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With tafte fuperior fcorn'd the venal tribe,
Whom fear can fway, or guilty greatness bribe;
At Fancy's call who rear the wanton fail,
Sport with the ftream, and trifle in the gale:
Sublimer views thy daring Spirit bound;
Thy mighty Voyage was Creation's round;
Intent new Worlds of Wisdom to explore,
And blefs Mankind with Virtue's facred store ;
A nobler joy than Wit can give, impart :
And pour a moral transport o'er the heart.
Fantastic Wit shoots momentary fires,

And, like a meteor, while we gaze, expires:
Wit kindled by the fulphurous breath of Vice,

480

485

Like the blue lightning, while it fhines, destroys: 490
But Genius, fir'd by Truth's eternal ray,

Burns clear and conftant, like the source of day:
Like this its beam, prolific and refin'd,

Feeds, warms, infpirits, and exalts the mind
Mildly difpels each wintery Paffion's gloom,
And opens all the Virtues into bloom.
This praife, immortal Pope, to thee be given.
Thy Genius was indeed a Gift from Heaven.
Hail, Bard unequal'd, in whofe deathlefs line
Reafon and wit with ftrength collected shine;
Where matchlefs Wit but wins the second praise,
Loft, nobly loft, in Truth's fuperior blaze.
Did Friendship e'er mislead thy wandering Mufe?
That Friendship fure may plead the great excuse :
That facred Friendship which infpir'd thy Song,
Fair in defect, and amiably wrong.

495

500

505

Error

Error like this ev'n Truth can scarce reprove;
'Tis almoft Virtue when it flows from Love.

Ye deathlefs Names, ye Sons of endless praife,
By Virtue crown'd with never-fading bays!
Say, fhall an artlefs Mufe, if you inspire,
Light her pale lamp at your immortal fire?
Or if, O Warburton, infpir'd by You,
The daring Mufe a nobler path pursue,
By You infpir'd, on trembling pinions foar,
The facred founts of focial blifs explore,
In her bold numbers chain the Tyrant's rage,
And bid her Country's glory fire her page:
If fuch her fate, do thou, fair Truth, defcend,
And watchful guard her in an honeft end:
Kindly fevere, inftruct her equal line

510

515

520

To court no Friend, nor own a Foe but thine.
But if her giddy eye fhould vainly quit

Thy facred paths, to run the maze of wit;

If her apoftate heart fhould e'er incline

525

To offer incenfe at Corruption's fhrine;

Urge, urge thy power, the black attempt confound,
And dafh the fmoaking Cenfer to the ground.
Thus aw'd to fear, inftructed Bards may fee
That guilt is doom'd to fink in Infamy.

530

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