Fanes, which admiring Gods with pride furvey, Perhaps, by its own ruins fav'd from flame. ΤΟ 15 20 25 Ambition figh'd: she found it vain to trust The faithlefs Column and the crumbling Bust: Huge moles, whose shadow stretch'd from shore to shore, Their ruins perish'd, and their place no more! Convinc'd, fhe now contracts her vast design, And all her Triumphs fhrink into a Coin. A narrow orb each crouded conqueft keeps, Beneath her Palm here fad Judea weeps. Now fcantier limits the proud Arch confine, And scarce are seen the proftrate Nile or Rhine; A fmall Euphrates through the piece is roll'd, And little Eagles wave their wings in gold. The Medal, faithful to its charge of fame, Through climes and ages bears each form and name : In one fhort view fubjected to our eye 30 Gods, Emperors, Heroes, Sages, Beauties, lie. 35 Th' infcription value, but the rust adore. VOL. II. L To To gain Pefcennius one employs his Schemes, Poor Vadius, long with learned spleen devour'd, 40 Can tafte no pleasure fince his Shield was fcour'd: Sighs for an Otho, and neglects his bride. Their's is the Vanity, the Learning thine: Oh, when shall Britain, confcious of her claim, How Plato's, Bacon's, Newton's looks agree; Then shall thy Craggs (and let me call him mine) With aspect open shall erect his head, And round the orb in lafting notes be read, 45 50 55 60 65 "Who "Who broke no promise, served no private end, "Who gain'd no title, and who loft no friend; "Ennobled by himself, by all approv'd, "And prais'd, unenvy'd, by the Mufe he lov'd." 70 EPISTLE TO DR. ARBUTHNOT, BEING THE PROLOGUE то тНЕ SATIRES. ADVERTISEMENT то The firft Publication of this Epistle. HIS paper is a fort of bill of complaint, begun, THI many years fince, and drawn up by fnatches, as the feveral occafions offered. I had no thoughts of publishing it, till it pleased some perfons of Rank and Fortune [the Authors of Verses to the Imitator of Horace, and of an Epistle to a Doctor of Divinity from a Nobleman at Hampton-Court] to attack, in a very extraordinary manner, not only my Writings (of which, being public, the Publick is judge) but my Perfon, Morals, and Family, whereof, to those who know me not, a truer information may be requifite. Being divided between the neceffity to fay fomething of myself, and my own laziness to undertake fo aukward a task, I thought it the fhortest way to put laft hand to this Epiftle. If it have any thing pleafing, the it will be that by which I am most defirous to please, the Truth and the Sentiment; and if any thing offenfive, it will be only to those I am leaft forry to offend, the vicious or the ungenerous. Many will know their own pictures in it, there being not a circumstance but what is true: but I have, for the most part, spared their Names; and they may efcape being laughed at, if they please. I would have fome of them know, it was owing to the request of the learned and candid Friend to whom it is infcribed, that I make not as free Ufe of theirs as they have done of mine. However, I shall have this advantage, and honour, on my fide, that whereas, by their proceeding, any abuse may be directed at any man, no injury can poffibly be done by mine, fince a nameless Character can never be found out, but by its truth and likeness. P. CHUT, fhut the door, good John! fatigued I faid, Tye up the knocker, fay I'm fick, I'm dead. The Dog-star rages! nay, 'tis past a doubt, All Bedlam, or Parnaffus, is let out: Fire in each eye, and papers in each hand, 5 What walls can guard me, or what shades can hide? They pierce my thickets, through my Grot they glide, By land, by water, they renew the charge, They stop the chariot, and they board the barge. No place is facred, not the Church is free, Ev'n Sunday shines no Sabbath-day to me; L 3 Then |