140 Dwell in a Monk, or light upon a King, 150 Our Youth, all liv'ry'd o'er with foreign Gold, 155 Hear her black Trumpet thro' the Land proclaim, See, all our Nobles begging to be Slaves! 165 So that the fenfe of the text is this, "It is all one to Virtue on "whom her influence falls, whether on high or low, because it "ftill produces the fame effect, their content; and it is all one "to me, because it ftill produces the fame effect, my love." VER. 165. The Wit of Cheats, the Courage of a Whore,-Are what ten thousands envy and adore :] And no wonder; for the Wit of Cheats being the evafion of Justice, and the Courage of a Whore the contempt for reputation; these emancipate men from the two tyrannical restraints upon free spirits, fear of punishment, and dread of fhame. All, all look up, with reverential Awe, At crimes that 'scape, or triumph o'er the Law: While Truth, Worth, Wifdom, daily they decry"Nothing is facred now but Villainy." Yet may this Verse (if such a Verse remain) Show there was one who held it in cifdain. 170 EPILOGUE TO THE SATIRE FR. "TI Is all a Libel-Paxton (Sir) will fay. And for that very cause I print to-day.. F. Yet none but you by name the guilty lash`; 5 P. How, Sir! not damn the Sharper, but the Dice? VER. 1. Paxton] Late Solicitor to the Treasury. VER. 11. Ev'n Guthry] The Ordinary of Newgate, who publifhes the Memoirs of the Malefactors, and is often prevailed upon to be fo tender of their reputation, as to fet down no more than the initials of their name. VER. 13. How, Sir! not damn the Sharper, but the Dice ?] The liveliness of the reply may excufe the bad reasoning; otherwife the dice, though they rhyme to vice, can never ftand for it, which his argument requires they should do. For the dice are only the inftruments of fraud; but the question is not, whether the inftrument, but whether the aft committed by it, fhould be expofed, instead of the perfon Come on then, Satire! gen'ral, unconfin'd, Ye Tradesmen, vile, in Army, Court, or Hall! Ye Rev'rend Atheists. F. Scandal! name them, Who? 20 P. Why that's the thing you bid me not to do. Who ftarv'd a Sifter, who forfwore a Debt, I never nam'd; the Town's enquiring yet. The pois'ning Dame.-F. You mean-P. I don't.— F. You do. P. See, now I keep the Secret, and not you! The bribing Statefman-F. Hold, too high you go. P. The brib'd Elector-F. There you ftoop too low, P. I fain would please you, if I knew with what; 26 Tell me, which Knave is lawful Game, which not? Muft great Offenders, once efcap'd the Crown, Like Royal Harts, be never more run down? Admit your Law to fpare the Knight requires, As Beafts of Nature may we hunt the Squires? Suppofe I cenfure - you know what I meanTo fave a Bishop, may I name a Dean? F. A Dean, Sir? no; his Fortune is not made, You hurt a man that's rifing in the Trade. 30 35 P. If not the Tradefman who fet up to day, Much lefs the 'Prentice who to-morrow may. Down, down, proud Satire! tho' a Realm be spoil'd, Arraign no mightier Thief than wretched Wild; Or, if a Court or Country's made à job, Go drench a Pickpocket, and join the Mob. 40 VER. 29. Like Royal Harts, etc.] Alluding to the old Gamelaws, when our Kings spent all the time they could fpare from human flaughter, in Woods and Forefts. VER. 35. You hurt a man that's rifing in the Trade,] For as the. reasonable De la Bruyere obferves, " Qui ne fait être un ERASME, <doit penser à être Evêque." VER. 39. wretched Wild;] Jonathan Wild, a famous Thief, and Thief Impeacher, who was at laft caught in his own train and hanged. But, Sir, I beg you (for the Love of Vice!) The matter's weighty, pray confider twice; Have you lefs pity for the needy Cheat, The poor and friendlefs Villain, than the Great? 45 Scarce hurts the Lawyer, but undoes the Scribe. To tax Directors, who (thank God) have Plums; May pinch ev'n there-why lay it on a King. 50 P. Muft Satire, then, nor rife nor fall? Speak out, and bid me blame no Rogues at all. F. Yes, ftrike that Wild, I'll justify the blow. P. Strike? why the man was hang'd ten years ago: Who now that obfolete Example fears? Ev'n Peter trembles only for his Ears. 56 F. What always Peter? Peter thinks you mad, You make men defp'rate, if they once are bad: Else might he take to Virtue fome years hence- 60 P. As S-k, if he lives, will love the PRINCE. F. Strange spleen to S-k! P. Do I wrong the Man ? God knows, I praise a Courtier where I can. When I confefs, there is who feels for Fame, And melts to Goodness, need I SCARB'ROW name? 65 VER. 42. for the love of Vice!] We must confider the Poet as here directing his difcourfe to a follower of the new system of Politics, That private vices are public benefits. SCRIBL. VER. 51. why lay it on a King.] He is ferious in the foregoing fubjects of fatire; but ironical here, and only alludes to the common practices of Minifters, in laying their own mifcarriages on their matters. VER. 57. Ev'n Peter trembles only for his Ears.] Peter had, the year before this, narrowly escaped the Pillory, for forgery; and got off with a fevere rebuke only from the bench. VER. 65. Scarb'row] Earl of, and Knight of the Garter, whose perfonal attachments to the King appeared from his steady adherence |