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"Live like yourself," was foon my Lady's word; And lo! two puddings smoak'd upon the board. 360 Asleep and naked as an Indian lay,

An honeft factor ftole a Gem away:

He pledg'd it to the knight, the knight had wit,
So kept the Diamond, and the rogue was bit.
Some fcruple rofe, but thus he eas'd his thought, 365
"I'll now give fixpence where I gave a groat;
"Where once I went to church, I'll now go twice-
"And am fo clear too of all other vice."

The Tempter faw his time: the work he ply'd;
Stocks and Subfcriptions pour on every fide,
Till all the Dæmon makes his full defcent
In one abuudant fhower of Cent per Cent,
Sinks deep within him, and poffeffes whole,
Then dubs Director, and fecures his foul.

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Behold Sir Balaam, now a man of spirit, Afcribes his gettings to his parts and merit; What late he call'd a Bleffing, now was Wit, And God's good Providence, a lucky Hit. Things change their titles, as our manners turn: His Compting-houfe employ'd the Sunday-morn: 380 Seldom at Church, ('twas such a bufy life)

But duly fent his family and wife.

There (fo the Devil ordain'd) one Christmas-tide
My good old Lady catch'd a cold, and dy'd.
A Nymph of Quality admires our Knight;
He marries, bows at Court, and grows polite:
Leaves the dull Cits, and joins (to please the Fair)
The well-bred cuckolds in St. James's air:

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First, for his Son a gay Commiffion buys,

Who drinks, whores, fights, and in a duel dies:

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His Daughter flaunts a Viscount's tawdry wife;
She bears a Coronet and P-x for life.
In Britain's Senate he a feat obtains,
And one more Penfioner St. Stephen gains.
My Lady falls to play: fo bad her chance,
He must repair it; takes a bribe from France;
The House impeach him, Coningsby harangues;
The Court forfake him, and Sir Balaam hangs:
Wife, fon, and daughter, Satan! are thy own,
His wealth, yet dearer, forfeit to the Crown:
The Devil and the King divide the prize,
And fad Sir Balaam curfes God and dies..

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Of the Ufe of RICHES.

THE Vanity of Expence in People of Wealth and Quality. The abuse of the word Taste, ver. 13. That the first principle and foundation in this, as in every thing elfe, is Good Senfe, ver. 40. The chief proof of it is to follow Nature, even in works of mere Luxury and Elegance. Inftanced in Architecture and Gardening, where all must be adapted to the Genius and Ufe of the Place, and the Beauties not forced. into it, but refulting from it, ver. 50. How men are disappointed in their most expensive undertakings, for want of this true Foundation, without which nothing can please long, if at all; and the best Examples and Rules will be but perverted into fomething burdenfome and ridiculous, ver. 65, &c. to 92. A defcription of the falfe Tafte of Magnificence; the first grand error of which is, to imagine that Greatness consists in the Size and Dimenfion, inftead of the Proportion and Harmony of the whole, ver. 97. and the fecond, either

in joining together Parts incoherent, or too minutely resembling, or in the Repetition of the fame too frequently, ver. 105, &c. A word or two of falfe Tafte in Books, in Mufic, in Painting, even in Preaching and Prayer, and lastly in Entertainments, ver. 133, &c. Yet PROVIDENCE is juftified in giving Wealth to be fquandered in this manner, fince it is difperfed to the Poor and Laborious part of mankind, ver. 169. [recurring to what is laid down in the firft Book, Ep.ii. and in the Epiftle preceding this, ver. 159, &c.] What are the proper objects of Magnificence, and a proper field for the Expence of Great Men, ver. 177, &c. and finally the Great and Public Works which become a Prince, ver. 191, to the end.

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EPISTLE

TLE IV.

THE extremes of Avarice and Profusion being treated of in the foregoing Epiftle; this takes up one particular branch of the latter, the Vanity of Expence in people of wealth and quality; and is therefore a corollary to the preceding, juft as the Epiftle on the Characters of Women is to that of the Knowledge and Characters of Men. It is equally remarkable for exactness of method with the reft. But the nature of the fubject, which is lefs philofophical, makes it capable of being analyzed in a much narrower compaís.

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IS ftrange, the Mifer should his Cares employ.
To gain thofe riches he can ne'er enjoy:

Is it less strange, the Prodigal should wafte
His wealth, to purchase what he ne'er can taste?
Not for himself he fees, or hears, or eats;
Artifts must choose his Pictures, Mufic, Meats:
He buys for Topham Drawings and Designs;
For Pembroke Statues, dirty Gods, and Coins;
Rare monkish Manufcripts for Hearne alone,
And Books for Mead, and Butterflies for Sloane.
Think we all these are for himself? no more
Than his fine Wife, alas! or finer Whore.

For what has Virro painted, built, and planted?

Only to fhew, how many taftes he wanted.
What brought Sir Vifto's ill-got wealth to waste?
Some Damon whisper'd, "Visto! have a Taste.”

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