HORACE.
'VE often with'd that I had clear
For life, fix hundred pounds a year,
A handfome Houfe to lodge a Friend,
A River at my garden's end,
A Terras-walk, and half a Rood
Of Land, fet out to plant a Wood.
HOC erat in votis; modus agri non ita magnus,
Hortus ubi, & tello vicinus jugis aquæ fons,
Et paulum fylve fuper his foret: au&tius atque
Well, now I have all this and more,
I ask not to encrease my ftore;
• But here a Grievance seems to lie,
All this is mine but till I die ;
"I can't but think 'twou'd found more clever,
• To ine and to my Heirs for ever.
If I ne'er got or lost a groat,
By any Trick, or any Fault;
And if I pray by Reason's rules,
And not like forty other Fools;
As thus, Vouchfafe, oh gracious Maker! "To grant me this and t'other Acre: "Or if it be thy Will and Pleasure, "Direct my Plow to find a Treasure :" But only what my Station fits,
And to be kept in my right wits.
Preferve, Almighty Providence!
Juft what you gave me, Competence;
Dii melius fecere: bene eft: nil amplius oro,
Maia nate, nifi ut propria hæc mihi munera faxis.
Si neque majorem feci ratione mala rem,
Nec fum facturus vitio culpave minorem;
Si veneror ftultus nihil horum ; O fi angulus ille
Proximus accedat. qui nunc denormat agellum !
O fi urnam argenti fors quæ mihi monftret, ut illi,
Thefauro invento qui mercenarius agrum
Illum ipfum mercatus aravit, dives amico
Hercule! fi quod adeft, gratum juvat; bac prece te oro
Pingue pecus domino facius, & cætera, præter
Ingenium; utque foles, cuftos mibi maximus adfis!
And let me in these fhades compofe
6 Something in Verse as true as Profe;
• Remov'd from all th' Ambitious Scene,
Nor puff'd by Pride, nor funk by Spleen.
In fhort, I'm perfectly content,
Let me but live on this fide Trent;
Nor crofs the Channel twice a year,
To spend fix months with Statesmen here.
I must by all means come to town,
'Tis for the service of the Crown.
"Lewis, the Dean will be of use,
"Send for him up, take no excuse.
The toil, the danger of the Seas;
Great Minifters ne'er think of these;
Or let it coft five hundred pound,
No matter where the money's found;
It is but fo much more in debt,
And that they ne'er confider'd yet.
"Good Mr. Dean go change your gown, "Let my Lord know you're come to town.
Ergo ubi me in montes & in arcem ex urbe removi,
Quid prius illuftrem Şatiris, Mufaque pedeftri?
Nec mala me Ambitio perdit, nec plumbeus Aufter,
Autumnufque gravis, Libitinæ quæftus acerbæ.
Matutine pater, feu Jane libentius audis,
Unde homines operum primos vitæque labores
Inftituunt (fic diis placitum) tu carminis efto
Principium Romæ fponforem me rapis: eja,
Ne prior officio quifquam refpondeat, urgue:
I hurry me in hafte away,
Not thinking it is Levee-day;
And find his Honour in a Pound,
Hemm'd by a triple Circle round,
Chequer'd with Ribbons blue and green;
How fhould I thrust my felf between ?;
Some Wag obferves me thus perplext,,
And fmiling, whispers to the next,
"I thought the Dean had been too proud, "To juftle here among a croud."
Another in a furly fit,
Tells me I have more Zeal than Wit,
"So eager to express your love,
"You ne'er confider whom you shove,
"But rudely prefs before a Duke.
I own, I'm pleas'd with this rebuke,
And take it kindly meant to fhow
What I defire the World fhould know,
I get a whisper, and withdraw;
When twenty Fools I never faw
Sive Aquilo radit terras, feu bruma nivalem
Interiore diem gyro trabit, ire neceffe eft.
Poftmodo, quod mihi obfit, clare certumque locuto,
Luftandum in turba ; facienda injuria tardis :
Quid vis infane? & quas res agis? Improbus urguet
Iratis precibus; tu pulfes omne quod obftat,
Ad Macenatem memori fi mente recurrás.
Hoc juvat, & melli est, non mentiar: at fimul atras
Ventum eft Efquilias, aliena negotia centum
Come with Petitions fairly penn'd, .
Defiring I would stand their friend.
This, humbly offers me his Cafe-
That, begs my int'reft for a Place →→→
A hundred other Men's affairs
Like bees, are humming in my cars.
"To-morrow my Appeal comes on,
Without your help the Cause is gonc
The Duke expects my Lord and you,
About fome great Affair, at Two-
"Put my Lord Bolingbroke in mind,
"To get my Warrant quickly fign'd;
Confider, 'tis my first request.
Be fatisfy'd, I'll do my best:
Then presently he falls to teize,
"You may for certain, if you pleafe;
"I doubt not, if his Lordfhip knew
And Mr. Dean, one word from you-
'Tis (let me fee), three years and more, (October next it will be four) Since HARLEY bid me firit attend, And chofe me for an humble friend;
Per caput & circa faliunt latus. Ante fecundam.
Rofcius orabat fibi adeffes ad Puteal cras.
De re communi fcribæ magna atque nova te
Orabant hodie meminiffes, Quinte, réverti.
Imprimat bis cura Mecenas figna tabellis.
Dixeris, Experiar: Si vis, potes addit, & inflat.
Septimus octavo propior jam fugerit annus,
Ex quo Mecenas me cæpit habere fuorum
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