade, and the Power who conducted Souls to
the infernal Regions, according to the antient Poets.
Ver. 36. Nectar.] Said to be the Drink of the Gods, and to have
the Property of rendering any Mortal who drank it, immortal.
92.
MERCURY'S EMBASSY:
→
Near that known Place (the Title view)
Where Mortals act the moft like you,
Fam❜d both for Puniſhments and Sins,
To-morrow Morn the Sale begins.
To-morrow, Sir, obferve the Nature!
The fooner you are there, the better.
Yet might a faithful Son advife,
On HERMES' Word would Jove be wife,
In queft of Books Jove would not roam,
E
But more fecurely reft at-home;
And leave the Whole to my Diſcharging.
'Tis but-to mark upon the Margin.
¿
65
70
Jove, thou haft often been outwitted.
75
*
To LEDA'S Beauty who fubmitted?
Who ſtay'd three Days and Nights abroad,
While JUNO wept her abfent God?
Ver. 63. Near that known Place, &c.] This Defcription can-
not agree with any Place fo well as DRURY-LANE.
Ver. 74. 'Tis but to mark, &c.] A ufual Cuftom with Gentle-
men, when they fend their Servants for fuch Books out of a
Catalogue as they have Occafion for.
Ver. 77. Who ftay'd three Days and Nights, &c.] Alluding to
his Amour with ALCMENA, the Wife of AMPHITRYON, With
whom he continued three Days and three Nights together, and
begot HERCULES.
1
A
93
TALE.
Alas! 'tis eaſy to be true,
Pent from ev'ry Mortal's View.
up
Our Faces here are ftill the fame;
One Queen of Love, one martial Dame.
Should'ft thou defcend where I have been,
Should't thou behold what I have feen,
Thy Age, thy Wiſdom were in vain ;
JOVE would relapfe, and CALIA reign:
Her Charms as much the Sex improve,
As thou art lefs inclin'd to Love.
EPIGRA M.
RUE, I confefs'd it Yefter-morn,
TR
I've been in Love this Week or two:
Yet, cruel Maid! forbear your Scorn;
For, take my Word, 'tis not with You.
80
85
The
94
ક
The Dignity of the Muſe.
AY Mufick, ſweeteſt Child of JOVE,
SAY
Parent of Pity, Mirth, and Love,
Our Paffions how doft Thou controul;
Tune high to Joy, or low deprefs the Soul?
Whence flows this univerfal Charm,
That can Defpair itſelf difarm?
Is not the mighty Magic firft defign'd
In the bold Bard's capacious Mind?
There the gay Train of Embrio Hints are found;
Thence they dance forth, embody'd round 10
In regular Variety of Sound.
Concording Souls the Notes imbibe,
And to ungovern'd Fancy Laws prefcribe:
Adapting Harmony to Ufe,
By Rules which they from Harmony deduce.
5
15
Thus while the Sons of ASAPH play'd and fung,
TO DAVID'S Mufe their Harps were ftrung:
They but the Paths he mark'd 'em trod
He, the great Prophet of th' infpiring God.
;
The
95
C
AS
The Devil correcting Sin.
WHY will Mortals be fo rafh,
Fearleſs thro' Thick and Thin to dafh!
Nor in Life's Journey pick their Way!
Thus SERIUS gravely us❜d to ſay:
Nor would the formal Zealot ſpare
The youthful Sallies of BELLAIR.
Th' Impoſture took with not a Few,
But LATUS always better knew:
Yet the dull Sot the fame appear'd,
And canted on, when Lærus heard.
We own 'tis juft, the Friend replies,
What you condemn, what
you adviſe,
10
The Time and Place are not amifs:
Yet why from Thee fo much of this?
Sure thou hadst tumbled in the Dirt,
15
And by thy Fall receiv'd fome Hurt:
Or a new Noftrum he found out,
Who made the Pills to cure thy Gout!
To.
}
2
96
}
REH VOLGA 308LE
To CELIA,
W
Fond of a CAT.
HO knows but Jove, in this Difguife,
Once more his Deity belies;
And from OLYMPUS to thy Breaft
Defcends, to be fupremely bleft?
Why wilt thou then, afpiring Fair,
Indulge the latent Danger there;
When, were the God confefs'd, thy Frame
Could not fuftain his furious Flame?
Or grant that Form thy Fav'rite's own;
Who thy Miſtake would not bemoan?
Why on a Brute thofe Kiffes loft,
Which to enjoy ev'n Jove would boaſt?
10
5
1
Ver. 2. His Deity belies.] Alluding to this Line of Mr.
DRYDEN:
A Dragon's fiery Form bely'd the God.
ALEXANDER's Feaft.
To CELIA.
97
Fair Nymph, prefer the fafer Mean!
Man comes familiarly between :
Man, not fo fiercely bright as Jove,
15
Yet turn'd as happily for Love:
Man, far above the tabby Kind,
Yet of a no lefs humble Mind.-
Upon thy Smiles let STREPHON live,
And Joy at once receive and give!
20
Inſcription for a Tankard. *
HILE round to JENNY's Health the Goblet
WH
moves,
If gen'rous as her Blood the Liquor proves,
Far above theirs our jufter Mirth fhall rife,
Who, ere the Trial, triumph'd in the Prize.
* Won by a Mare called JENNY; the Gentleman who ftak-
ed against her, having been merry with her Mafter a little too
foon.
VOL. II,
H
ΕΡΙ-
:
1
98
EPIGRAM
ON
MATRIMONY.*
IR, you are prudent, good, and wife:
SIR
I own, I thank you from my Heart,
And much approve what you adviſe :
But let me think-before I ftart.
For Folks well able to difcern,
Who know what 'tis to take a Wife,
Say, 'Tis a Cafe of fuch Concern,
A Man fhould think on't-all his Life.
* From the FRENCH of M. MAUCROY.
رضا
5
$
THE
THE
WASH-BALL:
A TAL E. *
ROM ITALY NIGRITIA came,
F A comely, well-proportion'd Dame
By bounteous Nature form'd to move,
In many Hearts, the Springs of Love,
* Among the many Things that were advertiſed, for the
Prefervation and Increaſe of Beauty, there was one it ſeems
H 2
100
The WASH-BALL:
t
Ah! had fhe ftill contented been
Of ten Degrees th' unrivall'd Queen!
But buſy FAME had made Report
What Stars illum'd the BRITISH Court;
And Emulation fir'd her Breaſt,
The Prize of Beauty to conteft.
Too foon the fwarthy TUSCAN fees
How many Ways our Ladies pleaſe.
Tis not a graceful Shape and Mien,
In which alone their Honour's feen :
In them a thoufand Charms unite,
And ſtrike at once the ravifh'd Sight.
Their Cheeks the Lilly and the Rofe
5.
10
15
With fweet Variety compoſe:
Their Necks, and Breafts, and Hands, and Eyes,
All with peculiar Charms furprize:
While o'er the Sun-burnt Southern Dame
The fettled Hue appears the fame :
20
called the JERUSALEM Wafh-Ball, prepared by a GRECIAN,
whofe Name was LYON. This is all the Hiſtorical Truth that
the Author had for the Foundation of his Tale. How he
came to write it is not of much Importance to the Reader;
and if it were, a very imperfect Account of it muft fuffice.
A TALE.
ΙΟΙ
Or if a Bluſh her Cheeks o'erfpread,
It makes, at beft, a gloomy Red.
With envious Eyes NIGRITIA views
HOW CELIA ev'ry Heart fubdues;
25
How many Breasts CLARINDA warms,
With unaffected, native Charms:
While fhe, unheeded, may refort
To Balls, to Plays, to Park, to Court;
While ſhe muſt hire, or ne'er muſt have,
Some broken Beau-to feem her Slave.
What ſhould fhe do? Her Pride denies
30
To leave contending for the Prize.
Some nice Expedient muſt be found,
To make her ſtand on equal Ground.
But what can Art? Could Art avail,
What Female would of Beauty fail?
35
Long in her Mind the lab'ring Thought
From Mean to Mean inceffant wrought:
40
All he remembers of the Matter is, that the Subject was pro-
pofed to him about fix Years ago, by one of his Acquaintance;
and that, in Execution of a Promiſe then made, he foon after
compoſed the Tale, which, at that Time of Day, was thought
a pretty Compliment enough to the BRITISH Ladies.
H 3
102
The WASH.BALL:
*
"Till, with Deſpair and Rage opprefs'd,
TO VENUS fhe this Pray'r addrefs'd.
O CYTHEREA, if thy Care
Extend to Earth, thy Vot'ry hear!
If BRITISH Beauty come from Thee,
O Queen, fuch Beauty grant to me!
O'er me diffufe that milky White!
In me let all thofe Charms unite!
So fhall thy Altars daily fmoke!
So Thee alone will I invoke!
She faid. Propitious VENUS heard;
And quick as Thought her Doves appear'd.
The Goddeſs, fmiling from her Car,
Return'd this Anſwer to the Pray'r.
Thy Vows, O Mortal, reach our Ears :
Lo! VENUS to thy Aid appears.
Learn here thy Wiſhes to fulfil :
This Note fhall furniſh thee with Skill.
(Then, reaching forth her fnowy Arm,
45
5.0
55
*
She ſtoop'd, and gave the written Charm.)
60
Ver. 52. Her Doves.] This Goddeſs is reprefented as drawn
in a Chariot by Doves.
A TALE.
103
This fhort Receipt a Secret fhows,
Which yet no earthly Beauty knows;
Which makes me reign, the Queen of Love,
O'er all the Deities above.
This fhall remove thy brown Diſgrace,
And plant the Lilly in its Place;
Shall make thee fhine, ev'n at ST. JAMES',
A Rival of the fairest Dames.
But all my Kindneſs were in vain,
This Secret ſhould the ENGLISH gain.
70
Take then this Counſel ere we part:
From ev'ry BRITON hide thy Art.
Thy Art ſhould BRITISH Ladies know,
Their Charms would gain upon thee fo,
Their new Diſtinction would be more,
Than what thou envy'dft them before.
With high Disdain they'd look on thee,
75
And equal, if not conquer, me,
SO VENUS ſpoke. NIGRITIA bow'd;
And round the Chariot CUPIDS croud.
80
Ver. 80. CUPIDS.] CUPID the God of Love, we are told,
<< was a great God, and one of the most antient of the Deities,
65
1
H 4
104
The WASH-BALL:
The bright Machine, with upward Flight,
Soon bore the Goddefs out of Sight.
The Goddefs gone already! How?
And did NICKITIA only bow?
She ſhould have facrifice'd at leaſt.-
8.5
She made that Promife, 'tis confeft:
!
But let th' Immortals give us Eafe,
We always thank them --- when we pleaſe.
NIGRITIA wanted to be fair;
To make her fo came VENUS there;
And her Receipt unopen'd yet,
What Saint alive would not forget?
But, not to make my Tale prolix;
The Nymph excus'd her Coach and fix.
She heard the Goddefs out with Pain,
And could not ſtay for half her Train:
90
95
who had no Parents: For after CHAOS, TERRA, and TAR-
TARUS, arofe CUPID or EROS, the most beautiful of all of
them, grateful both to Gods and Men, being their Com-
fort, and the Subduer of their fierce Minds, and ftubborn
Paffions. There is another Account; That CHAOS, NOX, ERE-
BUS, and TARTAR US, were in being; but no Earth, Air,
or Heaven; when Nox, by the Help of a ſpirituous Breath,
produced an Egg; which being hatch'd under her fable Fea-
A
105
TALE.
Drove in a Hackney with her Note;
Bought Drugs; got all the Names by rote;
Came quickly home; prepar'd a Ball;
Wafh'd Face, Hands, Bofom, Neck and all:
Call'd for her Glafs; had many a Peep,
Before ſhe took one Wink of Sleep.
To tell you how, from Time to Time,
Her Charms increas'd, would cramp my Ryme.
100
In fhort, fhe foon became a Toaſt,
CLOE'S Difgrace, Sir FOPLING's Boaſt;
105
Could make BELLARIO pine and fret,
And act an abſolute Coquet :
NIGRITIA was no more her Name;
But CLARA was the firſt in Fame:
CLARA the beautiful and young,
The Theme of ev'ry Poet's Song.
110
thers and Influence, brought forth the amiable EROS, who
foar'd immediately on Golden Wings throughout the Univerſe.
Not to recount the feveral Parents of CUPID; as that POR US,
the God of Counfel and Plenty, being drunk, begat him of
PENIA, the Goddeſs of Poverty; or that he was the Son of
CœLUS and TERRA, OF ZEPHYRUS and FLORA; it is fuffi-
cient, that the CUPID here fpoken of always accompanies VE-
NUS, either as a Servant, or an Attendant. As there was more
}
V
i
:
}
106
3
The WASH-BALL:
In Triumph long fhe kept the Field,
And to no mortal Fair would yield.
O were fhe but immortal too,
Her Bounty VENUS' felf might rue!
Ev'n now her Pride would hardly own
The Goddeſs worthy Beauty's Throne.
But ftronger Death the Strong difarms ;
And Death will ravifh CLARA'S Charms.
This Truth, at laft, a flow Diſeaſe
Convince'd her of, by fure Degrees,
Now from her Cheeks the Rofe departs;
Now fails her Empire o'er Mens Hearts;
The dreaded Pale ftill paler grows,
'Till fcarce one Beau his CLARA knows,
'Till Phyfick can no more befriend,
And all her Thoughts regard her End.
115
120
125
than one VENUS, fo there were two CUPIDS; the firft called
EROS, the Son of JUPITER and VENUS, the Encourager of
a Celeſtial Love, which imprints that Spirit in Nature itſelf,
from whence arifes the Harmony of Elements, and the Copu-
lation of Animals: The other CUPID was named ANTEROS,
the Son of VENUS and MARS, a vulgar Deity, whofe Fol-
lowers are Drunkenneſs, Sorrow, and Contention: He is likewife
the God who revenges flighted Love. They both of them are
1,
A TALE.
107
!
7
Perplex'd, fhe now revolves at large
The Gift of VENUS, and her Charge.
How could a dying Woman reft,
With fuch a Secret in her Breaſt?
It works; it throws; come forth it muft:
The Queſtion was, Who could fhe truft?
130
t
His Mother's Counfels CUPID knows,
And often flyly dares oppofe.
'Twas now his Int'reft fo to do;
135
And Love his Int'reft will purſue.
Exclude the ENGLISH? 'Twas not right:
The ENGLISH? What! his chief Delight?
My Mother's jealous now (thought he);
But, Mother, this fhall never be!
140
This Ball the BRITISH Fair fhall prove,
Tho' Thou lofe MARS, and JUNO JOVE.
Boys; naked, winged, and blinded; armed with a Bow, Ar-
rows, and a Torch. They have two Darts of a different Na-
ture; one golden, which procures Love; the other leaden,
which cauſes Hatred. CUPID is painted crowned with Rofes,
with a Rofe in one Hand, and a Dolphin in the other; fome-
times ftanding cloſe by FORTUNE; fometimes between HER-
CULES and MERCURY, to let us fee, that Love is most pre-
valent when it is attended on by Eloquence and Valour." We
५
108
The WASH-BALL:
4
1
So thought, he flew to CLARA's Bed,
And with this Vifion fill'd her Head.
She dream'd, how, prefs'd again with Grief,
She pray'd to VENUS for Relief;
How to her Side the Goddefs came,
Her Form, her Port, her Smile the fame;
How, all the Cafe attentive heard,
She fpake thefe Words, and difappear'd.
Fair Mortal, 'tis our laft Command,
That Note be left in LyON'S Hand.
LYON to VENUS fhall be juft,
And well perform the facred Truſt.
Soon as the Viſion leaves her Eyes,
She fends; gives the Receipt; and dies.
Thus far had CUPID'S Plot Succefs;
Thus much obtain'd, he ftrives no leſs
145
150
155
160
have fomewhere promifed the Hiftory of this Deity, who comes
often in the Way of all Poets; and therefore have here given
it at large from Dr. KING: But all this ſeems to make againſt
our Author's Multiplicity of CUPIDS; fince at the moſt there
were but two Beings who bore that Name; and theſe were ſo
very unlike in their Qualities, that it is not probable they
fhould ever be feen together. As he ftands, in this Refpect,
on the fame Foundation with most of his Brethren, let
}
L
ATAL E.
109
The Heart of LYON to enlarge,
And make him flight the Fair-one's Charge.
The gen'rous GREEK receives the Hint,
And wonders much what CLARA meant.
What was the ENGLISH Ladies' Crime?
Why ſhould ſhe envy them their Clime?
In fhort, he thought her Will unjuſt;
And therefore, 'twas no Breach of Truſt
The choice Cofmetick to diffufe,
And advertiſe it in the News.
'Tis done. The Papers ev'ry Week
Proclaim the open-hearted GREEK;
165
170
The GREEK, whofe charitable Mind
(Tho' VENUS Secrecy enjoin'd)
Bids Beauty's Empire ftretch its Bounds,
175
And take in all the Sun furrounds;
us confider what he has elſewhere faid in their common Vin-
dication.
No Poet, fure, can be fo ftupid,
To think of more than one God CUPID:
Yet, for a Ryme to VENUS' Doves,
We all have Troops of little LoVES;
Or when, for Harmony and Strength,
We want a Word of twice the Length,
110
The WASH-BALL, &c.
Nor from the BRITONS will confine
What makes them ftill fuperior fhine.
Henceforth the dark HESPERIAN Dames
Shall learn to kindle brighter Flames;
And Nymphs in fultry LYBIAN Air
Increaſe the Number of The Fair:
While ev'ry BRITISH Beauty vies
With thoſe who fhine above the Skies.
180
(Since 'tis th' Idea, not the Name)
CUPIDS and LOVES may be the fame.
He that divides the God, deftroys,
And makes a Mob of harmless Boys:
Boys that can fly and shoot, indeed!
Or else they'd fſtand him in no ſtead.
Ver. 179. HESPERIAN.] ITALY was antiently called HE-
SPERIA, from HESPERUS the Brother of ATLAS, who reign-
ed there.
Ver. 181. LYBIAN.] AFRICAN. LYBIA, among the An-
tients, was a common Name for all AFRICA, as it is now the
Name of one of its Regions.
To
1
3
If
To CYNTHIA:
Υ Ν ΤΗΙ
An EPISTLE. *
UPPOSE a Saint, of high Degree,
SUPE
Whofe Faith amounts to Certainty,
By Fever, or fome flow Diſeaſe,
In hopes of Heav'n's eternal Eaſe:
Juſt when the Soul is on the Wing,
And guardian Seraphs round her fing;
If then the modifh Pill or Drop
Her earthly Tenement fhould prop;
R
Life's languid Faculties reftore,
And bid this Being-be once more;
10
Think how the Wretch would look afkance,
And wish that WARD had ftay'd in FRANCE!
Ver. 7. The modifh Pill or Drop.] Mr. WARD's Pill and Drop
were at the Height of their Reputation when this Epiftle was
writ. Effects almoft miraculous were every Day afcribed to
them.
112
To CYNTHIA:
Such was my Happineſs, you know,
Not four and twenty Hours ago.
My utmoft Heav'n was in your Arms,
And all my Angels were your Charms.
After ten tedious Months Endurance,
My Hope was almoft at Affurance :
I reach'd the Portal of my Blifs,
And foar'd beyond a common Kifs;
20
Nor would have chang'd the Joys in View
For all the Happieft ever knew:
Nor You, nor I, had need of Aid,-
When up you call'd the curfed Maid;
A Quack, the Author of more Evil
Than WARD, than TAYLOR, or the Devil!
We read, PYGMALION, King of TYRE,
(And antient Stories you admire)
Kifs'd a fine Statue of his forming,
Till gradually he found it warming;
30
Ver. 27, &c.] PYGMALION King of TYRE, being offend-
ed at the Crime of the PRO POTIDES, (who had contemned
要
​the Goddeſs of Love, and were by her turned into Stones)
took up a Refolution to live in a State of Celibacy. But hav-
**
25
15
}
An EPISTLE.
113
And kept it after, during Life,
To ſerve the Purpoſe of a Wife.
But you reverſe PYGMALION's Statue;
The cloſer any Man comes at you,
The more he vents his am'rous Moan,
35
The nearer you approach to Stone:
Nay, turn to Marble at the Touch,
If once he-teizes you too much!
Sure, 'twas not the Defign of Nature
To form this Contraft in her Creature!
40
With all the Charms that kindle Paffion,
To give no Spark of Inclination!
That Virgin Virtue, which prevents
The luftful Ravifher's Intents,
Should melt before a conftant Flame,
And leave to Love the coldeſt Dame.
45
The Highwayman extorts your Money,
Who comes with Piſtol cock'd upon ye:
ing, for his Amufement, carved out a fine Ivory Statue, he
was fo fmitten with its Beauty, that he became enamour'd of it :
And, on this Occafion, making his Application to VENUS,
(whom he had before greatly obliged, by the Regard ſhewn to
VOL. II.
I
}
114
To CYNTHIA:
(Stick, Sword, or Knife, one may reſiſt all
But who can ward againſt a Piſtol?)
And if you get him hang'd in Chains,
The Rogue deferves it-for his Pains,
But ſhould ſome poor unhappy Youth,
(And you were fure he ſpoke the Truth)
Who ſpent his Fortune for your Sake,
Now beg your Bounty to partake,
It would be hard that Youth to huff, or
Much harder ſtill to make him ſuffer.
Leaving to Law our Highway Brave,
As much unlike your humble Slave:
For Thee (as in the Suitor's Cafe)
I loft my all,—that is, my Peace.
Now on my Knees I crave but This,
Reſtore fome Pittance of my Blifs!
;
50
55
60
her Honour) the Goddeſs confented to convert the Ivory in-
to human Fleſh, and infpire it with a Soul. Being thus fur-
nished with a Miftrefs, or Wife, in this extraordinary Way,
with whom he might cohabit notwithstanding his Refent-
ment against the reft of the Fair, he had by her PAPHUS, who
built the City PAPHOS in the Ifland of CYPRUS, a Place ſa-
cred to VENUS. See OVID's Met. Lib, x. Fab. 9.
An EPISTLE.
115
For This I wait from Time to Time;
For This I wake, I dream, I ryme.
Oh in thy Arms might I but feed
On Joys which Fancy far exceed,
65
My future Life fhould all repay
The Favours of that fingle Day!
70
Love, Duty, Gratitude fhould meet
In humble Silence at Thy Feet.
There would I facrifice each Name,
My Numbers confecrate to Fame;
My darling Freedom there refign,
75
And ev'ry Wiſh that was not Thine!
Then ceaſe my Torment to prolong,
And add not Cruelty to Wrong!
I 2
To
116
To
Fo
CLOE:
ARE PROOF. *
ORBEAR your Cenfure, lovely Maid,
And call Reflection to your Aid;
Nor thus the guiltless Dame purfue,
Left we retort the Name on You,
With Wrinkles who was ever charm'd?
But againſt You what Heart is arm'd?
Can ghoftly Influence arife
To match the Magick of Your Eyes?
Is there a Spell fo hard to break,
As You fet on us when You ſpeak?
I muſt declare it, tho' I die,
Thou art the Witch, the Victim I;
Who'd be convince'd, need only fee
What Wreck thy Charms have wrought in me.
5
IO
* Occafioned by her calling an ugly old Woman, who had
offended her, Witch.
1.
To CLO E.
117.
Forbid it Heav'n, that I fhould vex
15
The Lovlieft of the lovely Sex!
But to his Honour 'twill be told,
Who bravely dares defend the Old.
When from the Cheek the Rofe departs,
20
It draws the Arrow from our Hearts:
The added Length of Nofe and Chin
Permit no Kifs to come between.
If Innocence in Woman dwell,
The Old and Ugly muft excel:
And who the leaft refemble You,
Have leaft that Witchcraft Mortals rue.
25
Over
I 3
118
Over the Orders of a Friendly
U
Society.
NITED thus by voluntary Laws,
A common Stock fupports a common Cauſe.
Of Heart beneficent, in Friendſhip true,
The focial Virtues dictate all we do.
Our rifing Fund advances various Ends:
Hence on the needy Sick our Help defcends;
Hence decent Obfequies adorn the Dead;
And timely Comfort lifts the Widow's Head,
*
To
5
}
119
To the Memory of Daddy WILKS.
I
F true 'tis, that Nature
Deſigns ev'ry Creature
Juſt ſuch and fuch Things to perform;
Which done, fome unfeen Hand
O'erfets the Machine, and
A Man's but a Feaft for a Worm:
Then they who endeavour,
In what Way foever,
Receive not their Beings in vain:
Our Taſte muft direct us;
And what Things affect us,
For Thoſe we were faſhion'd, 'tis plain.
All cannot rout Armies:
Yet fure there no Harm is,
*
5
10
* A Weaver in SPITTLE-FIELDS, remarkable for drink-
ing much, and faying little.
I 4
120 To the Memory of Daddy WILKS.
If Heaven its Gifts will with-hold!
Some Souls are for Thinking;
Some only for Drinking;
And Nature fhould not be controul'd.
Which then of the Mufes
Her Raptures refuſes,
To honour this fad folemn Tide?
T'embalm honeſt Daddy?.
Since good Reaſon had he,
Who drank his Allowance, and dy'd.
Some Heads of a College,
Tho' brim-full of Knowledge,
The Devil a Drop they produce:
But had it been his Doom
To hold Wit or Wiſdom,
15
20
25
He doubtlefs had pegg'd it for Ufe,
30.
ኢ
With no ill Intention
I this Defect mention;
ד
* 4.
Ver. 19. Which then of the Muses.] What can the Author
mean by this? MELPOMENE is the tragic Mufe, and to her
belong all melancholy Themes. Her therefore he should have
To the Memory of Daddy WILKS.
121
For Daddy well knew what was what:
He'd not be confuted;
So never difputed;
But always paid down his full Shot.
Nor merry, nor ſerious,
His Face was myſterious;
His Temper was good whene'er try'd:
He cry'd up no Party,
Was downright and hearty,
Without the leaft Tincture of Pride.
He'd bowl w'ye, or tip w’ye;
At Cards and Miffi'ppi
He'd often lovingly bicker:
Yet, Foe to all Profit,
He made no Gain of it;
'Twas merely for Sake of the Liquor.
His Body was brittle,
Thro' Moifture too little,
peremptorily invoked, in this Manner, for Example.
The faddeft of Mufes,
MELPOMENE chufes, &
35
*
40
45
50
暑
​122 To the Memory of Daddy WILKS.
|
And needed perpetual Supplies:
Admit my first Maxim,
And no Man could tax him
With any inordinate Vice.
His Friends at JOHN KNOTTS's,
Whofe Joy in full Pots is,
Can witneſs to all I have faid:
They join in my Ditty,
And fay, 'Tis great Pity
That honeft old Daddy is dead!
{
55
60
Ver. 55. JOHN KкOTTS's] The Houſe he ufually drank at.
Female
123
Female Virtue. *
HO ever met with, in his Life,
WH
Or ever heard of, Woman,
So ftrictly virtuous, Maid or Wife,
As to be won by no Man?
You think this Queſtion mighty queer:
But let me ftate it ſtronger:
Who e'er purfu'd one Nymph a Year,
And found her ſtubborn longer?
They always melt when Vigour bleeds,
And think it Shame that Beauty,
When Nature warmly intercedes,
Should perfevere in Duty.
What then! are there no virtuous Dames?
Yes, doubtlefs, to Redundance:
* In Imitation of an Epigram by the Count pe Bussy.
5
IO
124
FEMALE VIRTU E.
1
1
५
15
Betwixt NEW-RIVER HEAD and THAMES,
You have them in Abundance.
The Senfe of this muft you be taught?
Obferve how plain I make it!
They never give their Lovers aught;
They only let them take it.
20
Epigram on Non-Reſidents.
OSSESS'D of Livings, Lazinefs, and Pride,
Po
And yearly paid where never They refide,
Religion's Charms how well may They unfold,
Who give to Grace what They receive in Gold?
tam
On
125
On Reading fome very obfcene
Verfes.
ITH fhameful Debauches when Bards enter-
WITH
tain us,
Of HELEN, Queen JOAN, CLEOPATRA,
1
and VENUS
They tell us, nine Virgins, who dwell on a Mountain,
Draw all their fine Thoughts from a clear, chryſtal
But thus if the Mufes on HELICON fing,
Fountain.
5
From fam'd AGANIPPE' fuch Filthinefs fpring,
For Maids and a Fountain, what Soul would not think
The Former nine Prostitutes, This but a Sink?
Ver. 2. Of HELEN, Queen JOAN, CLEOPATRA, and VÊ-
NUS.] The Adventure of HELEN with PARIS, which occa-
fion'd the TROJAN War, the Gallantries of VENUS with both
Gods and Mortals, and thoſe of CLEOPATRA with JULIUS
CÆSAR and MARK ANTHONY, are univerſally known. JOAN
Queen of NAPLES was no lefs remarkably ſcandalous for her
Laſciviouſneſs, to promote which fhe did not ſtick to murder
her firtt Husband, and ſo made way for another whom she liked
better.
Ver. 5, 7. HELICON-AGA NIPPA'.] Mount HELICON, fa-
cred to the Mufes, was fituated in the extreme Part of Boo-
126
On Reading very obscene Verſes.
Ye Sifters of PнOBUS, fuch Works if ye boaſt,
Your Honour, your Virtue, your Dignity's loft! 10
Renouncing Virginity, own yourſelves rather
The genuine Brats of a leacherous old Father.
But if you are wrong'd, O ye Daughters of Jove,
Let theſe Prophanations your Deities move!
His Thunder call down on each impudent Lyar: 15
Thus better diſtinguiſh the Few you inſpire.
TIA towards PHOCIS. AGANIPPE was one of the feveral
Fountains in the fame Province, that were dedicated to thoſe
Goddeffes.
Ver. 12. A leacherous old Father.] Some of JUPITER'S A-
mours have already been taken notice of, particularly in Page
85, 92. of this Vol. The Mufes are ſaid to be his Daughters
by MNEMOSYNE, the Goddess of Memory.
The
127
THE
DIURNA L:
To Mr. BENJAMIN G*.†
ARyming Letter now and then,
From City JACK to Country BEN;
Or, if the Verfe as well would end,
From JOHN to BENJAMIN his Friend;
May ftill, I hope, as welcome be,
5
As once the Author's Company.
And as 'twas ne'er my Cuſtom, quite
To mifs myſelf in what I write,
So, now I've nothing elſe to fay,
I'll tell thee how I fpend the Day.
Imprimis then For Method's Sake:
('Tis not my Will-fo don't miſtake.)
10
* Written in the Year 1730, foon after the Author came to
live in LONDON.
† Vide Vol. I. Page 83, 84.
1
128
The DIURNAL:
+
I'm none of thofe uneafy Fellows,
Who leave at Five o'Clock their Pillows;
I think, as well as fleep, on mine,
And often keep it warm till Nine.
Here Coffee, Chocolate, or Tea,
With quaint Deſcription might agree;
But fure that Poet muft want Fuel
To fing, who feeds on, Water-gruel!
So fum we theſe odd Matters up;
I breakfaſt now, at Night I fup.
My Breakfaſt o'er, I go and write
Whate'er I ſtudy'd over Night:
If Mufe flew high, with limping Feet,
I fill, perhaps, a Farthing Sheet.
This fafely kept 'till Night, it follows,
I read it o'er to Friends at ROLLO's,
Who praiſe or blame, as they think fit.
Note-ROLLO is Himſelf a Wit!
15
20
25
30
Ver. 28. ROLLO.] Mr. JOHN ROLLO, the Writer of
feveral anonymous Pieces in Profe and Ryme. He former-
ly took down the Trials at the OLD-BAILY, and com-
}
A
1
}
An EPISTLE.
But whither would the Muſe rove on?
She talks of Night-ere Morning's gone.
At Coufin JOHN's I read the News;
(At leaſt, the Advertiſements peruſe ;)
129
My Garters tie, and wash my Face;
Adjuſt my Stock and Wig with Grace;
Then take a Turn or two abroad :-
No Fear that I ſhould lofe my Road.
Sometimes indeed, in queft of Trade,
By BEDLAM Wall my Tour is made :
There either Way in Books I deal,
For Pleaſure buy, or Dinner fell,
As prefent Caſh may chance to tell:
Tho' truly, for a good while paſt,
I practife chiefly--Way the laft.
TO CORNHILL oft' I us'd to range,
And read the Pamphlets at the 'CHANGE;
But once, by an unlucky Flirt,
35
40
45
piled the Seffions-Faper. When the Author knew him, he
kept a Victualling-houſe, at firſt in FORE-STEET, and then in
SPITTLE-FIELDS.
VOL. II.
K
130
The DIURNAL:
I brufh'd one down into the Dirt;
And, wanting wherewithal to buy,
Good Mrs. NUTT grew mighty fhy;
Whence you'll imagine, fo did I!
But that which fires my Fancy beft,
And pleaſes more than all the reſt,
Is-when, enraptur'd, I confer
With Poets' Tombs at WESTMINSTER.
Who knows, think I, what Time may give?
Theſe did not all in Splendor live.
Methinks I have a Buft in view,
*50
I
55
While I am writing This to you.
Gruel, at beſt, is hungry Diet:
The Worm no longer will be quiet:
'Tis Twelve o'Clock;-I feek Relief
From roafted Mutton, or boil'd Beef.
What tho', when Stock is under Par,
60
65
1 fcore Welſh-Rabbits at the Bar
It fometimes fwells to Cent per
Cent:
Ver. 51. Mrs. NUTT.] A well known Pamphlet-feller at
the ROYAL-EXCHANGE.
}
a
An EPISTLE.
13 I
Then, you'll believe, I laugh at LENT.
Well, I have din'd in Thought, you know:
(Methinks, I wifh in Fact 'twere fo!)
Now HORACE may be read a-while;
His Thoughts confider'd, and his Stile:
Or elfe, fome Modern of our own,
AS MILTON, POPE, or ADDISON;
70
Or, when in jocund Mood I am,
75
Some Page of MAT, the DEAN, or Sam.
What never done? I hear thee ſay:
I'll read no more ;-'tis Market-Day.
This once, my little Friend, be ftout,
And ſee a ſcribbling Rymfter out!
80
'Tis Three; and, not to be prolix,
We'll pass by all the reft 'till Six;
(Perhaps I take a Game at Skittles;
In DELIA's Ear read what I've writ elſe.)
From Six till Eight is ſpent as 'forefaid,
85
With Wits: Of that be there no more faid.
Ver. 76. MAT, the DEAN, or SAM.] Mr. MATTHEW PRIOR,
Dean SwIFT, and Mr. SAMUEL BUTLER.
K 2
132
The DIURNAL:
At Eight, fays BEN, I go to Bed:
To fit
up
late diſturbs my Head!
But LONDON Heads, my Friend, are ſtronger;
And hold it always two Hours longer.
!
90
At Eight I leave the Men of Senſe,
And Politicks at JOHN's commence;
Talk over all th' Affairs of EUROPE;
What Miniſter deferves a new Rope;
Which Nation lofes Ground, which gets it;
Who forms the Scheme, and who o'erfets it;
What WALPOLE drives at moft, what FLEURY.
I take it thus,-how is't in your Eye?
Theſe weighty Points, from Eight till Ten,
I canvass o'er-with cautious Men:
At Ten, we fet the Nations right;
I bid the Company good Night;
Get home to Bed; there think and fleep
'Till Nine next Day. This Courfe I keep.
In gen'ral, what I feem to drive at,
Is, to live peaceably and private.
95
100
105
Ver. 92. At JOHN'S.] Coufin JOHN's before-mentioned.
An EPISTLE.
133
Without attempting to look great,
I've choſe the loweſt Place at Meat:
My Friends, I thought, who fit up higher,
Will bid me draw a little nigher;
But fince they all are fo unkind,
To let me ſtill remain behind,
Like other People I'll contend,
And joftle to the upper End.-
110
A modeſt Man gets nothing here.-
115
-But, this I wifper in your Ear.
'Tis not th' epiftolary Strain,
Without a Compliment, or twain:
Take then what Love a Verfe can bring,
(If Love in Verſe be any Thing)
The greateſt Part belongs to You;
The reft divide among the Few,
Who beft deſerve the Name of Friend.-
'Tis not amifs with Love to end.
120
Ver. 108. I've chofe, &c.] See the Allufion LUKE XIV. 10.
K 3
FRIEND-
}
1
1341
2
FRIENDSHIP:
To the SAM E. *
O many tedious Weeks are paſt,
So
Without an Anſwer to my Laft,
(While I from Poft to Poft expect)
'Tis juſt to cenfure thy Neglect !
A faithful Heart where fhall I find,
If BENJAMIN becomes unkind?
The Man whom Words or Forms offend,
But ill deferves the Name of Friend:
;
Yet Friendship, gen'rous and fincere,
Can no indifferent Treatment bear
The Heart that regularly burns,
Requires exact and warm Returns.
To blame thee in a pleafant Strain
10
* Written a confiderable Time after the other, with which
it was before printed in the fmall Collection that has been fe-
eral Times mentioned.
An EPISTLE.
135
The Mufe defign'd: But ftrove in vain.
The nobleft Paffions of the Mind
Have Sentiments the moft refin'd:
For ever ſerious are the Joys
Which Friendship gives, Neglect deftroys.
And canft thou, BENJAMIN! forget
How oft', how eagerly we met;
How on each other's ardent Breaft,
We eas'd our Souls, with Cares oppreft;
While yet no envious Forty Miles,
15
20
While yet no interpofing Toils,
The trueft Pair afunder place'd,
25
That e'er the Name of Friendſhip grace'd?
O why ſhould forty Miles divide
What makes the diftant Poles ally'd?
Are not both INDIES often join'd,
When parted Friends poffefs one Mind?
BUT BENJAMIN revolves no more
The facred Name of Friendſhip o'er!
Ver. 31. But BENJAMIN, &C.
Illud amicitia fanctum & venerabile nomen
Nunc tibi pro vili, fub pedibufque jacet.
1
30
1
K 4
136
FRIENDSHIP:
His Soul, that once no Winter felt,
Has now, alas! forgot to melt!
Still knew thy Heart its wonted Care,
Mine could not but perceive it here!
Why should the Mufe on Art depend,
35
Of Friendſhip writing, to a Friend?
Or thy own Mem❜ry will revive
Thy Flame, or Art in vain would ſtrive!
40
Remember how, when thy Affairs
Made us divide our mutual Cares,
Tho' fhort thy Stay, the Danger ſmall,
We weekly mourn'd th' unwelcome Call;
And own'd the Throbs of kindred Hearts,
When Friend from Friend, unwilling, parts!
Or, when the Bounty of its Lord,
45
Ver. 41, 42. Remember how, &c.] The Author's Friend caried
on Buſineſs in two Market Towns, befides that he lived in,
at each of which he attended once a Week.
Ver. 56. GEORGE's Beer, or CHAPPEL's Wine.] The firft is
the Chriſtian Name of a Victualler, and the latter the Surname
of a Vintner, who both lived at that Time in READING
Market-Place.
Ver 60. PYLADES.] Son of STROPHIUS King of PHOCIS,
and the faithful Friend of OR ESTES. This Latter was the
2
}
An EPISTLE.
A-Mornings, drew me to thy Board,
What kind, endearing Things we ſpoke,
While o'er the Coffee's chearful Smoke,
At once our Minds and Fafts we broke !
Each drank his Cup, and told his Grief;
And each, alternate, gave Relief!
Or when, to fhun DECEMBER's Cold,
We by thy Chimney Stories told;
137
50
55
While GEORGE's Beer, or CHAPPEL'S Wine,
Refreſh'd our Souls, and made them ſhine;
If in our Way fome Inftance came
Of a fuperior, brighter Flame,
(As how young PYLADES Would bleed,
бе
In his devoted Partner's Stead)
Our Sentence always us'd to be,
Son of AGAMEMNON and CLYTEMNESTRA. Having re-
venged his Father's Death by killing his Mother, he grew
mad upon it, and in this Condition was conftantly attended by
PYLADES. Coming together into the CHERSONESUS TAU-
RICA, ORESTES was condemned to Death by King THOAS,
who officiated as Prieft of DIANA: Whereupon PYLADES
affirmed himſelf to be ORESTES, with an Intention to ſuffer in
his ftead. But ORESTES being difcovered by his Sifter IPHIGE-
NIA, they were both faved.
}
138
FRIENDSHIP:
"Such Love, my Friend, is mine to thee."
How fhall thy BANCKS the Task fuftain,
To view his native Place again?
But few Relations are his Friends:
99
He loves the Mufe; they, their own Ends!
How fhall he walk the fcornful Town?
How face his Uncle's furly Frown?
His Uncle's Frown, which on his Mind
Had fmall Effect, while Thou wert kind,
Shall now with double Force prevail,
And his poor Heart beneath it fail!
O fay, my Friend! fay what the Cauſe,
Which makes thee flight thofe facred Laws,
By which our kindred Souls were bound,
"Till each itſelf in t'other found?
65
70
75
Or rather, why do'ft quench the Flame,
By which refin'd, they grew the fame:
As in th' Eternal Soul they lay;
801
Ver, 69, 70.] The Frown here meant was partly occafion'd by
what the Author had writ and faid concerningBA A L'Aмthe Prieft,
which was mifapply'd by ſeveral People. See Vol.I. p. 227. n.
Ver. 86, 87. Ev'n now, &c.] If this Thought, or any other
An EPISTLE.
139
Ere, breath'd from thence, they dwelt in Clay?
Think not th' Expreffions are too bold!
How can ſtrong Paffion be controul'd?
'Tis not a mere poetic Flight:
My Heart has felt more than I write!
Ev'n now, 'twould fain diffolve away,
And thro' this Quill itſelf convey!
Ah! could it be, poor foolifh Heart,
Where would'ft thou find thy raviſh'd Part?
Would't thou to BENJAMIN complain?
Would he to Friendſhip melt again?
Again refund our common Right,
85
90
And let you meet, and re-unite?
Still canft thou, BEN, attentive read,
And not begin to melt indeed?
95
Is not the Friend again confeſt
By all the Pow'rs within thy Breaſt ?
"Twas but an intermitting Fit."-
in the preſent Epiftle, fhould be efteemed a little extravagant
according to the Rules of Criticiſm; it ought to be confidered,
that the Intent of the whole Piece was to fhew the Friend,
and not the Poet.
140
FRIENDSHIP:
Methinks I fee the Sentence writ!
The Paper glows, by Thee defign'd
To bear the Ardour of thy Mind!
My gen'rous Friend, forgive the Muſe,
Who dar'd this Liberty to uſe!
She knew the Sparks were ftill the fame,
And only frove to make them flame.
A diftant Friendſhip often lives
But on the Breath a Letter gives:
And ſtill the Paffion moft improves,
When moft the warm Expreffion moves!
Behold! a Soul without Difguife
To Friendship's facred Altar flies!
A Soul, who, free from felfiſh Views,
Love, Candour, Amity purfues!
100
105
110
For ev'ry tender Paffion fram❜d,
Tho' oft' by envious Tongues defam'd;
115
Tho' oft' by various Fortune toft,
'Tis in her gloomy Mazes loft!
Ver. 115. By envious Tongues defam'd] Chiefly for what he
had ſaid in Behalf of Morality and real Religion, and in Oppo-
tion to Enthufiafm and Bigotry.
An EPISTLE.
148
With fuch a Soul thou once could'ft fhare
Her thin-fown Joys, her conftant Care:
If ftill thy Heart the Choice approve,
O may we ever jointly move!
For-ever int' Oblivion caft
That Void of Life, from hence our laft;
And fend, as Friendship ftill requires,
Mutual Supplies to feed her Fires!
120
125
EPIGRA M. *
ELIA at length has crown'd my Joy.-
CE
How could the Favour be deny'd?
There was but Love, and She, and I;
And Love was wholly of My Side.
* From the Abbé DE COTIN.
So.
142
SOLOMON'S Good Wife. *
AIN are the moſt of Womankind!
VAI
A virtuous Confort who can find?
In real Worth fhe far exceeds
The richeſt Gems that INDIA breeds.
Her Husband's Heart in her confides,
Nor fhe that Confidence derides :
His Honour feeking all her Days,
Her plighted Faith fhe ne'er betrays.
With Flax or Wool before her ſpread,
She draws herſelf the twiſted Thread:
Her Hands are harden'd at the Wheel,
The Distaff, and the loaded Reel,
*
The Field her flothful Neighbour fold,
Is hers, with Sums of labour'd Gold:
1
5
IO
*A Paraphrafe on the xxxift Chapter of PROVERBS, from
Ver. 10. to the End.
i
143
SOLOMON'S Good Wife.
She plants a Vineyard on the Spot,
With what fuperfluous fhe has got.
The full-ripe Grape fhe taftes at Length,
And girds her Loins afreſh with Strength.
Confirm'd in her induftrious Way,
15
Her Candle lengthens out the Day.
20
Before the Sun fhe leaves her Bed,
And thus prepares her Houfhold-Bread:
Friends, Husband, Children, Servants fhare
The Product of her early Care.
Like thoſe who dare the ftormy Seas,
She lothes the Food obtain'd with Eafe.
Her Hands are open to the Poor,
Who go exulting from her Door.
With double Clothing fhe defends
Herſelf and hers, when Snow deſcends:
In Silk and Purple fhe appears;
And each Domeftick Scarlet wears.
+
25
30
Ver. 29. Double Clothing.] Vid, the Marginal Reading in
our Bibles.
144
!
SOLOMON'S Good Wife.
A Price fhe of the Merchant takes,
For Linen, which her Leifure makes.
Her Works are known to diftant Shores,
35
Where Want or Avarice explores.
Worth fo confpicuous, fo ador'd,
Reflects a Luftre on her Lord,
Who fits rever'd among the Great,
And fhines an Elder at the Gate.
40
Her Words are all with Wiſdom fraught,
And Counſel flows from ev'ry Thought:
Her Honours with her Years increafe;
Her laft-are Days of Joy and Peace,
45
Like a well-order'd State is feen
Her little Houfhold; fhe the Queen:
In decent Pomp with Rev'rence drefs'd,
Her Children rife, and call her bleſs'd.
But chief her deareft, tend'reft Part,
Who beft can judge her inmoft Heart;
50
Ver. 40. An Elder at the Gate] The Gates of a JEWISH City
were the Places where their Magiftrates uſed to affemble to ad-
minifter Juftice, and decide Controverfies among the People.
190
:
SOLOMON'S Good Wife.
145
He too, with Rapture in his Voice,
Applauds the Object of his Choice.
With fervent Soul, he often fays,
Tho' many Daughters merit Praiſe,
The moſt diſtinguiſh'd you excel,
In ev'ry Art of acting well.
The fading Beauties of a Face
May fail, and ev'ry outward Grace:
But the who fears the Lord, fhall ftill
Enjoy her Husband's beft Good-will.
With gentle Words he bids her take
The Plenty which her Fingers make;
And, while the Virtuous fpread her Name,
Confirms the juft Report of Fame.
55
60
VOL. II,
L
CON-
?
146
}
CONTINENCE INDEED.
A
S BRAWNY Once on Chaſtity held forth,
He prov'd ev❜n JOSEPH's Virtue of no Worth.
Were I, faid he, howe'er the Fleſh might ftrive,
So tempted by the lovelieft She alive,
(So help me God!) fooner than act the Sin,
Befides my Coat, I'd freely quit my Skin.
The Congregation ftar'd: The wifer Few
Allow'd that BRAWNY's Oath, tho' odd, was true,
Who fo purfu'd his carnal Inclination,
He left the Dev'l no Seafon for Temptation.
They held befide, His Honour was fo nice,
5
10
That ſhould a Wench foreſtal him in his Vice,
For mere Regret, he would not grudge agreeing,
Like Saint BARTHOLOMEW, to fuffer Fleaing.
Ver. 3-6. Were I, faid he, &c.] The Author was affured,
that a certain Clergyman in MIDDLESEX did, in the Pulpit,
actually ufe fuch Expreffions as thefe, not excepting the Oath.
Ver. 14. Like Saint BARTHOLOMEW, &c.] Ecclefiaftical Hiſto-
rians informs us, that this Apoftle was firſt flead alive, and after-
wards crucified, at ALBANOPLE, a City in ARMENIA THE
GREAT.
THE
147
THE
ROYAL GUARDIAN:
I
A PO E
F Virtue ever were the Poets' Care,
M. *
If Verfe indeed be facred to the Fair,
If real Greatneſs real Worth can give,
And mildeſt Majeſty deferves to live;
What means this Silence on BRITANNIA'S Plains?
Why fleeps each Mufe, now CAROLINA reigns?
Now She, great Partner of AUGUSTUS' Fame,
Suftains his Grandeur by a fofter Name?
Submitting, gracious, to the vaft Employ;
At once our Guardian, Happinefs, and Joy?
5
ΙΟ
* Written, and first printed, in the Year 1732, immediate-
ly after his Majefty fet out for HANOVER. The Whole was
done with the utmoſt Precipitation, for the Piece was publiſhed
in three or four Days after the Author was apply'd to, and con-
fequently could not be very perfect. Moſt of his Friends, how-
ever, knew it to be his, and therefore he could not well omit
it in the prefent Collection; which otherwife perhaps he might
I. 2
148 The ROYAL GUARDIAN.
But Reafon dictates-Obvious is the Cauſe:
Who here can hope the Guerdon of Applaufe?
A vulgar Subject Fancy might enhance :
To This, what Mufe, what Numbers can advance?
Such Worth deters the moſt adven'trous Pen; 15
It fuits a Seraph;-and our Wits are Men,
Th' AONIAN Sifters tremble to purſue
A Theme fo grand, fo wonderful, yet true;
Confcious, this Age no Parallel hath feen,
Or of the Saint, the Confort, or the Queen!
But Zeal proceeds, when Reafon would retire;
And ev❜n Refentment fails not to inſpire.
This Silence elfe fhould I prefume to break?
Preſume to teach my Countrymen to ſpeak?
Wait the Firſt Vot'ry at APOLLO's Shrine?
Firſt to their Duty invocate the Nine?
20
25
Yet fuch my Fate.-Great God of Verfe defcend!
have done, purely on Account of the great Difficulty, which
he apprehends there to be in writing with Dignity on public
Occafions, and eſpecially concerning Princes. Some little
Trouble he has taken in the Revifal, but the original Lines
he has altered are not many, in compariſon with thoſe that re-
main in their firft Condition. And as for the additional Verſes,
they do not amount to above thirty.
The ROYAL GUARDIAN. 149
And all ye Mufes wait upon your Friend!
The Queen now reigns! the Queen demands vour
Voice!
30
Song?
The Queen!-and BRITAIN echoes with the Choice.
Where wilt thou, TRUTH, begin the wond'rous
Or thro' Her Life how lead the Mufe along?
Point out fome Parts by common Fame confeſt,
And draw thy Curtain kindly o'er the reft.
Should all at once th' illuftrious Piece appear;
35
Shew ev'ry Character, diſtinct and clear ;
Should the Fair Princeſs and the Sov'reign blend,
The Confort, Mother, Patronefs, and Friend,
The beaming Luftre Fancy could not bear;
'Twould fpoil the Sketch, and make the Mufe defpair.
Ye Titles, Sceptres, Diadems be gone!
With all the dazzling Splendor of a Throne!
View ANSPACH's Daughter in Her native Light,
Free, unadorn'd, and open to the Sight!
40
Ver. 17. The AONIAN Sifters.] AONIA was the mountainous
Part of BooTIA, in which was fituated the Fountain AGA NIP-
PE. Hence the Mufes are called AONIDES.
Ver. 43. ANSPACH's Daughter.] Her late Majeſty was Daugh-
ter of JoHN-FREDERICK, Marquis of BRANDENBURG-AN-
SPACH, by ELEANOR-ERDMUTH-LOUISA, Daughter to
JOHN-GEORGE, Duke of SAXE-EYSENACH.
ๆ
L 3
150 The ROYAL GUARDIAN.
Behold Her rifing with a confcious State,
And, ere the Princeſs, fee the Chriftian Great!
Imperial CHARLES the mighty God confeſt,
And CAROLINA rul'd His awful Breaft!
-
See where He comes! and, proftrate at Her Feet,
Hear Love and Majeſty the Fair intreat
To ſhare the Honours of His future Reign,
The ROMAN Emprefs, or the Queen of SPAIN!
While She on gorgeous Bigotry looks down;
Pities His Paffion,-but difdains His Crown!
45
50
'Twas now young GEORGE was, with Reluctance,
brought 55
To think Himſelf what long the World had thought;
To view thofe Virtues that were His before,
And learn to prize what Others muft adore:
(Laft to Itſelf tho' real Worth be known,
What Wiſdom honours, Modeſty muſt own) 60
Ver. 47. Imperial CHARLES.] The prefent Emperor of
GERMANY, who afterwards married ELIZABETH Princeſs of
BRUNSWICK-WOLFENBUTTLE.
Ver. 52. The ROMAN Empress, or the Queen of SPAIN.] His
Imperial Majefty was at that Time acknowledg'd King of SPAIN
by many
of the Powers of EUROPE, and for fome Years dif
puted that Crown with the preſent King. He was, beſides, in a
fair Profpect of the Imperial Dignity, which he obtained a
few Years after.
1
The ROYAL GUARDIAN. 151
By Her diſtinguiſh'd for Her own Embrace,
Who princely Merit conſciouſly could trace;
Who faw the fecret Seeds of inbred Worth,
And bade the blooming Hero call them forth.
By Her Commands and BRUNSWICK's Name inſpir'd,
On Foes of Peace and Liberty He fir'd;
Preffing, undaunted, over Heaps of Slain,
For EUROPE's Sake, on OUDENARDA's Plain;
Afferting all the Glories of His Line,
Won on the Banks of ISTER and of RHINE.
70
Henceforth our Monarch's Arm let Heav'n ſuſtain,
And double all the Grandeur of His Reign!
FORTUNE'S firft Fav'rite let Him ftill appear,
And let Her add new Kingdoms ev'ry Year!
He now receiv'd, in this Illuftrious Wife,
The Greateſt Honour of the Greateſt Life!
75
Ver. 68. On OUDENARDA's Plain.] The Battle of OUDE-
NARD, in which his Majefty was expofed to great Danger,
was fought in JULY, 1708. OUDENARD is a Tovn in FLAN-
DERS, rich, and very strong.
Ver 69, 70.- the Glories of His Line, Won on the Banks of
ISTER and of RHINE.] Of five Brothers which his late Ma-
jefty once had, three were killed in Battle; one, FREDERICK-
AUGUSTUS, by the TURKS in TRANSYLVANIA, Anno 1690;
another, CHARLES-PHILIP, by the TARTARS in ALBANIA,
I 4
152 The ROYAL GUARDIAN.
See, fenfible of This, He feeks to prove
The Strength of Nuptial Piety and Love!
Purſues Occafions, and Occafions makes ;
85
A-while His Country, and Her Arms forfakes; 80
(Tho' Sorrow always finds, when They muſt part,
The neareſt Paffage to His manly Heart)
To fhew His People how Himfelf is blefs'd;
Of what a Gem thofe People are poffefs'd;
With grateful Sentiments our Souls to touch;
And honour Her, who honours Him fo much!
At awful Diſtance now revere the Queen;
Sublimely gracious, thoughtful, and ferene!
The Reins of Empire in Her gentle Hand,
And all Our Nobles waiting Her Command!
Before the reft fee anxious WALPOLE move,
In Council Greateft, as the Firſt in Love!
TO BRITAIN'S Welfare all his Labours tend;
90
the fame Year; a third, CHRISTIAN, by the FRENCH at
MUNDERKINGEN, near ULM, in 1703. MAXIMILIAN, a
fourth Brother, died a chief General in the Emperor's Ser-
vice. And his late Majefty himſelf commanded on the
RHINE, while the Duke of MARLBOROUGH was in FLAN-
DERS.
Ver. 105. ELIZA's Reign, Greatly diftinguish'd by the
The ROYAL GUARDIAN. 153
?
Her wifeft Patriot, and her fireft Friend.
O could I draw the Scene that meets my Sight, 95
And touch each Part with proper Shade and Light;
High on a Throne our Guardian ſhould appear,
The Mother's Sweetnefs temp'ring the Severe!
Beneath Her Arm our volum'd Laws fhould lie,
And Arts, and Liberty, ſhould fix Her Eye! Ico
Thy Genius, BRITAIN, thine, HIBERNIA's Ile,
Should ſpeak their Pleafure in a duteous Smile!
Surrounding Glory flowly fhould decreaſe;
And ſtated Cherubim fupport the Piece!
There He who fav'd Us in ELIZA's Reign,
Greatly diftinguiſh'd by the Spoils of SPAIN!
Here He whofe Help fuch Vigour could afford
TO ANNA'S Councils, and to MARLBRO's Sword!
Here One, in Brightnefs like the God of Day,
Waving the Laurels of AUGUSTUS' Sway!
105
110
Spoils of SPAIN.] The Reign of Queen ELIZABETH Was
remarkable for humbling the Infolence of the SPANIARDS
in feveral Expeditions, befides that ever-memorable Ac-
tion, the Deftruction of their Armada. It is but with-
in a few Years, that they feem to have worn out that just
Terror of the ENGLISH, which was then imprinted on their
whole Nation.
154 The ROYAL GUARDIAN.
Draw near ye Nobles, Princes of the Realm,
And view your Guardian glorious at the Helm!
Behold Her leaning from th' imperial Seat,
Your forward Duty with Her Love to meet!
With early Zeal come offer your Reſpect!
115
Thus much She claims, who lives but to protect.
Pour forth your Souls, alternate, as ye kneel,
And on Her Hand the facred Promiſe ſeal.
Come FRED'RICK, foremoſt of th' illuftrious Train,
The fecond Honour of Thy Father's Reign,
In all Thy Bloom of Youth and manly Grace!
(ENVY fhall ficken as fhe fees Thee pafs!).
120
'Tis Thine "To ferve" till GEORGE to Fate fubmit:
Come! pay Thy Homage at Thy Mother's Feet
And in the warm Addreſs at once appear
A Son, a Subject, and AUGUSTUS' Heir!
;
125
And Thou, Young Darling of the People's Hearts,
With glowing Beauty form'd, and lively Parts.
Ver. 123. 'Tis Thine "To ferve" till GEORGE, &c] Allud-
ing to the Motto of his Royal Highness's Arms, Ich Dien, which
fignifies I ferve, if we derive it, as many do, from the DUTCH.
Others indeed fay it is WELCH, and fignifies, Here is the Man,
which were the Words fpoken by King EDWARD the First,
i
The ROYAL GUARDIAN. 155
Tho' Nature bids Thee juft appear behind,
And to Thy Birth conform Thy growing Mind; 130
Fate may have Sceptres deftin'd for Thy Hand,
And other ENGLANDS WILLIAM may command.
To manly Deeds and high Defert afpire,
And learn betimes to emulate Thy Sire!
Increafing Graces, and aufpicious Health,
135-
Attend the Nation's Ornament and Wealth!
'Tis Yours, Fair Princeffes, to rule Mankind,
And Kings, and Emp'rors in Your Chains to bind.
'Tis Yours, BRITANNIA'S Int'feft to advance;
Fix Her Allies, Her Character enhance!
140
Let pure Religion be Your firft Concern:-
This of immortal CAROLINA learn!
Poffefs Her Virtues, as Ye do Her Charms,
And humble Monarchs terrible in Arms!
Great GEORGE's Wiſdom fhall approve the Worth 145
Of fome NASSAU, or Hero of the North;
when he fhew'd the BRITONS his eldeft Son, born in their
Country.
Ver. 145. Great GEORGE's Wisdom fhall approve the Worth,
Qf fome NASSAU, or Hero of the North; One who His high Def-
gent, &c. Whether or no the prophetical Part of our Author's
}
156 The ROYAL GUARDIAN.
One who His high Defcent and Honours brings
From a long Race of Emperors and Kings.
Propitious Heav'n the Union fhall approve,
Succeed the Nation's Hopes, and blefs Your mutual
Love! 150
Not with more Joy the Mother of the Gods
Survey'd her Offspring in the bleft Abodes,
Not with more Zeal, more reverential Love,
Thofe Gods beheld their Parent thron'd above,
Than here the Queen looks down upon Her Race, 155
Than here the Princes view Their Mother's Face.
But chief Her Breaſt with Pleaſure can inſpire
Each bright Refemblance of Their abfent Sire,
Whom reprefenting She affumes the Seat,
Whofe Choice alone perfuades Her to be great! 160
Ye faithful Minifters of GEORGE'S Will,
Who fhare His Favours, and His Council fill;
Who now, obedient to His great Commands,
Character, ufually claimed by all Poets, will be allowed on Ac-
count of theſe Lines, is what we cannot pretend to ſay: But cer-
rain it is, that they were writ near two Years before the Princeſs
Royal was married to the Prince of ORANGE. Who the Hero
of the North is, that he ſeems to have farther in View, Time
alone can diſcover. As to the Defcent of the Prince of ORANGE,
it will undoubtedly answer the Deſcription here given.
The ROYAL GUARDIAN. 157
165
Affift Our Guardian, and fupport Her Hands;
Wife by Experience, born to be fincere;
Oh footh her Sorrows, till the King be here!
For much, alas! the beauteous Queen fhall mourn
Her abfent Lord, and urge Him to return;
Purſue His Journey with an anxious Thought,
And think ev'n Sov'reignty too dearly bought. 170
Oh be our Monarch fafe, where-e'er He goes,
From private Malice, and domeſtic Foes!
May Truth and Innocence furround His Seat;
And, like His Virtue, be His Blifs compleat!
Protect His Steps, Great Guardian of the Juft, 175
And foon reftore Him to His awful Truft!
Happy to reign oh grant Him from above,
In BRITONS' Hearts, and CAROLINA'S Love!
*
*
*
INSPIR'D again at that lamented Name,
Ver. 151. Not with more Joy, &c.] An Alluſion to VIRGIL,
Æn. 6. BERECYNTHIA, VESTA, RHEA, OPS, or CYBELE,
the Wife of SATURN, is called by the Antients, The Great
Mother, The Mother of the Gods, &c. She was honoured
alfo under divers other Names.
Ver. 179, &c.] Thefe Lines were added at the Revifal, af-
ter her Majeſty's Death.
158
The ROYAL GUARDIAN.
180
I mourn the Verfe injurious to Her Fame.
This rafh Attempt, unworthy to be feen,
I bluſh to call, The Praiſes of the Queen.
Loft in the Luftre of Her dazzling Day,
My fickly Mufe darts not a Moon-light Ray.
In vain were fummon'd РHOBUS and the Nine, 185
To aid a Labour, Nature meant not Mine.
Yet this imperfect Sketch, that ſets to view
But few Perfections, and prophanes thofe Few,
Ev'n this fhall witneſs to the preſent Times,
The Love, the Zeal, that dictated my Rymes! 190
Whofe Theme fhall flouriſh in unfading Strains,
While Virtue charms, and Gratitude remains.
ΤΟ
159
CA
то
Mr. JONATHAN NELSON:*
H
An EPISTLE.
ENRY my Friend, the Printer of this Sheet,
(Becauſe his Number One ſhould be compleat)
Begs me to give fome Verfes for the Clofe:
Himſelf, it ſeems, has furniſh'd it with Profe.
A Native of your Borough, he pretends,
Muſt have ſome Int'reft with his quondam Friends:
And 'twill, he pleads, contribute to his Fame,
If to theſe Verfes I ſubſcribe my Name.
To pleaſe my Friend, and ferve him if I can,
(The two plain Duties of an honeft Man)
Without thy Leave I publifh this Addrefs,
5
10
* Of READING, in BERKSHIRE, School-Mafter.
Ver. 1. HENRY.] Mr. DAVID HENRY, Printer of the
READING Journal, at the End of the firft Number of which
This Epiftle was inſerted.
!
160 To Mr. JONATHAN NELSON:
+
Sign'd with my Hand, and fmoking from the Prefs.
Whether my Int'reft may, or not, prevail,
A worthy Man, methinks, fhould no-where fail:
Such is this Printer: (I have known him long: 15
And you may truft me, tho' I fpeak in Song)
Of Manners candid, and of Temper free;
With more good Senſe than ev'ry Day you fee:
Skill'd in his Art; no Party-Man, nor Sot;
True to his Friend; in fhort, an honeft Scor. 20
If fuch a Man be welcome to your Grace,
You and your Friends, the Poets of the Place,
Whoſe Names, tho' worthy, are not widely known,
May ſpread, at once, his Merit, and your own:
Send, each in turn, a Prologue to his News, 25
And let his Prefs be Midwife to your Mufe.
For Me, at prefent, fix'd in grave Affairs,
I bid farewel to Ghofts, and Elbow-Chairs:
From my chaſte Fancy nothing muft proceed,
But what thyself might write, or BELEIN read. 30
Ver. 28. Ghofts and Elbow-Chairs.] Tales in Verſe with theſe
Titles.
Ver. 30. BELBIN.] See Vol. I. p. 227. 11.
1
}
An EPISTLE.
161
Yet who, that feels her, can fometimes refuſe
To quit plain Reaf'ning, and attend the Muſe?
Her kindly Flights the Judgment may relieve:
And what the dictates, HENRY fhall receive.
Virgins rather than Wives. *
A
Zealous Prieſt was holding forth amain
Againſt Adultery, the Nation's Bane;
Proving, by many a Comment, many a Text,
The hotteft Hell to fuch a Crime annext.
Yes, Chriftian Friends, (and here he rais'd his Voice) 5
For my Soul's Good, were I to have my Choice,
I'd fooner teach Ten Maids a Month That Same,
Than in Ten Years defile One married Dame.
* From RouSSE AU.
VOL. IL
M
Dɛ-
162
DELIA's Wedding-Night:
For the Year 1731.
OB curs'd the Day that gave him Birth,
JOB
And introduce'd an Age of Grief:
And ſhall I ſpend the Night in Mirth,
That fix'd my Fate beyond Relief?
Then ceaſe my Prefence to controul,
That must your Harmony deftroy:
For Pain will rack my inmoft Soul,
Amid the fplendid Form of Joy.
Neglect and Scorn tho' I could bear,
While yet for Hope you left me Room;
10
To hail the Date of my Defpair,
Is worſe than TANTALUs his Doom.
* Being the firft Anniverſary of it. The Author was invited
to be prefent at the Celebration of it, the whole Evening;
but instead of ſtaying, he writ this.
Ver. 12. TANTALUS his Doom.] The Poets fabled, that
'TANTALUS King of PHRYGIA was tormented in Hell with
DELIA's Wedding-Night.
163
The State was dreadful, ftill to fee,
Yet never tafte, the Fruit inclin'd:
But had fome Rival pluck'd the Tree,
L
With double Rage the Wretch had pin'd.
15
On the fame Occafion: Containing a
full and true State of the Cafe.
Y Friends expected me at Seven:
MY
I went; and DELIA was offended.-
I might have ftaid, fure, till Eleven,
Tho' Lords, nay Ladies, had attended!
Her Wedding-Night, and leave her fo?
A mere Excufe, fhe plainly fees it!
Not drink her Health before I go?
Vaftly oblig'd for fuch a Vifit!
5
continual Hunger and Thirſt, tho' he ſtood up to the Chin in
Water, and had Fruits of all Kinds growing round him very
near: For that whenever he ftooped to wet his Lips, he was
left upon dry Ground, and when he advanced to touch the
Fruits, the Winds immediately difperfed them into the Clouds,
M 2
164
DELIA'S Wedding-Night.
:
My Friends and I had Time enough:
She'd not have kept me till the Morning!
Which had fhe wanted, here was Proof,
I was not ready-without Warning.
She would not look upon that Man,
Who when ſhe afk'd a Thing, refus'd it.-
Thus, without Mercy, on fhe ran:
With all my Rhet'rick I excus'd it.
'Tis venial, fure, the worft you fay,
From fervile Me, who live to pleaſe ye!
And to what Purpofe could I ftay,
My Sighs fupprefs'd, my Soul uneafy ?
Diſtinguiſh'd from the Reft of Men,
Would you felect one Ev'ning for me
If Friend or Foe fhould move me then,
May all that's Good and Fair abhor me!
10
15
20
They add befides, feveral other Torments, which they fay
were inflicted on him; and affign divers Reafons, which pro-
voked the Gods to be thus fevere; the Chief of which was his
unnatural Violation of the Laws of Hofpitality, in ferving up
his own Son at a Feaft, to which he had invited the Gods.
}
DELIA's Wedding-Night.
For, truft me Girl! fo far from true
Is what you hint in your Reproaches;
I would not mifs one Night with You,
For all the Nymphs that ride in Coaches!
Were I contended for between a
165
25.
Queen, Princefs, Marchionefs, and Duchefs, 30
AUSTRIA'S and Moscovy's Czarina,
I'd fly to You from all their Clutches!
Nay, had They Right to my Allegiance,
The moft majeftic She (God fave her!)
Should hang me up for Difobedience,
Sooner than bribe me with her Favour!
35
Ver. 31. AUSTRIA's and Moscovv's Czarina.] Czarina fig-
nifies Emprefs, being the Feminine of Czar, a Corruption of
CASAR; and may therefore be apply'd to Her GERMAN, S
well as Her RUSSIAN Majefty.
M 3
DE-
166
DELIA's Wedding-Night:
For the Year 1732. *
Prefented to her HUSBAND.
Y gen'rous Friend, at your Requeſt,
MY
I come to fwell the Chorus ;
To hail the Night, your Liquor taſte,
And eat up what's before us.
Long may your DELIA fill your Arms,
And mutual Love continue!
So prays the Bard, who fung her Charms,
And ftrove to get between you.
Be now that envious Scene forgot:
You knew the Art of Wooing.
5
10
* Which was the fecond Anniverſary of this High Fefti-
val.
Ver. 17, &c. 'Tis true, you, &c.] The firſt Child, which
DELIA's Wedding-Night.
167
Yet let the Mufe afk freely, What
Her Rival has been doing?
Ere now, 'twas thought, two Bantlings fmall
With Mufick would furround her :
But, Heav'ns! I fee no Sign at all.-
As flat as any Flounder!
15
'Tis true, you promis'd well at first;
O had our Pleafure lafted!
But muft the gen'rous Tree be curft,
Becauſe the Fruit was blafted?
Not fo our Fathers us'd the Bed;
Their Tillage brought forth Plenty:
Firſt Coufins, wedded and to wed,
We are not leſs than Twenty.
Among us lies a World of Pelf:
Muft all this go to Strangers?
20
25
Rather, to raiſe up Heirs Myfelf,
I'll face a thouſand Dangers!
died foon after, was born precifely at the End of Nine
Months after Marriage. Here were fifteen Months, therefore,
to be accounted for.
M 4
1.68
DELIA's Wedding-Night.
For Shame, SAM, pluck thy Spirits up!
This very Night prevent me;
And, when next Year we come to fup,
Say, "This the Gods have fent me."
30
To a
COQUET. *
HE Man who loves Thee, fickle Fair,
TH
And hopes to give Thee equal Anguiſh,
Should treat Thee with difdainful Air;
Not poorly figh, complain, and languifh.
Thy wayward Heart (I know it well)
Love foftens not, nor Vows repeated:
'Tis like an Egg boil'd in the Shell,
That harder grows, the more 'tis heated.
5
Ver. 30. This very Night, &c.] Whether he did fo, or not, we
cannot certainly determine: But the latter Part of the Injunc-
tion he punctually obey'd, and with Circumftances that very
much corroborated the affirmative Opinion.
* From RoUSSEAU.
A
169
A Juſt Complaint:
G
To APOLLO. *
REAT God of Numbers, fpeak the Cauſe,
I Why FORTUNE perfecutes the Bays;
Why Poets only gain Applaufe,
While Others profit by their Lays?
For-ever muft thy Servants' Pen
To all befides Succefs impart :
Themſelves alone th' unhappy Men
Condemn'd to perifh by their Art?
Is it ordain'd by fov'reign Jove,
That Wit fhould never. win the Fair?
Then why are Poets form'd for Love;
Since Love to them is but Defpair?
5
10
* Occafioned by the Succefs of a Copy of Love-Vertes,
which the Author writ for another Perfon.
170
A Just Complaint:
When in their Lines fome Beauty charms,
The Rapture fwells their Paffions high:
Upon Themſelves recoil their Arms;
And by the Flame they raife, they die.
In vain their melting Notes rehearſe
The Anguiſh of th' ill-fated Youths:
Perhaps the Nymphs approve the Verfe,
But difregard the fatal Truths.
Thyfelf and WALLER tun'd the Lyre;
The Laurel only crown'd your Art:
Yet Thou can'ft Life and Love infpire,
29
And He ftill warms the coldeft Heart.
"Yes, PHOBUS whifpers, 'tis decreed,
25
(The difmal Sentence will remain)
Fools, by repeating, fhall fucceed;
I, and my Sons, muft charm in vain!
Ver. 21. Thyself and WALLER, &c.] See the Story of APOL-
Lo and DAPHNE, as related by OVID in his Metamorphofes,
Lib. I. Fab. 13. and Mr. WALLER's celebrated Application of
it to Himſelf and SACHARISSA, which begins,
THIRSIS, a Youth of the infpir'd Train, &c.
To APO L L O.
171
Immortal Fame, the Bard's Reward,
Fate has not join'd it with Succefs:
The Gods will have their Bounty fhar'd;
And Few, ah Few! they doubly bleſs."
30
But what are Laurels, what is Fame,
To make us facrifice our Reft?
They cannot quench an inward Flame;
35
They cannot heal a wounded Breaſt.
What tho' the World applaud my Strains;
Tho' DELIA's Self they often pleaſe?
Her Praiſes may increaſe my Chains,
But not contribute to my Eaſe,
Then be their Value underſtood,
Or, God of Verſe, thy Gifts reſume!
Make Fame a more ſubſtantial Good,
Or leave me DELIA in its Room!
$
40
To
172
}
}
+
To CYNTHIA:
Η Ι
A Second EPISTLE. *
HALL I indeed do what I will?
SH
And does my CYNTHIA fay fo ftill?
I will-Oh LOVE! thou Pow'r divine,
I will be blefs'd, be Hers, be Thine,
A King, a Saint, a Seraph, more
Than e'er I hop'd, or wifh'd before!
Yes, charming Maid, 'tis fo decreed
And thus thy DAMON fhall proceed.
Extended at thy Feet, I'll tell
;
How long I've lov'd Thee, and how well;
While ſpeaking Sighs, from Nature ſprung,
Confirm the Language of my Tongue.
1
5
10
* See the Former, Page 111, of this Volume. Left any
Thing in theſe Epiftles fhould feem to contradict what is ad-
vanced in Vol. I. p. 75, 76, &c. n. it is proper to inform the
Reader, that they were both writ fince that Note was printed,
and to a Perſon whom the Author hardly knew at that Time.
An EPIST L E.
173
I'll kiss the Pedestals, that bear
The cruel Cauſe of all my Care:
→
From them aſcending, by Degrees,
Pay the fame Tribute to thy Knees:
Till fafe arriving at the Seat,
That makes my Happineſs compleat,
Beyond which Fancy would not rove,
I fix,-and give a Loofe to Love!
There leave the Likeneſs of Myſelf,
A Foe to Fools, and Friends of Pelf;
Unaw'd, unbiaſs'd, fervent, free,
True to his Choice, as I to Thee!
Nor think thus eafily to cloy
My growing Appetite for Joy.
Reviv'd by gazing on thy Charms,
Again I'll feaft me in thy Arms.
With eager Hafte my Lips fhall ſeek
15
20
25
Thy Hand, thy Neck, thy Mouth, thy Cheek; 30
Ver. 1. Shall I indeed, &c.] This Line may give us fome
Light into the Occafion of the Piece, which feems to have
been only a common Expreffion, accidentally dropp'd, but
taken Advantage of by the Poet, and improved to his own
Purpoſe.
!
174
To CYNTHIA, &c.
Shall thro' each Vehicle impart
The thrilling Tranfport to thy Heart;
And make the warm Impreffions glow,
Like ruddy Morn on Tracks of Snow!
Thus, till the fanguine vital Tide
Within my Veins forgets to glide,
While keeps the Soul her mortal Seat,
My Love, my Zeal fhall not retreat.
At laft, when ſweetly lull'd to Death,
Quick fhort Returns protract my Breath;
When languid Nature quits the Strife,
And ſwiftly ebbs the leffening Life;
With trembling Arms I'll clafp Thee faft,
And on Thy Bofom breathe my Laft.
L..
35
40
FAME
175
!
I
F A M E:
An O D E.
MAGINARY Good, or True,
Immortal FAME, Thee All purfue,
Thee make their End in All they do.
For Thee th' intrepid Sons of MARS
Ruſh forth impetueus to the Wars;
Happy, if Thou recount their Scars!
The Learn'd and Wife their Thoughts impart,
The Skill'd exert their utmoſt Art,
For Thee, the Prize they have at Heart.
But chief the Bard, from Av'rice free,
Whoſe inmoſt Soul the World may fee,
His Hope, his All, is lodg'd in Thee!
IQ
Ver. 4-12. In the Room of thefe three Stanza's, the Au-
thor fubftituted only the following, in an engraved Copy of
Part of this Ode.
176
FAME:
7
Yet what Thou art, we thus admire,
Why thus for Thee we pant, afpire,
To ſmall Effect the Learn'd inquire.
If mere Deluſion of the Mind,
Whence are we ſeriouſly inclin'd
To court a Shade, a Breath of Wind?
Or if Thou art a real Good,
How can Thy Worth be underſtood,
Thro' Pain, or Penury purfu'd?
Can all the Wreaths that bind his Head,
Compenfate now, to HOMER dead,
The living HOMER'S Want of Bread?
Yet who would not a Beggar be,
To grow as much renown'd as He?
Methinks, I wiſh 'twere offer'd Me!
But HOMER fhinès a fingle Name;
As much Thy Darling fince, O FAME!
As once the Mufes-in his Flame.
For Thee the Learn'd their Thoughts impart;
The Bard, his Muſe; the Skill'd, his Art:
'Tis Thou that warm'ft the Soldier's Heart.
15
20
25
30
An OD E.
177
Drawn by the Luftre of his Lay,
What witling Crouds have fought the Day,
And gleam'd, and wan'd, and paſs'd away!
O could He fee, with fweet Surprize,
Above the reft the MANTUAN riſe,
And daring MILTON climb the Skies!
His Seconds Thefe fhall ftill remain :
TIME fhall their Dignity maintain;
And PRIDE, and ENVY, bark in vain.
In vain we weaker Mortals try
To pluck fuch Bays, to foar fo high:
35
40
Our Writings, like Ourfelves, muft die.
What little Favour fome procure,
Thou art fo nice, they fcarce are fure
It fhall from Year to Year endure.
Thoſe who thy Favour moft engage,
Secure th' Applaufe of but one Age;
Then their Remembrance quits the Stage.
Ver. 35. The MANTUAN.] VIRGIL, who was born at An-
DES, a Village in the Neighbourhood of MANTUA, and
thence called the MANTUAN Poet.
N
*178
FAME, &c.
And what's an Age's empty Praiſe,
If Want opprefs us all our Days,
While we the fleeting Structure raife?
Since but a Few ev'n this can gain,
For a long Life worn out in Pain,
Strange, that fo Many toil in vain!
50
Ev'n I, who know myſelf too weak,
Th' unequal Labour can't forfake;
55
L
Thy fanfy'd Charms fo deeply take.
PHILANDER too approves my Song,
And calls it graceful, bold, and ftrong:
វ
His Judgment leads the Mufe along.
бо
Not quite in vain my Time I ſpend,
Tho' fhort Repute theſe Works attend:
Tis foothing--now to pleaſe a Friend.
Thou art, at leaft, a fpecious Bait;
And if Thou wanteft aught in Weight,
There's Something fweet in the Deceit.
65
1
1
THE
1
THE
KNIGHT Difmay'd:
A TA L E. *
FTER learn'd and warm Debate,
A Touching Folks in t'other State;
Whether Shades from PLUTO 'fcape,
Or fome DÆMONS in their Shape;
Whether any Truth may feem in
Tales of fcreeching Owls and Women;
5
* Occafioned by an Accident that happened in the Coun-
try, when the Author was very young; it being, to the best
N 2
180 The KNIGHT Difmay'd:
Whether Ghoſts, from Graves that rife,
Bears, with glaring faucer Eyes,
Witches, Fairies, all fuch Fancies,
Were, or were not, mere Romances:
HODGE the Parfon having prov'd,
10
That no Spirit ever mov'd
From the Place to which it went,
When, by Death, from Body fent;
Home from Tavern reel'd Sir HARRY,
15
With as much as he could carry;
Swearing he would not be frighted,
Tho' fo difmally benighted.
Let old BEELZEBUB appear,
Bold Sir HARRY will not fear:
No;
he'll think his coward Senfes
Only cheat him with Pretences.
Out of Town ſome half a Mile,
Croſs a Field, and o'er a Stile,
20
Stood his Houſe, upon a Green :
25
of his Remembrance, the firft Tale he ever attempted to
write.
A TALE.
181
DICKSON'S Garden lay between.
Th' Hour of Night was almoft One;
Of pale PHœBE there was none;
Stars a few were ſprinkled round,
Juft enow to show the Ground.
Void of Fear, a-croſs the Plain,
As an Eaſtern Monarch vain,
Valiant as Sir HUDIBRAS,
Or the dread LA MANCHA was,
Marches on our doughty Knight;
Challenging the blackeft Spright.
But how fickle's human Glory,
You fhall hear in foll'wing Story.
Happineſs, below unfix'd,
Never fills our Cup unmix'd.
30
35
40
Paffing now the Garden by,
O'er the Hedge he caft his Eye:
But, alas! what ſtrange Surprize!
Something black! of monftrous Size!
Ver. 34. LA MANCHA.] Don QUIXOT, who, as the Author
of his Adventures tells us, was of LA MANCHA in SPAIN.
$
N 3
182 The KNIGHT Difmay'd:
Worfe and worfe! now three or four!
45
Half a Dozen! half a Score!
Don't his Eyes deceive him?-No.
Look again.-'Tis really fo.-
What can they be?-Nothing common:
'Tis too late for Man or Woman:
50
Cattle have no Bufinefs there,
Where the Beans and Turnips are.
Now the hardy Knight begins
To repent of all his Sins;
But his greateft Cauſe of Grief
Was his wicked Unbelief.
Had the Parfon been but near,
He had inftantly, 'tis clear,
Dy'd, like Popish Prieft infidious,
For his Doctrine irreligious.
Now prophane and impious Elf,
(Says the Hero to himself)
Thou who dar'ft the Dev'l defy,
55
60
Ver. 68. Shall be ftand his Ground, and Speak.] The fpeaking
to a Spirit, among the ignorant Part of Mankind, is accounted
}
1
!
A TALE.
183.
See a Troop of DEMONS nigh!
See how dreadful they advance!
Then he turn'd his Eyes afkance.
O what Method fhall he take?
Shall he ftand his Ground, and ſpeak?
What a Qualm at this he feels!
No;-he'll fooner take t' his Heels.
'Tis no fooner thought than done.
Danger makes the Stouteft run.
Fear gives Feet.-Gives Feet, faid I?
Fear gives Wings, and makes us fly,
Swift as from the Bow an Arrow,
Or to Barn a frighted Sparrow.
Whenfoe'er our Thoughts deceive us,
Apprehenfion's loth to leave us.
65
70
75
Still his Eyes, fixt ghaftly, ftare;
Still to Briftles chang'd his Hair ;
80
Still he hears the Spirits follow;
Now they ſpeak with Voice that's hollow;
a very great Matter, and what none but a Miniſter, or at leaſt
a LATIN Scholar, is qualified for.
N 4
184
The KNIGHT Difmay'd:
Now they pull him by the Coat.-
For his Life who gives a Groat?
Quick the Door, and let him in.
So,. 'tis done. Where have you been?
Not a Word! - Good Lord! he's dead.
Reach a Chair. Hold up his Head.
Call the Doctor. Fetch fome Water.
Heaven's! what can be the Matter?
Throw the Water in his Face.
Bring the Hartfhorn Drops too, GRACE.
Madam, us'd he fo to be?-
Bleffings on him! no not he.-
85
90
Hark! he groans.-A Glaſs of Wine.
Lean your Head, my Dear, on mine.
Gently place yourſelf at Eafe!-
Now the Story, if you pleaſe.
Half a hundred Hums and Haughs,
Now and then a longer Paufe,
A
95
100
Ver. 87. Not a Word, &c.] In the original Copy, the Lady,
as well as the Knight, was thrown into a Swoon: But as it did not
feem likely that ſhe ſhould ſo foot recover, as to be fit for the
Part which the immediately afterwards acts; it was thought that
ATAL È.
185
Now and then a Glance awry,
Left fome Goblin fhould be nigh,
Brought it out in half an Hour.-
None can do beyond their Power.
Scarce my Lady could forbear;
All would laugh, did they but dare:
But, in Servant, Sign of Mirth
Was as much as Place was worth;
And my Lady thought 'twas beft
To be grave-till after Reft.
'Twas agreed, the Knight in Bed,
That next Morning Toм and NED
Should to DICKSON's Garden go,
Further, if they could, to know.
But behold the Truth before!
DICKSON thunders at the Door.
105
110
115
What's your Buf'nefs?-Where's Sir HARRY?—
Sir, your Meffage I muft carry.-
the keeping her in her Senfes, during the Paroxyfm of her
Husband, would carry a greater Face of Probability: And it
is highly proper, even in the moft trifling Story, to keep as
much as poffible to the Appearance of Truth.
*
1
186
The KNIGHT Difmay'd:
Say, his Cows are driv'n to Pound,
For a Trefpafs on my Ground.
Need we tell what follow'd next?
Good Sir HARRY was not vext,
This Adventure of his Cattle,
More than all the Parfon's Prattle,
Serv'd His Worſhip to convince,
Who has ne'er been frighten'd fince.
LEAVING the Knight's peculiar Cafe,
Shall we affume a folemn Face?
Of Ways and Methods fhall we talk,
How to get rid of Folks that walk?
120
125
130
ERROR, purfu'd with Zeal and Rigour,
Grows hearty, ftubborn, full of Vigour:
But feem indulgent in her Favour,
And on her weaker Side you have her.
Point with a Smile her Foibles out,
135
The Laugh will quickly fpread about:
She'll hide, retant, difown her Birth,
Ver. 139. That noble Youth.] Lord SHAFTESBURY.
Ver. 144. Kings believ'd.] King JAMES the Firft was a very
ftrong Believer in Witches, and writ a Book concerning:
A
187
TAL E.
Or join Herſelf the publick Mirth.
So rightly judg'd that noble Youth,
That Ridicule's the Teft of Truth!
Witches and Spells, in antient Time,
Were facred Subjects, ev'n in Ryme.
No Wonder that ſhould be receiv'd,
Which Laws condemn'd, and Kings believ'd.
But lately, fince the Royal Speeches
Have kept to weightier Things than Witches;
Since Parliaments (whom Heav'n direct!)
Have treated SATAN with Neglect ;
140
145
The Vulgar learn to take the Hint,
And find the Whole has nothing in't.
150
Spirits to Witches are ally'd,
True LEVITES on the Father's Side;
Begot by Priestly Infpiration,
On that warm Wench, IMAGINATION;
Whom uſing worfe than Jew or TURK,
155
They make their Fathers endleſs Work:
them, entitled Demonologia.
Ver. 147. Parliaments-Have treated SATAN with Neglect.] By
paffing an Act to repeal the Act against Witches.
188
The KNIGHT Difmay'd:
And where thofe Sires are fo uncivil,
To fend them daily to the Devil,
They always teize the honeft People,
Haunt ev'ry Houfe, Church-yard, and Steeple. 160
But let them once have Chriftian Freedom,
They either come not, or None heed 'em.
It muſt be own'd, the ENGLISH, moſtly,
Fear nothing, bodily or ghoftly:
Yet ſome there are not fo robuft,
$65
Whom Goblins frighten at their Luft:
And feldom, where the Folks obey 'em,
Wants there a Conjuror to lay 'em :
Which makes the Fiends, for very Spight,
Come forth in Myriads ev'ry Night.
An Inftance, that may ferve to fhow
How Perfecution makes them grow;
And that an Act of Toleration
Is what muft drive them from the Nation.
Then may it pleaſe our Legiflature,
170
175
Ver. 178. The RED-SEA.] Vide the Notes in Vol. I. p. 268,
269, 270.
A
189
TALE.
By a Decree, of copious Nature,
To give our Settlements away
In PLUTO'S Realms, and the RED-Sea,
(Which, 'tis allow'd, It fafely might,
Yet never hurt the Nation's Right;
Provided ſtill, that Ships there wag
Their Top-fails to the BRITISH Flag)
And leave the Puniſhment of Ghoſts
To whom it fuits, the Lord of Hofts:
That all the gloomy, midnight Band,
Starv'd into Terms, may quit the Land!
For Spirits thrive by being laid;
180
185
But ftarve where Folks are not afraid:
And one fuch Act in their Behalf
Would make our Wives and Children fafe.
190
To
·
190
J
1
?
To
BORE A
A S:
An
O D E. *
LOW BOREAS, Foe to Humankind!
Blow bluft'ring, freezing, piercing Wind!
Blow, that thy Force I may rehearſe,
While all my Thoughts congeal to Verfe!
Blow, and the ſtrongeſt Proofs difpenfe
5
To ev'ry doubtful Reader's Senfe!
But chiefly chill the Critick's Nofe,
Who dares the Truths I fing oppofe!
Where-e'er old hoary WINTER's fear'd,
There Thou with Trembling art rever'd:
In Thee the dreaded Pow'r remains,
By which the fnowy Monarch reigns.
IQ
* Written in the Year 1730, at the Corner of an Alley,
where the Author fold Books at that Time.
An O
An
191
O D E.
The Leaves, that beautify'd the Trees,
And wav'd before a fofter Breeze,
Torn off by Thee, are ſcatter'd round,
To wither on the rufty Ground.
Where rapid Rivers us❜d to flow,
To Glafs the filent Waters grow:
The mighty VOLGA feels thy Force,
And DWINA ftagnates in his Courſe.
Ev'n Oozy THAMES fubmits to Thee;
THAMES, like the neighb'ring Vallies, free!
AUGUSTA'S Sons, in fportive Mood,
Oft' tread the Surface of his Flood.
To the proud CZAR's terrific Fleet,
Which half the Nations fear to meet,
Thou doft thy ftrict Injunctions give:
Nor can it ftir without thy Leave.
Thy Prefence on BRITANNIA's Plains
15
20
25
To Chimney-corner drives her Swains:
30
Ver. 19, 20. VOLGA-DWINA.] Two Rivers of Mosco-
The former, which croffes the whole Country from
V V.
}
5
192
To BOREAS:
There thy Severity they fhun;
And thither I would gladly run!
But I (fo Jove and FATE command)
Expos'd to all thy Rage muft ftand:
Condemn'd thy Tyranny to bear,
Unpity'd, half the tedious Year!
>
Tho' cloſe begirt with Garments three,
Not Garments can defend from Thee;
Thy penetrating Force will find
Or Hole before, or Slit behind!
35
In vain my Hands my Bofom hides!
40
In vain I fhield them by my Sides!
In vain exhale the warmer Air,
Which my too feeble Lungs prepare!
In vain upon the diftant Tiles
The God of Day indulgent fmiles!
His Influence I fhould never know,
But for the Drops of melted Snow.
45
North-west to South-caft, and falls into the CASPIAN SEA, is
one of the largeſt in the World. The other is large alfo, and
An
193
O D E.
The melted Snow, beneath my Feet,
Still makes thy Empire more compleat.
My aged Shoes, not Water-proof,
Admit thoſe Droppings of the Roof.
50
Full in my Face is always driv❜n,
By Thee, whate'er defcends from Heav'n;
Or Snow, or Rain, or Sleet, or Hail:
55
Nor can the Pent-houſe aught avail!
But hold! I feel my Senfes clog:
Down drops my Fancy, like a Log:
Like thick'ning Streams my Numbers run,
60
And flowly drag the Meaning on.
It ſtops; it hardens in a Trice;
Lo! all converts to folid Ice!
To prove thy Pow'r as much as needs,
Enough to freeze the Wretch who reads.
runs Northward, falling into the WHITE-SEA, at ARCH-
ANGEL.
O
Againft
194
श
Againſt FORTUNE:
An EPISTLE.*
REELY to cenfure, or commend,
Is-To deferve the Name of Friend.
This I premife, to clear the Way
For what my Letter has to ſay:
Wine, Women, Wit, as Things may fall,
5
Thy Faults and mine, have at them all!
To prove, that wretched human Elves,
Acquitting CHANCE, fhould blame Themſelves.
That antient Queen, ſo often nam'd,
Refpected, worſhipp'd, fear'd, defam'd,
10
Admit her Pow'r, I grant, we find,
She's fickle, foolish, weak, unkind:
* Originally Part of that which immediately follows, from
which it was feparated, as well to make that Piece fhorter,
as becauſe the Characters of what are now the firſt and ſecond
Epiftle were very different.
An EPISTLE.
195
Her Gifts, both good and bad, ſhe deals,
And knows no Cauſe, or none reveals;
Nor does fhe oft reduce to Meaſure
Fruits of her Good or Evil Pleafure,
Yet, this allow'd, 'tis obvious ſtill,
That Man's great Foe is Man's own Will;
That FORTUNE we too often blame,
1.5
When 'tis Ourſelves ſhould take the Shame,
20
For what's the neceffary Effect
Of our Perverſeneſs, or Neglect.
We make a meritorious Good
Of Error, ftubbornly purfu'd:
And if our Paffions crofs our Views,
25
Not Them, but FORTUNE, we accuſe.
You place your Bliſs in focial Things,
The Joys which Love or Liquor brings:
Your Glaſs, your Friend, your POLLY kind,
Are all the Comforts you can find:
30
Ver. S. CHANCE] CHANCE, or FORTUNE, was a God-
deſs among the Antients, who was thought to diftribute
Wealth and Honour at Pleaſure. She is commonly reprefent-
ed as a blind Woman, ftanding on the Top of a Wheel, with
02
196
Against FORTUNE:
I
A Frown you dread, or empty Breeches :
(So far our Fav'rite Thought bewitches)
Yet empty Breeches, Frowns of POLLY,
Are FORTUNE's Fault, and not your Folly!
With equal Zeal we Poets write,
And call the Mufes our Delight.
35
Their Aid invok'd, we fwell, we rife;
Thro' airy Regions Fancy flies.
The Reaſon's p-We feek a Name,
And place our Happineſs in Fame.
40
Merit we Birch, or Bays, no Matter,
f
(Since all who write believe the latter)
If People laugh, when they fhould wonder,
CHANCE, wicked CHANCE Commits the Blunder!
Believe me, Friend, our Eyes are dim!
Few Things are really what they feem.
Or there's no perfect human Bliſs,
Or all Mankind the Way to't mifs.
When you ſurvey MARIA's Charms,
45
Wings at her Feet. The ROMANS erected many Temples
to her, under different Names, believing that ſhe influenced.
all their Affairs. To prove the Contrary of this, is the Intent
An EPISTLE.
197
You fee a Heaven in her Arms;
Unfully'd Joys at Diſtance lie;
But vaniſh as they draw more nigh:
The Crown of all your Hopes will prove,
That real Cares are mix'd with Love.
So We, who court a fleeting Breath
To keep our Mem'ries after Death;
When mounted high on Fancy's Wings,
Extend our Views, and talk like Kings:
50
55
But could we gain immortal Praiſe,
What is the fhad'wy Thing we raife?
60
'Tis but an Empire in the Air:
Our Names, not We, muft govern there.
If you believe Free-will in Man,
Blame CHANCE, or FORTUNE, how you can:
The Idol we adore, we chufe,
65
Your Bottle you, and I my Muſe.
'Tis in ourſelves, if we purfue
Too cloſely, what we falfely view;
of the preſent Epiftle; in which, after expofing the Folly of
afcribing to any imaginary Power, what neceffarily refults from
the Schemes of Life that we feverally follow; the Author
0 3
198
Against FORTUNE.
And Difappointments are the Fruits
Of over-eager, fond Purfuits.
Tis but to moderate the Mind,
Where too impetuoufly inclin'd:
The Remedy is in our Pow'rs;
70
So 'tis not FORTUNE'S Fault, but ours.
But if we think there's fomething fatal
75
In Planets' Place, at Seafon natal;
Or that, from whatfoever Caufe,
All Things are fix'd by certain Laws;
'Tis confequently true, that I
Am deftin'd thus to Poetry;
80
And that to FATE alone 'tis due,
That Ryming does not reign in you.
Take either Scheme, and where will be
Dame FORTUNE's fancy'd Deity?
If Free-will in the Creature reft,
She can but counterplot at beſt:
If Things in deftin'd Order fall,
85
proceeds to fhew the Abfurdity of fuppofing the Existence of any
fuch Power at all, as FORTUNE is defcribed to be, from the In-
confiftence of it both with the Doctrine of Free-will, and that of
An EPISTLE.
199..
Poor CHANCE can have no Chance at all.
'Tis hard, impos'd upon by Faſhion,
And prejudice'd by Inclination,
To gueſs what Force is in Ourſelves;
If we are Stocks, or active Elves.
But this we know: The human Mind
90
If 'tis compell'd, 'tis firſt inclin'd;
And has, at leaſt, a Kind of Choice;
95
As Court-Dependants have a Voice.
Or if 'tis left to pick and chufe,
'Tis biafs'd ftill by partial Views;
'Till Actions, which at firft were free,
100
Feel fomething like Neceffity.
I find myſelf conſtrain'd to write,
As you to fee your Girl at Night.
}
Now, to fet home with proper Force
The Doctrine of this grave Difcourfe;
Conclude we hence, That human Blifs,
If fuch a Thing there be, is This:
105
abfolute Predeftination; gives a Picture of human Agency, as in-
fluenced by Paffion or Cuſtom; and concludes with fhewing
wherein Happinefs confifts, and how it may beſt be attained.
0 4
200 Againſt
Against FORTUNE, &c.
By well-proportion'd Hopes and Fears,
To antedate our Joys and Cares:
That, from what Cauſe foe'er they rife,
Nor Joys, nor Cares, may e'er furprize.
Since FAME ftill flies the fond Purfuer,
Since fenfual Pleafures can't endure,
Be temp❜rate you in Love and Drink,
And may I moderately think!
Let FAME felect me if fhe will;
But, let her catch me by the Heel!
Let PLEASURE fhew you all her Glory;
You know her Joys are tranſitory:
Be ne'er tranfported, nor depreſt,
And leave to PROVIDENCE the reft.
1
?
110
115
120
A Cri-
}
201
A Critical Epiſtle:
Written in the Dark. *
Y Candle's out, and I'm in Bed;
MY
Yet, fince it comes into my Head
To fend you Verfes half a Sheet,
I'll write them now: What Time fo meet?
The Muſes, or whate'er you name 'em,
Who blow up Poets, and inflame 'em,
Do all their Work by Fits and Starts,
And fcorn the Rules of vulgar Arts.
We muſt embrace the prefent Rapture;
For timing Things is half the Chapter.
You'll write, fays JOHN, but how'll you write
(And laughs aloud) without a Light?
10
i
* To the Perfon on whom our Author, by Commiffion from
APOLLO, conferr'd the Honour of Knighthood. See the Epi-
ftle called Poetical Knighthood, Vol. I. p. 81.
}
202
A Critical Epiftle.
Dear JOHNNY, haft thou never read
Of certain Cloſets in the Head,
Where Poets keep Amanuenfes,
To take in Short-hand all their Fancies;
'Till they, by Day-light, or by Taper,
Tranſcribe them forth with Ink and Paper?
'Tis very like, my Friend replies:
How Folks may live, and ftill grow wife!
Yet let us not thus wildly chatter,
But enter on your Subject Matter.
The Subject? Prithee, what do'ft mean?
In Letters, when are Subjects feen?
15
20
If I write on, and write to pleaſe ye,
25
In Name of Goodnefs, JOHN, be eaſy.
Your Wits two thouſand Years ago,
Ver. 33-54. When HOMER, &c.] This Burleſque Applica-
tion of the Stories of the Iliad and the Æneid will be the more
obvious, if we infert here, from the Criticks, a brief Account
of the real Fables of thoſe two Poems. HOME R, in order to
recommend Unity among the GRECIAN States, has deſcribed
the braveſt of his Princes, at the Siege of TROY, as diſcon-
tented with the General, and thereupon retiring from the
Camp, without regarding either his Duty, his Reaſon, or his
Friends. The Enemy takes the Advantage of his Abſence,
A Critical Epifile..
203
Who ftrove to pleaſe, and teach Folks too,
I grant, had always fome Defign,
1
Which they purfu'd thro' ev'ry Line:
30
'Twas call'd, The Moral of the Piece;
And minded much in ROME and GREECE.
When HOMER in Heroicks fings
Of twice two Dozen GRECIAN Kings,
Who ten long Years inveſted TROY,
35
To plague a wanton Wench and Boy;
His Moral, by the Criticks found,
te
Is, "c
Fifty Sticks together bound,
Are much leſs eafily demolish'd,
Than if that Union were aboliſh'd: "
40
Which THESIS, by Examples plenty,
He clears in Canto's Four and Twenty.
and purſues the War with Succeſs againſt his Party; till the
Death of his deareſt Companion makes him return, and join
the common Intereft, when Victory changes Side, and declares
in Favour of the GREEKS. VIRGIL's Fable is this: A TRO-
JAN Prince, become a Fugitive by the Deftruction of his
State, goes in fearch of a new Eftabliſhment, making his Gods
and his Father Companions of his Flight. He lands, and ftays
fome Time at CARTHAGE; but the celeftial Beings, willing to
reward his Piety with a better Situation, command him to de-
1
204
A Critical Epiftle.
A Truth that ESOP could difclofe
More plainly, in ten Lines of Profe.
The MANTUAN Poet too may fay as
Much as he pleaſe of 'Squire ÆNEAS,
Who row'd the Midland Pond about,
3
With DIDO lay, with TURNUS fought;
'Tis plain, his Meaning was,-" To prove,
That PHRYGIAN Plants if we remove,
They mock the fwarthy LYBIAN'S Toil,
And pine without ITALIAN Soil;
That Wind and Rain will kill them there,
Without a wond'rous deal of Care."
I fay, the GREEKS and ROMANS thus
(But what is GREECE and ROME to us?)
Had Meanings. Why they had their Way,
And fo have we, as well as they.
45
50
55
Are we oblig'd fuch Pains to take?
No,---we may write for Writing's Sake.'
60
part, and conduct him to ITALY, where, after much Oppo-
fition, he fettles, and becomes the Founder of the ROMAN
Empire.
Ver. 43. Æsop] See his Fable of the Old Man and his Sons.
1
A Critical Epiftle.
205
Nor fhould my Friend eſteem it ſtrange,
That Modes of Wit, like Dreffes, change;
We Moderns fee the Antients' Faults:
(From POPE I borrow'd theſe two Thoughts)
And left the Schools, in future Times,
65
Should write dull Comments on our Rymes,
Is it not prudent, Mafter JoHN,
To leave them nought to write upon?
But you have WALLER'S Words at hand,
That ENGLISH Poets write in Sand;
And therefore need not fear the Rage,
Or Dulnefs-of a future Age.
'Tis granted, Friend: Yet you'll agree,
This Thought concludes as much for me:
70
Could ENGLISHMEN like ROMANS write,
75
By blending Profit with Delight,
Were it not Labour fpent in vain,
Unleſs our Language would remain?
Ver. 64. From POPE, &c] See the Effay on Criticiſm.
Ver. 69. WALLER'S Words.] In his Poem entitled, Of Eng-
lib Verfe, which begins,
Foets may boast, as fafely vain, &c.
206
A Critical Epifle.
The Man that holds his Land by Leaſe,
(There's fome Refemblance in the Cafe)
7
Nor builds nor plants with half the Care,
As if that Land were for his Heir.
If DRYDEN Muft, as POPE has wrote,
Lofe all the Charms he now has got;
If POPE muſt grow like Father CHAUCER;
Niceneſs is Nonfenfe for that Caufe, Sir.
Befides, why fhould not we give Way
To thoſe who next may come in play?
When, like the Man, the Poem dies,
There's Room for other Bards to rife.
Had SWIFT or PRIOR never writ,
Ev'n I, perhaps, had been a Wit.
A great Man-truly charitable,
Should never do the best he's able.
Dear JoHN, be patient while I keep ye!
Confider,---I myſelf grow fleepy.
But Sleep and Death are Things myfterious.
Ver. 83. As POPE has wrote.] In the above quoted Piece.
+
Our Sons their Father's failing Language fee,
And fuch as CHAUCER is, fhall DRYDEN be.
80
85
90
95
1
A Critical Epiftle.
207
So come we to one Thought that's ſerious;
Which, decently difpos'd in Metre,
Shall cloſe my Eyes, and end my Letter.
Old DENNIS here would ftorm, and fwear
Such Stuff as this he could not bear ;
Would fet in meet Array before us
Some Verfes of his Mafter HORACE.
Then, in a learn'd and long Harangue,
That Author's Sides would fhrewdly bang,
Who joins the Lion and the Whale,
The Woman's Head and Fishes Tail.
To fall from Joking to Reflecting,
The Rules of Unity neglecting,
I own, 'tis not purfuing Nature,
AS HORACE, or as DENNIS ſtate her ;
100
105
110
Yet, by their Leaves, confider'd duly,
'Tis thus we imitate moft truly.
Now He, the Criticks have confeſt,
115
Excels, who imitates the beft.
Ver. 108. Who joins-The Woman's Head and Fishes Tail.] See
HOR ACE's Art of Poetry.
Ver. 115, 116. He-Excels, who imitates, &c.] The moſt
-208
A Critical Epiftle.
Then I, by hazard, (let them know it)
Thus write at preſent like a Poet ;
Preferve my Thought; my Credit fave;
By plunging down from Gay to Grave.
So finks the Man who takes a Wife;
So pafs we all thro' human Life.
Our Youth, what is it but a Jeft,
A thouſand diff'rent Ways expreft?
We drefs; we drink; affect an Air;
Swear, lye, and compliment the Fair ;
See Plays, and ev'ry Pleafure try,
Which Mode or Fancy can fupply.
Thoſe who moft regularly move,
3
120
125
Get tipfy, laugh, and fall in Love;
A trivial Point can often ftrain,
130
And, if not leud, at leaſt are vain.
Thus, till repeated Follies weary us;
Then we recant, grow wife, and ſerious;
A little o'er our Madneſs weep;
Bid all good Night, and drop afleep.
135
comprehenfive Definition of Poetry is, That it is an Imitation
of Nature.
J
THE
Buceta.
THE
Confcientious Keeper:
A TA L E. *
HEN Men have honeſt Wives at home,
W Yet take the Liberty to roam;
They can't with too much Caution act,
In keeping cloſe an amorous Fact.
'Tis not enough to hide their Sin
5
From All, but Thofe concern'd therein:
* In order to account for fome Oddities in this Story, it is
Proper to take Notice, that the real Hiftory which gave Birth to
P
210
The Confcientious Keeper:
From even Thoſe they ſhould conceal
What may the Crime of Both reveal.
THOMAS, I truft, will not miſtake me:
Yet, if Example plainer make me,
DICK DAVENTER, my quondam Friend,
This Propofition fhall defend.
DICK hits our Purpoſe to the Life:
3
}
10
DICK went aftray, yet had a Wife.
This Friend of mine was briſk and young;
15
Well built, and confequently ſtrong:
4
Yet (to his Honour be it heard)
What Strength he had, he never fpar'd.
His Wife at all Times would agree,
(And who could know fo well as fhe?)
That, take him early, take him late,
He was a good Pains-taking Mate.
In vain, alas! no Fruit appears,
To crown his Toil, in thrice three Years!
O Fate fevere! no hopeful Child
20
25
it, is kept in View throughout. We are not allow'd to explain
too much in this Cafe, but have Liberty to fay, that Dick
A TAL E.
211
Upon th' induftrious Parent ſmil'd!
DICK with Submiffion bore his Lot,
And cheriſh'd fcarce an evil Thought.
No-if 'twere Providence's Will,
He'd live contented, childleſs, ftill!
For, let his Foes fay what they can,
DICK was a very pious Man:
His Manners were correctly nice;
30
He went to Church o'SUNDAYS twice;
And would not do an evil Thing
35
To make himfelf GREAT BRITAIN'S King.
Alas! it grieves my Soul to tell
How into TRULLA's Snare he fell!
How, failing home, late, by himſelf,
His Veffel ftranded on her Shelf!
49
Stand off, my Friend; difcard, and kick her.
In vain I wish! my Friend's in Liquor.
Her Arts prevail; fhe draws him in
To act th' abominable Sin:
DAVENTER faw the Tale before it was firft printed, and did
not feem diſſatisfied with any Part of it.
P Pz
3
212
The Confcientious Keeper:
!
To promiſe, at a proper Time,
To come, and to repeat the Crime!
When once our Innocence we ftain,
Spot follows Spot, like Drops of Rain.
Next Morning DICK cons o'er and o'er
45
The Follies of the Night before.
50
Could he thoſe Minutes but recal,
He'd freely facrifice his All!
He'll go no more. But then his Vow!
To break it Honour won't allow.
On all th' Intentions of his Word
55
He very learnedly demurr'd.
Will Time, Condition, Perfon, Place,
Afford no Salvo in this Cafe?
An Pellice fervanda Fides?
Yes-Reafon on th' affirming Side is.
60
A Promiſe fhould be facred ftill;
Made when, where, or to whom it will.
Truth's Arguments at length prevail;
Ver. 59. An Pellice fervanda Fides.] i. e. Ought an Engage-
ment to be kept with a common Whore? It feems by this Line as
if the Author intended to intimate that RICHARD was a Scholar,
A TAL E.
213
(Some Inclination in the Scale.)
They meet again; get more acquainted:
Again: Freſh Meetings are appointed.
In fhort, they met and met fo long,
(To haften forwards with my Song)
That he was her's, and fhe was his;
A downright Keeper, and his Mifs.
Long Converfation Freedom breeds.
Encroaching TRULLA intercedes
To know her dear Deceiver's Name;
Where now he lives; from whence he came ;
65
70
A
Whether a married Man, or fingle;
With fifty Things that will not jingle;
Which Women will on Men intrude,
Where theſe are fond, and thoſe are rude.
His Love for Truth Dick ftill retains,
And therefore takes a World of Pains
75
80
To anſwer her with half a Lye:
(An Anſwer he could not deny)
But whether or no Pellex be a proper Word here, a certain
Critick very much queftions. Would not Scortum, faid he,
have been better? But SCOR TUM was a Syllable too short. Be-
2
P 3
214
The Confcientious Keeper:
Yet fo as fhe might never find
The true Intention of his Mind.
First, DANIEL DOUBTFUL was his Name; 85
(Th' initial Letters ftill the fame)
And, for the future, fhe fhould fee
His Billets all fubfcrib'd, D. D.
His native Place, a Town of Note,
IN BERKSHIRE, thirty Miles remote,
90
He call'd by Name, and told the Diſtance:
Then brought in KENT to his Affiſtance,
His Dwelling was on LONDON Side;
Not far from where THAMES rolls his Tide.
He nam❜d the THAMES, the Sign, the Street,
95
Set off with Circumſtances meet:
Yet, in Conclufion, mince'd the Matter,
By placing all acroſs the Water.
But Marriage was fo firm a Nooſe,
How could he play at faft and looſe?
100
He has no Child :-Ay, there's his Hold!
fides, Pellex illa vulgo appellatur, quæ cum eo cui uxor non fit corpus
mifcet. That is, fays the Dictionary, Amarried Man's Whore. PEL-
x then was the moft proper Word that could be here used.Venit
1
A TAL E.
215
TRULLA muft artfully be told,
That Wedlock once had been his Scope,
But, ah! the Girl had baulk'd his Hope:
That now the antient DOUBTFUL Stem,
'Twas thought, would terminate in Him.
Tho' happy fhould he be, to prove,
By marrying her, his faithful Love;
Thoſe dying Honours to revive,
And leave on Earth his Name alive.
What further Queftions TRULLA aſked,
How cautious DICK his Anſwers maſk'd,
105
IIQ
We leave. In fhort, fuch Shifts appear,
TRULLA perceives him infincere:
Yet, tho' ſhe found her Spark in jeſt,
Words were too warily exprefs'd,
She truly thought, to be but Wind:
She therefore bore them all in Mind;
Refolv❜d a proper Time to wait,
And, if worth while, to feize the Bait.
115
120
enim a pellicio, i. e, blandiendo decipio: quia blandiendo virum
ab uxore feducit. 'Tis furpriſing, that an able Judge ſhould be
fo miſtaken in his Opinion!
P 4
216 The Confcientious Keeper:
Profuſe abroad, at-home ſtill juſt,
Nor Wife, nor Miſtreſs need miſtruſt:
Each, when ſhe wanted, had a Shilling;
Neither knew more than DICK was willing:
Till waiting once on Mifs, as ufual,
125
He brings a Book for her Perufal.
Says he, Theſe Poems, ev'ry Line,
Were written by a Couz of mine;
A Fellow of uncommon Parts S
Well skill'd in fundry of the Arts.
The Title of the Pamphlet tells
His Name, and Trade, and where he dwells.
TRULLA with Thanks receives the Prefent,
Nor doubts to read Dick's myftic Ways in't.
The truftieft of her private Friends
She to this Poet's Lodgings fends;
Inftructed how to act and fpeak;
Intreated large Remarks to make,
130
135
Ver. 128. A Couz of mine ] This Coufin, in all Probability,
was our Author himſelf, who would hardly have taken the
Pains to write fuch a long Tale on RICHARD's Adventures, if
he had not been, fome Way or other, particularly concerned
A TAL LE217
E.
.
He goes; he rallies all his Senfe ;
And, Sir, I hope 'tis no Offence!
I faw your Book; admire your Wit;
And come to talk concerning it.
Pray, won't you pleaſe to take a Glafs?
-I ſhould be glad an Hour to paſs.
140
The Bard complies, with Heart elate.-
145
Heav'ns! to be follow'd at this Rate!
How great a Man! They drink and fmoke;
Talk common Things; and pafs a Joke;
Till,-Pray Sir, have you no Relations?-
Yes. What may be their Names, and Stations? 150
Where do they dwell? What Sort of Men?-
The Poet mentions Nine or Ten;
Their Names, their Age, their Size, how drefs'd;
DICK DAVENTER among the reſt.
The Plot unravels now apace:
TRULLA'S Acquaintance tells the Cafe:
155
in Them. Beſides, ſeveral Circumſtances very much favour
this Opinion; it being certain that a Sixpenny Collection, en-
titled, The Weaver's Mifcellany, was publiſhed about the Year
1730, juft before this Tale was written, under the Name of
:
贪
​218
The Confcientious Keeper:
The Coufin's Story ſtronger brings
DICK's own difguis'd Account of Things;
And, as the joint Deſcription ran,
'Twas plain, he was the very Man.
'Tis eafy to conceive the reſt:
How artful TRULLA Rage expreſs'd;
(To make him with more Warmth falute her,
And uſe her better for the future.)
Impofe on her! fhe'd have him know
He was the firft that ferv'd her fo!
160
165
She had, indeed, been much torla net:
The worſe Luck her's tho'; Loves olind!
Her's all were honourable Views!
170
The more Knave he, fuch Love t' abufe!
But Dick, grown cautious by Experience,
Could not be drawn to freſh Coherence.
He knew his Credit was at Stake,
What Ufe of this the Bard would make ;
}
175
JOHN BANCKS, a poor Weaver in SPITAL-FIELDS; and
with the following Motto, Poemata texui: Which Title, doubt-
leſs, was deſigned as a Parallel to the Thresher's Miſcellany, and
fome other Miſcellanies of the fame Order, rather than to in-
ATAL E.
219
So in the Miſchief firſt appears,
Ere the Houſe falls about his Ears:
With deep Contrition, to his Wife,
Owns ev'ry Error of his Life:
Together all the Parties brings;
And publickly Peccavi fings.
Contented with the preſent Game,
The Poet vows to fpare his Fame.
TRULLA was willing to be gone,
At naming BRIDEWELL, and Sir JOHN:
And Madam,
- Sake of both,
Pardons this Breach of Marriage Troth.
PERHAPS I write to one fo wicked,
180
185
He daily does as bad as Dick did:
But of theſe Doings who can tax him?
190
He well obferves that prudent Maxim,
t
(Already rym'd at our Beginning)
"Obferve a Manner ev'n in Sinning!
timate, that the Author actually did follow the Occupation of
a Weaver at that Time, the Contrary of which is well known.
This Title, however, is manifeftly alluded to in Ver. 132.
His Name, and Trade, and where he dwells.
J
220 The Confcientious Keeper:
"If
..
you muſt rove, mind what you do!
<<< Why will
you lofe your Honour too?
To this grand Principle of Thine,
Shall I, dear Toм, add one of Mine?
'Tis the Refult of much Reflection,
And fhews the Beauty of Perfection.
A Man may hope, but hopes in vain,
To live in Vice, yet Truth maintain.
Who goes aftray, fhould never fick
Juft half-way o'er, like fheepish DICK;
But boldly flounce thro' Thin and Thick.
A Slip once made, you cannot mend it:
So well reflect, when you intend it,
What Work muft follow, to defend it.
3
195
200
205
And if, to ward off all Conviction,
You dare not prove a Contradiction ;
Refolve, tho' guilty, not to fall,
But forward puſh, Oaths, Lyes, and all;
210
Faith, e'en live honeſt all your Life,
There are ſome few Pieces in theſe Volumes felected from the
Weaver's Mifcellany; particularly LYCON: A Paftoral Fable; and
T
A TAL E.
i
221
And kiſs no Creature but your Wife!
Your harden'd Rogues are always Winners:
The Scandal falls on half-face'd Sinners.
But-'tis the Failing of Beginners!
(Note, by the Way, I don't intend
To charge this Failing on my Friend.)
In Politicks, who is not hearty,
Hath fmall Regard from either Party :
Againſt your Clan, on no Pretence,
You dare admit ev'n Common Senfe.
Thus with your Churchmen and Diffenters,
The Man who rails at all Adventures,
215
220
Stickles for ev'ry Point difputed,
But never deigns to be confuted ;
225
He, only He, obtains Reſpect,
And ftands for one of God's Elect.
While all your fober mod'rate Fellows,
Who think them both a Grain too zealous,
Thofe Deifts, Atheiſts, Devils, No-Church, 230
the Verſes in Anfwer to the Queſtion, Who is a happy Man?
both in Vol. I.
222 The Confcientious Keeper, &c.
Are damn'd by High-Church, and by Low-Church.
When ISRAEL'S Schifm was on the Tapis,
Who ftoutly ſtood for Gop or APIs,
Was held an ISRAELITE indeed:
But he who halted (All agreed)
Betwixt JERUSALEM and BETHEL,
Whate'er his Morals, prov'd his Faith ill.
For then, as now, the Saints confeſt
235
This fingle Principle was beft:
"Cleave to the Temple, or the Calves:
"The Devil won't be ferv'd by Halves.
240
Ver. 232. ISRAEL's Schifm.] Upon the Divifion of the King-
dom between REHOBOAM the Son of SOLOMON, and JERO-
BOAM the Son of NEBAT; when the latter, to prevent the
Tribes under his Dominion from going up to the Temple at
JERUSALEM, erected two golden Calves, to be the Objects of
their Worſhip, the one at DAN, and the other at BETHEL,
This was in Imitation of the EGYPTIANS, who worshipped
their God OsY RIS under the Form of a Calf, or Ox, which
they called APIs. They, indeed, had a living Ox, with certain
peculiar Marks, which was conftantly kept in the Temple of
their Deity: But the ISRAELITES, both now and in former
Times, were content with an Image only of the fame Creature;
and therefore, in Fact, were no more than Idolizers of the E-
GYPTIAN Idolatry. It is obfervable, however, that they had
always a very ſtrong Propenfity for Calf-Worship, which feems
to have left a deeper Impreffion on their Minds, than the Gar-
lick and Onions of EGYPT had left on their Palates.
An
223
An Undecided Cafe.
ICK join'd in nuptial Conjugation
DI in, long had fought
With SUSAN, whom he long had fought:
But four Months after Cultivation,
The Fruit of Nine SUE kindly brought.
DICK fcolded: SUE was in a Swoon :
About their Caſe the Neighbours varied :
Some urg'd that SUSAN came too ſoon;
Others, that DICK too late was married.
T
WILL and his Wife.
WO more alike one ſhall not fee:
For Both are bad as bad can be:
I wonder Thefe fhould not agree.
A
224
A very Impartial Opinion.
ES, I have ſeen, and think your Bride
YE
So fair, fo modeft, fo diſcreet,
So young, fo plump, fo fhrill befide,
In Mind and Perfon fo compleat;
That fuch if Heav'n had fent me Three,
Would SATAN pawn his honeft Word,
I'd give him Two, by Way of Fee,
To make him carry off the Third.
ROOFING OR
5
Omne tulit punctum, qui mifcuit utile
dulci.
HUS runs the Senfe of this HORATIAN Line,
TH
Tranflated by our Landlord at the VINE:
"Mix wholfome Water with delicious Wine!"
THE
تم
225
THE
IMMORTALITY of Good Writers:
An
O D
E. *
HAT Soul and Body Man compoſe,
Tis
Is held by Chriftians, Jews, and TURKS:
But They who write, in Verfe or Profe,
Confiſt of Body, Soul, and Works.
The Soul afcends, the Body dies,
To meet when Nature finks in Flames:
From Now to Then the Space that lies,
Is vacant all to vulgar Names.
To fill this mighty Void of Time,
Is all the Buſineſs that remains:
This Authors do, whofe Works fublime
Are wrought with Learning, Senfe, and Pains.
ת!
IO
* This Piece, as will be feen in the Reading of it, confifls
properly of two Parts. In the former, which takes in the
eleven firſt Stanzas, the Author purſues the Thought which he
226 The Immortality of Good Writers:
To Theſe th' Eternity behind
Begins on Earth, in juſt Applauſe :
Hereafter 'twill be for Mankind;
'Tis Theirs from hence, without a Paufe.
Like MILTON's Bridge thro' Chaos rear'd,
Their Wit unites, with lengthen'd Lines,
15
The Known, th' Unknown, the Hop'd, the Fear'd,
And to th' Immortal---Mortal joins.
Hence HOMER lives with lafting Bloom,
And PLATO mounts o'er common Fate;
The World and VIRGIL fhare one Doom,
And TULLY talks with ROMAN State.
Connected thus, the Life and Fame
Extend thro' Time to Time's Decay:
The Mortal fleeps ;-then fprings the Name,
And grows, and meets the waking Clay.
20
23
ftarts in the third and fourth Lines, and fets forth the double
Immortality of good Writers, firft in their Works, and after-
wards in common with the rest of their Species. He also gives
it as his poetical Opinion, that even in this latter State they will
have greatly the Advantage of other People. The fecond
}
An O D E.
227
What next enfues we only gueſs;
For who can read the myftic Page?
30
But double Worth muſt doubly bleſs,
Such Worth as warns the Bard and Sage.
The boundleſs Heart, the Soul fincere,
The Genius ftrong, correct, and free,
That made them lov'd and honour'd here;
Shall raife them there in like Degree.
Superior Toils, but for thefe Hopes
In future Worlds, were loft in This:
But fure our ADDISONS and POPES
Commence with Fame, and end with Blifs.
Innate their Claim to both they find,
The Gods' Reward, and Praife of Men;
And the fame confcious Strength of Mind,
That now inſpires, fhall blefs them then.
35
40
Part, beginning at Ver. 45, is directed againſt Thoſe who op-
poſe in Writing, the future Exiftence of the Soul, afcribe all to
Chance, and confine their Views within the Compafs of the
prefent Life. It fhews the Poffibility of the Soul's Existence
in a ſeparate State; it infifts on the Folly of oppugning the Ba
Q &
228 The Immortality of Good Writers:
But by what Paffion are they borne,
Againſt theſe Hopes who turn their Aim?
Seek they for Fame, who Future fcorn?
For Blifs, when Being they difclaim?
Stretch'd forth and cold when lies the Clay,
And round the Herfe the Friends appear,
'Tis finiſh'd all, thefe Witlings ſay,
Joy, Pain, Defire, and Hope, and Fear.
Ill fuits a Verfe with grave Difputes:
But let them tell---how firft began
45
50
In Plants their Life, their Senfe in Brutes,
And both, with Reaſon join'd, in Man.
55
That God, that Pow'r, whoe'er He be,
That thro' th' Abyfs creating rode,
Who varies Nature, ---may not He
Preſerve the Thing, and change the Mode ?.
60
Keep they their Truft, if Truſt they have!
For fure their Syſtem yields them none,
lief of this Doctrine; becaufe, on the contrary Hypothefis, there
can be no Motive fufficient to engage them in fo arduous an
An O D E.
229
Which gives up All to glut the Grave,
And hides whole Man beneath a Stone.
Think they to breathe a fecond Breath,
Reviv'd their Duft, renew'd their Frame?
The confcious Soul extinct in Death,
Nor Frame, nor Duft can rife the fame.
65
By Chance if Matter were inform❜d,
When breathleſs once, and in the Urn,
70
That Mafs by Chance refhap'd, rewarm'd,
The Senfe of Paft could not return.
'Tis not that He of former Days!
Then what's their Motive, let me afk,
į
To toil for Virtue, or for Praife?
75
Eat, drink, and die, fhould be their Tafk.
But fure the Works fuch Thoughts infpire,
Muft image ftrong their Authors' Scheme;
Which well may damp the fierceſt Fire,
And caufe to languiſh ev'ry Theme!
Undertaking, as that of withstanding the received Opinion.
Ver. 17. MILTON's Bridge] See Paradife Loft, Book IĮ.
80
Q3
230 The Immortality of Good Writers, &c.
And when thefe Works (as go they must).
Shall wrap our Candles, Salt, and Sope;
Their Souls extinct, their Bodies Duft,
What Part of Them can reft in Hope?
A Woman with a Confcience.
A
S married NELL lay under JAMES,
In bolted NAN, and call'd her Names,
And ſwore her Cuckold fhould well cuff her.
JAMES begg'd fhe'd neither ſcold nor tell,
And gave a Crown. Away! faid NELL;
For the fame Price fee what I fuffer!
Nay, nay, quoth NAN, I'll not exact upon ye:
I'll do---as much as You may do for Money!
JAMES, if he will, that Penance may direct me:
I fcorn, God knows, a Neighbour ſhould fufpect me!
19
4
231
To Mr. P*, DISTILLER. †
HEN MATTHEW ftood, as you may now,
WHE
At the Receipt of Cuſtom,
PETER came by. MATT made a Bow,
And told the Saint, he'd truft him.
What Liquor does thy Houfe afford?
Says MATT, Good ROMAN Gin, Sir.
Quoth PETER, MATTHEW, hear my Word,
And leave this Courfe of Sin, Sir,
Gin's fit for Infidels and Jews;
No Others in thy Shop are!
The Product of the Grape diffufe,
For Goſpel Teachers proper.
5
10
The Author's particular Friend, who defired him to come.
in, and offered him a Glafs of Geneva. Theſe extempore
Lines were his Excufe for refufing it, but are altered fince they
were printed in his former Collection.
!
232 To Mr. P*, Diſtiller.
Doubtless you think me wondrous free
With MATTHEW, and with PETER:
But great Authorities,we ſee,
I
Are good in Profe or Metre.
quote the Fathers for the Sons,
Who (Biſhops, Rectors, Vicars,)
In all their Vifits-vote at once
For Wine, the beſt of Liquors.
If Priefts and Prelates reaſon thus,
Thoſe Temples of the Spirit,
We Bards conclude, 'tis good for Us,
Who ghoftly Gifts inherit.
Then, prithee, take thy Poiſon back,
And let thy Friend receive a
Full Glaſs of comfortable Sack,
Inftead of curs'd Geneva.
For fince the fame infpiring Sort
Is good for Prieſts and Poets,
Sure they, who PETER'S Maxim thwart,
Are little Wits, or no Wits.
A
15
འ
20
25
30
Au-
233
T
AUGUSTA Triumphans:
For the Year 1733.*
HOVE
OV'RING aloft o'er fair AUGUSTA'S Domes,
(Rivals to antient, or to modern ROME's)
Thus with fmooth Afpect, and maternal Smiles,
Spoke the bright Genius of the Queen of Ifles.
fefs 5
Thee Daughter, Thee, BRITANNIA fhall con-
Her darling Child; Thy Name fhall ever blefs;
Thee Guardian of their Properties and Laws
Thy Sifters own, and crown Thee with Applaufe.
With confcious Pride erect Thy radiant Head;
Brighten My Day, and Thy full Luftre fhed.
10
Here bow EDINA, Glory of the North,
To Age, to Grandeur, and fuperior Worth.
Here fee, my Children, who your Fate reſtrain'd,
When Av'rice, Meannefs, and Corruption reign'd!
* Occafioned by the City Petition against the Excife-Bill,
on which it was rejected, notwithstanding it had been received
by a Majority of above Sixty.
>
234
AUGUSTA Triumphans.
When, lull'd to Reft, and grown fecurely good, 15
The Tide of Slav'ry feebly I withſtood;
When my few watchful Sons, with patriot Care,
Waken'd my Woes, and told the Tempeft near;
When from ten thoufand Tongues I heard arife.
Groans of th' Opprefs'd, and loud prefaging Crics; 20
When charming ELOQUENCE prevail❜d no more,
And but furviv'd my Mif'ries to deplore;
When HOPE took Wing, and PUBLICK FAITH WAS
And LIBERTY food trembling on the Coaft;
loft,
When ENVY fmil'd, and GAUL rejoice'd to fee 25
The Fav'rite of the Gods no longer free;
warm,
When DISCORD thriv'd, and ev'ry Breaft grew
(While black'ning Clouds th' Horizon round de-
THEN ROSE AUGUSTA, AND REPELL'D THE
form)
STORM.
Mifs
235
•
Mifs POLLY to Mifs BETTY.*
MADAM, I beg your Pardon for the Liberty.
have
In prefuming to fpeak in an Affair which I have no
Buſineſs to ſpeak in:
But you have a Mind to be marry'd, it ſeems, and
I have a Mind to hinder you;
At leaſt, till you have confider'd what a Slave
Marriage will render you.
Not but that Mr. JOHN and you might make an
excellent Bout on't;
5.
For Mr. JOHN is a Gentleman of Parts, Madam, I
make no doubt on't:
But can you conſtantly ſupply both his Pleafures and
his Expences?
Unlefs you can, I am afraid, notwithstanding his
fine Pretences,
Ah Madam! if he lov'd you, would he haunt Ta-
verns and public Houſes?
Thoſe who are cruel to their Sweet-hearts, are feldom
over-kind to their Spouſes.
10
* Written at Mifs POLLY's Defire, who tranſcribed and fent
it. Every One has feen the celebrated Petition of FRANCES
HARRIS, the Stile of which is here imitated.
236 Mifs POLLY to Mifs BETTY.
Where he has the Money, God knows; but his Il-
huſbandry is endlefs;
1
And before he knew you, Madam, I am fure he
was oblig'd to ſpend leſs.
You have a Fortune, I confefs; but you have not a
Mint of Money':
Or if you had, at the Rate he goes on, he would
quickly out-run ye.
Can't you enjoy the Pleafures of this World without
being plagu'd with a Hufband?
15
If I was you, I'd fee Mr. JOHN hang'd, before I'd
agree to be thus bound.
There are generous-hearted Men enough, who have
very good Qualifications:
Follow the Law of Nature then :- What have you
to do with the Law of Nations?
In fhort, Mrs. BETTY, if you marry, I fhall be
forry for your Folly;
But if you take my Advice, I fhall rejoice at your
Happineſs.
Yours,
POLLY, 39
R
A Let-
237
A
very
familiar Epiftle.
*
A
S I have not at prefent any Superfluity of Time,
Without endeavouring much after the Stile
fublime,
I'll fend Thee a Letter in home-fpun Country Ryme,
Such as we were wont to uſe in our own native Clime:
When adown COLEY long Lane we were accuftom-
ed to walk,
5
With AMBROSE, and with JOSEPH, and with many
more young Folk;
Where of NANCY, SALLY, BECKY, and JENNY
we would fo talk,
And fometimes upon the Benches fcrawl their
Names in Chalk.
* To the fame Perfon as the Epiftle againſt Fortune, and
the critical Epiftle. This odd Piece of Doggerel was before
printed with the Author's Name: Otherwiſe it had better have
been omitted here, not only on Account of its own Infignit-
cancy, but becauſe it preferves the Memory of another Trifle,
which, for many Reaſons, ought to have been left in Oblivion.
Ver. 5. COLEY.] Near READING, the Seat of RICHARD
THOMPSON, Efq;
238
A very familiar Epistle.
Oh how the pleafing Thought my Breaft inflames!
Fain would I grow harmonious on the Names I
Of all thofe lovely Nymphs of KENNET and of
THAMES!
But, as I took notice before, I muft let my Fancy
Aag,
And only inform Thee, that I have lately play'd
the Wag,
And publish'd a Poem, or Tale, entitled "The
Hunting of the Stag;
Occafion'd by a certain Great Man's tumbling from
his Nag:
15
I mean, a greater Man than the noted Sir ROBERT
FAGG.
Ver. 14. The Hunting of the Stag.] Of this Piece, fince we
are obliged to mention it, we fhall only fay, that it confifted
of near three hundred Lines, all fcribbled in one Morning: A
Circumftance, that is more than fufficient to give an Idea of
their Merit in general. However, as among fuch a Number
there could not but be fome lefs faulty than others, we have
here ſelected a few of thofe which appear the moft tolerable.
That we have Heroes great as Thofe,
Whom thefe immortal Scribblers * choſe,
Who never hid their Heads in Trenches,
Nor ventur❜d Lives for fcurvy Wenches;
Yet wifer Folks than they who did,
'bat Man can doubt who ever read?
*
*
*
* IlOMER
and VIRGIL
!
A very familiar Epiftle.
230
I have made my Stag therein very boldly reafon
N
And, faith! fome People tell me, he almoft thinks
Treafon :
For which the aforefaid Great Man may chance to
feize One,
And clap One up, as the Saying is, in a Prifon. 20
From thence, they aver, I may be advanced to a
Place,
(Some affirm 'tis an Honour; Others affert 'tis a
Difgrace)
Thro' three Peep-holes to thruft forth my two Fifts
and my Face,
And fuffer a whole Hour the Rage of the Po-
pulace.
'Tis wrong to call them Demi-gods,
Who only fet the World at odds ;
Who never knew of Gold the Might,
And have no Skill but juſt to fight.
Is He not much more like a God,
Who rules the Nations with his Nod?
Who makes all EUROPE glad to caper
To ev'ry Tune He pricks on Paper?
Against their Wills does People good,
Without one Blow, or Drop of Blood?
*
*
*
*
*
—ſince the Man who writes, is ſure
His Name fhall with his Work endure,
And bath, as Criticks all agree,
A Chance for Immortality;
+
240
A very familiar Epiftle.
¡
Now, as I know you have long ow'd me a Grudge,25
Becauſe to come and fee you I fo very feldom budge,
That Day to CHARING-CROSS I Would advise you to
trudge,
That there, among the Mob, with rotten Eggs you
may drudge.
e all
But if you would have the Book before they are
engrofs'd,
You may ſend a Waterman for it with very little
Coft.
30
I don't care, you muſt know, to truft it by the
Penny-Poft,
For fear the wonderful Productions of my Brain
fhould be loft.
Who would not use his best Endeavour,
To have a Chance to live for-ever?
***
*
*
*
*
*
*
when once a Knight is dubb'd,
Tho' He drubs others, or is drubb'd,
'Tis much the fame, if at the last,
He triumphs over Dangers paft.
For Cowards fine when Fortune's kind:
The paffive Life difplays the Mind.
Monf.
f
241
A
Monf. VOLTAIRE
TO THE
Marchionefs du
du CH**. †
MMORTAL EMILY, capacious Mind,
IMA
PALLAS OF FRANCE, and Glory of thy Kind;
Surpaffing Age ev'n in thy Bloom of Youth,
The Pupil, Friend, of NEWTON and of Truth;
† By way of Dedication to his Elements of the NEWTO-
NIAN Philofophy, lately tranflated into ENGLISH. As Mr.
VOLTAIRE did not fee fit to put the Name of his Patronefs at
length, the Tranflator cannot inform his Readers who this
learned FRENCH Lady is; tho' perhaps it might not have been
difficult to have known, if he had taken the Pains to enquire;
becauſe fuch Merit as is here defcribed, efpecially in one of
the Fair Sex, cannot be obſcure in a Country like FRANCE.
The Body of the Poem, contained between Ver. 29 and 84 of
the Tranflation, comprizes a very ingenious Summary of Mr.
VOLTAIRE's whole Book, that is, of the whole NEWTO-
NIAN Syftem, with most of its modern Improvements. Theſe
Lines may ferve as Memorandum-Verſes, to Thoſe who have
already fome Idea of the Philofophy they reprefent; and to
Thoſe who have not, we fhall endeavour to render them in-
telligible by our Annotations. Some Parts of the Epiffle to
Mr. MITCHELL, viz. in Page 60, 61, of this Vol. will be al-
fo farther illuftrated by thefe Remarks.
R
1
}
242
Monf. VOLTAIRE
Thy Fires tranfpierce me, and thy Charms controul; 5
I feel the Force, the Brightness of thy Soul.
To Thee attracted, I renounce the Bays
Sought on the Stage, while yet I liv'd on Praife.
My Wit, corrected, roves not as before,
Of vain Applauſe idolatrous no more.
Let earth-born RUFUS with Refentment rave,
And drag his fenfelefs Fury to the Grave.
In Ryme ſtill ſtraining---coldly to enclofe
10
15
Some trivial Thought, that would depreciate Profe,
That harmleſs Thunder let him hurl at Me,
Which firſt his Rage for Others might decree.
To blaſt my Fame let Pedant ZOILUS feek,
And ſpread unmeaning Malice once a Week.
With me their Envy withers in the Bud:
Ver. 11. 17. RUFUS---ZOILUS.] Of thefe Enemies of our
Author we know no more than of his Patronefs; only it appears
that ZoILUS is fome weekly Journalist. Their Characters how-
ever, and the Author's Contempt of them, could not be omit-
ted, becauſe they have a peculiar Beauty in this Place, which
will be apparent to any intelligent Reader.
Ver. 29. The mally Whirlpools, &c.] A Ridicule of the CAR
TESIAN Philofophy, which abfurdly fuppofes Motion in an
abfolute Plenitude, a Thing demonftrably impoffible: Befides
that it contradicts a principal known Law of circular Motion,(ad-
To the Marchiones du CH**.
243
I fee no Tracks imprinted in the Mud.
20
25
PHILOSOPHY, all-charming, pow'rful Queen,
Lifts the wife Mind above corroding Spleen.
Happy on high where NEWTON now remains,
Knows He on Earth if Enmity yet reigns?
Not more than He my Enemies I know,
While TRUTH auguft invites me from below.
Already, fee! She opes the Gate of Day.
The Lifts I enter, and purfue my Way.
The maffy Whirlpools, heaving ftill for Place,
Heap'd without Rule, and moving without Space, 30
Thoſe learned Phantoms vaniſh from my Sight,
And Day comes on me with her genuine Light.
That vaft Expanfe, of Being the Abode,
Space, which contains th' Infinity of God,
mitting that fuch a Thing could be where there is no Space) by
making the planetary Bodies to be carried round, and impell'd
towards a Center, by a Matter lefs denfe than themſelves;
whereas, in all fuch Motion, the heavieſt Bodies naturally fly to
the Circumference, as is obvious to Experience.
Ver. 33, 34. That vaft Expanſe-Space.] Space muft neceſſari-
ly be immenfe, becaufe God is immenfe; for God can refide
only in Space. And if, with DESCARTES, we fuppofe Mat-
ter to extend thro' all Space, we ought either to deny that
there is a God, or maintain that God to be nothing but Matter.
R 2
244
Monf. VOLTAIRE
1
Sees in her Breaft this bounded Syftem move,
Of Planets, Worlds, beneath us, and above;
Whoſe whole Extent, fo wond'rous to our Senfe,
Is but a Point, an Atom in th' Immenſe.
God fpeaks, and Chaos at his Voice fubfides:
In various Orbs the mighty Maſs divides:
At once they gravitate, they ftrive to fall,
One Center ſeeking, which attracts them all.
35
40
Whence it is juftly obſerved, that DESCARTES, who taught
an infinite Plenitude, at the fame Time that he admitted a God,
and EPICURUS, who held for a Vacuum,while he denied a Deity,
were both of them inconfiftent with themſelves; the former for
introducing an immenfe Existence, without Place to exift in,
and the latter for banishing fuch a Being, while he was labouring
to make Room for him. According to Reason, DESCARTES
fhould have been an Atheist, and EPICURUS an Orthodox
Theift.
Ver. 41, 42. At once they gravitate-One Center feeking.] We
have already obferved, Page 61, of this Vol. that, according
to the Law of Attraction, Bodies act on each other in Propor-
tion to their Diſtances and Maſs: We have alſo taken notice,
Page 58, that the Sun is not abfolutely fixed, but that it never
moves entirely out of the Center of Gravity. To explain a
little more fully what is meant by Gravitation to a Center, and
the Sun's removing out of that Center, at the fame Time that it at
tracts all the Planets towards itfelf, let it be remembered, That
as the Quantity of the Sun's Mafs is not only vaftly fuperior to
that of any fingie Planet, but alfo to that of all the Planets
together, and confequently acts upon each refpective Planet in
due Proportion to that Superiority; fo, by the fame Law, the
To the Marchiones du CH**.
245
That Soul of Nature, that all-moving Spring,
Lay long conceal'd, an unregarded Thing;
Till NEWTON'S Compaſs, moving thro' the Space, 45
Meaſures all Matter, all diſcover'd Place;
Finds Motion's Caufe; Philofophy unleavens;
Lifts up the Veil, and open'd are the Heavens.
His learned Hand unfolds the glitt'ring Robe,
That clothes yon lucid, animated Globe,
50
Planets act upon the Sun, in fuch Manner, as to keep it in
perpetual Motion, and to draw its Center from the common
Center of Gravity (which is always the middle Point of the
Matter of the whole Univerſe) in Proportion as they are more
or leſs diſpoſed to conftitute an Equilibrium on its feveral Sides;
yet never fo, by reafon of the Sun's fuperior Force, as to re-
move it one whole Semidiameter from that Point, in which it
would always remain, if the Matter round it were always
equally difpofed. This Remark, we hope, will give a general
Idea of Gravity, with regard to the planatery Bodies.
Ver. 49-58. His learned Hand, &c.] Sir ISAAC NEWTON,
in his Theory of Light and Colours, has demonſtrated, that
all the Colours of the Rainbow are in every Solar Ray; has
taught us to ſeparate and diftinguish them in fuch Manner, by
the Help of a Prifm, as to convince ourſelves that they are
always the fame, both with regard to the Order in which they
paint themſelves, and the Place they occupy on the Objec
that receives them; has found an Analogy, anfwering in every
Circumftance, between the feven principal Colours, and the
feven Notes in Mufick; has fhewn, that by a Sort of mutual
Attraction between Light and Bodies, which acts near the
Surface of the latter, all the Calours in the Univerſe are im
R}
246
Monf. VOLTAIRE
55
Who guides the Seafons, and who makes the Day.
Mine Eyes diftinguiſh each emitted Ray.
With Purple, Azure, Emerald, and Roſe,
Th' immortal Tiffue of his Habit glows.
Each Emanation, in pure Subftance, bears
The various Colours that all Nature wears.
Theſe blended Teints illuminate our Eyes;
Give Life to Matter; fill th' expanded Skies.
Eternal Pow'rs, who, near the King of Kings,
Burn with his Fires, and cover with your Wings 60
printed, according to the Difpofition of the Particles of Mat-
ter to reflect fuch and fuch Rays, and tranfmit or abforb
others; has proved, that a Mixture of the feveral Colours of the
Sun's Rays, produces that White or Brightnefs, which is the
grand Characteriſtick of Light itself: All which, and many
other furprising Difcoveries, were the Refult of fome cafual
Obfervations, that he made on a Bubble of Sope and Water,
blown up with a Pipe or Quill.
Ver. 63-68. The Sea too bears him, &c.] Our great Philofo
pher has not carried his Obſervations with regard to the Tide
fo far as on fome other Particulars, but has fufficiently fhewn
it to depend on Attraction, and opened ſuch a Way to future
Enquiries, as to put it almoft beyond a Peradventure, that
whatever Discoveries may hereafter be made concerning that
wonderful Phænomenon, they maft all refult from his Princi-
ples, and will be but fo many Confirmations of that univerfal
Law, on which his Philofophy is founded.
Ver. 69-74. Ye Comets, &c.] Tho' fome of the Antients
}
To the Marchioness du CH**.
247
His Throne; O tell us! viewing NEWTON's Plan,
Were you not jealous of that wondrous Man ?
The Sea too hears him. With ftupendous Dance
I fee the humid Element advance,
D
Tow'rds Heav'n it rifes; Heav'n attracts it high: 65
But central Pow'r, more potent, as more nigh,
Each Effort ftops: The Sea recoils; it roars;
Sinks in its Bed, and rolls againſt the Shores.
Ye Comets, dreaded like the Bolts of Jove,
In vaft Ellipfes regularly rove.
70
(as we have fhewn, Page 60, in the Notes) were of Opinion
that Comets were folid and durable Bodies, regular in their
Motions and certain in their Revolutions, yet no Man was ever
able to demonftrate it before Sir ISAAC NEWTON. But he
has effectually ftruck at the Root of all that fuperftitious Ter-
ror, which uſed to attend their Appearance; by proving that
they are of the utmoſt Service in the Conftitution of the Uni-
verfe; that, by moving in Ellipfes immenfely long, they tra-
verſe the whole planetary Syftem; that, by intermixing their
Atmoſpheres with thofe of the Planets they pafs by, they
repair the Ravages of Time, and reftore the Vigour of decay'd
Worlds; that, by impinging on the Sun, they ſupply that
mighty Luminary with freſh Fewel, and prevent his Subſtance
from being deftroy'd by that perpetual Fire, which warms and
illuminates all Nature; that their Tails, which fometimes blaze -
thro' a Quarter of the Hemisphere, are only Smoke, the natural
Effect of that intenfe Heat which they contract about their
Perihelia, or neareſt Approaches to the Sun; that this Heat is
R 4
248
Monf. VOLTAIRE
Ceaſe with your Motion Mortals to affright;
Remount; defcend near the great Orb of Light;
Elance your Fires; fly; and, as each appears,
Reftore the Vigour of exhaufted Spheres.
โค
75
Thou, Sifter of the Sun, who, in the Skies,
Of dazzled Sages mock'd the feeble Eyes,
NEWTON has mark'd the Limits of thy Race :
March on; illumine Night; we know thy Place.
Earth, change thy Form; let the great Law of
The Pole depreffing, elevate th' Equator.
Matter,
80
neceffary for their Prefervation, in thofe almost infinite Di-
ftances which they are at in their Aphelia, and during thoſe
long Periods of Time which conftitute their Revolutions. How
are we indebted to Providence for giving us a NEWTON!
..
Ver. 75-78. Thou, Sifter of the Sun, &c.] The Motion of
the Moon, as regulated by the mutual Attraction betwixt her
and the Earth, and as more or lefs affected by the Action of the
Sun and other remote Bodies, has been fettled by our Mathemati-
cian with the utmoft Exactnefs: And from what he difcovered
concerning this Satellite of the Earth, joined with his Obfer-
vations of the Deſcent of Bodies on the Surface of our Globe,
he was enabled to trace out thofe unalterable Laws of Motion
and Gravity, which manifeftly prevail thro' the whole Univerſe,
and affect, in equal Proportion, all Matter.
Ver. 79-84. Earth, change thy Form, &c.] Sir ISAAC per-
ceived, and actual Eperience has fince confirmed it, that the
Earth could not be a perfect Globe, as had been imagined,
but that the Radius of the Equator must be longer than that
of the Poles. This is a neceffary Effect of the Earth's Rota-
}
To the Marchionefs du Cí**.
249
Pole, fix'd to Sight, avoid the frozen Car,
The Conſtellation of the Northern Bear;
Embrace, in each of thy immenſe Careers,
Near twenty thouſand Centuries of Years.
How beautiful theſe Objects! how the Mind 85
Flies to theſe Truths, enlighten'd and refin'd!
Yes, in the Breaft of God, from Matter free,
It hears the Voice of that Eternal HE!
Thou, whom that Voice familiarly invites,
Say, ev'n in Youth, the Seafon of Delights,
90
tion ; nor could the Sea, about the Equator, be contained in its
Bounds if it were otherwife. If the Power of Gravity be leſs at the
Equator than near the Poles, this is a Proof that the Surface of the
Earth is there farther from the Center: And that Gravity is there
lefs, has been demonftrated by a great Number of Experiments
with the Pendulum. Several FRENCH Philofophers, who were
fent over to PERU for that Purpoſe, have alfo convinced them-
felves very lately of the Earth's fpheriodical Figure, by actual
Menfuration.
Ver. 81, 82. Pele, fix'd to Sight, &c. It has been long ſuſpected,
and is now pretty much believed, after the beſt Examinations that
the Affair will yet admit of, that the Earth has another Motion,
different from any that its Inhabitants have generally been fenfible
of. Some Opinions of the antient EGYPTIANS and CHALDEANS,
which were formerly thought extravagant, feem to countenance it.
The Motion we mean, is a Revolution of the Poles, taking up a
Period of about two Millions of Years. During which Time the
Pole of the Ecliptic and that of the Equator may be twice perpen-
dicular, and twice parallel to each other: The Earth may turn
250
Monſ. VOLTAIRE, &c.
How haft Thou dar'd, in ſpite of Cuftom's Force,
To move fo boldly thro' fo vaft a Courfe?
To follow NEWTON in that boundleſs Road,
Where Nature's loft, and every Thing but God?
95
Purfuing Thee, I venture to advance,
And bring home TRUTH, that Wanderer, to FRANCE,
While ALGAROTTI, fure to pleaſe and teach,
Conducts the Stranger to the LATIAN Beach,
With native Flow'rs adorns the beauteous Maid,
And TYBER wonders at fuch Worth difplay'd; 100
I grafp the Compafs, and the Out-lines trace,
And with coarſe Crayons imitate her Face.
Th' immortal Fair, all fimple, noble, grand,
Should I attempt it, my unfkilful Hand
To Her, as Thee, no Luftre could impart,
Above all Praife, and far above my Art.
105
fucceffively to the North, to the Eaft, to the South, and to the
Weſt. What we call the Declination of the Sun will continually
vary; tho' not ſo much as to amount to above one Degree in 6000
Years. In fine, at the End of 500,000 Years, 399,000 of which
are thought to be elapfed, the Pofition of the Earth may be fo
changed, as that the Parts which are now eternally frozen, may
receive the direct Rays of the all-cheering Luminary, and two op-
pofite Points that are now under the Equator, may become Poles,
to endure a Winter of the ſame aftoniſhing Duration.
Ver. 97. ALGAROTTI.] A young VENETIAN, who has lately
publiſhed Dialogues on Light and Colours.
235
An Explanatory Epiſtle:
N
To a FRIEND. *
O Poet, fure, can be ſo ſtupid,
+
To think of more than one God CUPID:
Yet, for a Ryme to VENUS' Doves,
We all have Troops of Little LOVES:
Or when, for Harmony and Strength,
We want a Word of twice the Length,
(Since 'tis th' Idea, not the Name)
1 CUPIDS and LOVES may be the fame.
He that divides the God, deftroys,
And makes a Mob of harmleſs Boys;
Boys that can fly and fhoot, indeed,
Or elfe they'd ftand him in no ftead!
* 5
ગ
10
* Who had rallied him upon the great Number of Names
made ufe of in his Love Verfes.
!
A
Ver. 2. One God CUPID.] See the Note beginning p. 103,
of this Volume, at the End of which the twelve firſt Verſes of
this Epiftle are quoted.
1
252
An Explanatory Epiftle.
Tho' Nature, in the Pagan Plan,
Obeys one Univerfal PAN;
Her Operations when fhe varies,
She has her Naiads, Dryads, Lares.
Sylphs, Salamanders, Nymphs, and Gnomes,
Amuſe our Youth, and fwell our Tomes:
And fimple tho' our Faith may ſeem,
Angels it owns, and Cherubim.
Philoſophy can make no Figure,
When Things are treated in full Rigour:
This well perceiv'd the antient Sages,
And kept her mafk'd for many Ages.
15
20
"
Ver. 13, 14. Nature-Obeys one univerfal PAN.] Tho' PAN
be commonly reprefented only as the God of Shepherds and
Hunters, yet, according to the most antient GREEK Authors,
it appears that he was originally taken for the Univerfal Na
and no lefs, indeed, is denoted in his Name.
ture;
Ver. 16. Naiads, Dryads, Lares.] See Vol. I. p. 221. n. for
the Naiads and Dryads. The Lares were Houfhold Deities, to
whom the ROMANS at firft facrificed young Boys, but after-
wards changed thofe barbarous Rites into other Ceremonies.
They had a private Place in their Houfes called Lararium, in
which were their Lares, and the Figures of their Ancestors.
Ver. 17. Sylphs, Salamanders, Nymphs, and Gnomes.] See the
Note in p. 52, of this Volume.
Ver. 19, 20. Our Faith-owns Angels and Cherubim.] It does
An Explanatory Epifile.
253
25
Plaineft Effects did then refult
From Stars, and Qualities occult:
A new Creation was created;
The Planets all were animated:
Ideas, Demons, fubtil Matter,
Each was th' Occafion of much Clatter:
30
Till NEWTON, Enerny to Fiction,
Deſtroy'd this philofophic Diction;
Refolv'd the Laws, the Source of Action,
In one Grand Principle, Attraction.
Thus Phyficks, Poetry, Theology,
Had each their feveral Mythology:
35
not ſeem that the Heathens had a much higher Idea of fome
of their inferior Deities, than we have of theſe pure Intelli-
gences. As to the Word Cherubim, it is plural without an s.
Cherub is the fingular Number, and im is the HEBREW Termi-
nation of Maſculines plural. It is a Fault therefore to write
Cherubims, Seraphims.
Ver. 29. Ideas, Demons, fubtil Matter.] The two firſt of theſe
Terms regard the Phyficks of the Antients; the latter that of
DESCARTES, for which fee the Note on v. 29 of the preceding
Poem.
Ver. 31. Till NEWTON.] In the Piece laft quoted, and the
Notes on it, the Reader will find fuch a general View of the
NEWTONIAN Philofophy, as may afford him fome Satisfaction,
if he has never feen any Thing concerning it before.
}
254
An Explanatory Epiftle.
i
{་
We muſt not want one then in Love.-
And this was what we meant to prove.
In short, no Syftem could be wrought,
Without this Liberty of Thought.
(For NEWTON, we have now diſmiſt him;
He hardly rofe to half a Syftem.)
CUPID, great God, would take it hard,
Were he the Hack of ev'ry Bard:
We therefore fend inferior Elves,
To do what We'd fain do Ourſelves;
To wait on Beauty's heav'nly Goddeſs ;
Comb CALIA's Hair, and lace her Boddice;
Wanton on CLOE's Breaft, and ſip
40
45
The balmy Nectar from her Lip.
'Tis juft the fame (for now, obferve,
I fhow for what thefe Notions ferve)
A
50
Ver. 40, 41. NEWTON--hardly roſe to half a Syſtem.] Sir
ISAAC did not attempt to introduce any general Hypothefis,
as all the Philofophers had done before him, but only to rea-
fon from Experiment on fuch Particulars as he had exa-
mined.
Ver. 57. HARAM.] Another Name for Seraglio, or the Place
where the Wives and Concubines of Emperors and great Men
2
An Explanatory Epifile.
255
With Bards, I fay, 'tis juft the fame,
Who widely ſpread their am'rous Flame,
And
pay their Court to ev'ry Name.
You'd think, to look upon their Works,
Their HARAM equall'd the Grand TURK's,
AMELIA, CYNTHIA, SYLVIA, CLOE,
And twenty more that he could fhow ye,
From bright URANIA down to DOLL,
Appear upon one Author's Scrawl.
Perhaps, of all this mighty Lift,
55
There may be One he once has kift:
(For, God knows, take 'em from their Pen,
Wits are no more than other Men)
And on this One, this Wife or Daughter,
He thus exhaufts the Nomenclator.
For this there may be various Reaſons
60
6
are kept, according to the Practice in TURKEY, the Eaft, and
other Countries. -
Ver. 67. Nomenclator.] The Books that go under this Name
are well known to School-boys. But it was alſo a Title among
the ROMANS, peculiar to Perfous who went about with the
Candidates for public Employments, and whifpered every Bo-
dy's Name in their Ears. There was a Law, indeed, which
*
256
:
An Explanatory Epiftle.
;
There may
be Mothers, Guardians, Seafons ;
There may be whom I dare not mention!
Folks that would ſpoil the beſt Intention,
When elfe a Man might draw the Wench on.
On theſe Occafions thus to vary,
Declares the Poet wife and wary:
70
And fure the Kindeſt when they teize us,
75
Are not the Same as when they pleaſe us!
All This, I fay, may be in Fact:
But fuch Affairs-I ne'er tranfact.
;
To Friend and Foe I dare proclaim
My honeft Warmth, and virtuous Aim.
80
Yet each true Poet, when a Lover,
(Live He at DUNSTABLE or DOVER)
Who muft, alternate, laugh and languifh,
Here write with Rapture, there with Anguiſh,
Now clafp her clofe, now mourn her diftant,
85
(To make th' Hypothefis confiftent)
Of Names ſhould have a Multiplicity,
forbade the Ufe of thefe Men on fuch Occafions; but no-body
ever conformed to it except CATO the Younger, who dif-
tharged the whole Buſineſs by the Help of his own Memory.
An Explanatory Epiftle.
257
い
​Some place'd in That, and fome in This City.
Thus in my Writings, CLOE, CELIA,
FLORINDA, SYLVIA, and MONTELIA,
May bring about odd Circumſtances,
Like Under-Lovers in Romances;
May help me oft' to change my Stile:
But for my Paffion all the while,
Their Beauty, nay their Being too,
I know no more of Thefe than You.
Truth is, if Truth may here be fpoken,
Whate'er they ſeemingly betoken,
My Verſes all are always leaning
(I mean my Love-ones) to one Meaning.
That Meaning, not to be explain'd,
Once DELIA knew, when DELIA reign'd;
90
95
ICO
Now CYNTHIA knows, who Her fucceeds,
And claims the Heart---ſhe never heeds.
For, fpite of each affected Name,
105
Thefe Two divide my real Flame,
Divide my paft and prefent Vow,
DELIA of old, and CYNTHIA now.
S
The
*258
The Double Preſcription.
A
BURCHER and his Wife, both vaftly ill,
Confulted SALMON, famous for his Skill:
The Sage receiv'd them with important Air,
And firſt, in Complaiſance, addreſs'd the Fair:
Madam, for Cure You have not far to go;
Your Hufband's Remedy's the best I know.
Then turning to the Man all pale and lean,
For You, faid he,---a Woman is your Bane.
Alas! alas my Dear! cry'd good Sir CIT,
What can we do?--- One of us muft fubmit.---
Your Cafe, quoth She, I cannot judge, not I;
But, for my Part,---I fhall not chufe to die,
h
10
OF
259
!
Of Religious Diſputes:
A Letter in Verfe and Profe. *
t
W
RITE an Epiftle."-What To-night ?
Sir, I muſt think before I write :
You ought to give me three Days Warning.-
"Three Days? You'd write one any Morning."-
We'll not diſpute what you may do,
E'en write; and then, e'en read it too.
To pleaſe One's felf may not be hard:
To pleaſe a Judge, muft pain the Bard.
"But to a Friend 1 need not fear."-
Yes;---for a Friend fhould be fevere.
He fhould remark when Genius alters;
Where Fancy flags, or Judgment falters:
Point out the Rocks on which we ſplit;
And cufb, or prompt unequal Wit.
This arduous Tafk if you neglect,
Shall I contemn all due Refpect?
Break PRISCIAN'S Head, from HORACE differ,
And jade the Mufe ;---for you forgive her?
*To a Friend, with whom he had often been engaged,
gainst his Inclination, in Controverfies of this Nature, and
who had deſired him to give, in a poetical Epiftle, his Reaſons
for believing that no Good ever refulted from fuch Difputes.
$ 2
260
Of Religious Difputes:
Write Blunders for my Friend to find,
And tire his Soul, becauſe he's kind?
Thus far has the Mufe affifted me, to inform you
that ſhe will affiſt me no farther. For how ſhould I
fettle that Point in Verfe, which we handled in Profe
to no Purpoſe, eſpecially in fo fhort a Time as you
have allotted me? It was, in reality, moft unreafon-
able of you to require it: And for me to attempt to
comply with your Requeft, would be altogether
prefumptuous. You fee, however, that I endeavour
to oblige you as much as lies in my Power:
That fince for Verfe you love to teize one,
With Ryme I interlard my Reaſon:
Which, tho' not Verſe, is Verfe's Brother,
So like, that one may paſs for t'other:
Nor is there One in Twenty, Witch
Enough---to tell Thee which is which.
I know, in vain would Art pretend
T'impofe on my judicious Friend.
He can diſtinguiſh Ryme from Metre ;
Can tell what Quantities and Feet are:
He knows they all have no great Merit,
When void of true poetic Spirit.
And on this very Account, as well as becauſe I
have already faid enough by Way of Introduction, I
return again to my Profe, and come to the Matter
in hand.
f
An EPISTLE.
26r
Well then! I did affirm, and I ſtill maintain it,
that religious Controverfies, as they are ufually ma-
naged, are ſeldom productive of any good Effect.
You, tho' you could not deny the Facts which I al-
ledged, were yet unwilling to admit the Propofition
they were brought to fupport. This Conduct of
yours, methinks, is of itſelf a freſh Inſtance in my
Favour For, if in Matters of this Nature, you will
not allow of hiſtorical Proof, I am at a Loſs to
imagine what Evidence you will have recourſe to.
So much a Mathematician, fo much a Philofopher as
you are, no Demonftration, I believe, that you are
able to produce, will prevail on us to renounce a
Truth that is obvious to every Day's Experience.
But you perfift in your Opinion, a true Advocate
for the Benefit of Wrangling. Is not this then a
flagrant Proof, an inconteſtable one with regard to
you, that an obftinate Attachment to our own Pre-
judices, is what may, on any Topick, defeat the good
Effects of the beſt concerted Argument? And have
not I, from your own Example, already diſcharged
Part of the Tafk impofed on me?
If your Antagoniſt perfifts,
When enter'd once, to keep the Lifts;
To knock down Arguments with Words,
(For Clubs, you know, will batter Swords)
Tho' he may triumph, Others wonder,
Can you do better than knock under?
Quitting the Combat everlafting,
You fave yourſelf a World of Bafting:
1
S 3
262
Of Religious Difputes:
1
And to what End is Force directed,
Where Conqueft cannot be expected?
It is a great Beauty in all Compofition, efpecially
that of Poetry, to know how to make apt and na-
tural Tranſitions. Another Impediment of Con-
viction in the Art of Controverſy I have already
rym'd, and I think pretty conciſely, for the whole
Paragraph confifts of only fix Lines: But how to
introduce theſe! There lies the Difficulty. I fhould
have told you at the Beginning, of how many
Heads, and what, my Letter was to confift, and that
it was my Deſign,
As Folks expreſs it when they preach,
To ſpeak a Word or two to each.
It would then have been eaſy for me to have gone
on with first and fecondly: But as it is, a fingle Coup-
let, that would anſwer the End of one of theſe
emphatical Words, might coft me, perhaps, more
Labour than the whole Section it was to introduce,
or even than this Digreffion. But I proceed with
my Verſes.
Two learn'd Logicians, pro and con,
From Noon to Night may wrangle on,
If Neither of the Two explains
What This denies, and That maintains
Two learn'd Logicians? you reply:
That is, for Inftance, You and I!
An
263
EPISTLE.
With all my Heart, admit but the Truth of the
Fact. And can either you or I call the Truth of it in
Queſtion? We who have ſo often difputed, not only
without convincing, but without underſtanding each
other? I will not fay that, with premeditated De-
fign, we have endeavoured to be obfcure: I have a
better Opinion of both our Sincerity. But is it not
natural, on all Occafions, have you not found it ſo,
to labour to palliate the Weakness of our own Ar-
guments, when diſcovered, by running into Diſtinc-
tions,, by taking Advantage of every Miſtake of our
Adverfary, and thus, or by any other Means, turn-
ing the Diſcourſe into another Channel, till we have
loft Sight of the Queſtion that was firſt in View?
You fee then, here are two Reaſons (and both, if
I am not miſtaken, very good ones) why Polemical
Converfation turns to fo little Account; Partiality
to our own Opinions, and, Obſcurity in delivering
them. I fhall add a Third, and that is, Unreafon-
able Warmth in defending them.
Whether, all Myſtery afide,
Reaſon may ſerve us for a Guide
Be this the Queſtion in Difpute:
Affirm it you; let me confute.
Now, while from Geometry and Senfe,
You draw a logical Defence,
If a dark Lanthorn I fhould name her,
And call you Atheiſt and Blafphemer,
Such Language would not You refent,
And thank me for the Compliment
S 4
264
Of Religious Disputes:
*
A Chriftian, and appear fo rude!
Would you not natʼrally conclude,
Either my Syftem wanted Merit,
Or I had little Chriftian Spirit?
Reverſe the Cafe, to push the Proof:
Bid Madam Reafon ftand aloof;
Put on the Wings of Faith, and foar,
And bow, and filently adore:
Amidſt your Raptures, and your Flights,
Your inward Grace, and ghoſtly Fights,
FOSTER, perhaps, might cool your Crown,
And gently take the Windmill down:
But fhould fome Friend of his grow hot,
And call you Dupe, Enthufiaft, Sot;
Theſe, and all other Words like Thefe,
Would equally convince and pleaſe:
You'd anſwer him with-Fool, or Brute;
And there muft end the whole Difpute.
All this Time, you perceive, I have faid nothing
againft fair and ingenuous Reafoning, where the
Parties engaged diveft themſelves of Prejudice, and
fincerely labour to dig out Truth from her fecret
Cavern. This, without Queftion, may be, and fre-
quently is the Cafe, in Matters of mere Speculation,
where the Force of Education, the Drift of our Paf-
fions, our Intereſt, our Happineſs, the Church, the
Creed, Heaven, Hell, our Souls, have no Manner
of Concern. But where theſe come on the Carpet,
who is the Man, provided he believes what he at
tempts to defend, that will, that dares venture to be
An
265:
EPISTLE.
candid, explicit, cool, while his Faith, his Hope,
his Syſtem is oppugn'd? When, at leaſt, are two Men
to be found together, who are equally of this happy
Temper? You and I have ufually been fo unlucky
as to engage in Queftions of this interefting Nature,
and our Succefs has been in proportion, fuch as I
expected, fuch as I would perfuade you always to
expect on ſimilar Occafions.
Shall I add a Word or two concerning another
Sort of Difputants than you and I, but who, for
the generality, argue much to the fame Effect? I
mean They who have the whole Field to themſelves,
and harangue, by Authority, from a Place in which
it is criminal to oppoſe them. As their Subjects are
generally of a fublime Nature, regarding either the
Myſteries of Chriſtianity, or the Perfection of moral
Virtue, it feems requifite, methinks, in order to
make their Labours fuccefsful, that they ſhould have
fome other Qualifications befides thofe of Temper
and Ingenuity. People expect them to adorn the
Doctrine they profeſs, and to prove by their Exam-
ple, that they have no ftronger Motive for what
they inculcate, than the Good of their Hearers; I
fay, no fronger Motive; for to expect that they
ſhould have no other Motive, is to be much too fan-
guine in our Expectations. The fame is required
of all who in private take upon them to dictate
and reprove; all your Criticks in Life, your Centors
of the Tenets and Conduct of their Neighbours.
Without this living kind of Syllogifm, this real Ar-
ment, all their fupercilious Verbofity becomes a
266
Of Religious Difputes, &c,
i
ridiculous Farce, and turns more to the Hurt than
the Advantage of their diverted Pupils.
When DAN, with primitive Deſign,
Pick'd up a Wench, and call'd for Wine;
Advis'd her; pray'd the Lord to fave her;
Then gave a Shilling for the Favour;
Say, to the Cauſe of Virtue which
Was worst, the Shilling, or the Speech?
In my humble Opinion it was the Latter. For if.
he had taken her, Sinner as fhe was, without Cere-
mony, the Girl would have imagined herſelf in her
Calling, and have looked upon him as a common Cu-
ftomer, not more wicked than other young Fellows:
But to introduce the Works of the Flefh with fuch a
Fit of ſpiritual Grimace, what was it but to fhew
himſelf a Hypocrite, that worſt of Characters, and
to bring into Contempt the Repentance which he
feemed fo earneftly to recommend?
:
I am, &c.
SL
267
A
DISCOURSE
OF
SOCIETIES
For the Advancement of Knowledge.*
Non nobis nati fumus.
OST of the Gentlemen prefent will remem-
Mos
ber, that when I was required by them to be-
gin the Courſe of our weekly Exerciſes, I undertook
to do it with a fhort Effay on the Nature and Ad-
vantages of fuch a Society as we had confented to
form. What I have now to read, are a few curſory
Thoughts upon that Subject.
The Defire of Affociation feems to be a natural
Principle, fo univerfal, as well as fo ftrong, that,
if we take it in the most extended Senfe, it will
hardly appear to be a Characteriſtick of the human
* Read at the Opening of ſuch a Society for the Winter
Seafon, in the Year 1734-
}
2683
Of Societies for the
..
Species; we can hardly rank it among thofe exalted
Properties, which diftinguiſh the Man from the Brute;
fince every one, who has been a little converfant in the
greater World, muft have perceived, that it operates
very powerfully throughout the whole animalCreation.
This Thought might be purfu'd to a great Length,
and the Principle here mentioned might be traced
thro' all the Gradations of Inftinct and Reafon: But
as fuch a Difquifition would be rather curious than
ufeful, I fhall confine myfelf in the following Re-
flections to that Senfe of the Word Society, which
by our prefent Engagement we have agreed to give
it: That is, as it fignifies, "A felect Company of
Perfons, who meet together at appointed Times,
for the Sake of imparting their Sentiments, and of
mutually giving and receiving, either Information
or Delight."
Man alone is capable of fuch a Commerce as this.
The very Notion of an irrational Creature, at once
deprives fuch a Being of the Power of purſuing any
Purpoſe at all, and immediately refolves all its Ac-
tions upon what is univerfally underſtood by the
Word Inftinet; which I cannot tell how to define
better, than by calling it "Something implanted by
Nature, that directs and enables the Being endow'd
with it to anſwer the Ends of its Creation; but that
can by no means be extended, or made capable of
receiving any other Ideas, than thofe of which it
may properly be faid to confift." Creatures that
are influenced by no other Motive than this, can-
not be call'd focial Beings in our Senfe of the Ex-
preffion.
!
Advancement of Knowledge.
-269
But to carry the Matter yet farther. We not on-
ly exclude from our Syſtem of Society the whole ir-
rational World, but alſo a very great Part of our
own Species. How many are there, who prove
themſelves to be ſo far from defiring, or, at leaſt,
from endeavouring, to underſtand and practiſe the
true focial Virtues, that they almoft tempt one to
look on them only as a more exalted kind
of irrational Animals, or as Creatures who partici-
pate of Humanity in a Degree far inferior to the bet-
ter Sort of Mankind! I mean fuch as feem to con-
verfe in the World with no other Views than thofe
of gratifying their fenfual Appetites, and trying
how far they can debafe their Natures, and how
near they can bring themſelves to a Level with the
Beafts that perifh.
No-body can think, that what I have now faid is
aggravating the Matter at all; fince every one of
us, I am afraid, can turn his Thoughts to fome
within his own Knowledge, whom he will find it
difficult to place in any other Rank than I have given
them: Men, who can remain unmov'd at hearing a
juft moral Reflection, and will be far from thanking
any one who endeavours to inform their Judgments;
while they are fond of joining with thofe who are
like themſelves, and of fpending the greateſt Part
of their Time in Actions altogether unworthy of hu-
man Nature. What fhall we think of a very igno-
rant Wretch, who makes nothing of declaring pub-
lickly, That he knows enough? One who difco.
vers, by his conftant Practice, that the Word Tafte has
1
270
Of Societies for the
with him no other Senfe, than what he applies to it
at Dinner-time? When fuch a Man as this talks of
Society (which perhaps he may do as often as any
other Perfon) we may be ſatisfy'd he means fomewhat
very different from what we underſtand by the fame
Word.
Such a Society as we have united to conftitute,
appears to me to be founded upon the following
noble Principles; which have been received and
taught by the wiſeſt and beſt of Men in all Ages,
which certainly have their Origin in the Dignity
of our Minds, and are therefore the very Bafes of
refined Morality.
That the higheſt and moſt compleat Happineſs of
human Nature, confifts in the Pleaſures of the Mind.
That thofe Pleaſures increaſe in proportion as our
Ideas are multiply'd and extended.
That there is a real Virtue, as well as a fecret
Satisfaction, in communicating to Others what we
know.
Thefe Propofitions, and ſeveral others that natu-
rally refult from them, are, I prefume, received as
inconteftable by every Gentleman in Company; they
being tacitly contain❜d in the Articles we have fign'd,
as well as dictated by every Man's Reafon, who has
taken a little Pains to furniſh himſelf with juſt No-
tions of Happineſs and Virtue.
'Tis a great Misfortune for Thoſe who ſeek their
Pleaſure alone in fenfible Objects: Not only becauſe
they are in their very Nature far inferior to intellec-
tual ones; but alfo becauſe they are but few in
Advancement of Knowledge.
271
Number, when compar'd with the latter, and confe-
quently muſt tire every one who depends on them,
by his having continual Recourfe to the fame
Thing: Whereas the Objects of the Mind are innu-
merable.
Nature opens to us a very large Field, and the
more we confider her, the more we ſhall admire. Our
Speculations here are ſo far from being limited, that
he who has learn'd moſt in the great Volume of the
Univerfe, will always acknowledge that he has moſt to
learn. Perhaps we may every one of us occafionally
confult it in a different Page or Section, when we ſhall
never fail of meeting with fomething new and inftruc-
tive, which we may conver to general Uſe, and make
the Profit and Satisfaction univerſal.
Every Branch of the liberal Sciences will alſo af-
ford us Matter of Enquiry, and fufficiently pay us
for the Labour we may be at, in examining what it
contains the moſt curious. The Pleaſure we may
receive while we are endeavouring to inform our-
felves, will be inhanced to the Society when we
communicate our Diſcoveries, as it will not be at-
tended with any of the original Fatigue.
I may mention the World too, as a School where
there is Abundance to be learn'd, and which will at
any Time afford us a very agreeable Lecture. Here
every one is a Student for Life; and very often a
Man may need no more than the Occurrences of a
fingle Day, digefted in his Mind, and rehears'd in
a proper Manner, to entertain the Company with
during a whole Evening,
272
Of Societies for the
4
'Tis alfo true, that there is no Man, but who in
his own particular Profeffion, or Study, may make
a great many uſeful Remarks, and fometimes very
abſtracted ones; which, tho' by their Frequency they
may grow familiar to himfelf, will, yet in all pro
bability, be found uncommon, and perfectly agree-
able, by every one elſe.
Thus the human Mind, which, in adult Perfons,
has a very large Store of neceffary Ideas, arifing
from our Wants, our Enjoyments, our Commerce
with fenfible Objects; may, by various Methods,
and in any Circumſtance of Life, have thoſe Ideas
multiply'd almoft to Infinity; fo as that fomething
new, as well as pleaſing, may be eaſily imparted by
every Member in his Turn, for the Entertainment
of the Society on his particular Night.
The Advantages, therefore, that may be reafon-
ably expected by every individual Member of a
Community founded upon fuch Maxims as ours, are
many and great. His Imagination may be furnifh'd
with Variety of Images, and practis'd to an eafy and
familiar Manner of producing them upon any Occa-
fion whatſoever: His Judgment may be ſtrengthen'd
by a proper Compariſon of Things, and by weighing
the Force of every Argument and Objection that fhall
be ſtarted: His Tafte may be refin'd, by the Conver-
fation of fo many Others, who are in the fame Purfuit
with himſelf, and who, 'tis expected, will be all fo
generous as to impart thoſe occafional Obfervations,
which they may make in their particular Intercourfe
with Books or Men,
Advancement of Knowledge.
273
Can it be amifs, in a Project of this Nature, to
extend our Views yet farther? May not a well-regu-
lated Conduct among us, a conftant Attendance to
the Improvement of our Underſtandings, engage
Others of greater Experience, Intereft, and Reputa-
tion, than any of us can pretend to, to join our Af
femblies? May not the Countenance, the Affiftance,
the Protection of fuch Perfons, give a Life and
Spirit to our Conferences, and reflect a Sort of Dig-
nity on every Member of the Society? Let us re-
member, that the moſt illuftrious Academy in
EUROPE, which in its Infancy had the Cardinal DE
RICHELIEU, after him a Chancellor, and ever fince
a Monarch of FRANCE for its Protector, took its
Rife from the private Meeting of a few felect Friends,
to confer together on Matters of Literature.
If we reflect on the Benefits of another Nature.
thoſe of the Heart and the Paffions, which may re
fult from theſe Meetings, we fhall find them to be
not inconfiderable. Give me leave to mention only
this; the Opportunity which we fhall all have,
of contracting a more intimate Acquaintance than
we might otherwife have enjoy'd, with feveral Men
who think in the fame Manner with ourſelves. For
my own Part, I cannot believe it at all extravagant,
if we hope to cultivate a Familiarity begun on fuch
Motives, till it fhall terminate in a pure, fincere,
and rational Friendſhip; a Happineſs but little under-
*The FRENCH Academy, inftitured by public Authority
in 1635. See PELISSON'S History of it.
VOL. II.
T
274
Of Societies for the
ſtood by the Many, and a Perfection of the Mind to
which very Few have arriv'd.
This, at leaſt, we may learn from common Ob-
ſervation; that in the Opinion of all Mankind there
is fomething facred in the very Notion of a So-
ciety. The moſt unthinking Mechanick will always
expreſs a peculiar Regard for thofe of his own Fra-
ternity. Not to mention particular Inftances, 'tis
obvious, that the fame Town, the fame Religion,
the fame Calling, nay fometimes even the fame Age,
the fame Name, or any Thing less than thefe, that
carries with it the leaft Appearance of Identity, is
fufficient to create a mutual Efteem between any
Number of Perfons. A Paffion that has its Origi-
nal from any of thefe Sources, is fomewhat like that
which every honeft Man feels for his native Coun-
try; fo that a worthy, hearty Member of any Socie-
ty, may be agreeably enough called a Patriot among
his own Brethren,
That our Conferences may not fail of producing
an Effect fo defirable, and fo much the moſt valua-
able of all that can refult from Society, 'tis to be
wifh'd, that every Gentleman in fpeaking would re-
frain from fuch Subjects, or fuch particular Reflec-
tions, as he is apprehenfive may be conftrued into
perfonal Satire by any other Member; and that in
objecting we would all endeavour to offer Argument
rather than Opinion; or at leaft, that we would not
perfift in an Opinion which we cannot defend if re-
quired.
The Man that informs another of any uſeful Truth,
or decently corrects an Error either in Judgment or
་
Advancement of Knowledge.
275
Practice, certainly acts the Part of a Friend, and
ought to be eſteem'd as fuch by the Perfon oblig'd:
But he that preſcribes in a magifterial Manner, takes
upon him to cenfure without giving the Caufe, or
flily infinuates an ill-natur'd Reflection; this Man,
inſtead of winning the Heart, will be in Danger of
moving all thofe Paffions that operate in a ſtrong
Antipathy.
I ſhall conclude with obferving, that it ſpeaks an
honeſt and generous Soul-to be willing that Others
fhould partake with us in the Pleaſure, even of thoſe
Parts of Knowledge, which we have taken a confi-
derable deal of Pains to procure: And that he who
monopolizes what he has attain'd, either by Specu-
lation or Experience, in the polite Sciences or the
Secrets of Nature, is a lefs excufable Mifer than he
who fees his Neighbour want the Neceffaries of Life
without relieving him; not only becauſe the Riches of
the Mind are of more Importance than thofe of the
Body, but becauſe they may be communicated with-
out any Expence or Waſte to the original Owner.
T 2
A DIS
:
7
-276
སྤྱ
A
DISCOURSE
* OF
METHOD
IN COMPOSITION and STUDY. *
MY
Y former Difcourfe was on the Nature and
Uſefulneſs of Societies for the Advancement
of Knowledge. As a proper Supplement to That, I
Cannot offer any Thing better, at prefent, than an
Enquiry into fome of the principal Means, by which
the Deſign of fuch Societies may be promoted. No-
thing, in my Opinion, can more deferve our Atten-
tion, who are united according to the Idea before
given: And if I fhould furnish a few Hints, that
may afford any real Light into a Matter of fuch Con-
fequence, I fhall be well fatisfy'd with my Choice of
a Subject.
That we ſhould labour for the moſt compendious
and eafy Way of attaining to what we aim at, is as
* Written and read in Conſequence of the foregoing, but a
little enlarged fince the Delivery.
Of Method and Perſpicuity.
277
obvious and undeniable a Truth, as that we ſhould
direct our Actions to any Aim at all. And why are
we furniſhed with Paffions and Defires, why is In-
tereft, Reputation, Honour, Happineſs ſet before
us; why have we the Means, the Powers of purſuing
either of theſe, if not for this very Purpoſe, that we
fhould live with Defign? But this Propofition is felf-
evident: And if it were not fo in general, it could
not want any Proof to Us, who have adapted it into
our Syftem of Society. We not only acknowledge,
that it is every One's Duty to aim at fomething in
whatever he does; but ingenuouſly confefs with re-
gard to Ourfelves, that the Point we endeavour after
in thefe Meetings, is the beneficial Exerciſe, the prac-
tical Improvement of our Minds and Faculties.
In order to this, there are two Things moft wor-
thy of Attention, and which fhould be regarded by
each of us in every Compofition; The Choice and
Difpofition of our Subject, and The Manner of con-
veying it to others. The whole Art of Thinking, as
well as that of Perfuading, depends in a great Mea-
fure on the Obfervation of theſe general Heads. I
ſhall ſpeak of them therefore in this united Senfe, as
they affect both the Orator and his Hearers.
By the Choice of a Subject, I do not mean in gene-
ral, that the Society fhould be confined to any Set
of Topicks. There is not any one Theme, or Propo-
fition, that can be treated of with Decency and good
Manners, but may be admitted into our Conferences,
when it falls under the Cognizance of a proper Per-
fon. But then the Orator is to have fuch Regard
T 3
278
of
A DISCOURSE
to his own Reputation, as well as to the Deference
he owes to the whole Community, as always to chufe
thoſe Subjects which he is beft able to manage. And
in this Refpect, the Dictates of the Heart are a bet-
ter Direction than thoſe of the Head. For as to de-
claiming for the Sake of Oppofition, and in order
to introduce a little Sophiftry and falfe Eloquence,
tho' this hath fometimes been the higheſt of academi-
cal Improvements, it is moft unworthy of Men who
know the Value of Time, and who think Science
and Truth more amiable in their own Perfons, than
in their diftant and imperfect Shadows. Befides,
there is no other Way of being Ourfelves warmed
and affected with what we compofe, without which
it is impoffible we fhould make any deep Im-
preffion on Others, but this of chufing an Argument,
for the Succefs of which we are heartily concerned,
Nor is it likely, admitting our Paffions had no Share
in the Conviction of Another, that we fhould have
fuch perfect Knowledge of a Subject catch'd up as it
were at random, and in the Wantonnefs of Imagi-
nation, as of a Point that we have long and often
meditated on, fo as to engraft it into the Conftitution
of our Minds. And without this Knowledge, con-
tracted by a Habit of clofe Thinking, how fhall we
obtain that Propriety of Drefs, that peculiar Elo-
quence, which is neceffary to every Subject, in or-
der to render it acceptable? But where the Ideas are
clear and orderly, Language will naturally follow,
fuch at leaft as may paint them without Obfcurity or
Cónfufion.
t
279
Method and Perfpicuity.
A Man fhould take Care, however, left by an
Over-fondneſs for his Subject, he is tempted to grafp
at too much. If it be extenfive and copious, and he
is determined to treat of it in general only; without
running into Subdivifions, without introducing any
fubtile Speculations, his Buſineſs is to give fuch a
Sketch of the Whole, as may refemble the Picture
we conceive of a fine Beauty, when we do not defcend
to an anatomical Examination. Such a general Idea
as this, that may be comprehended at a ſingle View,
will be as much of fome Matters as we fhall have Oc-
cafion to retain, confiftently with our Defign of
learning a great many Things, and thofe moft di-
ftinctly which are of greateſt Concern. But where
the Point is of more. Importance, and the Diſcourſe is
only introductory to others more particular, it will
be proper to take a different Method, and draw an
Analyſis, or Skeleton as it were of the Subject, that
may ferve as the Text, or Ground-Work of what
follows. For I would willingly hope, if our Lec-
tures continue, that we ſhall not always be contented
with fuperficial Enquiries; but fometimes afcend
thro' all the Branches of Knowledge, that ſhoot
forth from a fublime and comprehenfive Propofi-
tion.
In theſe gradual Advances, the Neceffity and Beau-
ty of Difpofition will be moft confpicuous. To be-
gin with that which is fimple and eafy, and thence
to arife to the Parts which are more difficult and
complex, is the only natural Method, and the moſt
conducive to a ſpeedy and effectual Progrefs. There
T 4
289
A DISCOURSE of
is a regular Scale in every Thing, which we ought
to obferve, without which we fhall fall into Confu-
fion, and, inſtead of acquiring what we reach after,
be obliged to quit the Purfuit, and look upon that
as infuperable, which otherwife would fcarcely have
been difficult, It requires but fmall Application,
to learn that the Mathematicks are the Doctrines of
Number and Quality; that Arithmetick is conver-
fant with the former, and Geometry with the latter;
what is meant by a Line, an Angle, or a Solid:
But if, from this flight Initiation, a Man fhould fly
to the moſt recondite Secrets of thefe Sciences, and
attempt to determine concerning the niceft Properties
and Proportions of Numbers and Bodies, would it
be at all furprizing if we faw him confounded? The
fame Method muſt be obſerved in teaching of Others,
that we found it neceffary to follow while we were
learning Ourſelves: And it is but too much a Sign that
our own Knowledge is only fuperficial, if we invert
the Order of Nature in communicating what we
know. The Way of coming at a great deal, either
in Teaching or Learning, is to be contented at first
with a little For the Parts will naturally follow
one another, provided we are careful to begin with
the Right. Ideas fpring from Ideas; nor can we
re-confider, with Attention, what we have before
gone thro', without making Improvements more
than equivalent to our Labour. APELLES practif-
ed long on the Outlines of a Face, before he at-
tempted to delineate the Beauties of his Time; and
afterwards made his Hand familiar to Thefe, ere he
{
Method and Perfpicuity.
281
united their Perfections in his celebrated VENUS.
VIRGIL, in like Manner, confulted his own Ears,
and the Ears of his Friends, on the Harmony and
Delicacy of his Verfes, before he writ thofe divine
Pieces, which are now confecrated to Immortality:
And among thofe, he began with the moft fimple Sub-
jects, the Pictures of Paftoral Life, the Culture of
the Earth, and the Labours of the Bee; that he
might rife with collected Majefty, to fing the Foun-
dation of the ROMAN Empire. Sir ISAAC NEW-
TON, to mention no more, from the Defcent of
fmall Bodies, and the Effects produced on a Bubble
of Water, found out the Power of Gravity, and the
Action of the Sun on the Surface of Matter; and
from theſe Diſcoveries, join'd with an infinite Num-
ber of Experiments, ftruck out his admirable Sy-
ſtem of the Univerſe, and his Theory of Light and
Colours. But for this Method, the firft had never
been the Prince of Painters, the fecond the com-
pleateft of Poets, and the latter the moft fublime of
all Mathematicians.
There is more Danger, indeed, in this Want of a
regular Gradation, than has ufually been imagined.
Many a tolerable Genius, thro' the Fault either of
himſelf or his Tutor, has contracted an utter Diflike
to all Learning, or, which is worſe, turn'd out an
abfolute Pedant, by thus running before his Under-
ſtanding, till he has entirely loft Sight of the beau-
tiful Object he purfued, or retains of it only a con-
fufed Idea of the Name and the Trappings. When
the latter is the Cafe, as he is feldom fenfible of it,
=3
282
A DISCOURSE of
he immediately fets up for a Maſter, and not only
fcorns the Inftructions of thoſe who are cooler and
wifer than himfelf, but imagines in reality that he
has no need of their Affiftance. Men of this Cha-
racter are diſtinguiſhed by their Obftinacy, and
their violent Attachment to a Set of Terms; the
proper and full Senfe of which it is impoffible they
fhould comprehend, becauſe they have never traced
them from their Original.
Another Thing, equally to be regarded with this
natural Gradation, is the Simplicity of Propofitions
in an abſtracted Difcourfe. In a general Sketch,
like the Compofitions before mention'd, it is fufficient
to preſerve a Similitude of Parts, and a due Pro-
portion and Keeping throughout the Whole. In
more particular Difquifitions, relating to Phyficks,
Mechanicks, and other fimilar Sciences, which con-
fift of hiftorical Details, and fenfible Defcriptions,
the Mind muſt be led thro' a Multitude of Ways,
and from Object to Object, as directed by the Clue
of Nature or Art. But where the Theme is purely
intellectual, and our Knowledge of its Truth or
Falfhood depends intirely on Strength of Argument,
founded on the Analogy of Things, it is there necef-
fary that we ſhould be as little embaraſs'd as poffible,
that fo we may draw a fatisfactory Conclufion from
the Management of a fingle Propofition. When
the whole Buſineſs may thus be reduced to a plain
fimple Queſtion, which every one underftands, the
Evidence on each Side is fubject to an impartial
Scrutiny, and every Hearer is ready to prevent the
;
Method and Perfpicuiry.
283
But on the con-
Orator in his final Determination.
trary, when we only heap together a Number of
Sentiments and Quotations, without Connection,
without Dependance or Order, tho' they may all re-
late to the fame general Subject, and be fo chofen
as to afford an agreeable Amufement during the
Time of their Delivery; yet for want of this gene-
ral Harmony, this Help to a free and uninterrupted
Compariſon of Parts, it is not likely that the Whole
fhould turn to real Advantage, or leave any lafting
Impreffion on the Underſtanding.
To illuftrate this by a familiar Inftance: Suppoſe
any Member was now to declare, and the Society
fhould confent, that the Subject of his next Effay
fhould be the Human Paffions. Every One knows
that there are fuch Faculties, fuch Qualities of the
Soul, as we diftinguish by the Name of Paffions
that theſe are the Source, the Spring of almoft all
the Actions of Life: But he alſo knows that theſe
Paffions are various, both in their Operations and
Effects; and that to treat of them to any good Pur-
pofe, unleſs only with regard to their general Uſe,
they muſt be ranged into divers Claffes, and confi-
dered feparately and diftinctly. What then would
this Orator have undertaken, what could be expect-
ed of him by the Society, from a Declaration of this
unlimited Nature? He might bring together, 'tis true,
as much Matter as would employ him in reading
the whole Extent of our Time; and every Sentence,
in itſelf, might be Proof againſt Objection. The
Whole, in a Word, might want only Dependance
284
A DISCOURSE of
}
*
and Arrangement. We might confefs, when the
Queſtion was put, that we faw no Reaſon to diffent
from him in any one Particular: But fhould we not
naturally aſk, what he intended to teach, prove,
deſcribe, or inculcate? Unlefs there were a Plan, a
Meaning thro' the Whole, what Inftruction, or
even what Pleaſure, could the Rehearſing of it af
ford? We might, indeed, make fome particular
Part of it the Subject of our Converſation afterwards,
and reafon on it till we came to a natural Conclufion :
No Thanks all this while to the Art of the Ora-
tor; becauſe the fame Converfation might have been
promoted, and the fame Conclufion drawn, if only
that particular Part had been mention'd.
But if, inftead of this indeterminate Declaration,
this fallacious Title of a fhapelefs Production, he were
to give a neat and comprehenſive Idea of his Subject
in the very Propofition of it, and afterwards regulate
his whole Differtation according to that Idea, the
Effect produced on every Hearer would be quite of
a different Kind. Thus, for Example, if he were
to advance that Love is the most noble of all the Paf
fions, and make the Proof of this Affertion the fole
Object of his Enquiry; we fhould here be let into
his whole Drift at once, and enabled to make a right
Uſe of our own Reaſon, while he was trying the
Compafs and Strength of his. Whether we were
fatisfied with his Arguments or not, we fhould have
*It was the Cuſtom, in this Society, to debate freely con
cerning the Lecture, after it was over.
Method and Perfpicuity.
285
the Pleaſure at leaſt of hearing him argue, and of
either approving or difapproving his Senfe of the.
Matter, after he had delivered it in his own Way.
We might add Illuſtrations, Arguments, Diftinctions,
Objections, Confutations of our own, as they ocurr'd
to the Memory; which might tend to clear up what
was obſcure, to ftrengthen what was weak, to ex-
plode and reject what was doubtful and ſuſpected.
We might fhew, according to the Freedom claim'd
by every Member, where the Gentleman had faiď
too much, where too little, where he had reafon'd
too loosely, where he had omitted what it was ma-
terial to have ſpoken. We might detect any Falfi-
ty, either in Logick or Fact, that miſguided him in
his Opinion, and made him endeavour to recom-
mend it to us, as a demonftrable Truth, according
to the Rules of moral Demonſtration: For I would
not imagine that any Perſon, in a Society of this Na-
ture, would take upon him to prove what he did
not really believe; unleſs in a Difcourfe purely iro-
nical, which in fome Cafes may be preferable to
thoſe of a ſerious Turn: But then the Irony fhould
be very obvious, and not liable to any Mifinterpre-
tation.
I have own'd, that the moft diforderly Harangue,
provided the Sentiments are independantly good, or
clear in themſelves, may afford Matter enough for our
Debates after its Delivery; but that theſe Debates,
if they turn to any real Account, can regard only
one particular Sentence, or Paragraph of the Ha-
rangue, and muſt be reduced to the fame Laws which
286
A DISCOURSE of
A
are here laid down for the Oration. For Example; A-
mong other Things ſtarted at random, Love might be
called the moſt noble of the Paffions; and the Truth of
this Propofition might be afterwards confidered, with
the fame Freedom as if it had been the whole Mat-
ter difcourfed of. But what, in the mean Time,
becomes of the reft of the Difcourfe? Or what Ad-
vantage does this Propofition receive, from having
been in the Middle of it? Would it not have been
as well, if only this fhort Thefis had been fimply
propofed, as the Subject of our united Confideration?
The End of our Difcourfes, without Queftion, is to
throw, as much as can be, the Tafk of the Even-
ing on a fingle Perfon; that, in a Courfe of Rota-
tion, every one may contribute his Part to the gene-
ral Advantage. For this Purpoſe, the Orator ſhould
endeavour, all that lies in his Power, to prevent
any future Controverfy, by ſpeaking to his Subject
in the moſt clear, full, and methodical Manner.
He is not to wander from Theme to Theme, and
fay a great many fine Things, inftead of proving or
explaining one important Truth. But what Burthen
does he take on himſelf, how does he prevent fuc-
ceeding Debate, or illustrate and confirm any Thing
at all, who only brings together a little Common-
place Learning, without reducing it into regular
Form?
I fhall mention only two Things more, chiefly
with regard to Language, which it is in Every One's
Power to purfue, and which, more than any Thing
elfe, will contribute to the Perfpicuity of Difcourfe,
Method and Perfpicuity.
287
and to real Benefit. The first is, not to endeavour
to find more in Expreffions, than they were intend-
ed to convey: The Second, not to conceal any
Thing under obfcure Terms, and an Affectation of
Myſtery. As to the former, it muſt be well known,
that it deprives every Compofition of that Simplicity
and fincere Plainnefs, which is always requifite in
an Enquiry after Truth. Words were intended as
the Vehicles of Ideas; and every Word when it is firſt
ufed, and indeed every Time it is ufed by a Perfon
of Integrity, has a limited and unalterable Senfe,
which is uſually the moſt obvious to every impartial
Reader. If it were otherwife, Writing and Speak-
ing on indifferent Subjects, as well as the Politicks
and Theology of many People, would be nothing
but Chicanery and Illufion. Thus we may have
feen Rights, Prerogatives, Points of Honour, af-
ferted or given up, merely by a Game upon Words,
which, in their Conftruction and Coherence, were
left loofe and indefinite for that very Purpofe. Thus
we have heard of Syſtems of Divinity, not one of
which was ever perfect, built on the Explanation of
a fingle Text, and adapted to the Advantage of
the Contrivers, or prefent Supporters, by a manifeft
Violation, commonly called an Improvement, of its
original Mearring. But far be it from Us, who pro-
fefs only Friendſhip and Veracity, to fly to theſe
low Subterfuges, and endeavour to fupport that by
Authority, which has no Foundation in right Reafon.
The other Direction, which prohibits all affected
Obſcurity, will enable us to diveft our Subject of
•
288
A DISCOURSE of
many Diſguiſes, in which it has been dreſs'd by art.
ful and intereſted Men; whoſe Buſineſs it is to in-
troduce all the Myſteries they can in their refpective
Profeffions, that fo they may be admired where they
are not underſtood, and where, in all probability, they
do not underſtand themſelves. This is a very important
Privilege, and what would open to us a prodigious
Career, were we permitted to uſe it in the utmoft Lati-
tude. But it is daily for our Good, as we are authenti-
cally informed, to be led in Obfcurity, and have the
Standard of our Faith in the Keeping of other Men.
This, however, is only in one Particular; and if we
muſt be filent there, in every other Cafe we may
take Things to Pieces, and examine critically the
Parts, in order to the forming a better Judgment of
the Whole. Let us make ufe then of that Liberty
which is the undoubted Right of every human Be-
ing, and ſpeak our Minds clearly, without Reſerve,
without Regard to Syftems and Forms. Nature, ſo
far as we hitherto know her, is plain and fimple;
and we have Reaſon to think, that where fhe is yet
unknown, it is owing more to fome Defect on our
Part, than to any Thing intricate and myfterious
in the Conſtitution of the Univerfe. The Duties of
Religion, fo far as they affect our Acknowledgment
of a Supreme Being, and the Virtues requifite in our
Commerce with each other, are always obvious to
our unbiaſs'd Reflections. Shall we look for My-
fteries then in inferior Things, and heat ourſelves in
the Defence of what we cannot explain? 'Tis a
Maxim with me, and I dare recommend it for a
Method and Perfpicuity.
289
good one, "That Men are ufually to be fufpected
where their Intereft is concerned." In the three
great Profeffions, which, thro' the Fault of their
Profeffors, have been more than any other the Sub-
jects of Ridicule and Satire, there haye always been
Men of undoubted Candour in common Life, and
who had every human Virtue, but that of detect-
ing the Frauds by which they were fupported. But
thefe have ever been facred, and he that ventured
but to touch them, loft at once, in the Opinion
of his Brethren, all the other good Qualities he was
before poffefs'd of. Happy is it for Us, that we
live in an Age of free Enquiry, wherein Common
Senfe has got the better of Common Forms, and the
Names of Heretick, Pretender, Innovator, are much
lefs odious than they have formerly been. There
were learned Men among our Fathers, to whom
Learning was not a Trade, and who had not their
Maintenance to get by impofing on their Fellow-Crea-
tures. Theſe began to lay open the Sciences, and to
purge them of all adventitious Matter. To Thefe
Truth is indebted for her prefent Privilege of appear-
ing with Credit, and for the Happineſs of having
her Beauty acknowledg'd, in Words at leaſt, even by
her natural Enemies.
I hope to be excuſed for faying thus much, con-
cerning a Matter of fuch Weight and Importance to
our Society; nor only to Us, but to every one who
either compofes for the Publick, or would judge of
the Compofitions of Others. The Obfervation of
thefe few Principles, which indeed are founded in
U
1
290
A DISCOURSE, &c.
Nature, and not the Offspring of any one's Inven-
tion, will inftruct us in the true Method of chufing
a Subject, and treating it pertinently. It will alſo
teach us in what Manner to receive the Difcourfes of
Others, and on what Conditions to object, enlarge,
diffent from them: For if the Perfon who ſpeaks
confines himſelf within the natural Limits, they who
judge of his Difcourfe fhould do fo likewife, and not
cenfure him for omitting what it would have been a
Fault to have faid. The Arts of Oratory and Cri-
ticiſm, like all other Arts, depend on a clofe At-
tachment to Nature: And the only Way to become
Maſters of them, is always to follow fincerely what
is juſt and true in the Conftitution of Things. What
I have here faid, has been directed only to Juſtice and
Truth, fo far as I have been able to diſcover them;
and tho' I have not given a Syſtem of Oratory, I hope
to have introduced fome of the Principles, on which
alone fuch a Syftem can be properly founded.
A DIS-
291
23
A
DISCOURSE
Concerning
LANGUAGE,
Efpecially the ENGLISH.
WH
HEN I promiſed to entertain you with a
few Remarks on the Ufe of Words, I did
not mean that I would give you a regular Difcourfe
on the Art of Grammar. This would be not only
dry in itſelf, but must be altogether fuperfluous
among Us, who are prefumed, every one of Us, to
have fome Acquaintance, at leaft, with the Rudi-
ments of that Art. Nor has what I have here to
fay, if I muft introduce it under a School Denomina-
tion, any more Title to the Name of Grammar,
than it has to that of Rhetorick. It may be thought
Raſhneſs indeed, in me, to preſume to ſpeak of a
*This, as well as the foregoing, has been fomething en-
larged fince it was read in the Society.
}
U 2
292
A DISCOURSE
Science, in the Practice of which I have already prov
ed myſelf too unfuccefsful: But as my Deſign is very
humble and limited, only to take Notice of a few Par-
ticulars, that regard more the Hiftory and Propriety of
Speech, than its Ornaments, I hope to be excufed this
Attempt; eſpecially fince none of the Society has yet
travelled in the fame Road, tho' it be very inviting,
and adorned with Variety of Beauties, both natural
and artificial.
Amidst the Multiplicity of Objects which here
preſent themſelves, it will be more difficult to felect
thoſe that are moft worthy of Confideration, and
the Mention of which may be of greateſt Advan-
tage to this Company in general, than it will be to
find Matter enough to fill up the few Minutes of
your Time, during which I fhall defire
your Atten-
tion. And tho' I difcourfe of Language, I fhall re-
member what particular Quality of it I have chiefly
in view, and not aim at any other than a clear and
familiar Stile, which is certainly the moft proper
for Criticiſm and Precept. But if now, or at any
other Time, I fhould not exactly conform to my
own Rules, let it rather be imputed to me as
a Fault, than brought as an Objection againſt the
Juftice of thofe Rules; which, if I am not deceived,
will be all founded in the Nature of Things, or on
the Obfervations of thofe Mafters, who have been al-
low'd the moft Excellent in the
Every Thing, however, fhall be delivered in my
own Words, unleſs when I quote my Author. As to
the Thoughts, on a Subject fo often handled, it is
Art of Oratory.
concerning LANGUAGE.
293
not likely that many of them fhould be new; nor
is it material who was the firſt that publiſhed a Sen-
timent, which must be obvious to all who confider
the fame Thing: But where only an Idea prefents
itſelf to the Mind, pertinent to the Subject, and
without any particular Mode of Expreffion; as we
cannot always determine whether it be furniſhed by
the Memory, or immediately fuggeſted by the Ima-
gination, fuch an Idea becomes undoubtedly our
own, tho' it may be found alfo in the Writings of
Others.
*
What in general we underſtand by a Word, is fo
well eſtabliſhed, and fo exactly.the fame to every
Man living, that we may reckon it among thoſe
Notions which cannot be made plainer by a Defini-
tion. If we fay that a Word is the Image, Picture,
or Sign of fome Thought or Idea, that exifts in the
Mind of the Speaker, we exprefs no more than
what every one conceives, on the bare Mention of
the Term itſelf. But if we join the Idea of Thought
with that of Language, and ſay that Reafon and
Speech, or the Power of thinking and expreffing
our Sentiments, is what diftinguishes human Na-
ture from the reft of the Creation; it is requifite
here, before any one affents to the Propofition, that
he fhould make a Compariſon in his Mind between
the Actions of Mankind and thofe of other Ani-
mals, to fee whether this be the grand and proper
* If this were not permitted, the Moderns would have little
Share in the Honour of Invention.
U 3
294
A DISCOURSE
Characteriſtick of the former. Now this Compari-
fon keeps the Mind in Sufpenfe, and hinders it from
receiving the fame fudden Impreffion as in the other
Cafe: And the Reaſon is, becauſe we give not here
the fimple Definition of a Word, or a Thought,
but a Character of Humanity, confifting of feveral
Ideas brought together in one View. Tho' it con-
tains an acknowledged Truth, yet it has not the
fame Sort of Evidence as the Defcription of a Word,
or of any other Thing equally fimple; which re-
quires no more in order to our receiving it, than
our barely knowing the common Acceptation of the
Term, under which it is defcribed.
Speech itſelf, no one doubts, was an * immediate
Gift of the Creator, beftow'd upon Man together with
his Existence; and which has been in Ufe ever fince there
were two of the human Species, and any Occafion of
Commerce. I diſtinguiſh, in Point of Time, betwixt
the Poffeffion of this Faculty and the Practice of it,
in Conformity to the Mofaical Account, which has
deſcribed an Interval between the Formation of Man,
* The antient GRECIANS make it an Effect of mere Necef-
fity. When Men, that were before diſperſed over all the Earth,
united in Societies, for their Defence againſt wild Beafts, they
invented Words, according to DIODORUS SICULUS, juft as Ob-
jects and Occafions offered, and all arbitrarily; which was the
Caufe that every primitive Community had a different Language,
which were all divided into many Dialects upon the ſpreading
of Colonies. But the Scriptures give us a quite different Ac-
count, both of the Origin and Variety of Speech, which is here
followed.
!
concerning LANGUAGE.
295
and the making him an Helpmate out of one of
his Ribs; the Sight of whofe Beauty, in all Proba-
bility, as it gave him the firſt Sentiments of Paffion,
ſo it firſt emboldened him to make an Effay of his
Eloquence, in a Declaration of Love. But then we
are to imagine, that Speech was originally rude and
fimple, meaſured by the Neceffities and Appetites of
our firſt Parents. The Copia of Words, which is
now to be found in almoſt every Language, was in-
troduced by Degrees, as Variety of Objects and Re-
flections prefented themſelves, and required to be ex-
preffed. For this Reafon the HEBREW, which, as
a vulgar Tongue, has been the longeft difufed of any
we know, confifts of the feweſt radical Words, and
has the leaſt Appearance of artful Compofition, of
any now taught in the Schools. For the fame Rea-
fon we ſee a gradual Improvement in every Dialect,
fo long as it continues to be the living Language
of any People. Longer than this, indeed, it can-
not be capable of Improvement; nor would it deferve
the Pains, were there any Poffibility of Succefs. For
when a Tongue, from rude and barbarous, is refined
into elegant and harmonious, it is with a View to the
Paffions. The great Men, in all Ages and Coun-
tries, befides calling Things by their proper Names,
and fpeaking to the Underſtanding, had other Pur-
poſes to ſerve, thofe of Credit, Glory, and Authority,
which they eſtabliſhed by the Force of Eloquence,
and ornamental Diction. On this was founded the
Art of Rhetorick: As Grammar had its Original in
the Nature, Analogy, and Dependance of Words.
¿
U 4
296
A DISCOURSE
To how great a Height Eloquence might be ad-
vanced, before Writing, or the Art of making
Words vifible, was introduced in the World, we
have not, that I know of, any authentic Account.
Nor is there need to expatiate on the great Benefit
of this divine Invention; fince all we know, or
poffibly can know, more than what we acquire by
our own proper Senfes, and a few Reflections drawn
from fenfible Objects, join'd with a little uncertain
Tradition, is entirely owing to its Information. But
I must not omit what the Poet tells us,---that the
TYRIANS, a moſt antient People, and the firſt who
made any Figure in the Arts of Commerce and Na-
vigation, are honoured with the Credit of this Dif-
covery. The Poet I fpeak of is LUCAN, whoſe
*Thought is thus beautifully paraphrafed by an
ENGLISH Lady.
The noble Art from CADMUS took its Rife
Of painting Words, and ſpeaking to the Eyes,
He firſt in wondrous magic Fetters bound
The airy Voice, and ſtopp'd the flying Sound;
The various Figures by his Pencil wrought,
Gave Colour, and a Body to the Thought.
Is it not obvious here to reflect, how very won-
derful it is that fuch a Multitude of Sounds, and
* Phoenices primi, fama fi creditur, auft
Manfurum rudibus vocem fignare figuris.
>
PHARSALIA, Lib. III.
concerning LANGUAGE.
297
which exprefs almoſt an infinite Number of Ideas,
fhould all be deſcribed by lefs than thirty Charac-
ters? even if we admit fome * double Confonants
for fimple Letters, which are not generally received
in that Clafs. Yet all this is performed by eafy and
natural Tranfpofitions.
As the Nature of my preſent Subject gives me all
the Scope and Liberty of a modern Effayift, I beg
leave in this Difcourfe to forget what was advanced
in the foregoing concerning Method, and produce
my Obfervations juft as they occur. And being on
the Topick of Letters, before I difmifs it, it cannot
be improper to take notice, that as Letters were in-
vented only for the Purpoſe of conveying different
Sounds, we have the greateft Reafon to imagine,
that no Letter had at firft more than one Sound,
which was invariable, and diftinct from all others.
If the Antients, who firft compofed our Alphabets,
had had the fame Neceffity that fome of the Moderns
have, doubtless they would have enlarged their Ca-
talogue, inſtead of giving various Sounds to one and
the fame Character. On the Contrary, fome fuper-
fluous Letters, which we now retain, had never been
invented, if there had not been antiently fome Sounds,
which we, in this Age, have either loft, or learn'd
to expreſs in a different Manner from the GREEKS
and ROMANS. He that confiders the LATIN Tongue
as we now read it, or any modern Dialect in pre-
* Such as th, ch, &c. which have but a fimple Sound.
1
298
A DISCOURSE
:
1
fent Vogue, will diſcover a great deal of Reaſon for
thefe Remarks; and that moſt of the Difficulties in
pronouncing of Languages, is owing to this indeter-
minate Ufe of certain Characters in the Alphabet.
Methinks, therefore, there could not be a greater
Piece of Service done to Learning, than for an Af-
fembly of its Profeffors, convened out of every Na-
tion in EUROPE, to form a new Alphabet for gene-
ral Ufe, containing all the Sounds in all their Lan-
guages, each expreffed under a proper and incom-
mutable Character. The Reading, at leaſt, of dif-
ferent Languages, would hereby be rendered eaſy,
and the Pronunciation fix'd; which would contribute
not a little to the Facility of underſtanding them.
po-
The CHINESE, a People who boaft much of
Antiquity, and of their own Excellency in the
lite Arts, have provided againſt the Inconveniency
of our Alphabets, by another which is abundantly
greater. They have diſtinct Characters, not only
for all fimple Actions of the Voice, which may be
equivalent to our Letters; but likewife for all com-
pound Sounds, including their whole Words of every
Kind, and perhaps fome entire Phrafes, as well as
their Syllables. By this Means the Number of theſe
Characters becomes almoſt incredible, and the Diffi-
culty of learning to read them is what few People
can overcome. He that knows the moft Characters,
among them, is the moſt learned Man ; there being
* See Du HALDE's Hiftory of CHINA.
*
concerning LANGUAGE.
299
no leſs than eighty thouſand in the whole Compaſs
of their Language: Tho' we are informed indeed,
that a Perfon who underſtands only ten thoufand
may exprefs himſelf tolerably, and read a good
Number of Books; that the Generality of the Learned
reach not to above fifteen or twenty thoufand, and
that few of their great Doctors have attained to the
Knowledge of forty thoufand. But, what is moſt
furprizing, the Number of radical Words in their
Mandarin, or learned Language, amounts not to
above three hundred and thirty, which are all Mono-
fyllables and indeclinable: And to exprefs the vari-
ous Senfes, Accents, Emphafes, and Combinations
of theſe, is that vaft Profufion of Characters em-
ploy'd; which, nevertheleſs, are all compofed of fix
different fimple Figures.
The grammatical Diftinction of Words into fe-
veral Parts of Speech, enables us to feparate our
Ideas, and to reaſon with Exactneſs. By knowing
what is meant by a Subftantive, an Adjective, a
Verb, and a Particle, we learn to divide the Thing
from its Quality, to diftinguish them both from the
Action, and to confider the Action either fimply,
or together with its Mode. Theſe four Parts of
Speech are all that have any Exiſtence in Nature;
for they comprize whatever can be either exprefs'd or
imagined: So that the vulgar Divifion taught in our
Schools, which fwells the Number up to eight, is
entirely erroneous; not only becauſe it makes four
undeclinable Parts, which are all underſtood in the
Word Particle, and, except a very few, expreſs
}
$
૩૦૦.
A DISCOURSE
only the different Manners of an Action; but becaufe
it unites the Subftantive and the Adjective, under the
general Term Noun, whereas they are properly two
Parts, including the feveral Species of Pronouns
and Participles. This Correction of the common
Grammars was made long ago, and has been follow-
ed by * fome Mafters, who ventured to be Free-
thinkers in their Art: But as if it were Herefy in
Grammar, as well as in Religion, to deviate from
the Paths of our Anceſtors, and adhere to Common
Senfe rather than Cuftom, their Difcovery, as yet,
feems to be treated as a mere Innovation, and will
hardly be thought orthodox without the Stamp of
Authority.
ones.
The ENGLISH Tongue feldom diftinguiſhes the
Gender by the Terminations of its Words, as all
the learned Languages do, and moſt of the modern
Nor have we different Endings to our Sub-
ftantives, to express what the Grammarians call
Cafes, except in the perfonal Pronouns, and the Re-
lative and Interrogative + Who. By this Means we
avoid the Trouble of learning thofe Forms, which
in LATIN are called Declenfions, and by the Help
* See the Grammars of LANE, BRIGHTLAND, LOUGH-
TON, and fome others.
† It may be proper to take notice here of a Fault, very
common in Converſation, even among People that know bet-
ter; viz. the uſing of who for whom: As, who did you give it
to? who did you fee? who did you fpeak of? In all which
Inftances, and a thouſand others, this is manifeftly wrong.
concerning LANGUAGE.
301
of a few Particles anfwer the fame Purpoſe. For
tho', in Conformity to the learned Languages, we
have ſeen Declenfions inferted in fome ENGLISH
Grammars, it is certain that nothing can be more
uſeleſs and ridiculous. It is not entirely the fame
with regard to our Verbs, which have fome Inflec-
tions: But theſe are not fo various as in other
Tongues, and may be learned with much more Fa-
cility. Tho' one Scheme of Conjugation therefore be
neceffary, we need not have feveral; whereas in
GREEK they are multiplied to thirteen: A Number
indeed that would bear Reduction, as hath been
evidently proved. But I muſt not run into a De-
tail of theſe Matters, left I omit what is more to my
Purpoſe.
So great is the Fertility of human Wit, that, as a
* FRENCH Writer obferves, it finds a Barrenneſs in
the moſt fruitful Languages. Men turn Things in
fo many Manners, and reprefent them under fo
many different Faces, that they cannot find Terms
to expreſs all the various Modes of Thought.
Common Words are not always juft, but either too
weak or too ftrong to exprefs our Sentiments precife-
ly. To remedy this, we often defcribe a Thing by
fuch Signs and Circumftances as are peculiar to it,
and which excite the fame Idea as a proper Name.
At other Times we ſpeak figuratively, and fignify
one Thing by a Word which Cuſtom has appro-
* The Author of Art de parler.
تر
302
A DISCOURSE
priated to another. Words thus tranfported from
their eſtabliſhed Meaning, to a borrowed and indi-
rect Senfe, are called Tropes, from a GREEK Verb
which fignifies to turn, becauſe they invert their Sig-
nification. There muſt be fome Connection or Agree-
ment between the Things they are put to fignify,
and Thofe to which they properly belong; and the
great Art in ufing them is to make this Agreement
fo fenfible, as that the indirect Idea may feem as
natural as the proper. It is particularly neceffary, in
order to preſerve a due Clearnefs in our Metaphors,
the moſt common Sort of Tropes, that they be not
drawn from too great a Diſtance, or from Things
that may not immediately convey the Picture we
endeavour to reprefent. When we call a leud Houſe
the Rock of Youth, our Meaning is inftantly perceiv-
ed: But when we call it the SYRTES of Youth, it muſt
be remembered that the SYRTES are dangerous Sands
on the AFRICAN Coaft, before the Senfe of the Ex-
preſſion can be thoroughly penetrated. A Man muft
be ſtrangely in Love with Myſteries, who can delight
in fuch far-fetch'd Allufions, that rather obfcure than
illuſtrate his Subject. The moſt clear Metaphor de-
ſcribes a Thing but indirectly: What then fhall be
faid of Thefe?
There are fome Tropes, indeed, eſtabliſhed by
Cuſtom, which are not lefs ufed, nor more difficult
to underſtand than natural Terms: But their Perfpi-
cuity proceeds from their Ufe, and not This from
That. We need not fcruple to receive theſe when-
ever they come in our Way. But others, which are
concerning LANGUAGE.
303
not frequent in common Difcourfe, fhould always be
ufed with Reſerve, and with due Preparation. And
when a String of them comes together, to carry on
the fame Thought, which is fometimes the Cafe in
high Colouring, they fhould always have a manifeft
Relation to each other, as well as to the Subject it-
felf. The celebrated Speech in HAMLET, which
begins, To be, or not to be, and goes on with Slings
and Arrows of Fortune,---a Sea of Troubles,---take Arms
against a Sea, &c. has been highly cenfured as deviat-
ing from this Rule. But the Name of SHAKESPEAR
is facred, and even his Faults ſhould be touched with
Tenderneſs: The Writings of a Modern, who has
not the fame Beauties to atone for his Defects, may
be treated with more Freedom.
Our Wit declares, ftill changing like our Drefs,
By Inſtability, its Emptineſs.
This is a Couplet which I have ſomewhere feen, and
which, in my Opinion, is highly blameable. Wit
here, by its Changing, and Inftability, and Empti-
nefs, gives us the Ideas at once of a Perfon, a Sute
of Clothes, and a rolling Hogfhead. And foon af-
ter we have it in the Characters of a Sun below the
Horizon, a troubleſome Servant, and the Art and
Myſtery of mending old Shoes.
Wit feems ev'n fet, to rife no more; and made
A factious Hireling, and mechanic Trade.
304
A DISCOURSE
¿
Ufing Words in this Manner, is ufing them to
no Purpoſe at all, or to a Purpoſe worſe than none;
fince it deſtroys the Picture which we ſhould other-
wife have had, from only a fimple Deſcription.
In fhort, and to have done with this Head, the
Neceffity of Metaphors is evident from the excellent
Effect they have on the Mind *. When we call a great
Captain the Thunder-bolt of War, how is the Image
of him raiſed beyond all the Paintings of plain De-
fcription? His Force, the Swiftnefs of his Conquefts,
and the Sound of his Reputation, are all expreſs'd
in a fingle Word. To fay with our BRITISH
HORACE,
Loud Surges lafh the founding Shore,
How much more noble and expreffive is it than
calmly to tell us, The Sea flows with Violence againſt
the Coaft. The Word lab, tho' in its primitive
Senſe it fignifies an Action of which the Sea is inca-
pable, yet what a Picture it gives us of the Noife
and Motion of the foaming Billows! It is thus that
inanimate Beings are dignified and raiſed. And by
the fame Art fpiritual and incorporeal Subſtances are
brought within the Comprehenfion of our Senfes; as
we fee it done in the facred Writings, which give
Hands, Feet, and Eyes to the Almighty.
Tho' I have gone thro' the greateft Part of this
* See Art de parler. Lib. ii. Chap. 5.
concerning LANGUAGE.
305
:
Difcourfe, I have yet faid little of what I at firft
intended: Which fhews the Benefit of this rambling
Manner, in that it allows a Man to talk as much
as he pleaſes, and as little to the Purpoſe. But it
is now Time that I fhould think more clofely of
my Subject, and introduce a few Remarks that are
lefs abſtracted, but better fuited to Practice, and
which therefore, I doubt not, will be more accept-
able here. They confit only of Remonftrances
againſt certain Abufes of Language, which it is pro-
per to avoid in every fincere Enquiry after Truth.
* There are certain Gentlemen, who, becauſe
their Profeffions, and perhaps their natural Abilities,
raiſe them a little above the Bulk of the People, will
be perpetually talking in the Terms of their refpec-
tive Arts, and making Myfteries of what every one
would underſtand in plain ENGLISH. This I think
very unjuſtifiable. I fpeak only with Regard to
Converfation, and where Gentlemen are profeffedly
endeavouring to inftruct others: For there may be
Sciences, to which a peculiar Dialect, for certain
Reaſons which I fhall by and by mention, may be
apparently neceffary: But then it can be neceffary
only in the Practice of thofe Sciences among their
Profeffors, and not in an Attempt to communicate
them to the Unexperienced. If the Terms are ex-
plain'd at the fame Time, of what Benefit can they
be at all? becauſe the Idea they are intended to give,
* 'T'his and fome following Paragraphs were written with a
particular View.
X
,
306
A DISCOURSE
is convey'd only in the Explanation, which had there-
fore been fufficient alone. In reading of Works already
publiſhed, it is neceffary indeed to underftand all
the Modes of Expreffion they contain; which, being
often a Tafk of fome Difficulty, is the Reafon that
Books of Phyfick, Law, and Mathematicks, are
feldom look'd into by any, but the Perfons who
make the Profeffion of thofe Sciences their Study.
But when a Lawyer, Phyſician, or Mathematician,
undertakes to give his Friends, who never purpoſe
to follow that peculiar Study, a concife View of its
Nature and general Principles, methinks it is pre-
pofterous not to do this in the moft familiar Lan-
guage; fince it is the Science, and not the Art of
difguifing it, that they are willing to underſtand.
One may venture to affirm, that the Uſe of a parti-
cular Jargon in common Converfation, on what
Subject foever, expofes the Science it belongs to,
and the Perfons who thus formally handle it, to the
juft Animadverfion of every one elfe. For if the
Speaker be not underſtood, all his Learning is en-
tirely loft: And to Men of Underſtanding, his Ob-
fcurity will be fo far from making him admired,
that it will be apt to give them a contemptible Idea
of his mean and mercenary Tafte; becauſe they
know, that there is hardly any Thing we can have
a Mind to exprefs, which may not be made intelli-
gible in common ENGLISH, at leaſt by Circumlocu-
tion. And if fuch a Perfon be underſtood, they
who hear him diveft what he ſays of the Veil he has
thrown over it, conceive his Ideas in their own
concerning LANGUAGE.
307
Terms, and entertain a much worfe Opinion of his
Profeffion than they might otherwife have had,
which, they now fee, owes a great Part of its Re-
putation to the Language in which it is hidden.
This is a natural Way of treating Things, and
what every Man will be apt to fall into, when, by
the Imprudence of any Profeffor, he is let into the
great Secret of a Science, which he before reverenced
becauſe he did not underſtand, and which he never
would have enquired into, if fuch an Occaſion had
not been given to his Curiofity. I believe, a Man
may ſpeak almoſt all he knows in common Words,
without being fufpected of having exhaufted his
Knowledge; but if he delivers himſelf in Form,
and his Hearers underſtand him, the whole Myſtery
is out, and the Profeffion betray'd.
As to the Ufe of particular Dialects, at preſent
however, and till Terms of Art are univerfally
made ENGLISH, it is hardly to be avoided in the
Practice of fome Sciences. Medicine for Inftance,
or what we vulgarly call Phyfick, had its Origin
among the GREEKS, and was by ESCULAPIUS,
HIPPOCRATES, and others, carried to great Perfection.
Words were invented together with Things, and
the Parts of the human Body that were then diftin-
guiſhed, their Diſeaſes, and the various Specificks in
the ſeveral Intentions of Cure, were all fignified by
familiar Names, which the Analogy of the Tongue
· made intelligible, even to the common People. But
the ROMANS, upon their Conquest of the GREEKS,
which was the firft Step towards Politenefs in that
X 2
308
A DISCOURSE
mighty Republick, by adopting the GREEK Terms
together with their Ideas, gave Birth to that Sort of
Study, which hath fince been called School-Learn-
ing. Their Tongue was already fufficient for com-
mon Ufe, and might have been made to embrace
the whole Circle of Sciences: But they were eager
about Things, and not Words, which they took
from their Inftructors, without Tranflation. It was
only in Proportion as they made new Diſcoveries, that
they exprefs'd themſelves in plain LATIN; retaining
ftill the Marks of their Obligation to the GREEKS, in
all that they had borrowed from them: So that the
Language of Medicine, as well as of many other
Sciences, became a Mixture, in Time, of the two
Languages of ROME and ATHENS. The ARA-
BIANS alfo lent it fomething, when it paffed thro'
their Hands * about feven or eight hundred Years
ago; when the Chriftian World was overwhelmed
with Ignorance, and the Difciples of MAHOMET
were almoſt the only Philofophers. The Chriftians
of EUROPE borrowed of the ARABIANS what the
ARABIANS had borrowed of the GREEKS, and a-
mong other Kinds of Knowledge the Science of
Medicine; keeping ftill to the old Cuftom of not
tranflating, but calling every Thing by the Name it
received from the Inventor. Lefs honeft indeed, or
}
* The Sciences were in their greateſt Luftre among the
ARADIANS and SARACENS, in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth
Centuries, at a Time when the Chriftians thought of nothing
but Relicks, Pilgrimages, and Crufades.
concerning LANGUAGE.
309
lefs juft to themſelves than either the ROMANS or
the ARABIANS, the Moderns have not diſtinguiſhed
their own Improvements by giving them in their
maternal Tongues. As if there were ſomething fa-
cred in the Form of Words, they have LATINIZED
all the Languages in CHRISTENDOM, ſo far as they
regarded their particular Profeffion: Quite contrary to
the antient Practice, which was only blameable for
leaving any Myſteries at all; whereas the whole Se-
cret of This confifts in making every Thing myſte-
rious. But the Diftemper is now become epidemi-
cal, and can be cured only by an Univerfal Reme-
dy: It is therefore neceffary for thofe to be infected
with it, who hope to live upon the Corruption of
Mankind.
Well, but this Univerfal Medicine for the Cure of
Phyfick, is it no where to be found? Were not
Divinity and Law formerly fick of the fame Diſeaſe?
Yet the Reformation was fovereign againſt it in the
one, and a late Act of Parliament in the other.
Might not the Conſtitution of Phyfick too be reſtor-
ed, by a Cathartick of the fame efficacious Nature?
We plainly fee, in theſe two great Examples, that
LATIN and * FRENCH are of no real Effect, either
in faving our Souls or preferving our. Properties.
May not our Bodies too be as fecure without GREEK
or ARABICK? The Gentlemen of the Faculty may
be convinced, from the fame Inftances, that they
*The old Law Language.
X 3
1
#
310
A DISCOURSE
:
have not much to apprehend from fuch a Purgation
For Divinity, tho' reformed, hath ftill Influence
enough over our Confciences; and Law, tho' tran-
flated, over our Fortunes.
The Truth is, Mankind in general are too fond
of a certain Something, that wears the Mafk of So-
lemnity. Here lies the Source of all our important
Miſtakes. The apparent Myfteries of Nature, the
Obligations of Society, and the Springs of our Paffions,
were ſearch'd out by the great Men of Antiquity,
and publiſhed at first to their Fellow-Creatures,
with very honeft and laudable Intentions. But the
Effect of thefe Difcoveries on the natural Biafs of
the Vulgar was foon perceived. What then was to
be done, by Perfons who had fo much Addreſs, and
fo little Honeſty, as to join Cunning to their Wif-
dom? The Anfwer is obvious, and they could not
but make it to themfelves. Let us be Philofophers,
Legiſlators, Priefts! We have them under our Fin-
ger! Let us have a Language, a Character of our
own! Let us be grave, fententious, difficult of Ac-
cefs! Let us have our internal and external Doctrine!
Snug, my Companions,-the World goes fwim-
mingly.
Why let it go on fo, in the Name of Folly! and
fo it will go, in ſpite of a few obftinate Diffenters.
But need we, Gentlemen, be borne down with the
Torrent, who have Strength and Skill enough to
bear up against it? So long as we know one ano-
ther when the Mafk is off, what need have we to
wear it at all? But I have faid enough to fignify my
.
concerning LANGUAGE.
311
Meaning; and I hope to explode, from this Socie-
ty, one of the greateſt Abuſes of Language that ever
was introduced. I fhall be very concife in the few
Particulars that remain, they being, tho' not lefs com-
mon, of lefs pernicious Confequence.
The firſt that offers is the Ufe of equivocal Ex-
preffions, or Words of a doubtful and various Signi-
fication. If it be the grand Defign of Language,
as I have more than once mentioned, to convey our
Ideas to each other, certainly thoſe Words are the
moſt proper, which are beft adapted to this Defign.
A capital Rule of knowing thefe, in my Opinion,
is this; That where we have two fynonymous Terms,
equally good in all other Refpects, that should be
preferr❜d which has no other Meaning than what we
affix to it: Or, if both are convertible, that which
has feweſt other Meanings, or whofe other Meanings
have leaſt Affinity with what we would exprefs. I
might add, that the worst of all Equivoques are thofe,
which may be taken in a prophane or lafcivious
Senfe But I have no Occafion to take notice of
a Fault, which none of us are in Danger of commit-
ting, while we keep to the Reftrictions which we
have voluntarily fubfcribed.
There is another Abufe, not only of Words but
of Reaſon, which is near akin to that of double En-
tendres: I mean, the propofing of problematical
Queſtions and Thefes, the Underſtanding of which
depends upon the peculiar Interpretation of fome
quaint Expreffions; but which, after all, neither in-
ftruct, nor give any rational Pleafure. This, me-
}
X 4
312
A DISCOURSE
&
thinks, is playing at Hide-and-feek with our Thoughts,
and putting good honeft ENGLISH Words to the moſt
barbarous Torture. In perillous Times, indeed, when
People dare not avow their Principles, it may be
proper, on important Occafions, to make uſe of
Riddles: But to compofe them with Labour, mere-
ly for what they never can afford, a natural Amuſe-
ment and Employment of the Mind, is to me, who
have no Ambition of being a grammatical Sharper,
a moſt intolerable and unaccountable Practice. I
know of no other Excufe for coining of Enigma's,
but that it ſometimes pleaſes the Ladies, and Lady-
like Gentlemen, and therefore may be indulged on
particular Occafions: But the very Notion of an
Enquiry after Truth, which we have here eſpouſed,
fhould whiſper to us, methinks, that we ought to
abandon all Kind of Fallacy: Unleſs it be thought
proper to have our Reaſon diftorted, that we may
enjoy the Pleaſure of having it fet right again.
Need I mention, after a great Mafter of the ENG-
LISH Language, the too frequent and affected Ufe
of fuch Words, which, tho' intelligible enough from
their Derivation, are not fufficiently authorized by
Common Ufe; to whom belongs, as HORACE* affures
us, the Right and Privilege of fixing our Ex-
preffions? Some Words are too antiquated for the
preſent Faſhion, and others too new for any to clothe
their Thoughts in, who have not Influence enough
* See the Paffage Vol. II. p. 77:
concerning LANGUAGE.
313
to correct the Mode. Yet I am willing to think,
that upon the Principle of the fame † HORACE, and
after the Example of the beſt Writers, one may
venture now and then to flip in a new Term, when it
derives from a Root that is well known, and gives
our Idea more exactly than any received Expreffion.
One may venture, I fay, by Way of Trial at leaſt,
upon this Expedient; and if it take but once in
feveral Times, we fhall yet contribute fomething to-
wards the Riches of our Language. But the utmoſt
Caution is here neceſſary, and not lefs Judgment.
The Ranging of Words, as well as the Choice of
them, deferves a little to be confidered.
Not only
Cadence and Harmony, but Perfpicuity and Strength,
depend much on the Knowledge of this Art. But
this Knowledge must be attained by Practice and
Example, rather than collected from Precepts, which
at beft are always deficient in the Niceties of every
Science. A diftinguiſhing Judgment, a delicate
Tafte, a muſical Ear, a thorough Acquaintance
with the Genius of a Languague, all improved by
long Application and clofe Reflection, muft unite in
forming a Stile, which may deferve the Character of
maſterly. There is alfo a* Happiness, as well as a
Care, that contributes to the Perfection of Stile, and
appears only in the Works of exalted Genius's: Like
that divine Grace in the Paintings of APELLES and
RAPHAEL, which diftinguifhed the former among
†
Ars Poetica, v. 53, &c.
*Effay on Criticifm.
314
A DISCOURSE
1
the Antients, and the latter among the Moderns, from
thofe of all the other Maſters, their Rivals and Contem-
poraries. I will not attempt to introduce any Rules,
tho' many might be collected, for fixing the Stan-
dard of this commanding Beauty, in the mechani-
cal Part of it; but content myſelf with obferving in
the Negative, that tho' it confifts in a nice and ele-
gant Choice, a judicious and elaborate Arrange-
ment of Words, yet there is nothing more foreign
from it than a ſwelling and frothy Diction, diffected
into regular Members, by forced and unnatural Tranf-
pofitions.
But befides the Faults which are chargeable on
Want of Delicacy, there is one, I think, that muſt
be ascribed to an over-fcrupulous Regard for it.
Writers are apt, very often, to avoid the neceffary
Repetition of the fame Word; becauſe they are afraid
of a certain Figure of Speech, which they call Tau-
tology. To fay the fame Thing over and over again,
without any manifeft Occafion, is undoubtedly the
Effect of great Negligence; but to repeat the fame
Word is quite a different Matter. Tautology is
much oftener miſtaken than really committed, and
much easier to fhun than is ufually imagined. It
does not confift in the bare Ufe of certain Words
or Phrafes, but in faying more than is needful on
any particular Occafion, and perfifting to talk on
after we have exhaufted our Theme. Some Ex-
preffions, in a continued Diſcourſe, muſt always occur
again and again, and very often in the fame Period.
And is not this better than to put Relatives, or
concerning LANGUAGE.
315
Words lefs expreffive in the Room of them? There
muſt be a Redundance where there is Tautology, but
there is no Redundance in fuch Repetitions as theſe.
I am confcious, that a Perfon of Experience in theſe
Matters, upon fhort Reflection, would have ſpoken
of them more pertinently than I have now done:
But as this Taſk devolved on me, in Confeqnence of
my former Difcourfes, I hope to be excufed what
may be defective in the Performance of it. If I have
given a general Idea of this extenfive Subject, I have
accompliſhed as much as I intended.
Were there Occafion, at the End of this long
Harangue, to juftify the Opinions maintain'd in
it, I could quote many illuftrious Teftimonies
to that Purpoſe. TULLY was fo fcrupulous in
Matter of Language, that in his old Age, and
amid the Confufions of a Civil War, he confulted
his Friend ATTICUS, by Letter, concerning the Uſe
of a fingle Word. CÆSAR himſelf, while he was
gathering the Laurels of a Conqueror, was proud to
interweave with it fome of the Criticks Ivy, and in
that View wrote of the Analogy of the LATIN
Tongue. VAUGELAS, whom BOILEAU has called
the wifeft of all the FRENCH Writers, fpent the
greateſt Part of his Life in collecting thoſe excellent
Materials, which compofe his fmall Volume of Re-
marks on the FRENCH Language. And it is worth
our Notice, that from among the many Books which
were written by the Antients, fcarce any have defcend-
ed to us, but what were admired for the diftinguifh-
ing Beauties of their Stile and Diction.
To
316
ΤΟ
Mr. LOUGHTON,
ON HIS
Practical Grammar of the ENGLISH
Tongue,
*
HETHER 'twas Love that Language firſt
infpir'd,
WH
Or Words from Wants flow'd to the Thing
defir'd,
Or Nature gave the Talent of Difpute,
To mark the Man fuperior to the Brute;
When Speech was pure, it fimply was defign'd
5
To clothe Ideas rifing in the Mind ;
The preſent Senfe in Picture to impart,
* This Epiftle having been omitted among the other Poems,
it was judg'd proper to infert it here, after the Diſcourſe concern-
ing Language. Many of the Thoughts in the two Pieces are
exactly the fame: We fhall therefore refer from This to That
in fome Places; and in two or three add a ſhort Note, where
it may ſeem neceffary,
+
An EPISTLE.
317
IO
Or waft the Wifh that iffu'd from the Heart.
Then Grammar was not; for not yet was found
The Art to vary, lengthen, and compound:
Words were but Syllables, and Theſe but few,
And what They mifs'd-was acted to the View.
Hence antient Languages are leaft perplext:
Few fimple Roots, with Particles annext,
Compofe the Subftance of the HEBREW Text. 15.
Hence the laſt polifh'd have the leaſt of Art,
And ENGLISH echoes ftill the honeft open Heart.
But GREECE, thro' Ages for Politenefs prais'd,
Soften'd her Manners, and her Language rais'd:
The Source of Rules her Artifice affords,
20
Her compound Epithets, and long-protracted Words.
From GREECE to ROME the Art of Grammar ftray'd,
(ROME rul'd in Arms, in Learning fhe obey'd)
There dwelt till Pedantry her Schools invade;
Ver. 1. Whether 'twas Love.] See Page 295.
Ver. 5. When Speech was pure, &c.] See the Difcourfe
of Method, Page 287.
Ver 11. Words were but Syllables, &c.] The MANDARIN
Language is thus at this Time. See Page 299.
Ver. 13,15. Hence antient Languages--the HEBREW.] SeePage 295;
•
$18
To Mr. LOUGHTON
Then, wrapt in Terms, it dwindled to a Trade. 25
For loft, or blended with Barbarian Store,
The ROMAN Tongue, vernacular no more,
Saw in her Place new Dialects advance,
And ſpread thro'SPAIN,thro' ITALY, and FRANCE;
Rude at the firſt, and form'd as but by Chance. 30
Yet theſe grew worthy the Grammarian's Toil,
To prune the Shoots, and cultivate the Soil:
But Grammar then liv'd on the public Spoil.
The Monkiſh Pedagogues, immur'd in Schools,
Reduce'd all Language to the ROMAN Rules: 35
Precepts they gave, in antient Order ftrung,
But miſs'd the Genius of each modern Tongue.
At length to BRITAIN thefe Refinements flew,
The fame the Mafters, and the Methods too.
Ver. 21. For loft or blended, &c.] On the Inundation of the
GOTHS, VANDALS, and FRANKS, who intermixing fomewhat
of their own Tongues with the LATIN in the Countries they
refpectively invaded, gave Birth to the feveral new Dialects in
the Southern Provinces of the ROMAN Empire.
Ver. 41. Declining Words, &c.] See Page 300.
Ver. 44. Yet ſome there were, &c.] See Page 299, 300. Natural
and univerfal Grammar regards the general Divifion of Words
into fuch and fuch Claffes, which is unalterable in all
Languages: But there is befides this a Grammar peculiar to
1
An EPISTLE.
319
Of LATIN Terms they cook'd us up a Feaſt, 40
Declining Words that vary not the leaft.
45
We knew the leſs, the more they aim'd to teach,
And home-fpun ENGLISH feem'd a learned Speech.
Yet fome there were lefs guilty of Pretence,
Who condefcended to be taught by Senſe:
Diſtinguiſh'd Grammar as by Nature fix'd,
Whofe Rules are gen'ral, certain, and unmix'd;
And that from Idiom which derives its Birth,
Unlike in each two Languages on Earth.
But ſtill the moſt for antient Terms were warm; 50
(There Dulneſs cleaves when Genius would reform.)
While Name and Quality as one they fhew,
They made fev'n Parts where Nature made but two,
All this was alter'd by a future Hand,
every Tongue, which depends chiefly on Modes, or the various
Formations of Words, eſpecially their Endings, which are more
than any Thing elſe the Characteriſticks of the different Lan-
guages of the Univerſe.
Ver. 52, 53. While Name and Quality, &c.] See Page 299,
before quoted.
Ver. 54. A future Hand] The Author of the ENGLISH
Grammar with Notes, publiſhed with the Recommendation of
ISAAC BICKERSTAFF, Efq; the fictitious Name that was pre-
fix'd to the TATLERS, then coming out periodically. This,
320 To Mr. LOUGHTON, &c.
Whom loud Applaufes ufher'd thro' the Land: 5$
Yet not from Cuftom difentangled quite,
He wrote in Verfe; for fo did LILLY write!
That laft Reform, which Hundreds wifh'd to fee,
Thy Grammar fhews us, was referv'd for Thee!
No foreign Terms, no wrong Distinctions here; 60
'Tis all familiar, pertinent, and clear.
Now either Sex, while Memory is ſtrong,
May hoard the Treaſures of our native Tongue:
For Works fo humbled to the meaneft Reach,
Infants may learn, and antient Matrons teach. 65
Ill did the Name of ENGLISH Grammar fuit 70
Some former Books, that bore it with Repute :
So loaded were the Trees with foreign Fruit.
Here BRITISH Soil is fown with native Seeds,
Weeds,
Completely purg'd from GREEK and ROMAN
And no Apology thy proper Title needs.
75
no doubt, was an excellent Work of the Kind, but admitted
of fome farther Improvements, which Mr. LOUGHTON has en-
deavoured to make; eſpecially by putting all his Rules into
Profe, and his whole Book into the Form of a Dialogue.
A SER-
321
A
SERMON
In DEFENCE of
PRIEST CRAFT. *
O
F all the Crafts which now do, or ever did
exiſt in the World, there has not been any one
fo univerfally honoured, reverenced, and adored as
Prieftcraft; nor any one, we ought of Confequence
to fuppofe, fo deferving of Honour, Reverence,
and Adoration. Yet fo it hath happened, that not-
withſtanding this general Veneration, (as there is no
Rule without Exceptions) during fome Periods, and
in fome Countries, particularly in our own Age and
Nation, this holy Myſtery has been contemptuouſly
ſpoken of, even by the meaneft Handicraftſmen.
I fhall not enquire into the Caufes of this perio-
dical Contempt, that having been already done by
* Preach'd in the fame Society as the three preceding Dif-
Courſes. See what is faid of this Sermon (or Eſſay, as it is there
called) in the Preface, Page xviii.
VOL. II.
Y
{
322
A SERMON in
fome of the Craftfmen themfelves; but only endea
vour to fhew the Immorality and Irreligion of it, by
proving the divine Right of all Prieſts to exercife
this their Craft upon the Laity, and the natural
Duty of all Laymen to fubmit implicitly to the
Operation.
"You
The Reaſon of my engaging in this arduous Taſk,
is chiefly from the Prejudices of my Countrymen. I
have obferved, with great Concern, the ill Succefs of
the Clergy in defending their own Trade. People are
too apt to imagine, that the great Zeal and Vehe-
mence with which they affert their fpiritual Preroga-
tives, as Directors, Stewards, and Guardians of our
Souls, are founded originally on the Dignities, Re-
venues, and other temporal and bodily Appurtenances,
which are attached to thofe Prerogatives.
are a Party concerned, (this is the Anfwer of our
modern Anti-clericks) and we do not blame you
for faying all you can in behalf of your own Myfte-
ry: But give us leave, at the fame Time, to think
for ourſelves, and believe juſt as much as we pleaſe
of what you advance." Now Matters being at this
Pafs, and like to continue fo while the Prieſts had no
other Advocates but themſelves, I thought I could not
do a more beneficial Service to the World, than to
ſtep in as an Auxiliar on their Side. Layman as I
am, and without any Profpect of ever being other-
wife, it cannot be ſuſpected that Intereſt is my Mo
tive: And as to being influenced (the only Motive that
can poffibly remain) I folemnly proteft that I have
never been apply'd to, directly nor indirectly, by
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT. 323
any Prieft, Prefbyter, or Teacher upon Earth, to
compofe this Apology: Nay farther, that I am not
excited to it by particular Friendſhips or Obliga-
tions, of any Kind whatſoever.
The Scheme, indeed, has long been in my Head,
and was intended at firft in Favour only of the
eſtabliſhed Clergy: But upon confidering the Matter
cloſely, I found it would be better to make the Plan
univerfal, and defend the Priefts of the HOTTENTOTS,
the CANADANS, and other polite Nations, in fhort of
the whole World, at the fame Time. For I under-
ftand of late, that in fome congregational Churches
among us, as well as in that by Law eftabliſhed,
great Offence has been taken at an Attempt to extend
the prieſtly Authority. There are People it feems,
under all the Denominations in GREAT BRITAIN,
(which truly are not a few) who have the Prefump-
tion to think that their whole Fortunes are not to
be at the Difpofal of their fpiritual Directors, and
who are ſo profane as to rank Gentlemen inveſted
with the facred Character in the fame Order with
themſelves; to imagine that a Prieft and a Layman
may be Brothers, and have mutual Obligations to
each other. But how monftrous and abfurd thefe
Opinions are, will appear in the Sequel of this Dif-
courfe.
I doubt not but fome Dignitaries of the High
Order will be violently angry with me in this Place,
becauſe I condefcend to take notice of fchifmatical
Teachers, and to range them without Diſtinction
in the prieſtly Clafs: But I declare once for all, that
Y 2
324
A SERMON in
..
L
by the Word Prieft, and other Words of a fimilar
Meaning, I underſtand all the Bramins, Bonzes, In-
ca's, Boies, Talapoins, Cardinals, Levites, Prefbyters,
Paftors, Patriarchs, fpiritual Overſeers, &c. &c. in
the whole Univerfe: Synonymous Terms, which the
Diverſity of Tongues hath affixed to the fame Idea,
and which are to be diftinguished only in Geogra-
phy, and its dependant Sciences. It is furprizing
methinks, that among a Body of Men, who all pro-
fefs the fame Calling, and proceed upon the fame
Principles, there fhould be fome who look down
with as much Contempt upon others, as they all do
in general upon the Laity. Tho' the Modes of In-
duction, the Habits of Diftinction, and indeed the
Manners of operating, be fomewhat various among
different People; yet the Office is always and every
where the fame,-that of managing our Minds, and
acting a Sort of middle Part between the Object of
Worſhip, and the Perfons worshipping. The E-
lection of any particular Number of People, is it not
equivalent to the Impofition of confecrated Hands?
does it not derive the fame Power, the fame indeli-
ble Character on the Perfon elected? If a Man were
before of no higher a Calling than honeft JoHN
BUNYAN, undoubtedly this Calling of a Religious
Society, full as effectually as the Preſentation of any
Great Officer, elevates him at once into the Quality
of younger Brother to the Pope, the Dairi, or the
Mufti. He is no longer one of the People, no
longer any Thing in common with the reft of Man-
kind; but a Prieft, an Ambaffador from Heaven,
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT.
325
and a fpiritual Guide thither. Is there not, therefore,
a mutual Intereſt throughout the Craft, which it much
behoves the Profeffors jointly to promote? Certainly
there is, and when any Teacher upon Earth is affront
ed, the whole facred Order, Male and Female, from
LONDON to the Land of JESSO, and onward quite
round the Globe, is affronted, fcandalized, blafphemed
thro' his Sides.
This fhall fuffice by Way of Introduction, and
to explain the Nature and Occafion of my prefent
Undertaking. I now proceed to the Apology itfelf,
which I fhall handle methodically, from this plain
Propofition.
That Prieftcraft is the moft excellent, and the
moſt juſtifiable of all Crafts.
And here Gentlemen, to prevent a Mifunderſtand-
ing between me, the Orator of this Night, and you
my Auditors, it will be proper in the firft Place,
according to the laudable Cuftom of all difcreet
Preachers, to explain fome of the principal Terms,
which I fhall have Occafion to make ufe in the Courſe
of my Lecture.
The moſt obvious of thefe is Prieftcraft; a Word
Compounded of two Monofyllables, both of them,
if I am not miſtaken, as fignificant as any in the
ENGLISH Language. I must confider them fepa-
rately, in their primitive and fimple Acceptations,
before I pretend to give their full and perfect Mean-
ing, as they ſtand joined together.
¥ Y
3
326
5
A SERMON in
A Priest is a Perfon deputed by any Object of
religious Worſhip, or (which indeed is almoſt the only
Proof of a Deputation) elected by any Society of De-
votees, to be a Sort of Mediator between the Parties
thus deputing and electing. On the Part of the Su-
perior Being he has the free Right of a privy Coun-
fellor, the Privilege of addreffing him in behalf of
his Clients, and of declaring and explaining his Will
in all important Points. On the Part of Man, the
Client, he has a Right of governing his Intellects,
directing his Paffions, preventing his Enquiries,
preſcribing to him in all ſpiritual Things, and tak-
ing a Share with him of all temporal ones, without
being expofed to the Fatigue and bodily Toil by
which they are ufually acquired.
I fay" deputed by any Object of religious Wor-
fhip, " becauſe I take the Word Prieſt, as I before
declared, in the moft univerfal Senfe, including
therein as much the Bramins and Bonzes of EAST
INDIA, as the feveral Orders of EUROPE: For which
Reafon I could not, with any Propriety, fay " deput-
ed by the Supreme Being; " fince 'tis well known that
He is not always the immediate Object of religious
Worſhip, but that Abundance of Priests profefs
themſelves the Deputies of other Gods.
'
But then you object against the Word deputed.
How can a Man be deputed by an irrational, or an
inanimate Being, as fome of thefe Gods are? I an-
fwer, that tho' We conceive the Gods of other Na-
tions under theſe degrading Ideas, They are far from
thinking of them in the fame Manner Themfelves 3
!
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT.
327
They believe the divine Virtue to inhabit in what
we fimply call an Ox, a Log, an Onion, or a Wa
fer; and therefore this Deputation is always fuppofed;
which is as much as I require, and as much perhaps
as can be proved of it by fome who talk highly of
theſe Matters.
Craft, the other compounding Word which I am
to explain, in the general Senfe of it fignifies-a pecu-
liar Art or Cunning, which any Man has either
found out himſelf, or learn'd of another; by means
of which he becomes ufeful to Society, fills up a
Place in the Commonwealth, and appropriates to him-
felf a comfortable Subfiftence, or probably a good
Share of Riches.
If it be objected, that there are many Arts which
never afford their Profeffors either Riches or a Liveli-
hood; I only anfwer, that then they are not Crafts;
for tho' every Craft be an Art, every Art is not a
Craft: The liberal Arts, in particular, have little or
no Craft in them, and are therefore the greateſt Ene-
mies that Prieftcraft has in the World,
1
From theſe two Definitions will eafily refult a
third, that of Prieftcraft, which take as follows.
Prieftcraft is the Art and Myſtery of playing upon
the human Mind, as it is practifed by the Perfons
defcrib'd under the Word Priest: Or, more literally,
the Art of modelling our Faculties, and managing our
Paffions, ſo as to make them ferve to whatever Pur-
pofe the Craftſman defigns them; and of fqueezing
out, at the fame Time, all the Superfluity of our
worldly Subftance.
Y 4
328
A SERMON in
Thus far our Definitions have been obvious: But
there is another Word, which we fhall find it hard
to make familiar to the Underſtanding; I mean that
of Priesthood. This is ufed to denote that inherent
and indelible Character, which every Prieft is pof-
fefs'd of from the Time that he begins to be fo. I
know not how to illuftrate it better than by another
Word of the fame Form, which * is Knighthood; fig-
nifying a certain invifible Quality, convey'd by a
Thump on the Shoulder to the Perfon whom Majefty
favours in that Manner, and who is from that Time
forwards called a Knight.
Now I am got upon this Parallel, I may purfue it
yet farther, and compare Prieftcraft alfo to Knight-
errantry, or the antient Buſineſs of a Knight; and
by that Means fet the Man, the Office, and the
Manner of officiating, in a pretty ſtrong, and I believe
not diſagreeable Light.
A Prieſt, having been once formally inveſted with
that Character, puts on a few Ornaments, which no-
body is to wear but thoſe of his Order; holds up a
Stone, a jointed Baby, or a Piece of Bread, and tells
you 'tis a God: Or, to make the Similitude yet
itronger, he points to the Image of a certain Virgin
Lady, and tells you the is the Queen of Heaven,
*There is a Paffage in the Independant Whig, which ſome-
what refembles this: But as the Author had never feen that
Book when he wrote this Difcourfe, he faw no Reason to
throw out a Thought which was entirely his own, and which
might occur to any one else in treating of the fame Subject.
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT.
329
and the Mother of God. You muſt immediately
fall down on your Knees, and worſhip; ſtedfaſtly
believing that what he affirms is true: Otherwiſe he
cuts yoù off from the Church, delivers you over to
the Devil, or, if it be in his Power (as it frequently
is) to the Civil Magiftrate, who will either make
you recant, or leave the World in a Bonfire.
In like Manner the antient Knights, being dubb'd
and arm'd, got upon their Horfes, and made Pro-
clamation that fuch a Lady was the greateſt Beauty
in the Univerſe; challenging the whole World to
prove the contrary. Every one prefent was obliged
to acquiefce in what he faid, or patiently fubmit to
have his Throat cut in the Lady's Behalf: Unleſs
any Man were fo brave as to fet up another Gentle-
woman, and undertake to maintain her Character
againſt the Idol of the former. Then they fell to
Blows, and ſhe was the fairest Lady who had the
ftouteft Champion. As that has generally been ac-
counted the beſt Mode of prieftly Operation, which
had the moſt Power to fupport it.
I might likewiſe obferve, that our fpiritual Cham-
pions are like the others in their Manner of Addrefs
to the People. Don QUIXOTE fwore by his Knight-
hood, that DONNA DULCINEA DEL TOBOSA was
the PHOENIX of her Sex: So our ghoftly Guides con-
firm all they retail to us with their priestly Word,
which it is Herefy not to believe.
There is one Thing indeed, to do them both
Juftice, in which Prieftcraft and Knight-errantry
feem to differ very confiderably, and that is this:
330
A SERMON in
Knight-errantry has been long laugh'd out of Coun
tenance, and all its romantic Heroes driven off the
Stage; fo that every Gentleman has had the Liberty
to like what Lady he pleaſes: But Prieftcraft ſeems,
bravely refolv'd to defend its Ground againſt all Op-
pofition: It fcorns to be put to the Bluſh; and is de-
termined never to let us have the Choice of our own
Thoughts and Opinions, becaufe it knows how
detrimental fuch a Freedom is likely to prove.
Another Word, of which it will be neceffary to
fix the Meaning, is Layman, or, to fpeak in Phrafe,
One of the Vulgar. This is a Machine, or if you
pleaſe an animated Creature, which has all the vifi-
ble Marks of Humanity as much as a Prieſt, and in
reality all the Parts and internal Faculties requifite
in a Prieſt; but all this without the Power, or at
leaft without the Right of putting thefe Faculties in
Motion, or applying thefe Parts to any manner of
Ufe. He is an Engine to be fet a going, or a mu-
fical Inftrument to be play'd upon, by the ghoftly
Father.
I fhall be excufed the Uſe of thefe Expreffions, when
it is confidered that the making Man a Machine, is
literally agreeable to the Opinion of the moſt fa-
mous modern Philofophers. My whole Syftem then,
hitherto, advances no more than this: That a ſelect
Number of theſe Machines are, by fome Means or
other, inform'd with a Principle of Motion and Ac-
tion, which they communicate to others, and fo fet
the whole Species a going.
ו
Defence of PRIEST CRAFT.
331
*
Let us examine the Aptitude of this mechanical
Notion in the prefent Cafe, by comparing it with
the Ideas we ufually entertain of other Machines.
We fuppofe in them all a juft Conformity and Pro-
portion of Parts, which render them proper to an-
fwer the End of their Contrivance, whenever the
Workman pleaſes to make the Application. In a
Watch, for Inftance, are the Wheels, the Spring,
the Chain, all which contribute to move the Hand
about, when they are put together, and ſtrain'd
up
to a juft Pitch. So in a Man there is a great Varie-
ty of Faculties, adapted to each other, which make
him capable of a thouſand Things, when they are
properly tun'd. It is the Work of the Prieft to fire
the Imagination, inform the Judgment, furnish the
Memory, oil the Confcience, and determine the
Will; which being done, he applies the whole Man
to what Purpoſe he thinks proper.
·
Bigotry and Devotion, which in this Place I fhall
ufe as fynonymous Terms, without enquiring whe-
ther or no they are generally received as fuch, ferve
to expreſs thoſe paffive Principles in a Layman,
which refult from the juft Modulation of his intel-
lectual Faculties, and receive the first and immediate
Impreffions of Prieftcraft: They are, as it were, the
Spring of the whole human Machine, which being
wound up by the Key of Inftruction in the Mouth of
the Prieft, act upon all the other Parts in fuch a Man-
ner, as to excite in every one the proper Motion,
and forward the great End of the Craft.
332
A SERMON in
Thus have I gone thro' the Syftematical Part of
my Difcourfe, and endeavoured to explain all, or
moſt of the Terms of Art, which I fhall make ufe of
in the Apologetical; to which I now humbly crave
your ferious Attention.
What I have to offer may be divided into two ge-
neral Parts, each of which will naturally ſeparate into
feveral Subdivifions. In the first Place, I fhall prove
the real and unalienable Dignity of the Priesthood:
In the second, I fhall vindicate Prieftcraft, as it has
formerly ever been, and is at prefent practifed, fo
far as the Laity will permit, in all the Countries
of the known World.
The Dignity of the Priesthood may be fhewn
from its Antiquity and continued Succeffion; from
the extraordinary Manner in which it has commonly
been imparted to the Founders of particular Orders;
from the fublime Titles with which is has always
been diftinguiſhed; from the Object about which it
is employ'd; from the Confent of all Nations in the
Maintenance of it; and from the fuperior Qualities
it communicates to all who are invefted with it.
I begin with its Antiquity and Succeffion. It
might not be difficult, perhaps, to prove the Prieft-
hood as old as the World, were a Day or two of much
Confequence in this Affair: But without ftraining.
any Point, we find all the Offices of that Function
performed, according to the Syftem I have intro-
duced, in the very Garden of EDEN. EVE our
general Mother was the Devotee. The Perfon who
officiated is not fo clearly mark'd out, but that there
4
Į
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT.
333
is Room for divers Opinions concerning him: He is
only call'd The Serpent, as we are to ſuppoſe from his
Subtilty, which is particularly mention'd by the
JEWISH Lawgiver. I cannot determine whether or
no this individual Perfon be elſewhere diftinguiſhed
in the facred Writings by a proper Name; tho' our
modern Divines feem to agree in Opinion, that it
was no other than SATAN, the Prince of Deceit
and Lies. With all my Heart, if they are fond of
the Interpretation: I can only fay, that let his Name
have been what it will, it is to me very apparent
that he was a complete Prieft. Confider thefe Par-
ticulars. Firſt, He affumed the Right of dictating
to the Woman, and informing her what would be
for her ſpiritual Advantage. Eat of this Fruit, ſays
he, and ye shall be as Gods, knowing Good and Evil.-
Secondly, He affured her of the future Confequence
of following his Inftructions, in a Point which none
but a Prieſt, or one favoured with a fupernatural
Intelligence, could pretend to know, when he told
her, She should not die. He deceived her it is true,
and in that Particular fhew'd himſelf a lying Prophet;
which fomewhat favours the modifh Opinion con-
cerning him: But are we from hence to conjecture,
that he was not of the prieftly Order?-Surely, No.
Thirdly, The Woman, who doubtleſs had a better
Opportunity, than we can have at this Diſtance of
Time, of knowing who he was, immediately hearken-
ed to all he faid, and thereby confefs'd the Authority
of his Office, and the Dignity of his Perfon. This
ay ferve for the Antiquity of the Priesthood.
1
።
.:.
334
A SERMON in
The inſpired Writers and JOSEPHUS have given us
Tables of its Succeffion in the JEWISH Nation, from its
regular Inftitution in the Perſon of A ARON to the De-
ftruction of the fecond Temple. The Catalogue of
the Popes, to be met with in Ecclefiaftical Hifto-
rians, furniſhes us with a like uninterrupted Series in
the Catholic Church, from St. PETER to his preſent
Holinefs. The Hiftories of almoft every Nation
are well nigh as circumftantial in the Account of
their fpiritual Princes, as of their temporal Ones:
So that having fix'd the Article of Antiquity,
that of Succeffion will admit of no Difpute.
In the fecond Place, I am to take notice of the ex-
traordinary Manner in which the Priesthood has been
imparted to the Founders of particular Orders. Not
to mention Inftances that are well known, and which
we all believe from our Cradles, (tho' thefe might
afford us feveral curious Particulars) I fhall confine
myſelf to what may be felected from profane Hi-
ftory: And even here I fhall be very brief, touching
only upon fome of the moft remarkable Examples, in
a curfory Manner; for to trace all the Myfteries
and Labyrinths of Prieftcraft, in any one Efta-
blifhment, is a Work of too great Difficulty for my
poor Capacity and Learning.
I begin with MINOS, the celebrated Legiſlator and
King of CRETE, who for his great Juftice, and the
Prudence of his Inftitutions, is reprefented by the Poets
as one of the infernal Judges. This Prince, according
to HOMER *, was favoured with the Converfation of
* Odyff. Lib. xix.
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT.
335
JUPITER himſelf. Once every nine Years, it ſeems,
he retired into a Cave, which was called the Cave of
JUPITER, where that Supreme of the Pagan Deities
condefcended to retouch his Laws. One would think
indeed, that this novennual Revifal fhould have ren-
dered the divine Concurrence a little fufpected; be-
cauſe it was natural to have fuppofed, that the King
of Gods and Men was able to have given a complete
Syſtem at firſt. But thus did the antient Sages en-
hance the Idea of themfelves, and command fuperior
Reverence from the People. There were Prophets,
Sorcerers, Magicians in Abundance, who could ef-
fect very extraordinary Things, by Powers unknown
to the Vulgar: But this was not fufficient for a Le-
giflator; he muſt go further, and give them to un-
derſtand, that he was not only indulged with ſuper-
natural Vifions and Revelations, but received into
the Confidence, Friendſhip, Familiarity of the di-
vine Beings; the moſt infallible Proof of which, was
the going often into their Company.
NUMA POMPILIUS, the fecond King of ROME,
and the Author of its antient Religion, was equally
fenfible of the divine Affiftance. * When the Tem-
ple of JANUS was fhut, and all the neighbouring Na-
tions were united in Bonds of Amity, left the war-
like Spirit of his ROMANS fhoull grow wanton in
Idleness, he took care to give it a fuperftitious Turn.
And as he knew the Fear of the Gods could not be
efficaciouſly implanted in the Minds of that rough
* LIvy, Lib. i.
}
336
A SERMON in
People, without the Intervention of fome Miracle
to enforce it home, he prevailed upon the Goddeſs
ÆGERIA to pay him a Vifit every Night, and
dictate to him fuch Inftitutions as would be moſt ac-
ceptable to her Brother Divinities; for each of
whom he eſtabliſhed an Order of Prieſts, and a
fufficient Number of Holidays. This kept the Peo-
ple in Action, and made them governable; which
otherwife they would hardly have been, in a Time of
profound Tranquility. ROMULUS *, his Predecef-
for, was feign'd to be tranflated among the Gods,
upon the Evidence of JULIUS PROCULUS, with a
View as well to enhance the regal Character, and
multiply the Objects of Superſtition, as to prevent
an Enquiry into the Truth and Circumſtances of his
private Murder. I cannot but commend one Parti-
cular in the Conduct of NUMA, that has not been
imitated, as I remember, by any other Legiſlator:
I mean his chufing a female Divinity, before any
God of them all, for his Night-Companion.
Not that ÆGERIA was the only one of her Sex,
who affifted in Affairs of this Nature: For the
Mother of PYTHAGORAS, my next Lawgiver, had a
confiderable Hand in propagating his Revelation. †
That Philofopher, when he came to ITALY, made
him a fubterraneous Cave, in which he fhut himſelf
up during a whole Year. His Mother, in the
mean Time, not only fupply'd him with Neceffaries,
* Idem ibid.
↑ DIOG. LAERT. in Vit, PYTHAG
i
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT. 337
but deliver'd to him in Writing all the Tranf-
actions and Occurences of this Upper World. At
the End of the Year forth he iffues, all fquallid and
lean, declaring he had been in the infernal Regions,
and there learned all that had happened fince his De-
parture, which he recited in Order. This gained
him the Attention of the Populace, who afterwards
received his philofophical and theological Lectures, as
proceeding from fome Divinity. PYTHAGORAS
hereby eſtabliſhed that Reputation, which hath ſub-
fifted ever fince with fo much Honour: And the
Woman his Mother, having been well inftructed by
him in the great Virtue of Silence, prudently kept
the Secret,
It does not appear, however, that PYTHAGORAS
was the Inventor of this Cave-Infpiration, or the
firſt Revivor of it after MINOS *. He had converf-
ed with ZOROASTER, who was playing the fame.
Game in PERSIA, and with equal Succefs. The
MAGIAN Religion, or Sun-Worfhip, was juft upon
the Brink of Ruin, occafioned by the Impofture of
the counterfeit SMERDIS: But ZOROASTER was re-
folved, if poffible, to reftore it with Improvements.
He had been a Servant of one of the JEWISH Pro-
phets; was initiated in all their Myfteries; had great
Learning and Abilities, and was excellently quali-
fied for introducing a new Revelation. According-
ly he retired among the MEDES, the moft bigotted
+
* PRIDEAUX's Connect. Book I. Part iv.
VOL. II.
N
F
!
338
A SERMON in
}
and ignorant of the Worshippers of MITHRA*; fhut
himſelf up in a Cave, pretended to be abſtracted
from all worldly Confiderations, and entirely fway'd
by the divine Impulfe. Here he compofed the
Zendavefta, or Fire-kindler; which was the Name he
gave to his Book of Religious Inftitutions, alluding
to its wonderful Efficacy in kindling the Fire of di-
vine Love in the Heart.
We do not find indeed, in the two laft Inftances,
that the particular Mode of Infpiration was fpecified;
much leſs that a perfonal Converſe was pretended
with any Deity, as in the Stories of MINOS and
NUMA. But the different Situations of thefe Legi-
flators ought to be confidered, and how much more
eafy it was for a King, than for a poor erratic Phi-
lofopher, to perform in the high and magnificent
Way. It would have been difficult for ZOROASTER,
or PYTHAGORAS, to have avoided a particular Scru-
tiny into the Affair by their Superiors, if they had
pretended to thefe reiterated Vifits: It was therefore
their Buſineſs to do the whole Work at once; to
fhut themſelves up, and contrive fome certain Marks
or Criteria, which fhould ferve for Demonftration
to the Vulgar, (who are ſeldom very critical in theſe
Matters) that their Pretenfions were well founded.
Such were the Recitals of PYTHAGORAS, of what
had happened during his Abode in the lower World;
which were immediately taken as Proofs that he was
inftructed by the Gods.
* The Sun,
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT.
339
}
MAHOMET*, I confefs, tho' quite illiterate, im-
proved upon all his learned Predeceffors; he had
his periodical Infpirations, whiſpered into his Ear
by a Dove, which was viſible to his Difciples: But
he had a new Idea to proceed upon; for that Form
had never been given to any Divinity in the Times
of the Antients. Doves, we know, are very gen-
tle and tractable Creatures; and it was not difficult
to make one of them defcend to the Place where it
was uſually fed: But it was hardly poffible to have
the ſame Part acted by a Man or a Woman, without
Danger of Detection. As to other Particulars, he had
his Cave as well the PERSIAN and the GREEK, and
copied them in his pretended Mortifications: But fo
foon as he found himſelf the Mafter of fufficient
Power, he had Recourfe to the Exercife of it, and
eſtabliſhed that Empire and Religion by Force of
Arms, which his Policy perhaps would never have
raiſed alone. Having once got his Pretenfions re-
ceived, he did not continue barely to multiply Re-
velations, but enforced thofe he had already broach-
ed, by inculcating the Practice of a fingle Pre-
cept, that of propagating Faith by Compulſion.
Thus we ſee how different Religions, and with
them different Orders of Priesthood, have been im-
parted to the World in the feveral Ages of it. They
were all revealed, at leaſt pretendedly. But we
have hitherto kept only to our own Hemifphere,
where the feveral Lawgivers may be fuppofed to
* See the Lives of him.
-
Z 2
340
A SERMON in
have copied each other. It was much more ſtrange
to find the fame Things in AMERICA, where the
Inhabitants had not the leaft Knowledge either of
the Cuſtoms or People of our World. * MANGO
CAPAC, and COYA MAMA his Queen and Sifter, the
first of the Inca's of PERU, pretending that they
were the Children of the Sun, fent down for the In-
ſtruction of Mankind, foon engaged the Attention
of their barbarous Countrymen, and made way for
eſtabliſhing a new Religion, a regal Government
and Priesthood; which fubfifted in great Splendor
till the Invaſion of the SPANIARDS, who introduced
the peaceable Chriftian Faith upon the MAHOMETAN
Principle of Force. The Regulations made by theſe
Inca's, both in Morality and Policy, were hardly
inferior to thofe of the moft civilized Nations in
EUROPE; and the Simplicity of their Subjects much
greater: But none of thoſe could have been intro-
duced, to any effectual Purpoſe, without the Sanction
of a Revelation from the Sun. To obtain this, there-
fore, MANGO CAPAC and his Sifter retired from hu-
man Society, and appeared again after a convenient
Seafon, with full Power to impofe the Laws of their
Father, which they did not fail to publiſh.
From all thefe Inftances, whatever may be thought
of the Revelations themſelves, thefe manifeft Truths
may be collected: That in the general Senfe of all
People, none but a Divine Being has the Power of
impofing Laws, to controul the Confciences of Man-
* DE LA VEGA's Hiftory of the Inca's.
}
Defence of PRIEST CRAFT.
341
kind: That all the great Men in Hiftory, who
took upon them to inftitute new Religions, and new
Orders of Priesthood, either had or pretended to have
divine Revelations: That the Priefthood, whenever
it was really imparted, was imparted in a very ex-
ordinary and uncommon Manner, a Manner which
common Reafon could never comprehend: That
the Teſt of true Revelation, to fhort-fighted Mor-
tals, is not altogether ſo certain as fome have imagin-
ed; but muft, however, be capable of being fixed,
upon comparing it with all the others: That the
Religion of Prieſts, as it required theſe extraordinary
Means to introduce it, had always fomewhat in it
that was not built upon the Religion of Reafon.
But theſe Reflections are only by the bye. I now
proceed to a third Confirmation of the priestly Dig-
nity; in which I must be very fhort, as in all the
fubfequent Particulars of this Proof. It is, The fub-
lime Titles wherewith the Priesthood has been al-
ways diftinguiſhed. Not to mention thofe of Reverend,
Right Reverend, Moſt Reverend, His Lordſhip,
His Grace, His Eminency, &c. I would juſt
take notice, that Vicar-General of CHRIST, Am-
baffador from Heaven, Our Lord God the Pope, the
Dairi *, the Lama †, and the Kutucta †, are fome-
what above the ufual Strain of Compliments to the
very Greateſt of the Laity; yet, if we believe Wri
* The High-Priest of JAPAN.
TARTARIAN High-Pricfts.
-
Z3
342
A SERMON in
47323
ters of the moft undifputed Veracity, all thefe have
been uſed.
The Object of the Priesthood, the fourth Thing
to be confidered, is the Intellect, or that Part of
a Man which influences his outward Actions, and
gives him a Superiority over the brutal Creation.
The Management of this muſt certainly be an Office
of the higheſt Importance, and confer the greateſt
Dignity imaginable on the Perfon who is intrufted
with it; fince it is true in the moft general Senfe,
that an Officer always receives his Character and
Degree from the Place he officiates in. Hence it is
that a King is the higheft of all Civil Officers, as
he is fupreme Director of our outward Conduct; and
by Parity of Reaſon, the greateſt King in the Uni-
verfe, who is merely a Layman (which, thank Hea-
ven! ours is not) is inferior to the meanest Prieſt,
as his Office is confined to the lefs noble Part of
the human Machine,
That, in the fifth Place, The Confent of all Na-
tions hath eſtabliſhed the Dignity of the Priesthood,
is apparent from Hiftory, and muſt be allow'd by
every one, who has been but a little converfant therein.
And this being allow'd, I believe no-body will dif-
pute my bringing the Opinion of all Mankind as a
very ſubſtantial Proof. I know there has been one
general Objection ſtarted againſt this Opinion of an
Univerfal Confent. It is taken from an inconfider-
able Set of People, who have appeared frequently in
fmall Parties, under the Names of Moralifts,
Deifts, Free-thinkers, &c, and entered their Remon-
t
!
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT.
343
ftrances againſt paying the cuſtomary Reverence to
the facred Order: But as the Number of theſe Peo-
ple was never fufficient to render them formidable,
and I fhall by and by prove them to be all Here-
ticks, I fee no Neceffity to give myſelf here any
Trouble concerning them. There might be, befides,
a local Objection taken from the Conduct of the
BURATES, a People in the North of TARTARY,
who frequently facrifice their Priefts, in order to fend
them nearer to their Gods. But let it be confidered,
that they do this only from a Principle of Piety, and
when they are in great Straights, and it will then ap-
pear to be an Inftance of their entire Dependance on the
Mediation of theſe holy Men; the Reaſon they give
for this Practice being, that by thus fending them
nearer to their Deities, they put them into a bet-
ter Capacity of pleading the common Caufe. It is
a Wonder, methinks, that a Cuſtom fo demonftra-
bly for the Honour of the Prieſts, has not, before
now, become more general. And befides the Honour
of it, can it fail of being greatly advantageous, as it
the fooner removes thofe pious Souls, who for the
moſt Part are weary of this wicked World, to the
Poffeffion of thofe Joys which they have lived in
the Contemplation of, and which their Hearts, no
doubt, have panted after?
The last Argument I fhall make uſe of, to prove
the Dignity of the Priesthood, is, The fuperior Qua-
lities it communicates to the Perfons who are inveft-
ed with it. Who ever knew an unrighteous, or an
unlearned Prieft? Who at leaſt, that had a tolerable
1
Z 4
344
}
A SERMON in
'>
Share of Devotion, ever difcovered either Igno-
rance or Wickednefs in his own Prieft? As to what
may be infinuated by others, we ought to impute it
only to that Envy which animates Parties, and is a
conſtant and neceffary Attendant on all the Species
of Bigotry, Furthermore, does not the Priesthood
convey a remarkable Statelineſs, and Gravity of Be-
haviour, even to the leudeft Collegians, which dif-
covers itſelf in every Action of Life? This muſt be
apply'd to the Character, and not to the natural
Tempers of the Men; which, before Initiation, or
the Profpect of it, are doubtlefs as various as thoſe
of other Mortals. Another Quality it communi-
cates, is a tenacious Love of Property, and a great
Propenſity to extend it; a ftrange Aptitude to the
making of Claims, and to the enforcing of them
with the ſevereft Rigour. Has not this been manifeft,
even in our own Land, from the many vexatious Pro-
fecutions that have been carried on concerning
Tythes, and even the moft frivolous Points of the
prieſtly Prerogative? Finally, is not a Prieft al-
ways remarkable for his Fondness of thofe Titles,
which the Devotion of Mankind, and the Indul-
gence
of his Country have given him,
A propos to this laft Particular, I remember a
Fact that happened not many Years ago, and
which I can venture to atteft. A certain Ecclefia-
ftick of the firft Order, who had newly acquired
the fignificant Monofyllable Right, came to a Book-
feller's Shop. The Mafter was not within; and
the Man, dull Rafcal! could not diſtinguiſh the Air
Defence of PRIEST CRAFT.
345
+
of a L*d from that of a common Curate.-Young
Man, have you the Codex? The Decretals? BARO-
NIUS? BURNET's Hiftory?—Yes Sir, quoth Tно-
MAS, at the End of every Queſtion; and reach'd
down the Books in Order. I believe, young Man,
you hardly know me.-No Sir.-I live in ** Square,
and you fent me a Catalogue on TUESDAY laft. -
Sir, the Porter carried out many that Day, and to
different Parts of the Town: I cannot know any
Gentleman by that Token.-Well, but have you
C**'s Sermons?
Yes Sir, a very good Set; here
they are. A very handfome Set indeed; however,
I have no Occafion for them. All this while THо-
MAS, intent only on his Buſineſs, had no Idea that
theſe Sermons were to point out his Cuftomer's
Name.-Well! who could help it? The Doctor,
tho' much diffatisfy'd, was oblig'd to put up with
this rude Treatment. He bought what Books he
wanted; and fent for a Hackney Coach, to carry home
not the Books (that would have ſpoil'd all) but
himſelf. Tie theſe up together, and my Man fhall
come for them prefently.-THOMAS did as com-
manded, and, upon Reflection, began to think he
had highly offended, He found, in leſs than half
an Hour, that he was not miftaken: A Fellow in
a Livery came to the Door, and afk'd for the
Books which the L* B** of S*** had left there.-
What Confufion, think you, was poor THOMAS in!
We learn from this Inftance, that it is not mere-
ly in other Mens' Opinion, but even in the Opi-
nion of themſelves, who are profeffedly the moft
*
346
A SERMON in
humble Men living, that Prieſts are People of great
Dignity and Importance. What has been faid
therefore may fuffice, by Way of both Argument
and Example, to vindicate their Character againſt
all Exceptions, and excite us to double our Regard
towards them, and to exert ourſelves in promoting
their Intereft, as we are in Duty bound.
I am now to defend their Craft, as it has former-
ly been, and is at prefent practifed, in all the Parts
of the known World. This I fall briefly do
under two Heads. First, By fhewing the Nature
of a Craft in general; and Secondly, By fetting forth
the good Effects that Prieftcraft in particular has
produced.
But before I enter upon theſe, I muſt ſay a Word
or two concerning this Practice, in order to ſhew
what it has been, and now is. The grand Articles
of it are as follow: The keeping the Laity as igno-
rant, and under as much Subjection as poffible:
The infifting very frequently, and very fervently,
on their own Prerogatives, Rights, and Honours:
The introducing as much Pageantry as poffible, to
engage the People's Attention, and divert them
from any dangerous Points of Speculation; which,
perhaps, might turn the Brains of a poor Layman,
and poffibly, which is worſt of all, make him difre-
gard his fpiritual Guides: The eſtabliſhing as many
pious Frauds as the Pockets of the People can fup-
port, by which means the otherwife unruly Mul-
ritude, being very poor, becomes very paffive.
Thefe, I fay, are fome of the principal Articles of
Defence of PRIEST CRAFT. 347
1
Prieftcraft: And among the Frauds I have mention-
ed, may be reckoned, The long Catalogue of fuperfti-
tious Holidays, celebrated with public and pompous
Feſtivals; Confeffion and Abfolution; Penance;
Purgatory; Limbo; the fenfual Paradife of the
MAHOMETANS; the Lake in CHINA, where the
Souls of their Infants remain till they are pray'd out
by the Priests of the Country; the Elyzium and
Tartarus of the Antients; the Country behind the
Mountains, fo much talk'd of by the AMERICANS:
With all the other Worlds in the Moon, and elfe-
where, which the Priefts have taught, and the Peo-
ple believed: Add to thefe, the Doctrines of Relicks,
Miracles, Apparitions, and the like; befides the
numberless Ceremonies which a Devotee muft fub-
mit to, and pay for in every Country of the World,
and a Prieft perform, if ever the poor Penitent
thinks of regaining his former Miſtreſs, or any Thing
elfe which he valued in this World. Theſe are the
Practices which I am now to defend :
First, From the Nature of a Craft; which is fup-
pofed to engage all the Art and Cunning that the
Profeffors of it are endued with. The more Impofi-
tions, the better; and he who can impofe his Syftem
with the moft Succefs, and the greateſt Grace, will
certainly be the worthieſt and beſt Man. Something
new, to engroſs our Devotion and our Pence, is of
ten as ferviceable to the Priesthood, as a new Patern
to the Mercers at a dead Time of Trade, or after
a general Mourning. Our Curiofity in Religion will
lead us to as great Lengths, if not greater than in any
1
348
A SERMON in
other Particular: Certainly therefore all devout Per-
ſons are moſt oblig'd to thoſe Performers, who find
them the greateſt Variety of Entertainment.
Secondly, From the good Effects which Prieftcraft
has had in the World. This, indeed, is a strong.
and weighty Argument in its Defence, and fhews
how juftly it is preferred to all other Crafts. I might
enumerate many of theſe good Effects, were it not
that I have already trefpaffed upon your Patience :
There are a few, however, which I muſt not omit.
The Eſtabliſhment of mighty Empires is the firſt
that occurs. For this I would turn back your Atten-
tion to the Paffages of Hiflory already mentioned.
The Frauds of NUMA POMPILIUS were the Founda-
tion of the ROMAN Greatnefs. The People receiv-
ed them as from a Divinity; and the SYBILLINE
Prophecies, which were afterwards* added as an
Improvement of NUMA's Plan, by returning fuch
Oracles as were always fuited to the Exigencies of
the State, fupported their Minds in the moſt danger-
ous of their Expeditions. The PERSIAN Monarchs,
who make fuch a Figure in antient Hiſtory, were the
Scholars of ZOROASTER; and at this Time there is
not a faithful GAUR, but would fuffer Death for
the Doctrine of his great Prophet. The TURKISH,
TARTAR, MOGUL, and MOROCCO Empires, are
all the Offspring of the MAHOMETAN Forgeries:
As thofe of CHINA, JAPAN, and other Heathen
*By TARQUIN the Proud.
The modern Difciples of ZOROASTER are fo called.
1
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT.
349
Countries, are founded upon an Adherence to the
Precepts and Myfteries of their feveral Philo-
fophers, Priefts, and pretended Magicians; who are
the fame Men under different Names. We need
only read the Hiftories written by the SPANISH In-
vaders themſelves, (who were ready enough to de-
preciate the PERUVIAN Religion, in order to vindi-
cate their own Barbarities) for an Account of the ſur-
prizing Power, Riches, and Magnificence, which
refulted from the Inftitutions of the Inca's. And
how has Chriſtianity and Dominion been propagated
together, upon the Ruins of Paganifm and Superfti-
tion, both in the EAST and WEST INDIES, by the
Induſtry and Art of the Catholic Miffionaries, fup-
ported by a due Acquifition of civil and military
Force, and the falutary Engines of Firelock and
Faggot!
Another Proof of the good Effect of Prieftcraft,
is The Influence it has on the Great and Mighty Ones
of the Earth. It keeps a Sort of Equilibre between
Subjects and their Sovereign; not permitting the
former to grow rich and mutinous, unleſs on certain
Occafions; nor the latter too powerful and affuming.
Vainly was it thought, till Prieftcraft fhew'd the
contrary, that Kings were accountable to no earth-
ly Tribunal: But Depofitions, Affaffinations, Alle-
giance difpenfed with, have fufficiently convinced
Mankind that nothing is unaccountable-but Prieſt-
craft.
many
I fhall mention but one Inftance more, tho'
yet remain. How has Prieſtcraft adorned our Com-
;
350
A SERMON in
munities, as well as reformed our Manners! Not to
take notice of the decent and folemn Figure made
by Prieſts themſelves, and which is owing to their
Garb, their Gravity, their good Living; may we
not afcribe to them all the moft fumptuous Build-
ings upon Earth? The Religion inftituted by God
himſelf, and communicated to his Servant Mofes,
had for a long Time only an ordinary Tent devot-
ed to it, and in its greateſt Luftre no more than a
fingle Temple: But the feveral Religions inftituted
by Priefts, have each of them an infinite Num-
ber. Temples, Pagodes, Mofques, Churches, how
do they beautify every City, and every Village!
We are not only taxed for the Maintenance of them,
but cantoned into Diſtricts for the Sake of placing
them at due Diſtance. Yet, what is very furpriz-
ing, our modern Priefts, like thofe of the Jews,
affect to ſpeak of this Multiplicity of Structures in
the fingle Number. The Temple! The Temple!
might formerly be a juft Exclamation. But to hear
The Church! The Church! in theſe our Days, what
a monftrous Idea does it give us? Or rather, what a
Multitude of Ideas does it awaken, which affembled
together, preſent us with a Picture more bulky than
the Tower of BABEL, even fuppofing it finiſhed?
What pity that fucceeding Architects, in the religi-
ous Way, did not follow that original Plan! The
Church might then indeed, by this Time, have been
a fort of ſcaling Ladder to Heaven, not in a meta-
phorical, but a literal Senfe; even fuppofing the cele-
ftial Pavement to have been much higher above
A
A
5
Defence of PRIEST CRAFT.
351
our Heads, than fome venerable Churchmen have
wifely imagined it.
Grofs as it is, however, this complex Idea of a
general Church hath been fo effectually bandy'd
about, that, at ſome certain Times, it feems to have
engaged the general Attention of Mankind. To
inftance only in our own Country: In the Reign of
the late Queen ANNE, a celebrated Prieſt made Pro-
clamation in the largeſt Cathedral of this Kingdom,
that the Church was in Danger. Immediately all
Heads were employ'd, and all Hands were at Work,
to fave the Church from falling: And becauſe it was
a Matter of fuch Importance, our Army was called
home, and an End put to a terrible and bloody
War, which had otherwife utterly ruined Louis LE
GRAND, a very good Churchman, and a Monarch
whofe Piety, pacific Temper, and fteady Attach-
ment to his Word, employ'd the Pens of all the
Wits of his Nation, for near three Quarters of a
Century fucceffively. To the Vigilance of this wor-
thy Prieft we owe not only the Prefervation of all
our old Churches, but perhaps the Erection of
many new ones: Beſides that the prefent King of
FRANCE, who, 'tis faid, inherits all the Virtues of
his great Predeceffor, is at this Day able to defend
his hereditary Dominions againſt the Invafion of his
Neighbours, and even to extend them at their Ex-
pence.
Having now fufficiently performed my Promife,
I fhall conclude with a few mifcellaneous Obferva-
tions, by Way of Reflection on what has been faid.
;
1
352
A SERMON in
And, first, from the Advantage that Prieftcraft has
been of to Mankind, I would take Occafion to offer
a Scheme for extending its Influence, and mak-
ing it yet more univerfally beneficial; that fo, if
there fhould be an Increaſe of Profeffors, as probably
there may be, all the fupernumerary ones may be
fupported with the fame Decency and Magnificence
as thoſe we are already bleft with. I would re-
commend it as neceffary, on this Occafion, to have
a Writing from the Priefts (for which I leave them
to find a Name) to be added to every Lawyer's
Writ, Juftice of Peace's Warrant, and Doctor's
Preſcription; that all thoſe unfanctify'd Scrolls may
have the greater Efficacy, and be defended from hu-
man Mifchances: For which Writing I would re-
quire the fame Money to be paid, as for the ori-
ginal Writ, Warrant, or Preſcription. I would al-
fo have a Difpenfation from the Prieft made requi-
fite, and the Neglect of it fineable, before we under-
take any Thing extraordinary in common Life;
fuch as the hiring a new Houfe, the fetting up a
Trade, going a Journey, making Love to a young
Lady, and the like. And if extraordinary Affairs
fhould be found infufficient, this Article might ad-
mit of vaft Improvement, and be extended to al-
moſt all the ordinary Actions of Life. Finally, I
would never have a Man put himſelf to any uncom-
mon Expence for a Dinner, or broach a new Caſk
of ftrong Liquor, in order to treat his Friends,
without inviting his Prieft at the fame Time, that
he may approve of the Extravagance, and fanctify
}
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT.
353
the Excefs. I could, in the fame Manner, by Way
of Hint only, add feveral other Ways and Means
to the like Effect, which at prefent I fhall leave the
Priesthood to fearch after; to whofe Confideration
alfo I commit the Improvement of the above Parti-
culars. I exhibit them gratis, without Fee or
Hope of Reward. Not but that I might have expected,
by Way of Gratitude, fome little Return of Praiſe,
were it not that I have been well affured, it is never
their Cuſtom to return Thanks for any Thing.
I would next inculcate the Doctrine of abfolute
Submiffion to, and implicit Dependance on, our
fpiritual Guides. No Man can urge this Doc-
trine with more Authority than myſelf, who have,
perhaps, proved more for the Priesthood than ever
was proved before. Let not your vain Reafonings,
your mathematical Demonftrations and Diſtinctions,
interfere with your Piety and Devotion; but be en-
tirely paffive in your Opinions, as well as your Obe
dience. Happy the People who can ſee their God
in a Piece of Bread, a Stone, or a Block which them-
felves grubb'd out of the Earth! Our Thinking,
our Enquiring, our unlawful Defire to know more
than it is proper for us to know, are the Source of all our
Uneafineſs. He is the peaceful Man, who trufts his
Body to Providence, and his Soul to the Priefts.
In fhort, I am fo firmly engaged in the Caufe of
Prieftcraft, and fuch an irreconcileable Foe to what-
ever obſtructs the Increafe of its Dominion, that I
intend very foon to write and publiſh three long
Satires, againſt its three moft implacable Enemies,
A a
1
}
354
A SERMON in
NATURAL REASON, COMMON SENSE, and HUMAN
LEARNING.
I have already given an honourable Senfe to the
Word Bigotry, by making it the fame with Devo-
tion. This Word, therefore, and that of Prieftcraft
are infinitely obliged to me, and may reafonably
hope for the future to be uſed only with Reverence.
and Regard. I would alſo have the Words Ortho-
doxy and Heterodoxy ufed only to diftinguifh a firm
Attachment or Non-attachment to the Religion of
one's Country, and the Doctrine of the eſtabliſhed
Priefts, let the faid Religion and Doctrine be what
they will. This will prevent the Abuſe of theſe
Words in Time to come, which have hitherto had
a different Meaning in every Country, and among
every Sect in the Univerſe.
And whereas we have hitherto been told, that
there can be but one orthodox Opinion, and that
all other Opinions are Herefies; I now affirm the
direct contrary, and maintain, that all the Hereticks
in the World are of one Faith, and that therefore
an Agreement of Notions can be no Sign of Ortho-
doxy. If every Man who believes in his Prieſt be
orthodox, as I have already proved, and if all Men
but the Diſciples of COMMON SENSE and REASON
do thus implicitly believe, as I could prove with
the fame Facility if Time would permit; it follows,
that thoſe Diſciples of COMMON SENSE and REA-
SON are the only Hereticks in the World, and the
only Men whofe Society true Bigots fhould avoid.
If a Man talk of univerfal Benevolence and Charity,
Defence of PRIESTCRAFT.
355
let the Orthodox fhun him like the Peftilence; but
if he threaten with Fire and Faggot, and condemn
every Opinion but his own, befure he is a true
Friend to the Priesthood, and a ſteady Devotee.
Never did Men give fo much Proof of their Piety,
as the SPANIARDS when they conquer'd AMERICA,.
and murder'd all they met with, for not believing
what they had never heard of.
It is with Grief that I am obliged, at the End of
this Apology, to except fome from the Benefit of
it; who, tho' they bear the Name of Priefts, know
nothing at all of the Craft: A Company of falſe
Brethren, that eat the Bread of their Mother the
Church, but join themſelves in Society with her
Enemies, the Hereticks juft now exploded. Some
of theſe, I underſtand, are fo impolitic as to fpeak
their Sentiments, and to allow that nothing fhould
be kept myſterious, which may be made intelli-
gible. Without fetting them together by the Ears
about Trifles, they advife People to follow the Road
which Juftice, Honour, and a few more old-fashion'd
Principles point out to them; thereby expofing the
facred Character, and giving the Profane Occafion to
hold it in Contempt. Others perhaps, who are not
altogether ſo obftinate in Herefy, will juſt allow, in the
general, that there are fome Things among them which
deferve Reformation. But let me tell them, that, the
more likely to be reclaimed, they are not lefs perni-
cious to the Craft than the more avowed Betrayers of
it; forafmuch as no Man can be a true Prieft, who
1
A a 2
355
A SERMON, &c.
1
does not hold himſelf, and his Profeffion, to be ab-
folutely above Cenfure.
I may now be permitted to ſpeak a Word or two
For myſelf. I expect not to be contradicted in any
Particular I have advanced; becauſe by oppofing
me, you will oppofe the Authority of the Prieft-
hood, which I now reprefent, and prove yourſelves
to be Hereticks. And take this moreover by the
Way, that while this Portion of the facerdotal Dig-
nity refts upon me, fhould any one attempt to call in
Queſtion the leaſt Iota of my Apology, I fhall treat
him with Neglect; forasmuch as I imagine myſelf,
at prefent, above taking notice of a Lay-Objection.
Finally, be exhorted to pay due Deference to the
Priesthood, and to me their Apologift; reft your-
felves entirely fatisfy'd with all I have faid, and take
the Truth of it upon the Verbum Sacerdotis, which
for this Evening I have a Right to make ufe of.
O F
357
ఏ.కా.
OF THE
Force and Reaſonableneſs of Love?
I
To CONSTAN S. *
F I am not miſtaken, my good CONSTANS, I
apprehend the Drift of your late Queſtion, Whe-
ther Love be not the most reasonable of all the buman
Paffions? You are unwilling, in any one Particu-
lar, to be found deviating from the moſt juft and
fevere Standard of human Action; and therefore
would account for your late Conduct, which declares
your Fondneſs for the fair SYLVIA, by proving
that you have not turn'd therein either to the Right
or to the Left, from the exacteſt Paths of right Rea-
fon. This, I fay, in my Opinion, feems to be the
Cafe; notwithſtanding that you pretended to take
the Hint from a Paffage in my + Diſcourſe on Method.
If I judge wrong concerning the Defign of your
Queſtion, I ſhall be careful, however, not to injure
you in my Anſwer to it; which, tho' it cannot be
* See Vol. I. p. 196, particularly the Note.
† Page 284 of this Volume.
A a 3
358
Of LOVE:
directly in the Affirmative, I hope will fufficiently
juſtify ſuch a Paffion as yours.
I frankly confefs with honeſt * COWLEY (who
never ſpoke more honeftly than in the preſent Cafe)
that "I never affected fo much Gravity, as to be a-
ſhamed to be thought really in Love: On the contrary,
that I cannot have a good Opinion of any Man, who
is not at leaſt capable of being fo." A Perſon thus
infenfible to what is the most tender and affecting in
human Life, ſhould not, methinks, be capable of
feeling in the fame Manner as another, either in
Friendſhip, or Pity: For I take thefe two Paffions
to have much in common with Love, as they incline
the Heart, and the whole Soul as it were, towards
their Object, tho' in a Degree leſs violent. But I
ſhall not attempt to philoſophize upon the Nature
and Characters of the Paffions: I am only to prove
what I am able concerning Love, that may turn
the Balance in your Favour.
The antient GREEK Writers had very good Rea-
fon, when they made CUPID, or Love, one of
the firſt and greateſt of their Deities; having no Pa-
rents, but arifing out of Chaos, and bringing Com-
fort and Delight to all other Beings. They found
his Empire fo univerfal among Mortals, that they
extended it alfo over the Gods; not one of whom
was Proof against the Infection of his Shafts, but even
JUPITER himſelf owning his Power in Variety of
*See Preface to his Works.
† See Page 103, &c. of this Vol. n.
An
359
EPISTLE.
Shapes. This fhews us, we are to imagine, not
only what was the Opinion, but what was the Ex-
perience of thoſe Fathers of the Heathen Mythology,
who would never have given that Paffion to their
Gods, the Models of Perfection, which they found
themſelves able to refift.
Another Thing obfervable in the antient Hiſtory
of Love, and which I muft not here omit, is the
Freedom and Licentioufnefs with which he ufually
acted. He was above Rules, and therefore took no
peculiar Care to wound thoſe mutually whom Hr-
MEN had united, nor to recommend the HYMENÆ-
AL Union to thoſe whom he had already wounded.
HYMEN and He, confidering they both attended
upon one and the fame Goddeſs of Beauty, feem to
have had but a very flight Acquaintance with each
other: Nor do we read of Shackles and Nets to hold
his Votaries together, who in thofe Times had free
Acceſs and Recefs, till they were invented by VUL-
CAN, a furly ill-natured Hufband.
The Wrath of ACHILLES, on which the Action
of the ILIAD is founded, takes its Rife, as you can-
not but remember, from a Quarrel between the Ge-
nerals concerning a beautiful Captive. HOMER, the
wifeft of Mortals, could not think of any Thing
fo proper to bring his Hero into Character, as
Refentment for the Lofs of a Woman whom he
fondly loved.
Theſe Inftances from antient Fable, the common
Obfervation of Mankind, the Hiftories of all Times,
and even the inſpired Writings themſelves, concur to
A a 4
360
Of LOVE:
!
give us a very formidable Idea of the Power of
LOVE: They acknowledge the joint Confent of the
Wife, the Learned, the Valiant, the Pious, the
Simple and Ruftick, the Polite and Gay, in fubmit-
ting to his Dominion, and receiving his Laws. I
have quoted fome of theſe Examples, of the facred
Clafs, in my * Apologetical Epiftle: To which
might have been added the Story of JACOB, who
lived in a State of Servitude full fourteen Years for
his beloved RACHEL. What an Idea does it give
us of the vehement Paffion, and unparallel'd Fide-
lity of this mighty Patriarch, that having been once
over-reached by his perfidious Father-in-Law, he
could again ſubmit to the fame unequal Terms for
obtaining his Defire; notwithstanding that he was al-
ready poffefs'd of one Wife, who, a Man would have
thought, might have a little abated his Flame!
What a remarkable Inftance is here, to ferve the
Purpoſe of this prefent Letter!
Were I to confult profane Hiftory, I could find
Monarchs of the greateſt Ambition, Philofophers of
the most profound Wifdom, and the moſt voluntary
Difengagement from the World, all “ finking in
the foft Captivity together." I fhould foon exceed
the Bounds of a Letter, and tire myſelf with collect-
ing; as the reading of my Collections must tire you.
If I dip into the Moralifts, and thofe who have
treated of the Paffions, we fhall fee the beft and
*Entitled Loge atones for little Crimes. It begins Vol. I
P. 202.
་
An
361
EPISTLE.
4
honefteft of them confeffing in Theory, what
they find to be true in Practice, that the Power of
LOVE is irrefiftible. Even Sir THOMAS BROWNE *
and old MONTAIGNE themfelves +, two of the moſt
odd and fingular good Writers that ever lived, after
treating the Action of Love as fooliſh and ridiculous,
and unworthy of a wife Man, are obliged to ac-
knowledge their own Affection and Appetite to-
wards Beauty, and are only forry that the Enjoy-
ment of it, in this one Particular, partakes fo much
of Senfuality. But their Manner of arguing, which
feems to accufe Providence of making us only for
Sport, and therefore placing our higheft Satisfaction
in what is altogether mean, and a degrading of our
Nature, appears to me very unphilofophical. Yet the
FRENCHMAN frankly confeffes, that he is inclin-
ed to think in this Way, and quotes PLATO to fup-
port his Opinion. Be that as it will, neither PLA-
TO, MONTAIGNE, nor Sir THOMAS BROWNE could
deny, that if the Gods defigned only to be merry
with us in this Affair, they took care that we fhould
not want Inclination to furnifh them with Mirth,
nor Pleaſure to compenfate the Fatigue of it, at leaft
in Imagination. This is all that I defire to have
allow'd me.
Leifure perhaps, and a penfive melancholy
Temper, may contribute much towards feeding
* Religio Medici, Pt. II. Sect. 9.
+ Effais de MONTAIGNE, v. iii. chap. 5. fur des vers de
VIRGILE. The Paffage in quoted in ENGLISH, in a late
Edition of Sir THOMAS BROWNE's Book.
:
#
362
Of LOVE:
the Fire of Love; I admit the Maxim, becauſe it
has been advanced by very wife Men. But let me
enquire, has not every one too much of thefe, whe-
ther he will or no, who is once inſpired with the
pleafing anxious Paffion? As to Leifure, if he has it
not otherwiſe, the Lover ſubſtracts it from his Sleep,
from his Diverfions, from his Employments them-
felves: And we may defy him to be at Leiſure
without being penfive, eſpecially while he remains
in a State of Uncertainty. Conftitutions and Cli-
mates may give the Melancholy a different Aſpect ;
but you may always diſcover it, however diſguiſed.
If the FRENCHMAN be more volatile than ordinary,
the SPANIARD more grave, the ITALIAN more cir-
cumfpect, and the ENGLISHMAN more reſerved,
they are all ftung in the fame Part. Whether this
be the Liver, according to HOR ACE, or the Heart,
according to OVID and the Moderns, I will not
take upon me to determine: But certain it is, that
the Pain is very fenfible, and ufually very acute. In
a Word, we may look upon Love as a Sort of epi-
demical Madneſs, which few Perfons eſcape being
infected with at fome Time or other of their Lives:
It operates on different People in different Manners,
like other maniacal Diſorders, and even varies of
ten in the fame Subject: But all this while there is
one real Distemper at Bottom, which must be eradi-
cated by one certain Procedure, in order to effect a
Cure.
From theſe Premifes, I conceive it will not be
difficult to draw up your Defence, tho' we fhould
An
363
EPISTLE.
not, at prefent, allow you to be the moſt reafon-
able Creature on Earth. You are fick of a real
Difeafe, painful and uncontroulable, but not invo-
luntary; a Diſeaſe which, contrary to most others
that are abhorrent from the true Method of
Cure, directs you to the only Specifick that can
afford you Relief. Who then can blame you for be-
ing differently affected, in Proportion as this fove-
reign Remedy feems more or leſs in your Power?
On this one Principle, methinks, I can not only ex-
cufe, but even account for all your Raptures, your
Fies of the Spleen, your Encomiums on Beauty, and
your Satire on the Fair Sex. I have this Morn-
ing confidered you in a Situation, which, if I have
any Skill in theſe Matters, is at prefent your real
one: I have imagined what, if you were a Poet,
you would have been writing of this Day or two
paſt. See how nearly I have hit the Cafe. Tho'
I
may be out in fome Circumſtances, you muſt needs
perceive that I am pretty deeply affected with your
Concerns: I ſhould hardly have expreffed my Sen-
timents more pathetically, if I had been in Love
myſelf,
Y
To SYLVIA: An Elegy.
ES I am ruin'd! ruin'd! and by Thee.
Wretch that I was, why could not I forefee?
Without Experience of a Woman's Art,
I own'd my Love, and open'd all my Heart.
1
1
364
Of
LOVE:
5
For this you mock the Torment I endure,
And probe the Wound you never deign to cure.—
But Death will come (it cannot now be long)
And end at once thy Triumph and my Wrong.
My Ghoſt, my Phantom need not to come back :
Thy Thoughts fhall haunt thee, and thy Confcience
Ah fond Surmize! neglected I fhall reft, [rack! 10
And wake not one Reflection in that Breaft!
That Breaft which now unmolify'd remains
At Sighs, and Tears, the Language of my Pains,
Shall that hereafter melt into Remorse,
When Fancy figures my corrupted Corſe?
15
Vain Thought indeed! Compaffion comes not there:
The pitying Heart is open and fincere.
Did I demand what Decency denies?
'Twas but to gaze with Tranfport on thy Eyes; 20
See what Returns thy Goodneſs would impart,
And utter fomething recent from my Heart.
True, I might fee thee-blended with a Croud;
Might hear, and talk, and laugh with thee aloud:
But think, I charge thee by the facred Pow'rs, 25
Is this the Tranfcript of our fofter Hours,
When juſt indulging Tenderneſs to flow,
You feem'd, at leaft, not happy in my
Woe?
Abfent fo long, I joy'd at thy Return,
And felt my Love in all its Fury burn.
Fierce as it was, by Reafon kept fuppreft,
I only wish'd to breathe it on thy Breaft;
To taſte thy Converſe for a Moment's Space:
With Art you promis'd, but with-held the Grace';
30
An
365
EPISTLE.
1
Still mix'd with Numbers carelessly you fate,
Nor heav'd one Sigh at my dejected State!
But Fate fhall urge me, or fome Demon muft,
If after this I think one Woman juſt !
35
Vain are their Vows, and faithlefs are their Smiles,
One artful Web of Treachery and Wiles.
I know them now;
I know, and henceforth labour to be free.
Thou shalt not fee me, tho' I live forlorn,
But lofe the Joy of thy malignant Scorn.
Thou shalt not hear it, tho' I die with Pain,
But want the Means to murder me again.
they but reſemble Thee;
Yet oh! affift me in this mighty Vow!
'Tis all I wifh, and all I afk Thee now.
If I by Chance, in fome diſtracted Hour,
Forget my Way, and wander to thy Door,
Expreſs thy Scorn with a fuperior Air,
Bid me be gone, and ftrengthen my Deſpair.
'Twill drive me foon beyond the Senfe of Woe.-
Then, as forlorn and negligent I go,
گے
40
45
50
My thin Kemains if haply thou ſhouldſt meet, 55
All trembling, pale, and frantic in the Street,
Avoid my Sight! avert thy murd❜rous View!
Left inftant Senfe Remembrance fhould renew!
Do thou but this, and be thou happy ftill!
(Spite of my Wrongs I cannot wiſh thee ill)
Forget the Paffion thou could'ft not approve:
Forgive my Faults, or fix them on my Love.
If Chance compel thee to repeat my Name,
Pronounce it kindly, and preferve my Fame.
60
366
Of LOVE:
65
Should Fools, inquifitive, require to hear
Why always abfent, who was always near,
Afcribe to Buf'neſs what is due to Grief:
Say not—I aſk'd, and you refus'd Relief.
The Marks of Friendſhip let no Change remove;
Nor feem to hate, becauſe you could not love. 70
All this, I am apt to think, you could now fay with
a great deal of Sincerity: You could even be fullen
in the Fair-one's Company; and for once, if not
twice, paſs by her without fpeaking. And yet,
perhaps, all this while, the is not confcious of having
offended in the leaft. How could fhe know that it
would be fo very grievous, after arriving from a
long Journey, and when all her Friends were about
her with Congratulations, if for that one Time ſhe
neglected to give you an Opportunity of whiſpering
her in private, and expreffing your Joy with more
Warmth than was proper before Company? Yet all this
ſhe muſt be thought to have known, in order to find her
guilty of the prefent Accufation. But a fincere and
very paffionate Lover, as I heartily believe my
CONSTANS to be, (it is now too late for him to deny
it) expects his Miſtreſs to be as obſervant of his eve-
ry Look and Motion, as he is diligent and watch-
ful over hers: Not confidering that he expects an
Impropricty in Love, which is contrary to all the
known Laws between the two Sexes.
You ſee how much I rely on your Confidence,
that I dare venture not only to pry into your own
Sentiments, but even to excufe the innocent Cauſe
An
367
EPISTLE.
of
your prefent Uneafinefs, at the fame Time that I
account for it. LOVE will make us think, and act,
and ſay very extravagant Things upon very flight
Occafions: And Love, in my humble Opinion,
ought to be accountable for thefe Exceffes, which
he thus arbitrarily drives us into. I doubt not but
SYLVIA, on this Confideration, would forgive fuch
a warm Reproach as you were prepared to make
when I laft faw you, and which I have here verfified
upon your Hints; but would fhe not wonder at re-
ceiving it, on what ſhe muſt think fuch a trivial Occa-
fion? I hope therefore you are by this Time come
a little to yourſelf, and can be reconciled after a
tender Expoftulation (for that I allow); referving
your Ruin,-Death,-your Ghoft,-SYLVIA's Con-
ſcience, Madneſs,- your laſt Prayer and Forgive-
nefs of all Injuries, to another Opportunity. It is
enough that you might have faid all this on THURS-
DAY Night laft, while the pretended Injury was
freſh, and have ſtood acquitted in the Court of Love:
But I appeal to yourſelf, whether or no your Paffion
would be reaſonable, which was the Queftion firſt
ftarted, if it carried you the fame Lengths To-day,
and after reading this Letter.
It is manifeft, from theſe loofe Paragraphs, that,
according to my prefent Theory, Love is a much
more powerful than reaſonable Paffion. As Natura-
lifts obferve a Kind of Reafon in Creatures of an
inferior Order, fo Love is a Sort of Inftinct in Hu-
manity, fomewhat refembling what we diftinguiſh
by that Name in Beafts. We are all controuled by
4
368
Of LOVE, &c.
}
it, and therefore fhould mutually forgive the Weak-
neffes it fubjects us to: But on what Foundation
may we call that reaſonable, which Reafon would
often correct were fhe able? It is neither criminal nor
ſhameful to be in Love, and to fay and do a thouſand
Things in Confequence of that Paffion, which would
otherwiſe be trifling and inconfiftent: But we fhould
be content to be excuſed on this very Confideration,
that we are in Love, and therefore not abfolutely Free
Agents; without endeavouring to confound that De-
corum and Grace which refults from the Uſe of
Reafon at other Times, and which alone is the Per-
fection of human Nature.
I am, &c.
OF
369
OF
DIVINE POETRY:
I
To
EUSE BIU S.
With Two SPECIMENS.
Prefumed, when I inferted the ferious Pieces at the
the
a
End of the firit Volume, and in a few other Places,
that I ſhould thereby fully anſwer * my Engagement
with the Publick, of interfperfing fome Attempts
of a more folemn and religious Nature, among the
gay, familiar, and amorous Compofitions, of which
this Collection chiefly confifts. I thought it an Impro-
priety, indeed, to advance any Thing farther in
Divinity, than what might fquare with the Senti-
ments of thoſe Gentlemen, who, for certain obvious
Reaſons, are the moft likely to be my Readers.
But you feem to require it of me, as a kind of Atone-
ment for the Sins of my other Trifles, that I ſhould
go beyond the Letter of my Promife in this Parti-
cular. A divine Poem, according to you, reflects
more Credit upon its Author, for his Choice of a
Subject alone, than any other can do from all the
*See Vol. I, Page 262. n.
Bb
370
Of Divine Poetry :
Ornaments he may give it. I cannot but fubmit to
your Opinion, which, tho' at prefent fomewhat dif
ferent from mine, I am fure was always candidly and
impartially given.
Permit me, however, to explain my Sentiments of
divine Poetry.---To delineate the Works of Nature
and Providence; to praife the Author of all Things
for his glorious and unalienable Perfections, and eſpe--
cially for his Loving-Kindnefs towards Mankind;
to profefs our Dependance on him, pay our grateful
Acknowledgment for paft Mercies, and humbly
petition for a Continuance of his Fatherly Favours;
are undoubtedly the moft noble Exercifes of a hu-
man Mind, the most worthy Subjects of harmonious
and elevated Diction. We cannot dwell too much
on them in Meditation, nor fpeak of them too often
among our Friends. But to treat of theſe fublime
Matters in Verfe, unleſs both the Heart and the
Head be fired and furniſhed in an extraordinary
Manner, feems rather a profaning of what is facred
by falfe or weak Reprefentations, than a doing of
Honour to the fupreme Lord of the Univerſe, by
fuch Images of his Majeſty as may leave fuitable
Impreffions on the Minds of Men. The Pfalms of
DAVID in our vulgar Verfion, when recommended
with the Solemnity of Church-Mufick, may help
to compofe the Thoughts, and direct the Soul in her
natural and habitual Channel of Devotion: But I can
hardly think that ever the Numbers of STERNHOLD
and HOPKINS, or even the Sentiments of DAVID as
debaſed by them, have been fufficient alone to raiſe
An
37I
EPISTLE.
and enlarge the Mind of a fenfible Reader, in the
Manner he might expect from divine and fpiritual
Compofitions. A Writer, who would fpeak of God
with becoming Dignity, in the tublime Language
of Verſe, ſhould have at once all the Qualifications
of a wife and a good Man, and thofe of an excellent
Poet. But the Pieces which follow at your Requeſt,
are merely the Over-flowings of a devout and ferious
Temper, at a Time when I had not Prudence enough
to keep me from attempting, what I now think my-
ſelf yet unable to perform.
There is another Confideration, which inclined
me to ſuppreſs every Thing of this Nature that I had
formerly written. I muft not omit it, whether you
agree with me or no. I cannot help thinking, that
for the Sake of appearing orthodox, I have been too
fyftematical. It is a Fault in Poetry, methinks,
whatever it may be in Divinity, to be nice and par-
ticular in our Diftinctions and Defcriptions of the
Divine Nature, which we all confefs to be indivifible
and incomprehenfible. The Goodnefs, Truth, Im-
mutability, Wiſdom, Eternity, and Omnipotence
of God, with all his other manifeft and neceffary
Attributes, open each of them an immeafurable
Field to facred Poefy; in which ſhe may yet wander
with fome Degree of Certainty, directed by our juſt,
tho' limited Ideas of thofe divine Perfections: But
when ſhe aims her Flight among thoſe inconceivable
Myſteries, of which we can have no adequate No-
tions in this State of Obfcurity; what can fhe expect
but the Fate of thofe hardy Dogmatifts, whofe
Bb 2
372
Of Divine Poetry:
Opinions fhe blindly follows, and who are ever
difputing and explaining, never to agree, never to
be underſtood?
This is not the first Time, in thefe Volumes, that
I have ſpoken my Thoughts without Referve, tho'
they have convey'd a Cenſure on my own Writings.
All Things confider'd, it would have been doing an
Act of Injuſtice, both to myſelf and others, if I
had faid lefs on the prefent Occafion. The toems
that follow you have been pleafed to approve, and
if you are right in your Conjecture, that many others.
will approve them, I fhall have done well in liften-
ing to your Advice. As it is not likely that I
fhould ever make them better, if the reading of
them in their prefent State may be of any real Uſe,
it would be wrong to with-hold them on a Scruple
or two of my own, which perhaps after all may not
be well founded. No one fhould judge the worſe
of the Verfes for what I have faid, nor of me for
confeffing my Opinion.
The INVOCATION:
E
An Irregular Ode.
I
TERNAL Dove, to whom I bring
The humble Tribute of my Tongue,
Inftruct a daring Youth to fing
What Honours to thy Name belong!
An
373
EPISTLE.
The Aid of PнæвUS, and the Virgin Nine,
'Twere now Profanenefs to implore:
The prefent Tafk is all divine,
5
And Fiction ſhall delight no more!
When mortal Tongues attempt thy Praife,
From Thee alone they ſhould derive the Lays. 10
So ere his Mufe effay'd to climb
"Heights unattempted yet in Profe or Ryme,"
The beſt of BRITISH Bards * invok'd thy Name,
And quickly felt a Seraph's Flame!
II.
Spirit of Love, Third of the Three in One, 15
Proceeding from the Father and the Son,
Thy wond'rous Efflux who fhall trace?
'Tis like the Glories of th' Eternal Face,
Too bright for mortal (ev'n thy Moses') Eyes.
When our Conceptions higheſt rife,
20
In empty Air our feeble Thoughts fufpend!
Man, cloth'd in Fleſh, fhall fooner climb the Skies,
Than the united Trinity define,
Or form a Thought that may extend
To reach that Myſtery divine!
But what evades the fcanty Grafp of Thought,
Our comprehenfive Faith is taught:
And, by thy Word instructed, we
25
Ed
Thus learn to call thy Name, and thus to worſhip
Thee!
}
MILTON, in his Paradife Loft.
Bb 3
374
Of Divine Poetry:
III.
Earth, and her various Habitants unite,
And all yon rolling Orbs of Light,
In filent Chorus moving to thy Will,
To fhew thy Pow'r, thy Purpoſes fulfil.
And hark! I hear fome Cherub ſing
30
How out of Nothing Thou didft All Things bring: 35
How thro' the gloomy, pathleſs Waſte,
The Realms of CHAOS, and PRIMEVAL NIGHT,
Thy all-creating Virtue paft,
And ftreak'd the Shades with beamy Light!
Prolific Heat diffus'd itſelf around,
And indigefted Somethings firſt abound:
But foon the jarring Atoms blend,
40
And Heav'n, and Earth, and Sun, and Stars afcend!
The Fiat thro' the dark Abyſs was heard ;
Nature her rev'rend Head uprear'd.
The great Effect was wrought by Thee,
Glorious Third Perfon of th' Eternal Three!
IV.
Nor can we doubt thofe Writings thine,
Whoſe Inſpiration glows in ev'ry Line!
While Beauties animate each Part,
That far tranfcend the Reach of Art.
In diftant Ages writ, by diff'rent Men,
One Hand of Truth ftill guides the common Pen,
'Tis Thine! The Character we know!
Thy Prophets felt Thee, and confirm'd it too.
If loofer Language dreſs their Theme,
What nervous Eloquence, what Majefty fupreme!
45
50
55
1
An EPISTLE.
375
Or if Thou doft poetic Strains impart,
WhatMufick ftrikes the Ear, and captivates the Heart!
Not MARO's felf, nor great MoONIDES †,
*
Can thus both awe the Soul, and pleaſe!
Not all the GRECIAN and the ROMAN Train,
Nor all that grace BRITANNIA's Plain,
Can in thy Sight one fingle Beauty boaſt!
60
Their Lights in Thine, like Stars before the Sun,
are loft!
V.
How grofsly we conceive of Things,
Till their true Character thy Scripture brings!
Reafon, dim Light, confounding Good with Ill,
Devious we wander-ign'rant of thy Will.
But when we make thy Word our Guide,
Our well-directed Feet can never flide.
There we are taught what Honours are thy Due,
And charm'd or aw'd our Duty to purſue.
65
70
75
When Wiſdom calls to Virtue's Road,
How ſmooth ſhe paints the Ways of God!
What vaft Rewards fhe fets before our Eyes,
And courts our backward Souls to feize the Prize!
But when thy dread Commands appear,
Our trembling Souls obey and fear,
While of eternal Puniſhments we hear.
The Doctrine of an high omnifcient God,
As in the facred Pages taught,
Who, with his Bounty, or avenging Rod,
80
* VIRGIL.
† HOMER.
Bb 4
376
Of Divine Poetry:
+
Will deal Awards for ev'ry Word and Thought,
How much the folemn awful Truths excel
The Stories Heathen Poets tell,
*
Of what the Bleft enjoy who in ELYSIUM dwell
Or the fad Tales of ftarving TANTALUS,
IXION'S * Wheel, the Stone of SISIPHUS,
Or all the reft they idly feign,
*
The wild Productions of Man's fertile Brain!
VI.
Now the prophetic Seers prefage
To wretched Men immortal Grace!
Now fairer Lines adorn the Page,
85
00
While God in human Form defcends!
(Glad Angels at MESSIAH's Birth
Glory to God proclaim, and Peace on Earth)
He comes! and O the glorious Ends!
95
Love and Compaffion fparkle in his Face.
To fofter Notes now tune the Lyre,
And foothing Thoughts of God infpire:
God, who no more in Thunder fpeaks,
While ISRAEL trembles, and ev'n SINAI fhakes.
A milder Cov'nant in the Saviour's Hand
Is brought, and to Eternity fhall ſtand.
100
105
* Theſe Perfons are faid to be tormented in TARTARUS,
the first with continual Hunger and Thirst; the Second by
being inceffantly turned round on a Wheel encompaffed with
Serpents; and the Third by rolling a Stone to the Top of a
Mountain, which immediately returning, caufed him to renew,
and for ever to repeat, his Labour.
An EPISTLE.
377
VII.
O Mystery of Grace! how are we loft,
When we confider what Redemption coft!
How God's coequal Son could fuffer in our Room!
Vain-glorious Man, and wilt thou yet prefume
To boaft thy Excellence, thy ruin'd Pow'rs?
Such thy Perfections, fuch thy Merits were,
That bleeding Godhead muſt repair;
He paid the Price, but made the Purchaſe ours!
Here let us fix, here evermore
Th' unfathomable Truth adore!
110
115
Nor ſhould we lefs thy Work admire,
O God of Love, who doft infpire
Rebellious Hearts with new Defire;
Make proudeft Sinners own they're poor,
And fly to JESUS, whom they fcorn'd before! 120
Confirm their Souls in Faith and Love!
Difpel their Doubts, their Miſeries remove,
And land them fafe at last in Happineſs above!
VIII.
O may thy Duft thy facred Influence feel,
To calm his Paffions, and renew his Will!
125
May Love ineffable ingrofs his Heart,
And all inferior Loves depart!
And, while he holds the Gofpel dear,
Make ev'ry Truth indubitably clear!
And wilt Thou fmile on his fincere Defire,
Wilt Thou his daring Soul infpire,
And warm his Breaft with thy celeftial Fire!
130
In lofty Notes, and worthy of the Theme,
378
Of Divine Poetry:
Thy wond'rous Works would he proclaim:
But oh! the Tafk is great, and he is young:
A Trembling at his Heart he feels, a Faltering on his
Tongue!
Inftruct him how his feeble Voice to raiſe,
And give him Numbers equal to thy Praife,
135
Then the United Trinity fhall fhine thro' all his Lays!
To The REDEEMER:
An Irregular Ode.
I.
LOW facred Numbers, fmoothly flow!
FL
You now ſhall drefs no vulgar Theme:
You now fhall celebrate no Name
Among the Great below.
JESUS, the Honours all are thine,
That my imperfect Notes can bring!
Mine, and ten thouſand nobler Tongues than mine,
Can never half thy Honours fing!
Can never half the Wonders tell
Of that inimitable Love,
5
IO
Which mov'd Thee, when enthron'd above,
To undertake our Cauſe againſt Sin, Death, and Hell.
II.
Could'ft Thou not tell how much the Work would coſt?
The dreadful deftin'd Scene did'ft Thou not view?
Could'ft Thou not fee how deeply we were loft? 15
How vaft the Tafk our Freedom to renew?
An
379
EPISTLE.
What else could make Thee condefcend
To lay hereditary Glories by?
To vail eternal Majefty?
And fingly undertake to bear
A Load which all the Creatures could not fhare?
A Weight which made all Nature bend?
III.
Yes! Thou did'ft fee th' unutterable Grief,
That pav'd the Way to Man's Relief.
20
Yes, thy Omniſcience could not but foreknow
The Toils thy Love muft undergo.
Yet, O amazing, matchlefs Grace!
Thou did't not turn away thy Face!
25
Enfhrin'd in Flefh the willing Godhead came,
To fuffer all the Pain, and all the Shame,
Which Juſtice could exact of a whole rebel Race!
IV.
Thou faw'ft the cruel Scourge and Spear,
30
The Crofs and thorny Crown prepar'd for Thee to
bear,
How bloody Men thy Hands and Side would bore;
And, what was infinitely more,
Thou faw'ſt impending o'er thy Head,
Thy Father's Wrath like flaming Fire,
His Vials fill'd with burning Ire,
His Vengeance cloth'd in unrelenting Red!
Yet nothing could Thy Refolution ſhake;
35
40
For Love, immortal Love, mov'd Thee to under-
take.
380
Of Divine Poetry:
V.
Sinking beneath the Curfe our Species lay,
Its Hopes of Reſtoration wholly gone :-
No Mortal durft approach the Throne,
Myriads of Sins had choak'd the Way!
Clouds of defcending Fury over Head
Pronounce'd the guilty Wretches dead:
Each trembling Minute fear'd to fee them broke.
Nor could created Wifdom find,
(Not that which occupies an Angel's Mind,
Nor that of all the Creatures join'd)
Which Way t' avoid th' unfufferable Stroke!
VI.
Then, ever-bleft EMMANUEL, then,
With Pity Thou beheld'ft the Sons of Men!
The gentle Attribute fupreme was felt,
And all the God began to melt!
This was the Time for Love divine,
Such Love, Immortal Lamb! as thine,
Its glorious Triumphs to proclaim:
Man muſt be loft, or muſt be ranfom'd now,
45
50
55
60
And none in Heav'n or Earth can pay the Price but Thou;
For neither Heav'n nor Earth affords fo great a Name!
VIL
Methinks I hear th' Eternal Father call,
And to the Sons of Light the Taſk propoſe:
But oh! what deep Amazement they diſcloſe!
The Brighteſt of the heav'nly Hoft
Surveys the Work, and trembles at the Coft,
65
An EPISTLE.
381
And univerfal Silence feizes All!
Heav'n ſeems aghaft, and Nature longs to know
What God the mighty Toil can undergo !
VIII.
See, fee, amid the Throng appears
A glorious Perfon! round his Head
Th' Effulgence of his Father fhed!
JESUS, thy Voice beſpeaks our raviſh'd Ears.
"Father, I chearfully embrace
70
75
"The great, the merciful Defign.
"Behold I take the Sinner's Place,
"And for a World of Souls confent to offer mine!
"With Joy thy Son performs thy Will,
"Or fuffers what thou fhalt command:
"Refolv'd thy perfect Pleafure to fulfil,
80
"And bear the utmoft Weight of thy avenging Hand!
IX.
He ſpoke; Paternal Wiſdom fmil'd:
Low bow'd the Hoft; and from the founding Strings,
Rofe a full Concert to the King of Kings.
MESSIAH'S Name the Chorus fill'd!
MESSIAH'S Name employ'd the raptur'd Throng,
Till his continu'd Words fufpend the joyful Song!
"The Human Nature I'll affume,
"In the condemn'd Offender's Room,
"And by the Hands of Man for Man I'll bleed.
"Not the mad Fury of a thoughtleſs Age,
"Tho' Death and Hell unite their Rage,
"Shall cauſe me from my Purpofe to recede!
85
90
382
Of Divine Poetry, &c.
X.
JESUS, thy Love has pierc'd my Heart;
The falutary Wound I feel:
O now that facred Balm impart,
Which can a wounded Sinner heal!
The tragic Story of thy bloody Death
Has laid me bleeding at thy Feet:
O now my Sighs let Mercy meet,
And Praiſe employ my future Breath!
Thy cruel Suff'rings have a peaceful Voice,
93
100
O let thy Suff'rings ſpeak, and thy Redeem'd rejoice.
XI.
To Thee, my Saviour, I my Life refign; 105
Our Union let thy Spirit ſign,
And make Thee ever mine!
Let Him defcend, and bear my Soul above,
And breathe a warmer Gale of Love!
Let Him inſpire my falt'ring Tongue,
So fhall thy Praiſe be better fung!
So fhall my Fancy foar fublime,
And break and fcorn the vulgar Chains of Ryme!
Sin, Death, and Hell fhall in my Numbers fall,
MESSIAH'S Empire rifing over All!
110
115
Beneath his Feet fhall the doom'd Serpent bleed,
And EDEN be reſtor'd, and Humankind be freed.
As I have declared againſt being too critical on
Divine Subjects, you cannot expect any Commen-
tary on theſe Odes. I leave them under your Pro-
tection, and am, &c.
FINI S.
383
POST SCRIPT.
I Find, upon looking back, that I dropp'd my Reader very abrupt
ly at the End of my Preface, without paying my Reſpects to his
Judgment and Candour in due Form: It is but a Point of Civility,
therefore, to take him again by the Hand, and beg Pardon for that
and all other Offences againſt him, whether in Point of good Man-
ners, or good Senfe. I am but too conſcious of the Neceffity of this
Application, and therefore defire he would not receive it mere-
ly as a Compliment.
The Errors of the Prefs I think myſelf in fome Meaſure ac-
countable for, as I took on me the Charge of correcting all the
Sheets: But theſe Errors, I believe, are neither very numerous nor
confiderable. I have ſeen only three Omiffions, all of ſingle Mono-
fyllables, that deſerve to be taken notice of. They ſhould be
thus fupplied: Vol. I. p. 159, Line the laft, for no Lav reach
me in't, read, no Law can reach me in't. Page 173 of the fame
Volume, Line 5, for Lord! had we fome, read, Lord! had we
had ſome, &c. Vol. II. p. 325, Line 21, for make uſe in, read
make uſe of in. Doubtless there may be others of the fame Na-
ture, which were overlook'd in the Revifal for the fame Reaſon
that they were fuffered to flip at firſt, becauſe they are too im-
material to ſtrike the Eye of a ſudden.
I wish my Faults as an Author were as few and as pardon-
able. I am fenfible of many, and fome of them fuch as I won-
der fhould eſcape me. However, as they are not now to
be mended, and perhaps may not be obvious to every Reader,
it would be an Affectation of too great Humility for me to point
them out myſelf. The old Plea of Human Fallibility is ufually
the beſt in thefe Cafes, and what we fhould all mutually admit.
One Particular, however, muft not be paffed over, in regard to the
Subject, and the celebrated Author whom I have mifreprefented. In
the Dedication of Mr. VOLTAIRE's Philofophy, I have been guilty
of a Miſtake in the Verfion, for want of having the Book itſelf
by me when I made it. That Gentleman, fpeaking of the Re-
?
384
POSTSCRIPT.
volution of the Poles, which is thought to take up a Period of
1,944,000 Years, has this Line.
Deux cens fiecles entiers par delà fix mille ans.
I did not know that fiecle entier ever ftood for an hundred
Centuries, as I find it must do in this Place. Truſting therefore
to my Memory for the Length of this Period, and taking it for
granted that there was an Error in the French Verſe, I tranſlated
thus.
Almoft two Thousand Centuries of Years.
The Poem is printed in this Manner before a Tranſlation of
Mr.VOLTAIRE's Philofophy lately publiſhed in English, and with a
fhort Note too in Vindication of the Miftake, which fhews that I
remember'd only 194,000, for 1,944,000. I defign'd that Note
chiefly as a Quare, which I thought would have been examined
before the Sheet was printed; but both that and the Miſtake itſelf
were ſuffered to paſs without Notice. The Line, not the Note, was
alfo printed thus erroneouſly in this Volume, Page 249, Line 4.
before I had an Opportunity of conſulting Mr. VOLTAIRE's Trea-
tife. I am obliged therefore to defire it may be altered as follows,
which is with as little Variation as poffible.
in
Near twenty thouſand Centuries of Years.
I acknowledge further, that Mr. VOLTAIRE'S Line, when we
interpret un fiecle entier by an hundred Centuries, appears extremely
beautiful, particularly on Account of the Allufion to the vulgar
Opinion of the World's Duration. Full twenty Thouſand Centuries
beyond fix Thousand Years. Which is Verfe too, but a little too long.
I muſt correct the Note alfo, which I have given upon this Line
my Volume; That, as well as the Verfe, being erroneous from
the fame Caufe. In the Page before referred to, read on thus from
Line 16 of the Note. The Motion we mean is a Revolution of the
Poles, taking up a Period of about two Millions of Years. During
which Time the Pole of the Ecliptic and that of the Equator may be
tavice perpendicular, and twice parallel to each other: The Earth
may turn fucceffively to the North, to the Eaft, to the South, and to
the Weft. What we call the Declination of the Sun will continu-
ally vary, tho' not so much as to amount to above one Degree in fix
thouſand Years: In fine, at the End of 500,000 Years, 399,000
of which are thought to be elapsed, the Pofition, &c. as in Page 250.
FI N 1 S.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
3 9015 06057 4236
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