BOOK I. EPISTLE I. TO LORD BOLINGBROKE. T. JOHN, whofe love indulg'd my labours paft, Matures my present, and fhall bound my laft! Why b will you break the fabbath of my days? Now fick alike of Envy and of Praise. Public too long, ah let me hide my Age! See modeft Cibber now has left the Stage: Our Generals now, retir`d to their Eftates, с Nor fond of bleeding, ev'a in BRUNSWICK's caufe. f Avce there is, that whipers in my ear, 5 ('Tis Rean's voice, which fometimes one can hear) Friend Pope! be prudent, let your & Mufe takze breath, "And never galiop iegafus to death; "Let EPISTOLA I. RIMA dicte mihi, fumma dicende camena, PRIM Spectatum fatis, et donatum jam rude, quaeris, Maecenas, iterum antiquo me includere ludo. с Non eadem eft aetas, non mens. Veianius, armis Herculis ad poftem fixis, latet abditus agro; Ne populum extrema toties exoret arena. e f Eft mihi purgatam crebro qui perfonet aurem; Solve fenefcentem mature fanus equum, ne 15 "Left ftiff, and stately, void of fire or force, "You limp, like Blackmore, on a Lord Mayor's horfe." Farewell then Verfe, and Love, and every Toy, The Rhymes and Rattles of the Man or Boy; What i right, what true, what fit we justly call, Let this be all my care for this is All: k To lay this harvest up, and hoard with haste, But ask not, to what Doctors I apply? Sworn to no Mafter, of no Sect am I: As drives them ftorm, at any door I knock, And house with Montagne now, or now with Locke: Mix with the World, and battle for the State, 20 25 30 Back Peccet ad extremum ridendus, et ilia ducat. *Condo, et compono, quae mox depromere poffim. Back to my P native Moderation flide, And win my way by yielding to the tide. 4 Long, as to him who works for debt, the day, 35 Long as the Night to her whofe Love 's away, Long as the Year's dull circle seems to run, When the brisk Minor pants for twenty-one; So flow th' unprofitable moments roll, r That lock up all the Functions of my foul; Late as it is, I put myself to fchool, And feel fome " comfort, not to be a fool. * Weak though I am of limb, and fhort of fight, Far from a Lynx, and not a Giant quite: 40 45 50 I'll Nunc in Ariftippi P furtim praecepta relabor, 4 Ut nox longa, quibus mentitur amica; diefque 3 * Reftat, ut his ego me ipfe regam "folerque elementis: w Non poffis oculo quantum contendere Lynceus; I'll do what Mead and Chefelden advise, To keep these limbs, and to preserve these eyes. 55 Say, does thy blood rebel, thy bofom move Be furious, envious, flothful, mad, or drunk, d A Switz, a High-dutch, or a Low-dutch & Bear; e 'Tis the firft Virtue, Vices to abhor; And the first Wisdom, to be Fool no more. Non tamen idcirco contemnas lippus inungi: X y Fervet avaritia, miferoque cupidine pectus? Sunt verba et voces, quibus hunc lenire dolorem Poffis, et magnam morbi deponere partem. Laudis amore tumes? funt certa piacula, quae te pure lecto poterunt recreare libello. Ter a b Invidus, iracundus, iners, vinofus, amator; Nemo adeo ferus eft, ut non mitefcere poffit, Si modo culturae patientem commodet aurem. e Virtus eft, vitium fugere; et fapientia prima, 60 65 But But to the world no f bugbear is so great, See him, with pains of body, pangs of foul, "As Gold to Silver, Virtue is to Gold." 76 75 Here Wisdom calls: "Seek Virtue first, be bold! There, London's voice, k" Get Money, Money ftill! "And then let Virtue follow, if she will." 80 This, this the faving doctrine, preach'd to all, From low St. James's up to high St. Paul! From Stultitia caruiffe. vides, quae maxima credis Impiger extremos curris mercator ad Indos, O cives, cives! quaerenda pecunia primum eft; * Virtus poft nummos:" haec 1 Janus fummus ab ime |