You laugh, if coat and breeches strangely vary, White gloves, and linen worthy Lady Mary! But when 'no Prelate's Lawn with hair-fhirt lin'd, Is half fo incoherent as my Mind, 166

When (each opinion with the next at ftrife,
One' ebb and flow of follies all my life)
I'plant, root up; I build, and then confound;
Turn round to fquare, and square again to round;
'You never change one muscle of your face, 171
You think this Madness but a common cafe,
Nor once to Chanc'ry, nor to Hale apply;
Yet hang your lip, to fee a Seam awry!
Careless how ill I with myself agree,
Kind to my dress, my figure, not to Me.
Is this my Guide, Philofopher, and Friend?
This he, who loves me, and who ought to mend?
Who ought to make me (what he can, or none)
That Man divine whom Wisdom calls her own;
Great without Title, without Fortune blefs'd;
Richev'n when plunder'd, honour'd while
opprefs'd;

X

182

Lov'd without youth, and follow'd without

W

a

A Fit of Vapours clouds this Demy-God.

175

pow'r ;

At home, tho' exil'd; 'free, tho' in the Tow'r; In short, that reas'ning, high, immortal Thing, Juft less than Jove, and much above a King, 186 Nay, half in heav'n---* except (what's mighty odd)

THE

SIXTH EPISTLE

OF THE

FIRST BOOK

O F

HORA CE.

EPISTOLA VI.

NIL

IL admirari, prope res eft una, Numici, Solaque quae poffit facere et fervare beatum. Hunc folem, et ftellas, et decedentia certis Tempora momentis, funt qui formidine nulla

NOTES.

VER. 3. dear MURRAY,] This piece is the most finished of all his Imitations, and executed in the high manner the Italian Painters call con amare. By which they mean, the exertion of that principle, which puts the faculties on the ftretch, and produces the fupreme degree of excellence. For the Poet had all the warmth of affection for the great Lawyer to whom it is addreffed: and, indeed, no man ever more deferved to have a Poet for his friend. In the obtaining of which, as neither vanity, party, nor fear, had any share, (which gave birth to the attachments of many of his noble Acquaintance) fo he supported his title to it by all the good offices of a generous and-true Friendship.

VER. 4. Creech.] From whofe Tranflation of Horace the two first lines are taken.

P.

VER. 6.

Stars that rife and fall,] The Original is

"decedentia certis

"Tempora momentis;"

which words fimply and literally fignify, the change of feafons. But this change being confidered as an object of admiration,

EPISTLE

"NOT

To Mr. MURRAY.

OT to admire, is all the Art I know,
To make men happy,
happy, and to keep

"them fo."

VI.

с

(Plain Truth, dear MURRAY, needs no flow'rs of speech,

So take it in the very Words of Creech.)

'This' Vault of Air, this congregated Ball, 5 Self-center'd Sun, and Stars that rife and fall, There are, my Friend! whose philosophic eyes Look thro', and trust the Ruler with his Skies, To him commit the Hour, the Day, the Year, And view this dreadful All without a fear. 10

NOTES.

his imitator has judiciously expreffed it in the more fublime figurative terms of

"Stars that rife and fall,"

by whose courses the feafons are marked and diftinguished.

VER. 8.-trust the Ruler with his skies,-To him commit the Hour,] Our Author, in these imitations, has been all along careful to correct the loofe morals, and abfurd theology of his Original.

VER. 10. And view this dreadful All without a fear.] He has added this idea to his text; and it greatly heightens the