y But art thou one, whom new opinions sway, One who believes as Tindal leads the way, Who Virtue and a Church alike difowns, 65 Thinks that but words, and this but brick and ftones? Fly z then, on all the wings of wild defire, Is wealth thy paffion? Hence! from Pole to Pole, Prevent the greedy, or outbid the bold: a Advance thy golden Mountain to the skies; 70 75 80 (Believe y virtutem verba putes, et Lucum ligna? cave ne portus occupet alter; a Mille talenta rotundentur, totidem altera, porro et b d с Ac bene nummatum decorat Suadela, Venufque. (Believe me, many a German Prince is worse, Not for yourself, but for your Fools and Knaves; If Wealth alone then make and keep us bleft, i But if to Power and Place your Paffion lie, If in the Pomp of Life confift the joy; 85 90 95 Then e Mancipiis locuples, eget aeris Capadocum Rex: Si poffet centum fcenae praebere rogatus, Qui poffum tot? ait: tamen et quaeram, et quot habebo Mittam: poft paulo fcribit, fibi millia quinque Effe domi chlamydum: partem, vel tolleret omnes. * Exilis domus eft, ubi non et multa fuperfunt, Et dominum fallunt, et profunt furibus. ergo, -Si res fola poteft facere et fervare beatum, Hoc primus repetas opus, hoc postremus omittas. * Si fortunatam fpecies et gratia praeftat, 100 Then hire a Slave, or (if you will) a Lord, "That makes three Members, this can chuse a Mayor." Inftructed thus, you bow, embrace, protest, Adopt him " Son, or Coufin at the least, If P to live well means nothing but to eat; 115 Or * Mercemur fervum, qui dictet nomina, laevum Or fhall we every Decency confound; Through Taverns, Stews, and Bagnios take our round; Go dine with Chartres, in each Vice outdo 3 K—l's lewd Cargo, or Ty-y's Crew; From Latian Syrens, French Circæan Feasts, Return well travell'd, and transform'd to Beasts; t Renounce our Country, and degrade our Name? If, after all, we must with " Wilmot own, The Cordial Drop of Life is Love alone, 125 The Man that loves and laughs, must sure do well. 130 w Adieu-if this advice appear the worst, E'en take the Counfel which I gave you first: Or better Precepts if you can impart, Why do, I'll follow them with all my heart. r Unus ut e multis populo fpectante referret S Digni; remigium vitiofum Ithacenfis Ulyffei; Cui potior patria fuit interdicta voluptas. u Si, Mimnermus uti cenfet, fine amore jocifque EPISTLE EPISTLE To AUGUSTUS. I. T ADVERTISEMENT. HE Reflections of Horace, and the Judgments past in his Epiftle to Auguftus, feemed fo feafonable to the present Times, that I could not help applying them to the use of my own Country. The Author thought them confiderable enough to addrefs them to his Prince; whom he paints with all the great and good qualities of a Monarch, upon whom the Romans depended for the Increase of an absolute Empire. But to make the Poem entirely English, I was willing to add one or two of those which contribute to the Happinefs of a Free people, and are more confiftent with the Welfare of our Neighbours. This Epiftle will fhow the learned World to have fallen into Two mistakes: one, that Auguftus was a Patron of Poets in general; whereas he not only prohibited all but the Beft Writers to name him, but recommended that Care even to the Civil Magistrate: " Admonebat Praetores, ne paterentur Nomen fuum ob"folefieri," &c. The other, that this Piece was only a general Discourse of Poetry; whereas it was an Apo logy for the Poets, in order to render Auguftus more |