Oderunt hilarem triftes, triftemque jocofi,
Sedatum celeres, agilem gnavumque remiffi.
HE_art of converse, how to footh the foul
Of haughty man, his paffions to controul,
His pride at once to humble and to please,
And join the dignity of life with ease,
Be now my theme. O thou, whom Nature's hand
Fram'd for this beft, this delicate command,
And taught, when lifping without reason's aid,
At the fame time to speak and to perfuade,
WYNDHAM, with diligence awhile attend,
Nor fcorn th' instructions of an older friend ;
Who when the world's great commerce shall have join'd The deep reflection, and the strength of mind,
To the bright talents of thy youthful state,
In turn fhall on thy better leffons wait.
Whence comes it, that in every art we fee
Many can rife to a fupreme degree;
Yet in this art, for which all feem defign'd
By nature, fcarcely one compleat we find ?
You'll fay, perhaps, we think, we fpeak, we move,
By the ftrong springs alone of selfish love:
Yet among all the fpecies, is there one,
Whom with more caution than ourselves, we fhun?
What is it fills a puppet-show or court?
Go none but for the profit of the sport ?
If fo, why comes each foul fatigu'd away,
And curfes the dull puppets fame dull play
Yet, unconvinc'd, is tempted ftill to go?
"Tis that we find at home our greatest foe,
And reafon good why folitude we flee;
Can wants with felf-fufficiency agree?
Yet, fuch our inconfiftency of mind,
We court fociety, and hate mankind.
With fome we quarrel, for they're too fincere:
With others, for they're close, referv'd and queer:
This is too learn'd, too prudent, or too wife;
And that we for his ignorance despise:
A voice perhaps our ear shall harshly strike,
Then ftrait ev'n wit itself shall raise dislike;
Our eye may by fome feature be annoy'd,
Behold at once a character destroy'd :
One's fo good-natur'd, he's beyond all bearing,
He'll ridicule no friend, though out of hearing :
Another warm'd with zeal, offends our eyes,
Because he holds the mirror up to vice.
No wonder then, fince fancies wild as these
Can move our spleen, that real faults displease.
When Mævius, fpite of dullness, will be bright,
And teach ARGYLL to speak, and SWIFT to write ;
When Flavia entertains us with her dreams,
And Macer with his no lefs airy schemes;
When peevishness, and jealousy and pride,
And int'reft that can brother hearts divide,
In their imagin'd forms our eyefight hit,
Of an old maid, a poet, peer or cit;
Can then, you'll fay, philofophy refrain,
And check the torrent of each boiling vein ?
Yes. She can ftill do more; view paffion's flave
With mind ferene, indulge him, and yet fave.
But felf-conceit fteps in, and with strict eye
Scans every man, and every man awry ;
That reigning paffion, which through every stage
Of life, ftill haunts us with unceafing rage.
No quality fo mean, but what can raise
Some drudging driveling candidate for praise ;
Ev'n in the wretch, who wretches can despise,
Still felf-conceit will find a time to rife.
Quintus falutes you with forbidding face,
And thinks he carries his excuse in lace :
You afk, why Clodius bullies all he can ?
Clodius will tell you, he's a gentleman :
Myrtilla ftruts and shudders half the year,
With a round cap, that shews a fine-turn'd ear :
The lowest jeft makes Delia laugh to death;
Yet fhe's no fool, she has only handsome teeth.
Ventofo lolls, and fcorns all human kind
From the gilt coach with four lac'd slaves behind ;
Does all this pomp and state proceed from merit?
Mean thought! he deems it nobler to inherit :
While Fopling from fome title draws his pride,
Meanless, or infamous, or misapply'd ;
Free-mafon, rake, or wit, 'tis just the same,
The charm is hence, he has gain'd himself a name.
Yet, spite of all the fools that pride has made,
'Tis not on man an useless burthen laid;
Pride has ennobled fome, and fome difgrac'd;
It hurts not in itself, but as 'tis plac'd ;
When right, its view knows none but virtue's bound;
When wrong,
it fcarcely looks one inch around,
Mark! with what care the fair one's critic eye
Scans o'er her dress, nor lets a fault flip by;
Each rebel hair must be reduc❜d to place
With tedious skill, and tortur'd into grace ;
Betty muft o'er and o'er the pins dispose,
"Till into modifh folds the drapery flows,
And the whole frame is fitted to exprefs
The charms of decency and nakedness.
Why all this art, this labour'd ornament ?
To captivate, you'll cry, no doubt, 'tis meant.
True. But let's wait upon this fair machine
From the lone closet to the social scene;
There view her loud, affected, fcornful, four,
Paining all others, and herself still more.
What means fhe, at one inftant to disgrace,
The labour of ten hours, her much-lov'd face ?
Why, 'tis the felf-fame paffion gratify'd;
The work is ruin'd, that was rais'd by pride.
Yet of all tempers, it requires least pain.
Could we but rule ourselves, to rule the vain.
The prudent is by reafon only fway'd,
With him each sentence and each word is weigh'd;
The gay and giddy can alone be caught
By the quick luftre of a happy thought;
The mifer hates, unless he fteals your pelf;
The prodigal, unless you rob yourself;
The lewd will fhun you, if your wife prove
The jealous, if a fmile on his be caft;
The fteady or the whimfical will blame,
Either, because you're not, or are the fame ;
The peevish, fullen, fhrewd, luxurious, rash,
Will with your virtue, peace, or intereft, clash;
But mark the proud man's price, how very low!
'Tis but a civil speech, a smile, or bow.
Ye who push'd on by noble ardour, aim
In focial life to gain immortal fame,
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