Carelefs how ill I with myfelf agree,
Kind to my drefs, 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 Wifdom calls her own;
Great without Title, without Fortune blefs'd;
Richy ev'n when plunder'd, honour'd while opprefs'd;
Lov'd without youth, and follow'd without power;
At home, though exil'd, b free, though in the Tower;
In short, that reafoning, high, immortal Thing,
Juft lefs than Jove, and d much above a King,
Nay, half in heaven-e except (what's mighty odd)
A fit of Vapours clouds this Demy-god!
A praetore dati; rerum x tutela mearum
Cum fis, et prave fectum ftomacheris ob unguem,
De te pendentis, te refpicientis amici.
Ad fummam, fapiens uno c minor eft Jove, y dives, b Liber, z honoratus, a pulcher, d rex denique regum; Praecipue fanus, nifi cum pituita molefta eft.
TO MR. MURRAY.
THIS Piece is the most finished of all his imitations, and executed in the high manner the Italian Painters call Con Amore. 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: fo he supported his title to it by all the offices of true Friendship.
OT to admire, is all the Art I know,
To make men happy, and to keep them so.” (Plain Truth, dear MURRAY, needs no flowers of fpeech, So take it in the very words of Creech.)
b This Vault of Air, this congregated Ball, Self-center'd Sun, and Stars that rife and fall,
EPISTOLA
NIL admirari, prope res eft una, Numici,
Solaque quae poffit facere et fervare beatum. b Hunc folem, et ftellas, et decedentia, certis
There are, my Friend! whose philofophic eyes
Look through and truft the Ruler with his skies,
To him commit the hour, the day, the year,
And view this dreadful All without a fear.
Admire we then what d Earth's low entrails hold, Arabian fhores, or Indian feas infold;
All the mad trade of e Fools and Slaves for Gold?
Or f Popularity? or Stars and Strings ?
The Mob's applaufes, or the gifts of Kings?
Say with what s eyes we ought at Courts to gaze,
And pay the Great our homage of Amaze?
If weak the pleasure that from these can spring,
The fear to want them is as weak a thing:
Whether we dread, or whether we desire,
In either cafe, believe me, we admire;
Whether we i joy or grieve, the fate the curse,
Surpriz'd at better, or surpriz'd at worse.
Thus good or bad, to one extreme betray
Th' unbalanc'd Mind, and snatch the Man away; 25
Tempora momentis, funt qui formidine nulla
Imbuti fpectent. d quid cenfes, munera terrae ?
Quid, maris extremos Arabas e ditantis et Indos ?
Ludicra, quid, f plaufus, et amici dona Quiritis?
Quo fpectanda modo, & quo fenfu credis et ore?
h Qui timet his adverfa, fere miratur eodem
Quo cupiens pacto: pavor eft utrobique moleftus :
Improvifa fimul fpecies exterret utrumque :
i Gaudeat, an doleat; cupiat metuatne; quid ad rem,
Fork Virtue's felf may too much zeal be had;
The worst of Madmen is a Saint run mad.
1 Go then, and if you can, admire the state
Of beaming diamonds, and reflected plate;
Procure a Tafte to double the furprize,
And gaze on m Parian Charms with learned eyes :
Be ftruck with bright" Brocade, or Tyrian Dye,
Our Birthday Nobles' fplendid Livery.
If not fo pleas'd, at Council-board rejoice,
To fee their Judgments hang upon thy Voice;
From P morn to night, at Senate, Rolls, and Hall,
Plead much, read more, dine late, or not at all.
But wherefore all this labour, all this ftrife?
For a Fame, for Riches, for a noble Wife?
Shall One whom Nature, Learning, Birth confpir'd 40
To form, not to admire, but be admir'd,
Sigh, while his Chloe blind to Wit and Worth
Weds the rich Dulnefs of fome Son of earth?
Si, quidquid vidit melius pejufve sua spe,
Defixis oculis animoque et corpore torpet?
* Infani fapiens nomen ferat, aequus iniqui;
Ultra quam fatis eft, virtutem fi petat ipfam.
II nunc, argentum et marmor m vetus, aeraque et artes
Sufpice: cum gemmis n Tyrios mirare colores :
Gaude, quod fpectant oculi te o mille loquentem :
Gnavus p mane forum, et vefpertinus pete tectum;
Ne plus frumenti dotalibus emetat agris
Mutus et (indignum; quod fit pejoribus ortus)
Hic tibi fit potius, quam tu mirabilis illi,
Yet time ennobles, or degrades each Line;
It brighten'd Craggs's, and may darken thine:
And what is Fame? the Meanest have their day,
The Greateft can but blaze, and pafs away.
Grac'd as thou art, t with all the Power of Words,
So known, fo honour'd, at the houfe of Lords:
Confpicuous Scene! another yet is nigh,
(More filent far) where Kings and Poets lie;
u Where Murray (long enough his Country's pride)
Shall be no more than Tully, or than Hyde!
w Rack'd with Sciatics, martyr'd with the Stone, Will any mortal let himself alone?
See Ward by batter'd Beaux invited over,
And defperate Mifery lays hold on Dover.
The cafe is eafier in the Mind's disease;
There all Men may be cur'd, whene'er they please.
Would ye be bleft? despise low Joys, low Gains;
Disdain whatever Cornbury difdains;
Be virtuous, and be happy for your pains.
Quicquid fub terra eft, in apricum proferet aetas ;
Defodiet condetque nitentia. t cum bene notum
Porticus Agrippae, et via te confpexerit Appî;
Ire tamen reftat, Numa " quo devenit et Ancus.
w Si latus aut renes morbo tentantur acuto,
Quare fugam morbi. * vis recte vivere ? quis non ?
Si virtus hoc una poteft dare, fortis omiffis
|