"Nec quifquam noceat, cupido mihi pacis! at "ille, Qui me commôrit, (melius non tangere, clamo) "Flebit, et infignis tota cantabitur urbe." Thus improved "Peace is my dear delight---not Fleury's more: "But touch me, and no Minister so sore. "Whoe'er offends, at fome unlucky time "Slides into verfe, and hitches in a rhyme, "Sacred to Ridicule his whole life long, "And the fad burden of fome merry fong." apo There is a delicacy and pleasantry in this logy for the severity of his fatire, which seems to excel the original: which is again surpassed, in point of spirit, in these lines. "Cervius iratus leges minitatur et urnam; "Canidia Albuti, quibus eft inimica, venenum; "Grande malum Turius, fi quid fe judice certes. * fhip, and admit him to yours; fo juftice and righteoufnefs will meet." On other occafions, fpeaking of him to the fame friend, he expreffes himself fomewhat jocularly:" I have just seen "Mr. Juftice Fortefcue, who is very mindful of your kind "diftinction, and reckons the notice of a man of worth, no "fmall one. Every man bears respect to virtue, even a "lawyer and a courtier. The wonder is, when an honest dis"interested man, will defcend to take notice of them, which "really nothing but charity could mag tus do." "Slander or Poifon dread from Delia's rage, “Hard words or hanging, if your Judge be “ Page. "From furious Sappho scarce a milder fate, It must be confeffed, however, that the paffages which follow, are, as the annotator has remarked, greatly below the original; and it may be added, much inferior to our author himfelf. But our poet foon, however, towers above his original, and darts forth fuch lively flashes . of indignation, as could only proceed from the vigour of genius, warmed with the glow of virtue. "What? arm'd for Virtue when I point the 66 pen, "Brand the bold front of fhameless guilty 66 men; "Dafh the proud Gamefter in his gilded Car, "Bare the mean Heart that lurks beneath a "Star; *Thefe four lines gave great offence to two court Ladies, who deemed themfelves touched and the Poet employed Lord Cobham to mediate with them, which he long attempted to no purpose. At length, however, he fatisfied them both by this ingenious expedient, which was, that Mr. POPE, in the future editions, fhould give the p-xing to Delia, and the poifening to Sappho. "Can "Can there be wanting, to defend Her caufe, "Lights of the Church, or Guardians of the "Laws? "Could penfion'd Boileau lafh in honest «ftrain "Flatt'rers and Bigots ev'n in Louis' reign? "Could Laureate Dryden Pimp and Fry'r en gage, "Yet neither Charles nor James be in a rage? "And I not ftrip the gilding off a Knave, Unplac'd, unpenfion'd, no man's heir, or "flave? "I will, or perish in the gen'rous caufe: "Hear this, and tremble! you, who 'fcape the "Laws. "Yes, while I live, no rich or noble knave "Shall walk the world, in credit, to his grave. "To Virtue only and her friends a friend, "The World befide may murmur, or com"mend. "Know, all the distant din that world can keep, "Rolls o'er my Grotto, and but fooths my 66 fleep. "There, my retreat the beft Companions grace, "Chiefs out of war, and Statefinen out of "place." The conscious pride likewife with which he fpeaks of his familiarity with the great, is displayed with becoming spirit and dignity. Envy must own, I live among the Great,. "No Pimp of pleasure, and no Spy of state, "With eyes that pry not, tongue that ne'er 66 repeats, "Fond to fpread friendfhips, and to cover "heats; "To help who want, to forward who excel; "This all who know me, know; who love me, tell; "And who unknown defame me, let them "be "Scriblers or Peers, alike are Mob to me." This is, indeed, fumere fuperbiam quaefitam meritis ! It is to be obferved that Lord Harvey and Lady Mary were fuppofed to have been described in this epistle, so characteristically, under the names of Lord Fanny and Sappho, that these two noble perfonages did not omit any means to gratify their refentment. The Lady, in particular, was, as may well be imagined, highly offended that the public fhould apply the character of Sappho to her; and complained of the infult to her acquaintance, and especially to Lord Peterborough, whom the would have engaged to expoftulate with Mr. POPE, as we learn from the following letter which that nobleman addreffed to her. "MADAME, "I was very unwilling to have my name made "ufe of in an affair in which I have no concern,"and 66 " and therefore would not engage myself to fpeak to Mr. POPE; but he coming to my "Koufe the moment you went away, I gave "him as exact an account as I could of our "converfation. you "He faid to me, what I had taken the liberty "to fay to you, that he wondered how the town "would apply these lines to any but some noted 66 common woman; that he should yet be more furprized, if fhould take them to your"felf. He named to me four remarkable "poeteffes and fcriblers, Mrs. Centlivre, Mrs. Haywood, Mrs. Manly and Mrs. Ben, ladies. "famous indeed in their generation, and some "of them efteemed to have given very unfor66 tunate favours to their friends, affuring me "that such only were the objects of his satire. 66 "I hope this affurance will prevent your further mistake, and any confequences upon fo odd a fubject. I have nothing more to add. "Your Ladyship's* "Moft humble and obedient fervant, "PETERBOROUGH." Nor * Mr. POPE, in a letter to Mr. Bethel, then in Italy, fpeaks of this Lady with a great deal of jocularity. he," "You mention," fays he, " the fame of my old acquaintance, Lady Mary, as fpread over Italy. Neither you "delight |