"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, The Tempter faw his time: the work he ply'd; 370 375 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 385 First, for his Son a gay Commiffion buys, Who drinks, whores, fights, and in a duel dies: 390 His Daughter flaunts a Viscount's tawdry wife; 395 400 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. 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. IS ftrange, the Mifer should his Cares employ. Is it less strange, the Prodigal should wafte For what has Virro painted, built, and planted? Only to fhew, how many taftes he wanted. 5 10 15 |