Say, mighty Cunning, which deferves the Prize,
The Courtier's Promifes or Trader's Lies?
Some fhort-liv'd Profit, all the Pains rewards
Of Bankrupt Dealers, and of perjur'd Lords.

Honeft alike, you own, but wifer far,
The Knave upon the Bench thau at the Bar:
Where lies the Diff'rence? only in Degree,
And higher Rank is greater Infamy.

Poor Rogues in Chains but dangle to the Wind,
Whilft rich ones live the Terror of Mankind*.

Pomp, Pow'r, and Riches, all mere Trifles are,
When purchas'd by the Lofs of Charactert:
Chance may the Wife betray, the Brave defeat,
But they correct, or are above their Fate.
Credit once loft can never be retriev'd,

How few will truft the Man who once deceiv'd?
Craft, like the Mole, works only under Ground,
Is loft in Daylight, and deftroy'd when found.

Notions

the fources of envy, than the fprings of true happiness : therefore not to be coveted by a wife man; the poft of honour is truly a private ftation.

+ Mankind in general don't think fo it is plain, by the unwarrantable means too often made ufe of to obtain them.

*This truth (however melancholy) daily obferuation $30 frequently confirms.

Notions miftaken, Reaf'nings ill apply'd,
And Sophifins that conclude on either Side;
Alike th' Unwary, and the Weak mislead,
Who judge of Men and Things, as they fucceed*.
Did Rivals fall by Borgia's vile Deceit,
A + Machiavel will call a Borgia great ;
The lucky Cheat proclaims the Villain wife,
And Fraud and Murder are but Policies.
The fame Despair which made good Cato die,
To Cafar gave his last great Victory.
Had Right decided, and not Fate, the Caufe,
Rome had preferv'd her Cato, and her Laws.
Fortune fets off the Bad, as tawdry Drefs,
Shews but the more the Wearer's Homelinefs.
So mad Caligula's | vain Triumph tells,
That all his Conquefts are but Cockle Shells.

Succefs may attend the bafeft undertakings, therefore is not to be efteem'd as a proof of the goodnefs of any caufe

whatever.

The Vitelli and Orfini who were bafely betray'd and murder'd by order of the Duke of Valentinois.

Il Princip. Cap. vii.

Caligula drew up his army in battle array on the fea coaft, and then order'd them to gather fhells; for which great exploit he return'd to Rome in triumph. See Sueto

nius.

True Merit fhines in native Splendor bright,
Whilft falfe but glares awhile, and hurts the Sight:
As Midnight Vapours caft a glimm'ring Blaze,
Aud to the Darknefs owe their feeble Rays.
The wife Egyptians when their Monarch dy'd,
By Truth's fure Standard all his Actions try❜d.
When no falfe Luftre, Wealth, or Pow'r

appears

To biafs Judgment by its Hopes and Fears;
Then conqu'ring Chiefs, profufe of Subje&s Blood,
And lazy Dotards, indolently good;

That truft their People to a Fav'rite's Care,

Whofe peaceful Rapines coft them more than War; By injur'd Thoufands, Wrongs are doom'd to be Perpetual Marks of Scorn and Infamy.

Fortune with Fools, and Wit with Knaves you find; 'Tis focial Virtue fhews the noble Mind.

Above low Wifdom, Cunning's mean Pretence,
There is no counterfeiting Excellence :

The artful Head may act the honeft Part,

But all true Honour rifes from the Heart*.

Which

See Diodorus Siculus in the First Book.

* The principles from which men alt, tho' often difficult to find out, are chiefly to be regarded ; a good altion may be perform'd on a bad principle; the hypocrite in religion well knows, and too often confirms the truth of

this remark.

Which ferv'd his Country beft, let Story flow,
A guilty Claudius, or good Cicero ?

Faults are in all; but here the Diff'rence lies,
Claudius had Vices, Tully Vanities.

Who loves Mankind by focial Duty taught,
Will never think their Good too dearly bought.
What tho' he facrifice the vain Defire

Of fome gay Baubles, which the World admire?
Defpifing Riches and abhorring Pow'r,

When blafted with the Name of Plunderer.
Still he may tafte Life's greatest Good, Content,
For who fo happy as the Innocent?

Jugurtha murder'd, brib'd and fought his Way,
From Subject Station to Imperial Sway;
But infecure 'midft all his guilty State,

The Man was wretched, tho' the Monarch great ;
Like Cromwell daring in the doubtful Fight,
But pale and trembling in the Dead of Night..

+ King of Numidia, famous for his wars with the Romans; remarkable for his bravery and his crimes.

Clarendon Hift. Rebell. Of Cromwell he fays, he was not eafy of accefs, nor fo much as feen abroad; and feem'd to be in fome diforder when his eyes found any ftranger in the room, &c. he rarely lodg'd two nights in one chamber.

Paffion is lawless, headftrong Youth is mad,
But Nature varies not in Good nor Bad.

From the fame Caufes fame Effects must flow,
Truth is but what it was an Age ago;

Modes may be chang'd, but Truths are stubborn Things,
They court not Fav'rites nor will flatter Kings].

Rome had her Cafar, and our Cromwell we,
Alike in Fortune, Pow'r and Infamy;

And fhould new Cefars and new Cromwells rife,
They could but act the fame duil Tragedies :
Foes to Mankind, themfelves, and Virtue's Rules,
Whilf living, Heroes, and when dead but Fools.

Fools, not to know the Glory they purfue,
To honeft Bravery alone, is due:
Not he who fretches his unjuft Command,
And rudely triumphs o'er his native Land;
But he whofe Valour faves a finking State,
In future Annals fhall be call'd the Great.

View well this World, and own the dear-bought Truth, That Happiness is but the Dream of Youth:

State

Omnia vincit veritas, is a proverb founded upon tong experience, and cannot be controverted, however fome may wish to bute it. Error may deceive but truth cannot ; well then might Pilate afk the queftion, what is truth?