Weak are the ties that civil arts can find,
To quell the ferment of the tainted mind:
Cunning evades, fecurely wrapt in wiles;
And Force ftrong-finew'd rends th' unequal toils :
The ftream of vice impetuous drives along.
Too deep for policy, for pow'r too strong.
Ev'n fair Religion, native of the skies,
Scorn'd by the crowd, feeks refuge with the wife;
The crowd with laughter fpurns her aweful train,
And Mercy courts, and Juftice frowns in vain.
But SATIRE's shaft can pierce the harden'd breast:
She plays a ruling passion on the reft :
Undaunted mounts the battery of his pride,

And awes the Brave that earth and heav'n defy'd,
When fell Corruption, by her vaffals crown'd,
Derides fall'n Juftice proftrate on the ground;
Swift to redress an injur'd people's groan,
Bold SATIRE fhakes the tyrant on her throne;
Pow'rful as death, defies the fordid train,
And flaves and fycophants surround in vain.

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130

But with the friends of Vice, the foes of SATIRE,

All truth is fplecn; all juft reproof, ill-nature.

Well may they dread the Mufe's fatal skill;

Well may they tremble when the draws her quill:
Her magick quill, that like ITHURIEL's fpear
Reveals the cloven hoof, or lengthen'd ear:
Bids Vice and Folly take their natural shapes,
Turns ducheffes to ftrumpets, beaux to apes;

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Drags

Drags the vile whisperer from his dark abode,
Till all the dæmon ftarts up from the toad.

O fordid maxim, form'd to fcreen the vile,
That true good-nature ftill muft wear a smile!
In frowns array'd her beauties ftronger rife,
When love of virtue wakes her fcorn of vice:
Where juftice calls, 'tis cruelty to fave;
And 'tis the law's good-nature hangs the knave.
Who combats Virtue's foe is Virtue's friend;
Then judge of SATIRE'S merit by her end:
To guilt alone her vengeance ftands confin'd,
The object of her love is all mankind.

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Scarce more the friend of man, the wife muft own,

Ev'n ALLEN's bounteous hand, than SATIRE's frown:
This to chastise, as that to blefs, was giv'n;
Alike the faithful minifters of heav'n.

Oft' on unfeeling hearts the fhaft is spent :
Tho' ftrong th' example, weak the punishment.
They least are pain'd, who merit Satire moft;
Folly the Laureat's, Vice was Chartres' boast:
Then where's the wrong, to gibbet high the name
Of fools and knaves already dead to shame ?
Oft' SATIRE acts the faithful furgeon's part;
Generous and kind, tho' painful is her art:
With caution bold, fhe only ftrikes to heal,
Tho' folly raves to break the friendly steel.
Then fure no fault impartial SATIRE knows,
Kind, ev'n in vengeance kind, to Virtue's foes.

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160

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Whofe

Whofe is the crime, the fcandal too be theirs :
The knave and fool are their own libellers.

PART II.

ARE nobly then: but confcious of your truft,

As ever warm and bold, be ever just :

Nor court applause in these degenerate days :
The villain's cenfure is extorted praise.

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But chief, be fteady in a noble end, And fhew mankind that truth has yet a friend. "Tis mean for empty praise of wit to write,

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As foplings grin to show their teeth are white:

To brand a doubtful folly with a smile,

Or madly blaze unknown defects, is vile:
'Tis doubly vile, when but to prove your art,
You fix an arrow in a blameless heart.

O loft to honour's voice, O doom'd to shame,
Thou fiend accurs'd, thou murderer of fame!
Fell ravisher, from innocence to tear

That name, than liberty, than life more dear!
Where fhall thy baseness meet its just return,
Or what repay thy guilt, but endless fcorn!

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185

And know, immortal truth shall mock thy toil:

Immortal truth fhall bid the shaft recoil;

With rage retorted, wing the deadly dart;

And empty all its poifon in thy heart.

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With caution, next, the dang'rous power apply;

An eagle's talon afks an eagle's eye:

Let

Let SATIRE then her proper object know,
And ere she strike, be sure she strikes a foe.

Nor fondly deem the real fool confeft,
Because blind Ridicule conceives a jeft:
Before whofe altar Virtue oft' hath bled,
And oft' a destin'd victim shall be led :

Lo, Shaftfb'ry rears her high on Reafon's throne,
And loads the flave with honours not her own:

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Big

It were to be wished that lord Shaftsbury had expressed bimself with greater precision on this fubject: however, thus much be may affirmed with truth.

Ift, By the general tenor of his essays on Enthusiasm, and the freedom of wit and humour, it appears that his principal defign was to recommend the way of ridicule, (as he calls t) for the investigation of truth, and detection of falsehood, not only in moral but religious subjects.

2dly, It appears no less evident, that in the course of his reafonings on this question, he confounds two things which are in their nature and confequences entirely different. Thefe are ridicule and good-humour: the latter acknowledged by all to be the best mediator in every debate; the former no lefs regarded by most, as an embroiler and incendiary. Tho' he fets out with a formal profeffion of proving the efficacy of wit, humour, and ridicule, in the investigation of truth, yet by fhifting and mixing his terms, he generally flides infenfibly into mere encomiums on good breeding, chearfulness, urbanity, and free enquiry. This indeed keeps fomething like an argument on foot, and amufes the fuperficial reader; but to a more obfervant eye difcovers a very contemptible defect, either of fincerity or penetration.

The question concerning ridicule may be thus not improperly ftated, Whether doubtful propofitions of any kind can be determined by the application of ridicule ? Much might be

X 3

Said

Big-fwoln with folly, as her fmiles provoke,
Prophaneness spawns, pert dunces nurse the joke!
Come, let us join awhile this tittering crew,
And own the ideot guide for once is true;
Deride our weak forefathers' mufty rule,
Who therefore fmil'd, because they faw a fool;

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Sublimer

faid on this question; but a few words will make the matter clear to an unprejudiced mind.

The difapprobation or contempt which certain objects raise in the mind of man, is a particular mode of paffion. The objects of this paffion are apparent falsehood, incongruity, or impropriety of fome particular kinds. Thus, the object of fear is apparent danger: the object of anger is apparent injury. But who bath ever dreamt of exalting the paffions of fear and anger into a standard or teft of real danger and injury? The defign must have been rejected as abfurd, because it is the work of reafon only, to correct and fix the paffions on their proper objects. The cafe is parallel: apparent or feeming falsehoods, &c. are the objects of contempt; but it is the work of reafon only, to determine whether the fuppofed falfehood be real or fictitious. But it is said, "The fenfe of ridicule can never be mistaken." -Why, no more can the sense of danger, or the sense of injury. "What, do men never fear or refent without reafon ?". Yes, very commonly : but they as often despise and laugh without reafon. Thus before any thing can be determined in either cafe, reafon, and reason only, muft examine circumftances, Separate ideas, decide upon, reftrain, and correct the palion.

Hence it follows, that the way of ridicule, of late fo much celebrated, is in fact no more than a Species of eloquence; and that too the lowest of all others: o Tully justly calls it, tenuiffimus ingenii fructus. It applies to a paffion, and therefore can go no farther in the investigation of truth,

than