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Quaere fugain morbi. vis recte vivere? quis non?

Si virtus hoc una potest dare, fortis omiffis

Hoc age deliciis.

* virtutem verba putes, et

Lucum ligna? * cave ne portus occupet alter:

Ne Cibyratica, ne Bithyna negotia perdas:

• Mille talenta rotundentur, totidem altera, porro et

Tertia succedant, et quae pars quadret acervum.

Scilicet & uxorem cum dote, fidemque, et amicos,

Et genus, et formam, regina Pecunia donat;

Ac bene nummatum decorat Saudela, Venusque.

Mancipiis locuples, egit aeris Cappadocum rex.

NOTES.

VER. 65. Who Virtue and a Church alike disowns.] The

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Would ye be * x blest? despise low Joys, low Gains;
Disdain whatever CORNBURY disdains;

Be virtuous, and be happy for your pains.

But art thou one, whom new opinions sway,

61

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65

One who believes as Tindal leads the way,
Who Virtue and a Church alike disowns,
Thinks that but words, and this but brick and ftones?
Fly 2 then, on all the wings of wild defire,
Admire whate'er the maddest can admire:
Is Wealth thy paffion? Hence! from Pole to Pole,
Where winds can carry, or where waves can roll, 170

For Indian spices, for Peruvian Gold,
Prevent the greedy, and out-bid the bold :
* Advance thy golden Mountain to the skies;
On the broad base of fifty thousand rife,
Add one round hundred, and (if that's not fair)
Add fifty more, and bring it to a square.
For, mark th' advantage; just so many score
Will gain ab Wife with half as many more,

75

Procure her beauty, make that beauty chaste,
And then such Friends-as cannot fail to laft.
Ad Man of wealth is dubb'd a Man of worth,
Venus shall give him Form, and Anftis Birth.
(Believe me, many a German Prince is worse,
Who proud of Pedigree, is poor of Purse)

80

NOTES.

one appears from his party pamphlets; the other, from his Rights of the Christian Church.

Ne fueris hic tu. f chlamydes Lucullus, ut aiunt,

Si poffet centum scenae praebere rogatus,

Quî possum tot? ait: tamen et quaeram, et quot

habebo

Mittam: poft paulo scribit, sibi millia quinque Esse domi chlamydum: partem, vel tolleret omnes. * Exilis domus est, ubi non et multa fuperfunt, Et dominum fallunt, et profunt furibus. h ergo, Si res sola poteft facere et servare beatum, Hoc primus repetas opus, hoc poftremus omittas. i Si fortunatum species et gratia praeftat, * Mercemur servum, qui dictet nomina, laevum Qui fodicet latus, et1 cogat trans pondera dextram Porrigere: m Hic multum in Fabia valet, ille Velina : Cui libet, is fasces dabit; eripietque curule,

NOTES.

VER. 86. Or if three Ladies like a luckless Play,] The common reader, I am sensible, will be always more folicitous about the names of these three Ladies, the unlucky Play, and every other triffing circumstance that attended this piece of gallantry, than for the explanation of our Author's sense, or the illustration of his poetry; even where he is most moral and sublime. But had it been in Mr. Pope's purpose to indulge so impertinent a curiosity, he had fought elfewhere for a commentator on his writings.

His Wealth brave Timon gloriously confounds; 85
Afk'd for a groat, he gives a hundred pounds;

Or if three Ladies like a luckless Play,

Takes the whole House upon the Poet's day.

& Now, in such exigencies not to need,
Upon my word, you must be rich indeed ;

90

A noble superfluity it craves,

Not for yourself, but for your Fools and Knaves;
Something, which for your Honour they may cheat,
And which it much becomes you to forget.
► If Wealth alone then make and keep us blest, 95

Still, still be getting, never, never reft.

:

i But if to Pow'r and Place your paffion lie,
If in the Pomp of Life consist the joy;
Then hire a Slave, or (if you will) a Lord
To do the Honours, and to give the Word;
Tell at your Levee, as the Crouds approach,
To whom to nod, whom take into your Coach,

100

Whom honour with your hand: to make remarks,
Whom rules in Cornwall, or who rules in Berks :
" This may be troublesome, is near the Chair: 106
" That makes three Members, this can chuse a

" May'r."

NOTES.

VER. 91. A noble fuperfluity, etc.) These four lines are

an admirable paraphrafe on

Exilis domus est, ubi non et multa fuperfunt,

Et dominum fallunt, et profunt furibus.

Cui volet, importunus ebur: "Frater, Pater, adde:

Ut cuique est aetas, ita quemque facetus adopta.

SiP bene qui coenat, bene vivit: lucet, eamus
Quo ducit gula: piscemur, venemur, ut olim

Gargilius: qui mane plagas, venabula, servos,

Differtum tranfire forum populumque jubebat,

Unus ut e multis populo spectante referret

Emtum mulus aprum. ' crudi, tumidique lavemur,

Quid deceat, quid non, obliti; Caerite cera

S

Digni: * remigium vitiofum Ithacensis Ulyssci;

Cui potior & patria fuit interdicta voluptas.

* Si, Mimnermus uti censet, fine amore jocisque

Nil est jucundum; vivas in amore jocisque.

▼ Vive, vale. si quid novisti rectius istis,

Candidus imperti: si non, his utere mecum.

NOTES.

VER. 127. Wilmot] Earl of Rochester.

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