Unlucky, as Fungofa in the play, These sparks with awkward vanity display As apes our grandfires in their doublets dreft. In words, as fashions, the fame rule will hold ; Be not the first by whom the new are try'd Nor yet the laft to lay the old afide. But most by numbers judge a poet's fong; 330 335 And smooth or rough, with them, is right or wrong: Who haunt Parnaffus but to please their ear, And ten low words oft creep in one dull linė : 340 345 Where'er you find " the cooling western breeze," 350 In the next line it "whispers through the trees:" Li crystal streams" with pleasing murmurs creep," The reader's threaten'd (not in vain) with "sleep With fome unmeaning thing they call a thought, 355 A needless VARIATION. Ver. 338. Ed. 1. And smooth or rough, with fuch, &c., A needlefs Alexandrine ends the fong, That, like a wounded snake, drags its flow length along. 360 Where Denham's strength and Waller's sweetness join, True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, As thofe move easiest who have learn'd to dance. "Tis not enough no harshness gives offence, The found must seem an Echo to the sense: 365 The hoarse, rough verse should like the torrent roar. Flies o'er th' unbending corn, and skims along the main, And bid alternate paffions fall and rife! While, at each change, the son of Libyan Jove VARIATIONS. Ver. 353, 364. Thefe lines are added. 375 380 Avoid Avoid extremes; and fhun the fault of fuch, Who still are pleas'd too little or too much. trifle fcorn to take offence, At every 385 390 For fools admire, but men of sense approve : As things feem large which we through mists descry, Some foreign writers, fome our own despise; 395 4.00 405 But blame the false, and value ftill the true. Some ne'er advance a judgment of their own, But catch the spreading notion of the town; They reason and conclude by precedent, 410 And own stale, nonsense which they ne'er invent. Some VARIATION. Ver. 394. Ed. 1. Some the French writers, &c. Some judge of authors names, not works, and then How the wit brightens! how the style refines! 415 420 The vulgar thus through imitation err; As oft the Learn'd by being fingular; 425 So much they scorn the crowd, that if the throng By chance go right, they purposely go wrong: So Schifmatics the plain believers quit, And are but damn'd for having too much wit. Some praise at morning what they blame at night; 430 But always think the last opinion right. A Mufe by these is like a mistress us'd, This hour the 's idoliz'd, the next abus'd; 'Twixt sense and nonfenfe daily change their fide. 435 Ver. VARIATIONS. r. 413. Ed. 1. Nor praise nor damn, &c. Ver. 428. So Schifmatics the dull, &c. We We think our fathers fools; fo wife we grow; 440 Scotifts and Thomifts, now in peace remain, Amidft their kindred cobwebs in Duck-lane. 445 If Faith itself has different dreffes worn, What wonder modes in Wit fhould take their turn? Oft', leaving what is natural and fit, The current folly proves the ready wit; 450 Which lives as long as fools are pleas'd to laugh. When we but praise ourselves in other men. 455 Parties in Wit attend on thofe of State, And public faction doubles private hate. VARIATION. Ver. 447. Between this and yer. 448 Pride, The rhyming Clowns that gladded Shakespeare's age, No more with crambo entertain the stage. Who now in Anagrams their Patron praife, Or fing their Mistress in Acroftic lays; |