The Works of Alexander Pope: Satires, &c

d wh You gr

are

After

You

Beca

That

Come

Or li

VER. 1.

O Sacred Weapon left for Truths Defence
Sole Dread of Folly, Vice and Insolence,
To all but leaven directed Hands denied.
The Muse may give thee but the Gods must quide.

to the

from

ole Poe

allows in

EPILOGUE

TO THE

SA TIRES

Written in uDCCXXXVIII.

DIALOGUE I.

FR. OT twice a twelve-month you appear

in Print, And when it comes, the Court fee nothing in't. You

grow correct, that once with Rapture writ, And are, besides, too moral for a Wit.

VARIATIONS.
After ver. 2. in the MS.

You don't, I hope, pretend to quit the trade,
Because you think your reputation made :
Like good ** of whom so much was said,
That when his name was up, he lay, a-bed.
Come, come, refresh us with a livelier song,

Or like ** you'll lie a-bed too long. VER. I. Not twice a twelve-month, etc.] These two lines are from Horace; and the only lines that are fo in the whole Poem ; being meant to give a handle to that which follows in the character of an impertinent Censurer,

'Tis all from Horace; etc, P,

Decay of Parts, alas! we all must feel-
Why now, this moment, don't I fee you fteal!
"Tis all from Horace; Horace long before ye
Said, "Tories call'd him Whig, and Whigs a Tory;"
And taught his Romans, in much better metre,
"To laugh at Fools who put their truft in Peter.”

But Horace, Sir, was delicate, was nice ;
Bubo obferves, he lafh'd no fort of Vice:
Horace would fay, Sir Billy ferv'd the Crown,
Blunt could do Bus`nefs, H-ggins knew the Town;
In Sappho touch the Failings of the Sex,

In rev'rend Bishops note fome Small Neglects,
And own, the Spaniard did a waggish thing,
Who cropt our Ears, and fent them to the King.
His fly, polite, infinuating style

Could please at Court, and make AUGUSTUS fmile:

VARIATIONS.

P. Sir, what I write, should be correctly writ.
F. Correct! 'tis what no genius can admit.

Befides, you grow too moral for a Wit.

VER. 12. Bubo obferves,] Some guilty perfon very fond of making fuch an observation:

VER. R. 14. H--ggins] Formerly Jaylor of the Fleet prifon, enrich'd himself by many exactions, for which he was tried and expelled.

VER. 18. Who cropt our Ears,] Said to be executed by the Captain of a Spanish fhip on one Jenkins, a Captain of an English one. He cut off his ears, and bid him carry them to the King his master.

An artful Manager, that crept between

His Friend and Shame, and was a kind of Screen. But 'faith your very Friends will foon be fore: Patriots there are, who wish you'd jeft no moreAnd where's the Glory! 'twill be only thought 25 The Great man never offer'd you a groat,

Go fee Sir ROBERT

P. See Sir ROBERT!-hum

And never laugh-for all my life to come?
Seen him I have, but in his happier hour
Of Social Pleasure, ill-exchang'd for Pow'r;
Seen him, uncumber'd with the Venal tribe,
Smile without Art, and win without a Bribe.
Would he oblige me? let me only find,
He does not think me what he thinks mankind.

VER. 22: Screen.]

Omne vafer vitium ridenti Flaccus amico

Tangit, et admiffus circum præcordia ludit Perf. Ibid. Screen.] A metaphor peculiarly appropriated to a certain person in power.

VER. 24. Patriots there are, etc.] This appellation was generally given to those in oppofition to the Court. Though fome of them (which our author hints at) had views too mean and interested to deferve that name.

VER. 26. The Great man] A phrase, by common use, appropriated to the first minister.

VER. 31. Seen him, uncumber'd] These two verses were originally in the poem, though omitted in all the first editions.

VER. 34. what he thinks mankind.] This request seems somewhat abfurd: but not more so than the principle it refers to. That great Minifter, it feems, thought all mankind Rogues; and that every one had his price. It was ufually given as a

« Previous Continue »

Books