A jolly god, that paffes hours too well 281 And wink at crimes he did himself commit. A tyrant their's; the heaven their priesthood paints A conventicle of gloomy fullen faints ; A heaven like Bedlam, flovenly and fad ; 285 Fore-doom'd for fouls, with falfe religion mad. Without a vision poets can forefhow 289 What all but fools by common fense may know: Ver. 293. 295 thy decrepid age.] This appearance of Shaftesbury, who however was now little more than fixty, is alfo defcribed in " Tony's Lamentation," published about the fame time as "The Medal" was. "Alas! poor unfortunate Tony, "Where now must thou hide thy old head? "That has not fo much as one crony "Dares own the great things thou hast said. Ungrateful, unfenfible cullies, TODD. Shall burst its bag; and fighting out their way, But short shall be his reign: his rigid yoke And tyrant power will puny fects provoke ; And frogs and toads, and all the tadpole train, Will croak to heaven for help, from this devouring crane. 305 The cut-throat fword and clamorous gown shall jar, In fharing their ill-gotten fpoils of war: Chiefs fhall be grudg'd the part which they pretend; Lords envy lords, and friends with every friend About their impious merit fhall contend. 310. The furly commons fhall respect deny, And juftle peerage out with property. Their general either shall his truft betray, And force the crowd to arbitrary fway; Or they, fufpecting his ambitious aim, In hate of kings fhall caft anew the frame; And thruft out Collatine that bore their name. Thus inborn broils the factions would en gage,. 315 Or wars of exil❜d heirs, or foreign rage, And our wild labours wearied into rest, Reclin❜d us on a rightful monarch's breast. Pudet hæc opprobria, vobis Et dici potuiffe, & non potuiffe refelli. |