EPISTLE I To L. BOLINGBROKE. ST. JOHN, whofe love indulg'd my labours paft, Matures my present, and fhall bound my last! Our Gen'rals now, retir'd to their Eftates, e Nor fond of bleeding, ev'n in BRUNSWICK's cause. f A Voice there is, that whispers in my ear, ('Tis Reason's voice, which fometimes one can hear) "Friend Pope! be prudent, let your "breath, "And never gallop Pegafus to death; NOTES. Muse take "Load fome vain Church with old theatric state, VER. 10. ev'n in Brunswick's caufe.] In the former Editions it was, Britain's caufe. But the terms are fynony mous, Nunc itaque et verfus, et caetera ludicra pono: Quid i verum atque decens, curo et rogo, et omnisin hoc fum: * Condo, et compono, quae mox depromere poffim. 1 Ac ne forte roges, quo me duce, quo Lare tuter: Nullius addictus jurare in verba magiftri, Quo me cunque rapit tempeftas, deferor hofpes. Nunc agilis fio, et merfor" civilibus undis, Ut nox longa, quibus mentitur amica; diesque NOTES. VER. 16. You limp, like Blackmore on a Lord Mayor's borfe.] The fame of this heavy Poet, however problematical elsewhere, was univerfally received in the City of London. His verfification is here exactly described: stiff, "Left ftiff, and ftately, void of fire or force, 15 "You limp, like Blackmore on a Lord Mayor's "horfe." h Farewell then Verfe, and Love, and ev'ry Toy, The Rhymes and Rattles of the Man or Boy; What right, what true, what fit we justly call, Let this be all my care-for this is All: k To lay this harvest up, and hoard with hafte 1 But ask not, to what ' Doctors I apply? Sworn to no Mafter, of no Sect am I: As drives them ftorm, at any door I knock: 20 25 And house with Montagne now, or now with Locke. n Sometimes a " Patriot, active in debate, Mix with the World, and battle for the State, Still true to Virtue, ° and as warm as true: Р And win my way by yielding to the tide. 30 Long, as to him who works for debt, the day, 35 Long as the Night to her whose Love's away, NOTES. and not ftrong; ftately and yet dull, like the fober and flow-paced Animal generally employed to mount the Lord Mayor and therefore here humouroufly oppofed to Pegafus. P. * G Lenta videtur opus debentibus: ut piger annus Pupillis, quos dura premit cuftodia matrum": r Sic mihi tarda fluunt ingrataque tempora, quae fpem Confiliumque morantur agendi gnaviter s id, quod Aeque pauperibus prodest, locupletibus aeque, Aeque neglectum pueris, fenibusque nocebit. t V Reftat, ut his ego me ipfe regam ▾ folerque ́ele mentis : w Non poffis oculo quantum contendere Lynce us; Nec, quia defperes invicti membra Glyconis, Eft quadam prodire * tenus, fi non datur ultra. NOTES, VER. 45. can no wants endure;] i. e. Can want nothing. Badly expreffed. VER.51. I'll do what Mead-] Mr. Pope highly efteemed and loved this worthy man, whole unaffected humanity and benevolence have ftifled much of that envy which his eminence in his profeffion would otherwise have drawn out. Long as the Year's dull circle feems to run, 40 Which done, the pooreft can no wants endure; 45 V And feel fome comfort, not to be a fool. X And men muft walk at least before they dance. Say, does thy blood rebel, thy bofom move With wretched Av'rice, or as wretched Love? NOTES, 50 55 Speaking of his obligations to this great Phyfician and others of the Faculty, in a Letter to Mr. Allen, about a month before his death, he says, "There is no end of my kind treatment from the Faculty. They are in general the moft amiable companions, and the best "Friends, as well as the most learned Men I know." 66 |