My Liege! why Writers little claim your thought, I guefs; and, with their leave, will tell the fault: We Poets are (upon a Poet's word)

Of all mankind, the creatures most abfurd:
The feafon, when to come, and when to go,
To fing, or ceafe to fing, we never know;
And if we will recite nine hours in ten,
You lose your patience just like other men.
Then too we hurt ourselves when to defend
At fingle verfe, we quarrel with a friend ;-
Repeat unafk'd; lament, the w Wit's too fine
For vulgar eyes, and point out ev'ry line.
But most, when training with too weak a wing,
We needs will write Epiftles to the King;
And from the moment we oblige the town,
Expect a place, or Penfion from the Crown ;-
Or dubb'd Hiftorians by exprefs command,
T'enroll your triumphs o'er the feas and land,
Be call'd to Court to plan fome work divine,
As once for Louis, Boileau and Racine.

360

365

379

375

Yet think, great Sir! (fo many Virtues shown) Ah think, what Poet beft may make them known

t

r Multa quidem nobis facimus mala faepe poetae, (Ut vineta egomet caedam mea) cum tibi librum s Solicito damus, aut feffo: cum laedimur, unum Si quis amicorum eft aufus reprendere verfum : Cum loca jam " recitata revolvimus irrevocati: Cum lamentamur non apparere labores Noftros, et tenui deducta poemata filo ;.

Cum fperamus eo rem venturam, ut, fimul atque Carmina refcieris nos fingere, commodis ultro

Arceffas, et egere vetes, et fcribere cogas.

Sed tamen eft operae pretium cognofcere, quales,

Or chufe at leaft fome Minister of Grace,
Fit to bestow the Laureat's weighty place.

a Charles, to late times to be tranfmitted fair, 380 Affign'd his figure to Bernini's care;

b

385

And great Naffau to Kneller's hand decreed
To fix him graceful on the bounding Steed;
So well in paint and ftone they judg'd of merit :
But Kings in Wit may want difcerning Spirit.
The Hero William, and the Martyr Charles,
One knighted Blackmore, and one penfion'd Quarles
Which made old Ben, and furly Dennis fwear,
"No Lord's anointed, but a Ruffian Bear."
Not with fuch majefty, fuch bold relief,
The Forms auguft, of King, or conqu❜ring Chief,

Aedituos habeat belli fpectata domique
Virtus, indigno non committenda poetae.

a Gratus Alexandro regi Magno fuit ille
Choerilus, incultis qui verfibus et male natis
Rettulit acceptos, regale numifma, Philippos.
Sed veluti tractata notam labemque remittunt
Atramenta, fere fcriptores carmine foedo
Splendida facta linunt. idem rex ille, poema
Qui tam ridiculum tam care prodigus emit,
Edicto vetuit, ne quis fe praeter Apellem
Pingeret, aut aliis Lyfippo duceret aera
Fortis Alexandri vultum fimulantia. quod fi
Judicium fubtile videndis artibus illud
Ad libros et ad haec Mufarum dona vocares;
Boeotum in craffo jurares aëre natum.
[At neque dedecorant tua de fe judicia, atque
Munera, quae multa dantis cum laude tulerunt,
Dilecti tibi Virgilius Variufque poetae ;].

d

Nec magis expreffi vultus per ahenea figna, Quam per vatis opus mores animique virorum

390

E'er fwell'd on marble; as in verfe have fhin'd (In polish'd verfe) the Manners and the Mind. Oh! could I mount on the Mæonian wing,

Youre Arms, your Actions, your Repofe to fing! 395 What f feas you travers'd, and what fields you fought ! Your Country's Peace, how oft, how dearly bought ! How barb'rous rage fubfided at your word,

And Nations wonder'd while they dropt the sword!
How, when you nodded, o'er the land and deep, 400
Peace ftole her wing, and wrapt the world in fleep
Till earth's extremes your mediation own,

Andi Afia's Tyrants tremble at your Throne-
But Verfe, alas! your Majefty difdains;
And I'm not us'd to Panegyric ftrains :

405

Clarorum apparent. nec fermones ego mallem Repentes per humum, quam res componere geftas, Terrarumque f fitus et flumina dicere, et arces Montibus impofitas, et 8 barbara regna, tuifque Aufpiciis totum confecta duella per orbem,

b

h

Clauftraque cuftodem pacis cohibentia Janum,
Eti formidatam Parthis, te principe, Romam :
Si quantum cuperem, poffem quoque. fed neque parvum
* Carmen majeftas recipit tua; nec meus audet
Rem tentare pudor, quam vires ferre recufent.

NOTE S.

VER. 405. And I'm not us'd to Panegyric ftrains :] Archbishop Tillotfon hath faid, "That fatire and invective were the eafieft kind "of wit, because almost any degree of it would serve to abuse and "find fault. For wit (fays he) is a keen inftrument, and every "one can cut and gafh with it. But to carve a beautiful image ❝ and polish it, requires great art and dexterity. To praise a thing "well, is an argument of much more wit than to abufe: a little "wit, and a great deal of ill-nature, will furnith a man for fa"tire, but the greatest inftance of wit is to commend well." Thus far this candid Prelate. And I, in my turn, might as well fay, that Satire was the most difficult, and Panegyric the most

1

The Zeal of Fools offends at any time,

But most of all, the Zeal of Fools in rhyme..
Befides, a fate attends on all I write,

That when I aim at praise, they say in I bite.

A vile Encomium doubly ridicules:

There's nothing blackens like the ink of fools.
If true, a woful likeness; and if lies,
"Praise undeferv'd is scandal in disguise :"
Well may he blush, who gives it, or receives;
And when I flatter, let my dirty leaves
(Like Journals, Odes, and fuch forgotten things
As Eufden, Phillips, Settle, writ of Kings)
Cloath fpice, line trunks, or flutt'ring in a row,
Befringe the rails of Bedlam and Soho.

410

415

Sedulitas autem ftulte, quem diligit, urget:
Praecipue cum fe numeris commendat et arte.
Difcit enim citius, meminitque libentius illud
Quod quis m deridet, quam quod probat et veneratur.
Nil moror officium, quod me gravat: ac neque fi
In pejus vultu proponi cereus ufquam,

Nec

n

prave factis decorari verfibus opto:
Ne P rubeam pingui donatus munere, et una
Cum fcriptore meo capfa porrectus aperta,
Deferar in vicum vendentem thus et odores,
Et piper, et quicquid chartis amicitur ineptis.

NOTE S.

eafy thing in nature; for that any barber-furgeon can curl and fhave, and give cofmetic washes for the fkin; but it requires the abilities of an Anatomift to diffect and lay open the whole interior of the human frame. But the truth is, thefe fimilitudes prove nothing, but the good fancy, or the ill judgment of the ufer. The one is just as eafy to do ill, and as difficult to do well as the other. In our Author's Efay on the Characters of Men, the Encomium on Lord Cobham, and the Satire on Lord Wharton, are the equal efforts of the fame great genius. There is one advantage indeed in Satire over Panegyric, which every body has taken notice of, that it is more readily received; but this does not fhew that it is more easily written.