IMITATED. TO L. BOLINGBROKE. ST. JOHN, whose love indulg'd my labours past, Matures my present, and shall bound my last! Why will you break the sabbath of my days? Now sick alike of envy and of praise. Public too long, ah! let me hide my age; See modest Cibber now has left the stage, Our generals now, retir'd to their estates, Hang their old trophies o'er the garden gates; In life's cool ev'ning satiate of applause, 5 10 Nor fond of bleeding ev'n in Brunswick's cause. A voice there is, that whispers in my ear, ('Tis Reason's voice, which sometimes one can hear, "Friend Pope! be prudent; let your Muse take "And never gallop Pegasus to death. "Lest stiff and stately, void of fire or force, [breath, 15 "You limp, like Blackmore, on a Lord Mayor's horse' Farewell then verse, and love, and ev'ry toy, The rhymes and rattles of the man or boy; What right, what true, what fit we justly call, To lay this harvest up, and hoard with haste Sworn to no master, of no sect am I : As drives the storm, at any door I knock, 20 25 And house with Montaigne now, or now with Locke. Mix with the world, and battle for the state; Long as to him who works for debt the day, 30 30 35 35 40 45 50 Which done, the poorest can no wants endure; 55 Between the fits, this fever of the soul; Know there are rhymes which, fresh and fresh apply'd, Will cure the arrant'st puppy of his pride. 60 Be furious, envious, slothful, mad, or drunk, A Switz, a High-Dutch or a low-Dutch bear; 'Tis the first virtue vices to abhor, 65 And the first wisdom to be fool no more: But to the world no bugbear is so great As want of figure and a small estate. To either India see the merchant fly, 70 See him with pains of body, pangs of soul, 75 80 85 Barnard in spirit, sense, and truth, abounds; "Pray then what wants he?" Fourscore thousand A pension, or such harness for a slave [pounds; As Bug now has, and Dorimont would have. 90 95 100 And say, to which shall our applause belong, This new court-jargon, or the good old song? The modern language of corrupted peers, Ör what was spoke at Cressy or Poitiers? Who counsels best? who whispers, "Be but great, "With praise or infamy leave that to Fate; "Get place and wealth, if possible with grace; "If not, by any means get wealth and place." For what? to have a box where eunuchs sing, And foremost in the circle eye a king. Or he who bids thee face with steady view If such a doctrine, in St. James's air, 105 } 110 Should chance to make the well-dress'd rabble stare; If honest S**z take scandal at a spark That less admires the Palace than the Park; "I cannot like, dread Sir! your royal cave; "Because I see, by all the tracts about, "Full many a beast goes in, but none comes out." Adieu to Virtue if you're once a slave: Send her to court, you send her to her grave. Well, if a king's a lion, at the least The people are a many-headed beast: 115 120 |