I nod in company, I wake at night,

Fools rush into my head, and so I write.

F. You could not do a worse thing for your life. 15

Why, if the nights seem tedious-take a Wife: f Or rather truly, if your point be rest, Lettuce and cowflip-wine; Probatum eft. But talk with Celfus, Celfus will advise Hartshorn, or fomething that shall close your eyes. 20 & Or, if you needs must write, write CAESAR'S Praise, You'll gain at least a Knighthood, or the Bays.

P. What? like Sir Richard, rumbling, rough, and fierce,

With ARMS, and GEORGE, and BRUNSWICK crowd

the verse,

Rend with tremendous found your ears asunder, 25 With Gun, Drum, Trumpet, Blunderbuss, and

Thunder?

Or nobly wild, with Budgel's fire and force,
Paint Angels trembling round his falling Horse?
F. * Then all your Mufe's fofter art display,
Let CAROLINA smooth the tuneful lay,
Lull with AMELIA's liquid name the Nine,
And sweetly flow thro' all the Royal Line.

P. Alas! few verses touch their nicer ear;
They scarce can bear their Laureate twice a year;

30

Verba per attentam non ibunt Caefaris aurem :

Cui male fi palpere, recalcitrat undique tutus.

T. Quanto rectius hoc, quam tristi laedere versu

Pantolabum scurram, Nomentanumve nepotem?

* Cum fibi quisque timet, quamquam est intactus, et odit.

H. Quid faciam? faltat Milonius, ut femel ito

Acceffit fervor capiti, numerusque lucernis.

P Castor gaudet equis; ovo prognatus eodem,

Pugnis. quot capitum vivunt, totidem studioram
Millia. me pedibus delectat claudere verba,

NOTES.

VER. 41. What should ail them?] Horace hints at one reason, that each fears his own turn may be next; his imitator gives another, and with more art, a reason which infinuates, that his very lenity, in using feigned names, increases the number of his Enemies.

1

{

And justly CAESAR scorns the Poet's lays,
It is to History he trufts for Praife.

F. m Better be Cibber, I'll maintain it still,
Than ridicule all Taste, blafpheme Quadrille,
Abuse the City's best good men in metre,
And laugh at Peers that put their trust in Peter.
Ev'n those you touch not, hate you.

35

P. What should ail them?

F. A hundred smart in Timon and in Balaam:
The fewer still you name, you wound the more;
Bond is but one, but Harpax is a score.

40

P. Each mortal has his pleasure: none deny 45
Scarsdale his bottle, Darty his Ham-pye;
Ridotta sips and dances, till she see
The doubling Lustres dance as fast as the;
PF-loves the Senate, Hockley-hole his brother,

Like in all else, as one Egg to another.
• I love to pour out all my felf, as plain
As downright SHIPPEN, or as old Montagne:

NOTES.

50

They had this, indeed, in common, to use great liberties of speech, and to profess saying what they thought. Montagne had many qualities, that have gained him the love and esteem of his Readers: The other had one, which always gain'd him the favourable attention of his Hearers. For, as a celebrated Roman Orator obferves, "Maledi" Cit INERUDITUS apertius et faepius, cum periculo eti

:

am fuo. Affert et ista res OPINIONEM, quia libentif

** sime homines audiunt ea quae dicere ipfi noluiffent."

Lucilî ritu, nostrum melioris utroque.

Ille velut fidis arcana sodalibus olim

Credebat libris; neque, fi male gesserat, usquam
Decurrens alio, neque si bene: quo fit, ut omnis

Votiva pateat veluti descripta tabella

Vita senis. fequor hunc, Lucanus an Appulus, an

ceps:

[Nam venufinus arat finem fub utrumque colonus,
Missus ad hoc, pulsis (vetus est ut fama) Sabellis,
Quo ne per vacuum Romano incurreret hoftis;
Sive quod Appula gens, seu quod Lucania bellum
Incuteret violenta.] s sed hic stylus haud petet ultro
Quemquam animantem, et me veluti custodiet ensis
Vagina tectus, quem cur deftringere coner,

NOTES.

VER. 56. the medium must be clear.) Allufion to a fountain of limpid water, thro' which the contents of the bottom are discovered. This thought, tho' not very exact, assisted him in the easy and happy change of the metaphor in the following line.

VER. 63. My head and heart thus flowing from my quill,] Inferior to the Original:

Ille velut fidis arcana Sodalibus olim
Credebat libris, etc.

In them, as certain to be lov'd as seen,
The Soul stood forth, nor kept a thought within;
In me what spots (for spots I have) appear,
Will prove at least the Medium must be clear.

55

In this impartial glass, my Muse intends
Fair to expose myself, my foes, my friends;
Publish the present age; but where my text
Is Vice too high, referve it for the next:
My foes shall wish my life a longer date,
And ev'ry friend the less lament my fate.

My head and heart thus flowing thro' my quill,

60

Verse-man or Profe-man, term me which you will,

Papist or Proteftant, or both between,
Like good Erasmus in an honest Mean,

In moderation placing all my glory,

While Tories call me Whig, and Whigs a Tory.

s Satire's my weapon, but I'm too difcreet

To run a muck, and tilt at all I meet;

NOTES.

Perfius alluded to this idea, when he said,

Vidi, vidi ipfe, Libelle! etc.

65

70

VER. 64. Verse-man or Profe-man, term me which you will, Papist er Protestant, etc.] The original thought (which is very flat, and so ill and aukwardly expressed, as to be taken for a monkish Addition) is here admirably imitated, in a lively character of himself, and his Writings.

VER. 69. Satire's my weapon] In these Words, our Author has happily explained the true Character of Ho

K