There are, my Friend! whose philosophic eyes
Look through and trust the Ruler with his skies,
To him commit the hour, the day, the year,
And view this dreadful All without a fear.
Admire we then what d Earth's low entrails hold,
Arabian shores, or Indian seas infold;
All the mad trade of Fools and Slaves for Gold?
Or f Popularity? or Stars and Strings ?
The Mob's applauses, or the gifts of Kings?
Say with what s eyes we ought at Courts to gaze,
And pay the Great our homage of Amaze?
If weak the h pleasure that from these can spring,
The fear to want them is as weak a thing:
Whether we dread, or whether we defire,
In either cafe, believe me, we admire;
Whether we i joy or grieve, the fame the curse,
Surpriz'd at better, or furpriz'd at worse.
Thus good or bad, to one extreme betray
Th' unbalanc'd Mind, and snatch the Man away; 25
Tempora momentis, funt quic formidine nulla
Imbuti spectent. d quid censes, munera terrae?
Quid, maris extremos Arabase ditantis et Indos ?
Ludicra, quid, f plaufus, et amici dona Quiritis ?
Quo spectanda modo, & quo sensu credis et ore?
h Qui timet his adversa, fere miratur eodem Quo cupiens pacto: pavor est utrobique molestus : Improvisa simul species exterret utrumque :
i Gaudeat, an doleat; cupiat metuatne; quid ad rem,
Fork Virtue's self may too much zeal be had;
The worst of Madmen is a Saint run mad.
1 Go then, and if you can, admire the state
Of beaming diamonds, and reflected plate;
Procure a Taste to double the furprize,
And gaze on m Parian Charms with learned eyes:
Be struck with bright Brocade, or Tyrian Dye,
Our Birthday Nobles' splendid Livery.
If not so pleas'd, at Council-board rejoice,
To fee their Judgments hang upon thy Voice;
From p morn to night, at Senate, Rolls, and Hall,
Plead much, read more, dine late, or not at all.
But wherefore all this labour, all this strife?
For Fame, for Riches, for a noble Wife ?
Shall One whom Nature, Learning, Birth conspir'd 40
To form, not to admire, but be admir'd,
Sigh, while his Chloe blind to Wit and Worth
Weds the rich Dulness of fome Son of earth?
Si, quidquid vidit melius pejusve fua fpe,
Defixis oculis animoque et corpore torpet?
* Infani sapiens nomen ferat, aequus iniqui;
Ultra quam fatis est, virtutem si petat ipsam.
II nunc, argentum et marmor in vetus, aeraque et artes
Sufpice: cum gemmis n Tyrios mirare colores :
Gaude, quod spectant oculi te o mille loquentem :
Gnavus p mane forum, et vefpertinus pete tectum;
Ne plus frumenti dotalibus emetat agris
Mutus et (indignum; quod fit pejoribus ortus)
Hic tibi fit potius, quam tu mirabilis illi.
Yets time ennobles, or degrades each Line;
It brighten'd Craggs's, and may darken thine:
And what is Fame? the Meanest have their day,
The Greatest can but blaze, and pass away.
Grac'd as thou art, with all the Power of Words,
So known, fo honour'd, at the house of Lords:
Confpicuous Scene! another yet is nigh,
(More filent far) where Kings and Poets lie;
u Where Murray (long enough his Country's pride)
Shall be no more than Tully, or than Hyde!
Rack'd with Sciatics, martyr'd with the Stone,
Will any mortal let himself alone?
See Ward by batter'd Beaux invited over,
And defperate Misery lays hold on Dover.
The cafe is easier in the Mind's disease;
There all Men may be cur'd, whene'er they please.
Would ye be x blest? despise low Joys, low Gains;
Disdain whatever Cornbury disdains;
Be virtuous, and be happy for your pains.
• Quicquid fub terra est, in apricum proferet aetas;
Defodiet condetque nitentia. t cum bene notum
Porticus Agrippae, et via te confpexerit Appî;
Ire tamen restat, Numau quo devenit et Ancus.
w Si latus aut renes morbo tentantur acuto,
Quare fugam morbi. x vis recte vivere ? quis non ?
Si virtus hoc una potest dare, fortis omiflis
Hoc age deliciis.
y But art thou one, whom new opinions sway,
One who believes as Tindal leads the way,
Who Virtue and a Church alike disowns,
Thinks that but words, and this but brick and stones?
Fly then, on all the wings of wild defire,
Admire whate'er the maddest can admire:
Is wealth thy passion? Hence! from Pole to Pole,
Where winds can carry, or where waves can roll, 70
For Indian spices, for Peruvian Gold,
Prevent the greedy, or outbid the bold :
a Advance thy golden Mountain to the skies;
On the broad base of fifty thousand rife,
Add one round hundred, and (if that's not fair)
Add fifty more, and bring it to a square.
For, mark th' advantage; just so many score
Will gain a b Wife with half as many more,
Procure her beauty, make that beauty chaste,
And then fuch Friends-as cannot fail to last.
Ad Man of wealth is dubb'd a Man of worth,
Venus shall give him Form, and Anstis Birth.
▼ virtutem verba putes, et
Lucum ligna? z cave ne portus occupet alter;
Ne Cibyratica, ne Bithyna negotia perdas:
a Mille talenta rotundentur, totidem altera, porro et
Tertia fuccedant, et quae pars quadret acervum.
Scilicet uxorem cum dote, fidemque, etc amicos,
Et genus, et formam, regina d Pecunia donat;
Ac bene nummatum decorat Suadela, Venusque.
(Believe me, many a e German Prince is worse,
Who, proud of Pedigree, is poor of Purse)
His Wealth brave f Timon gloriously confounds;
Afk'd for a groat, he gives a hundred pounds;
Or if three Ladies like a luckless Play,
Take the whole House upon the Poet's day.
& Now, in fuch exigencies not to need, Upon my word, you must be rich indeed;
A noble fuperfluity it craves,
Not for yourself, but for your Fools and Knaves; Something, which for your Honour they may cheat, And which it much becomes you to forget.
If Wealth alone then make and keep us blest, Still, still be getting, never, never rest.
i But if to Power and Place your paffion lie, If in the Pomp of Life confift the joy;
Mancipiis locuples, eget aeris e Capadocum Rex :
Ne fueris hic tu. f chlamydes Lucullus, ut aiunt,
Si poffet centum scenae praebere rogatus,
Quî possum tot? ait: tamen et quaeram, et quot
Mittam: post paulo scribit, sibi millia quinque
Esse domi chlamydum: partem, vel tolleret omnes.
g Exilis domus est, ubi non et multa fuperfunt,
Et dominum fallunt, et profunt furibus. hergo,
Si res sola potest facere et servare beatum,
Hoc primus repetas opus, hoc poftremus omittas.
i Si fortunatum species et gratia praeftat,
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