COBHAM's a Coward, POLWARTH is a Slave, 130
And LYTTLETON a dark, designing Knave,
ST. JOHN has ever been a wealthy Fool---
But let me add, Sir ROBERT's mighty dull,
Has never made a Friend in private life,
And was, befides, a Tyrant to his Wife.

135

But pray, when others praise him, do I blame? Call Verres, Wolfey, any odious name ? Why rail they then, if but a Wreath of mine, Oh All-accomplish'd ST. JOHN ! deck thy shrine ? What? shall each spurgall'd Hackney of the day, When Paxton gives him double Pots and Pay, Or each new-penfion'd Sycophant, pretend To break my Windows if I treat a Friend? Then wisely plead, to me they meant no hurt, But 'twas my Guest at whom they threw the dirt?

NOTES.

141

VER. 130. Polwarth.] The Hon. Hugh Hume, Son of Alexander Earl of Marchmont, Grandson of Patric Earl of Marchmont, and diftinguished, like them, in the cause of Liberty. P.

VER. 136. do I blame? Call Verres, Wolfey, any odious name?] The Leaders of Parties, be they as florid as they will, generally do their business by compendium: A fin

ule of Rhetoric, which they may have learnt of Quintilian, or perhaps of a much older Sophist, does their bufiness, Si nihil, quod nos adjuvet, erit, quæramus quid Adverfarium lædat.

SCRIB.

VER. 141. When Paxton gives him double pots and pay,] If this band of Pensioners were so offenfive while embodied

Sure, if I spare the Minister, no rules
Of Honour bind me, not to maul his Tools;
Sure, if they cannot cut, it may be faid
His Saws are toothless, and his Hatchets Lead.
It anger'd TURENNE, once upon a day,
To fee a Footman kick'd that took his pay:
But when he heard th' Affront the Fellow gave,
Knew one a Man of honour, one a Knave;
The prudent Gen'ral turn'd it to a jest,

146

150

And begg'd, he'd take the pains to kick the rest: 155 Which not at present having time to do--

F. Hold Sir! for God's-fake where's th' Affront to

you?

Against your worship when had S---k writ?

Or P---ge pour'd forth the Torrent of his Wit?

Or grant the Bard whose distich all commend

160

[In Pow'r a Servant, out of Pow'r a friend] To W---le guilty of some venial fin;

What's that to you who ne'er was out nor in ?

NOTES.

and under difcipline, what must we think of their diforders since they were disbanded and become free-booters ? No virtue nor merit hath escaped them. They have made a great City in the South, too much resemble another in the North, where the products of night and darkness are discharged from Garrets on every honest man that comes within their reach.

VER. 160. the Bard] A verse taken out of a poem to Sir R. W.

P.

165

The Priest whose Flattery be-dropt the Crown,
How hurt he you? he only stain'd the Gown.
And how did, pray, the florid Youth offend,
Whose Speech you took, and gave it to a Friend?
P. Faith, it imports not much from whom it came ;
Whoever borrow'd, could not be to blame,
Since the whole House did afterwards the fame.

Let Courtly Wits to Wits afford supply,
As Hog to Hog in huts of Westphaly;
If one, thro' Nature's Bounty or his Lord's,
Has what the frugal, dirty foil affords,
From him the next receives it, thick or thin,
As pure a mess almost as it came in ;
The blessed benefit, not there confin'd,
Drops to the third, who nuzzles close behind ;
From tail to mouth, they feed and they carouse:
The last full fairly gives it to the House.
F. This filthy fimile, this beastly line

Quite turns my ftomach

;

}

171

175

180

P. So does Flatt'ry mine;

And all your courtly Civet-cats can vent,

Perfume to you, to me is Excrement.

NOTES.

VER. 164. The Priest etc.] Spoken not of any particular

priest, but of many priests.

P.

VER. 166. And how did, etc.] This seems to allude to a

complaint made 71. of the preceding Dialogue, P.

But hear me further - Japhet, 'tis agreed,
Writ not, and Chartres scarce could write or read,
In all the Courts of Pindus guiltless quite;

185

But Pens can forge, my Friend, that cannot write;

And must no Egg in Japhet's face be thrown,
Because the Deed he forg'd was not my own?

190

Must never Patriot then declaim at Gin,
Unless, good man! he has been fairly in ?
No zealous Paftor blame a failing Spouse,
Without a staring Reason on his brows?
And each Blafphemer quite escape the rod,
Because the insult's not on Man, but God?
Ask you what Provocation I have had?

The strong Antipathy of Good to Bad.

When Truth or Virtue an Affront endures,

195

Th' Affront is mine, my friend, and should be yours.

Mine, as a Foe profess'd to false Pretence,

Who think a Coxcomb's Honour like his Sense;

Mine, as a Friend to ev'ry worthy mind;

And mine as Man, who feel for all mankind.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 185. in the MS.

I grant it, Sir; and further, 'tis agreed,
Japhet writ not, and Chartres scarce could read.

NOTES.

201

VER. 185. Japhet - Chartres] See the Epistle to Lord Bathurst. P.

VER. 204. And mine as Man, who feel for all mankind.

S*

F. You're strangely proud

P. So proud, I am no Slave:

So impudent, I own myself no Knave:

206

}

So odd, my Country's Ruin makes me grave.

Yes, I am proud; I must be proud to see

Men not afraid of God, afraid of me:

Safe from the Bar, the Pulpit, and the Throne, 210

Yet touch'd and sham'd by Ridicule alone.

O facred weapon ! left for Truth's defence,

Sole Dread of Folly, Vice, and Insolence !
To all but Heav'n-directed hands deny'd,

The Muse may give thee, but the Gods must guide:

NOTES.

From Terence: "Homo sum: humani nihil a me alienum " puto." P.

VER. 208. Yes, I am proud; etc.] In this ironical exultation the Poet infinuates a subject of the deepest humiliation.

VER. 211. Yet touch'd and sham'd by Ridicule alone.] The Passions are given us to awake and support Virtue. But they frequently betray their trust, and go over to the interests of Vice. Ridicule, when employed in the cause of Virtue, shames and brings them back to their duty. Hence the ufe and importance of Satire.

VER. 214. To all but Heav'n-directed bands] " The " Citizen (fays Plato, in his fifth book of Laws) who does

no injury to any one, without question, merits our ef८८ teem. He, who, not content with being barely just " himself, opposes the course of injustice, by profecuting " it before the Magistrate, merits our esteem vastly more. "The first discharges the duty of a fingle Citizen; but "the other does the office of a Body. But he whose zeal " flops not here, but proceeds to ASSIST THE MAGISTRATE