There dwelt a Citizen of fober Fame, Conftant at Church, and Change; his Gains were And tempts by making rich, not making poor. Rouz'd by the Prince of Air, the Whirlwinds The Surge, and plunge his Father in the Deep; [fweep Then full against his Cornish Lands they roar, And two rich Ship-wrecks bless the lucky Shore. Sir Balaam now, he lives like other Folks, He takes his chirping Pint, he cracks his Jokes: "Live like Yourself," was foon my Lady's Word; And lo! two Puddings fmoak'd upon the Board. Afleep and naked as an Indian lay, An honeft Factor ftole a Gem away: He pledg'd it to the Knight; the Knight had Wit, The Tempter faw his Time; the Work he ply'd; Sinks to affent to; but if it was not fet on Fire by Papifts, it is not doubted but it was done on fet Purpose, and that there was a fecret Hand of Power at the Bottom, Sinks deep within him, and poffeffes Whole, Behold Sir Balaam, now a Man of Spirit, There (fo the Bev'l ordain'd)-one Christmas Tide Who drinks, whores, fights, and in a Duel dies: In Britain's Senate he a Seat obtains, And the Poet goes on upon the fame Subject to the Earl of Burlington, a Nobleman-worthy the greatest Praise, of a diftinguish'd and true Tafte, and a very great Friend to Mr. Pope and his Writings, and indeed It has been much Matter of Wonder to us, confidering the great Love and Esteem there was between them, that we do not find the Earl of Burlington's Name in Mr. Pope's Will, we do not mean otherwife than that it might have been expected, that out of Mr. Pope's Collection of Books, and other Curiofities, fomething might have been found, which might have remain'd with my Lord, as a Memorial of the long Friendfhp between them-This Epiftle, of which we are now about to speak, is a Corollary to the preceeding. As that treated of the Extremes of Avarice and Profufion, this takes up one Branch of the latter, the Vanity of Expence in People of Quality or Fortune, and the Poet admires that Mifers fhould be fo anxious to heap up Riches, which they never can have Enjoyment of, and Prodigals fpend fo much Money, in what they have no Tafe of; he ridicules feveral patch'd Buildings, and Buildings of ill Tafte, to tafte Architecture he fays, Senfe fhould be previous, of which the chief Proof is to follow Nature, and adapt all to the Nature and Ufe of the Place, the Beauties not forced into it, but refulting from it. After this, Mr. Pope goes on with a Description, intended to comprize the Principles of a falfe Tafte of Magnificence, and to exemplify what was faid before, that nothing but good Senfe can attain it; the firft wrong Principle is to think that true Greatness confifts in Size and Dimenfion, whereas, let the Work be ever fo vaft, unless the Parts cohere in one Harmony, it will be but a great many Littlenefles put together, there must be no Difproportion, nor the Ends and Bounds muft not be seen at once, which, however large, will diminish both the Grandeur and the Surprize. Mr. Pope fays thus: At Timon's Villa let us pass a Day, Where all cry out, "what Sums are thrown away! |