In them, as certain to be lov'd as seen,
The Soul stood forth, nor kept a thought within;
In me what spots (for fpots I have) appear,
Will prove at least the Medium must be clear.
In this impartial glafs, my Mufe intends
Fair to expose myself, my foes, my friends;
Publish the prefent age; but where my text
Is Vice too high, reserve it for the next :
My foes shall with my life a longer date,
And ev'ry friend the lefs lament my fate.
My head and heart thus flowing thro' my quill,
'Verfe-man or Profe-man, term me which
Papift 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
f Satire's my weapon, but I'm too discreet

you

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

Perfius alluded to this idea when he said,
Vidi, vidi ipfe, Libelle! etc.

55

60

will,

65

Ver. 64. Verse-man er Profi-man, term me which you will, Papift or Proteftant, etc.] The original thought (which is very flat, and fo ill and aukwardly expreffed, 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 Au thor has happily explained the true Character of Horace's ironical Apology, which is to this purpose: Nature, fays he, has given all Creatures the means of offence and defence: The wolf has teeth, the bull has horns, and I have a talent for fatire. And, at the fame time that he vindicates his claim to

Tutus ab infestis latronibus? O pater et rex

Jupiter, ut pereat pofitum rubigine telum,

W

Nec quifquam noceat cupido mihi pacis! at ille,

Qui me commôrit, (melius non tangere, clamo)

* Flebit, et infignis tota cantabitur urbe.

this his natural weapon, Satire, he fhews its moral ufe; it was to oppose to the noxious qualities which nature had given Cervius for informing, Canidia for poisoning, and Turius for paffing fentence. The turn of this ludicrous argumentation is fine and delicate; and we find his Imitator faw the whole force of it.

VER. 71. I only wear it in a land of Hectors, etc.] Supe

rior to,

tutus ab infeftis latronibus, which only carries on the metaphor in

enfis

Vagina tectus,

whereas the imitation does more; for, along with the metaphor, it conveys the image of the subject, by presenting the reader with the feveral objects of fatire.

'I only wear it in a land of Hectors,

Thieves, Supercargoes, Sharpers, and Directors. 'Save but our Army! and let Jove incruft Swords, pikes, and guns, with everlasting rust! "Peace is my dear delight-not FLEURY's more :75 But touch me, and no minifter fo fore. Whoe'er offends, at fame unlucky time * Slides into verfe, and hitches in a rhyme, Sacred to Ridicule his whole life long, And the fad burthen of fome merry fong.

80.

VER. 72. Thieves, Supercargoes,] The names, at that time, ufually bestowed on thofe whom the trading Companies fent with their Ships, and intrusted with their concerns, abroad.

VER. 73. Save but our Army, etc.] "Une maladie nou"velle (fays the admirable Author de L'efprit des Loix) s'eft "répandue en Europe; elle a faifi nos Princes, et leur fait "entretenir un nombre defordonné de Troupes. Elle a fes “redoublemens, et elle devient necessairement contagieuse. Car "fi-tot qu'un Etat augmente ce qu'il appelle fes Troupes, "les autres foudain augmentent les leurs, de façon qu'on ne gagne rien par-là que la Ruïne commune. Chaque Monarque tient fur pied toutes les Armées qu'il pourroit avoir "fi fes Peuples étoient en danger d'étre exterminés ; et on

66

66

66

nomme Paix cet état d'effort de tous contre tous. Auffi l'Eu66 rope eft-elle fi ruïnée, que les particuliers, qui feroient dans "la fituation où font les trois Puiffances de cette partie du "monde les plus opulentes, n'auroient pas de quoi vivre. "Nous fommes pauvres avec les Richeffes & le commerce de "tout l'Univers; & bientôt, à force d'avoir des Soldats, nous "n'aurons plus que des Soldats, & nous ferons comme des

Z

y Cervius iratus leges minitatur et urnam; Canidia Albuti, quibus eft inimica, venenum; Grande malum Turius, fi quid fe judice certes : * Ut, quo quifque valet, fufpectos terreat, utque Imperet hoc Natura potens, fic collige mecum. Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit; unde, nifi intus Monftratum? Scaevae vivacem crede nepoti Matrem; nil faciet fceleris pia dextra (mîrum? Ut neque calce lupus quemquam, neque dente petit

bos)

Sed mala tollet anum vitiato melle cicuta.

"Ne longum faciam: feu me tranquilla fenectus Exfpectat, feu mors atris circumvolat alis; Dives, inops; Romae, feu fors ita jufferit, exful;

VER. 81-84. Slander-libell'd by her bate.] There seems to be more fpirit here than in the original. But it is hard to pronounce with certainty. For tho' one may be confident there is more force in the 83d and 84th lines than in

Canidia Albuti, quibus eft inimica, venenum;

yet there might be fomething, for ought we know, in the Chaacter or Hiftory of Cervius, which might bring up that line o the spirit and poignancy of the 83a verfe of the Imitation.

› Slander or Poifon dread from Delia's rage,
Hard words or hanging, if your Judge be Page.
From furious Sappho scarce a milder fate,
P-x'd by her love, or libell'd by her hate.

Z

85

Its proper pow'r to hurt, each creature feels;
Bulls aim their horns, and Affes lift their heels;
'Tis a Bear's talent not to kick, but hug;
And no man wonders he's not ftung by Pug.
2 So drink with Walters, or with Chartres eat,
They'll never poifon you, they'll only cheat.

b Then, learned Sir! (to cut the matter short)
Whate'er my fate, or well or ill at Court,
Whether Old age, with faint but chearful ray,
Attends to gild the Evening of my day,
Or Death's black wing already be difplay'd,
To wrap me in the universal shade;

95

VER. 84-90, It's proper power to burt, etc.] All, except the two laft lines, inferior to the elegance and precision of the Original.

t

VER. 93-96. Whether old age-fade] The Original is more finished, and even fublime. Befides, the last verse-Te wrap me in the universal shade, has a languor and redundancy unufual with our author.