346 And all your wit, your most distinguish'd art, 350 355 Here sweet or strong may every colour flow; Of light and shade provoke the noble strife, 360 PART III. THROUGH ages thus has SATIRE keenly shined, 365 This Muse in silence joy'd each better age, 370 TO LATIUM next, avenging SATIRE flew : fire; 375 For SATIRE's bow resign'd the sounding lyre: NOTES. * Archilocum proprio rabies armavit iambo. Hor. Juv. S. i. Pers. S. i. His art, conceal'd in studied negligence, In graver strains majestic PERSIUS wrote, 380 385 More ardent eloquence, and boundless rage, Inflame bold JUVENAL'S exalted page; His mighty numbers awed corrupted Rome, And swept audacious Greatness to its doom; 390 The headlong torrent thundering from on high, Rent the proud rock that lately braved the sky. But lo! the fatal victor of mankind! Swoln Luxury!-pale Ruin stalks behind! As countless insects from the north-east pour, 395 To blast the spring, and ravage every flower, So barbarous millions spread contagious death; The sickening laurel wither'd at their breath. Deep Superstition's night the skies o'erhung, Beneath whose baleful dews the poppy sprung. 400 No longer Genius woo'd the Nine to love, But Dulness nodded in the Muse's grove: Wit, spirit, freedom, were the sole offence, Nor aught was held so dangerous as sense. At length, again fair Science shot her ray, 405 Dawn'd in the skies, and spoke returning day. Now, SATIRE, triumph o'er thy flying foe, Now load thy quiver, string thy slacken'd bow! 410 'Tis done!-See, great ERASMUS breaks the spell, And wounds triumphant Folly in her cell! (In vain the solemn cowl surrounds her face, Vain all her bigot cant, her sour grimace,) With shame compell'd her leaden throne to quit, And own the force of reason urged by wit. 'Twas then plain DONNE in honest vengeance rose, 415 His wit harmonious, though his rhyme was prose : 425 Yet scarce had SATIRE well relumed her flame, (With grief the Muse records her country's shame,) Ere Britain saw the foul revolt commence, And treacherous wit began her war with sense. Then rose a shameless mercenary train, Whom latest time shall view with just disdain; A race fantastic, in whose gaudy line Untutor❜d thought, and tinsel beauty shine; Wit's shatter'd mirror lies in fragments bright, Reflects not nature, but confounds the sight. Dry morals the court-poet blush'd to sing: "Twas all his praise to say, the oddest thing. 430 Proud for a jest obscene, a patron's nod, To martyr virtue, or blaspheme his God. Ill-fated DRYDEN! who unmoved can see Th' extremes of wit and meanness join'd in thee! Flames that could mount, and gain their kindred skies, Low creeping in the putrid sink of vice; 435 A Muse whom wisdom woo'd, but woo'd in vain, More happy France: immortal BOILEAU there Supported Genius with a sage's care: Him with her love propitious SATIRE bless'd 445 But see at length the British Genius smile, And shower her bounties o'er her favour'd isle: Behold, for POPE she twines the laurel crown, And centers every poet's power in one; Each Roman's force adorns his various page, Here Vice, dragg'd forth by Truth's supreme de cree, Beholds and hates her own deformity: 460 While self-seen Virtue in the faithful line 465 |