Si quis amicorum eft aufus reprendere verfum :

Cum loca jam recitata revolvimus irrevocati :

Cum lamentamur non apparere labores

Noftros, et tenui deducta poemata file;

Cum fperamus eo rem venturam, ut, fimul atque
Carmina refcieris nos fingere, commodus ultro
Arceffas, et egere vetes, et fcribere cogas.
Sed tamen eft operae precium cognofcere, quales
Aedituos habeat belli fpectata domique

y

Virtus, indigno non committenda poetae.

a Gratus Alexandro regi Magnò fuit ille
Choerilus, incultis qui verfibus et male natis
Rettulit acceptos, regale numisma, Philippos.
Sed veluti tractata notam labemque remittunt
Atramenta, fere fcriptores carmine føedo
Splendida facta linunt. idem rex ille, poema
Qui tam ridiculum tam care prodigus emit,
Edicto vetuit, ne quis fe praeter Apellem
Pingeret, aut alius Lyfippo duceret aera
Fortis Alexandri vultum fimulantia. quod fi
Judicium fubtile videndis artibus illud

b

Ad libros et ad haec Mufarum dona vocares;
Boeotum in craffo jurares aere natum.

W

V

And if we will recite nine hours in ten,
You lofe your patience, juft like other men.
Then too we hurt ourselves, when to defend
A 'fingle verse, we quarrel with a friend;
Repeat unafk'd; lament, the Wit's too fine
For vulgar eyes, and point out ev'ry line.

x

But moft, when ftraining with too weak a wing,
We needs will write Epiftles to the King;
And from the moment we oblige the town,
Expect a place, or penfion from the Crown;
Or dubb'd Hiftorians by exprefs command,
T'enroll your triumphs o'er the feas and land,
Be call'd to Court to plan fome work divine,
As once for LOUIS, Boileau and Racine.

a

365

370

375

Yet think, great Sir! (fo many Virtues shown) Ah think, what Poet beft may make them known? Or chufe at least fome Minister of Grace,

Fit to bestow the Laureat's weighty place.

Z

Charles, to late times to be tranfmitted fair, 380 Affign'd his figure to Bernini's care;

And great b Naffau to Kneller's hand decreed
To fix him graceful on the bounding Steed;
So well in paint and ftone they judg'd of merit:
But Kings in Wit may want discerning Spirit. 385
The Hero William, and the Martyr Charles,
One knighted Blackmore, and one penfion'd Quarles;
Which made old Ben, and furly Dennis fwear,
"No Lord's anointed, but a Ruffian Bear.

C

[At neque dedecorant tua de fe judicia, atque Munera, quae multa dantis cum laude tulerunt, Dilecti tibi Virgilius Variufque poetae ;]

d

C

Nec magis expreffi vultus per ahenea figna, Quam per vatis opus mores animique virorum Clarorum apparent. nec fermones ego mallem Repentes per humum, quam res componere geftas, Terrarumque f fitus et Aumina dicere, et arces Montibus impofitas, et barbara regna, tuisque Aufpiciis totum confecta duella per orbem, Clauftraque cuftodem pacis cohibentia Janum, Et i formidatam Parthis, te principe, Romam: Si quantum cuperem, poffem quoque. fed neque par

h

vum

* Carmen majeftas recipit tua; nec meus audet Rem tentare pudor, quem vires ferre recufant.

NOTES.

VER. 405. And I'm not us'd to Panegyric ftrains ;] Archbishop Tilletfen hath faid, "That fatire and invective were "the eafieft kind of wit, becaufe almoft any degree of it "will serve to abuse and find fault. For wit (fays he) is "" a keen inftrument, and every one can cut and gash with "it. But to carve a beautiful image and polish it, re"quires great art and dexterity. To praife any thing "well, is an argument of much more wit than to abuse; 66 a little wit, and a great deal of ill-nature, will furnish

66

a man for fatire, but the greateft intance of wit is to "commend well.' Thus far this candid Prelate. And I, in my turn, might as well fay, that Satire was the most difficult, and Panegyric the easiest thing in nature; for

d

390

Not with fuch majesty, such bold relief,
The Forms auguft, of King, or conqu❜ring Chief,
E'er fwell'd on marble; as in verfe have fhin'd
(In polifh'd verfe) the Manners and the Mind.
Oh! could I mount on the Mæonian wing,

Your Arms, your Actions, your Repose to fing! 395
What f feas you travers'd, and what fields you fought!
Your Country's Peace, how oft, how dearly bought!
How barb'rous rage fubfided at your word,
And Nations wonder'd while they dropp'd the fword!
How, when you nodded, o'er the land and deep, 400
b Peace ftole her wing, and wrapt the world in fleep;
'Till earth's extremes your mediation own,

k

Andi Afia's Tyrants tremble at your Throne-
But Verfe, alas! your Majesty disdains;
And I'm not us'd to Panegyric ftrains:

e

405

NOTES.

that any barber-furgeon can curl and fhave, and give cofmetic-washes for the fkin; but it requires the abilities of an Anatomift to diffect and lay open the whole interior of the human frame. But the truth is, these fimilitudes prove nothing, but the good fancy, or the ill judgment of the. ufer. The one is juft as eafy to do ill, and as difficult to do well as the other. In our Author's Essay on the Characters of Men, the Encomium on Lord Cobham, and the fatire on Lord Wharton, are the equal efforts of the fame great genius. There is one advantage indeed in Satire over Panegyric, which every body has taken notice of, that it is more readily received; but this does not fhew that it is more eafly written.

Sedulitas autem 'ftulte, quem diligit, urget;
Praecipue cum fe numeris commendat et arte.
Difcit enim citius, meminitque libentius illud
Quod quis deridet, quam quod probat et veneratur.
Nil moror" officium, quod me gravat: ac neque fict
In pejus vultu proponi cereus ufquam,

Nec prave factis decorari verfibus opto:

Ne P rubeam pingui donatus munere, et una
Cum fcriptore meo capfa porrectus aperta,
Deferar in vicum vendentem thus et odores,
Et piper, et quicquid chartis amicitur ineptis.