340

Let me for once presume t'inftruct the times,
To know the Poet from the Man of rhymes:
'Tis he, who gives my breast a thousand pains,
Can make me feel each Paffion that he feigns;
Inrage, compofe, with more than magic Art,
With Pity, and with Terror, tear my heart;
And fnatch me, o'er the earth, or thro' the air,
To Thebes, to Athens, when he will, and where.
P But not this part of the Poetic state
Alone, deferves the favour of the Great:
Think of those Authors, Sir, who would rely
More on a Reader's fenfe, than Gazer's eye.
Or who fhall wander where the Muses fing?

345

350

Who climb their mountain, or who taste their spring? How fhall we fill a Library with Wit,

When Merlin's Cave is half unfurnish'd yet?

355

My Liege! why Writers little claim your thought,

I guess; and, with their leave, will tell the fault :
We Poets are (upon a Poet's word)

Of all mankind, the creatures moft abfurd:

S

The feafon, when to come, and when to go, 360 To fing, or cease to fing, we never know;

NOTES.

VER. 354. a Library] Munus Apolline dignum. The Palatine Library then building by Auguftus. P.

VER. 355. Merlin's Cave] A Building in the Royal Garden of Richmond, where is a fmall, but choice Collection of Books. P.

V

Cum loca jam recitata revolvimus irrevocati :

Cum TM lamentamur non apparere labores

Noftros, et tenui deducta poemata filo;

Cum * fperamus eo rem venturam, ut, fimul atque
Carmina refcieris nos fingere, commodus ultro
Arceffas, et egere vetes, et fcribere cogas.

Sed tamen eft operae precium cognofcere, quales
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 alius Lyfippo duceret aera

b

Fortis Alexandri vultum fimulantia. quod fi

Judicium fubtile videndis artibus illud

Ad libros et ad haec Mufarum dona vocares;
Boeotum in craffo jurares aere natum.

e

And if we will recite nine hours in ten,

You lofe your patience, just like other men.
Then too we hurt ourselves, when to defend

t

A fingle verfe, we quarrel with a friend;
Repeat unafk'd; lament, the Wit's too fine
For vulgar eyes, and point out ev'ry line.
But most, when straining 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 Historians by express 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.

365

370

375

Yet think, great Sir! (fo many Virtues fhown) Ah think, what Poet beft may make them known? Or chufe at least fome Minifter of Grace,

Z

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

And great ↳ Nassau 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 discerning Spirit. 385
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.

[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 signa, Quam per vatis opus mores animique virorum Clarorum apparent. nec fermones ego mallem Repentes per humum, quam res componere geftas, Terrarumque fitus et flumina dicere, et arces Montibus impofitas, et barbara regna, tuifque Aufpiciis totum confecta duella per orbem,

h

f

h

Clauftraque cuftodem pacis cohibentia Janum,

i

Et formidatam Parthis, te principe, Romam:

Si quantum cuperem, poffem quoque. fed neque par

vum

* Carmen majeftas recipit tua; nec meus audet Rem tentare pudor, quem vires ferre recufant.

NOTES.

VER. 405. And I'm not us'd to Panegyric ftrains ;] Archbishop Tilletfon hath said, "That fatire and invective were "the eafieft kind of wit, because almoft any degree of it "will ferve to abuse and find fault. For wit (fays he) is

a keen inftrument, and every one can cut and gash with "it. But to carve a beautiful image and polish it, requires great art and dexterity. To praife any thing "well, is an argument of much more wit than to abufe;

a little wit, and a great deal of ill-nature, will furnish a man for fatire, but the greatest instance 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 eafieft thing in nature; for

2

d

390

Not with fuch majefty, fuch bold relief,
The Forms auguft, of King, or conqu'ring Chief,
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,

Your Arms, your Actions, your Repose 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 dropp'd the fword!
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,

i

And Afia's Tyrants tremble at your Throne

k

But * Verfe, alas! your Majefty difdains;

And I'm not us'd to Panegyric ftrains:

NOTES.

405

that any barber-furgeon can curl and shave, and give cofmetic-washes for the fkin; but it requires the abilities of an Anatomist 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 easy to do ill, and as difficult to do well as the other. In our Author's Essay on the Characters of Men, the Encomium on Lord Cobham, and the fatire 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.