Now, in such exigencies not to need,

Upon my word, you must be rich indeed;
A noble superfluity it craves,

Not for yourself, but for your fools and knaves:
Something, which for your honour they may cheat,
And which it much becomes you to forget.

If wealth alone then make and keep us blessed,

Still, still be getting, never, never rest.

But if to power and place your passion lie,
If in the pomp of life consist the joy ;
Then hire a slave, or (if you will) a lord
To do the honours, and to give the word;
Tell at your levée, as the crowds approach,
To whom to nod, whom take into your coach,
Whom honour with your hand: to make remarks,
Who rules in Cornwall, or who rules in Berks:

when he is most moral and sublime. But had it been Mr. Pope's purpose to indulge so impertinent a curiosity, he had sought elsewhere for a commentator on his writings. WAR

BURTON.

Notwithstanding this remark of Dr. Warburton, I have taken some pains, though indeed in vain, to ascertain who these ladies were, and what the play they patronised. It was once said to be Young's "Busiris."-WARTON.

It is highly probable that the Duke of Wharton was the patron and Young the author meant, for it is known that Wharton was a munificent benefactor to Young, and he is said to have given him £2,000, and he certainly granted him two annuities, afterwards the subject of a Chancery suit, soon after "Busiris" was acted, so that the minor liberality imputed to him is extremely probable. It would then be doubtful whether the "luckless play" was "Busiris" or

It is said that Wharton gave Young £2,000 for "The Revenge," saying afterwards it was the best bargain he ever made. Whether or not Wharton was meant, it is not very likely that Pope, as some suppose, is here referring to the Duke of Chandos. The praise of " gloriously confounding his wealth, though true enough of Chandos, is scarcely complimentary, and seems intended to be ironical, and we may be sure that Pope would not have ventured a second stroke at the Duke. It is more probable that he meant to throw the public off the scent, by assigning to Timon a trait that was applicable to somebody else than Chandos.

"This may be troublesome, is near the chair:

That makes three members, this can choose a mayor."
Instructed thus, you bow, embrace, protest,
Adopt him son, or cousin at the least,

Then turn about, and laugh at your own jest.
Or if your life be one continued treat,
If to live well means nothing but to eat;
Up, up! cries Gluttony, 'tis break of day,1
Go drive the deer, and drag the finny prey;
With hounds and horns go hunt an appetite-
So Russel did, but could not eat at night,
Called, happy dog! the beggar at his door,
And envied thirst and hunger to the poor.
Or shall we every decency confound,
Through taverns, stews, and bagnios take our round,
Go dine with Chartres, in each vice outdo
K-l's lewd cargo,' or Ty―y's crew,*

So Dryden in Translation of
Persius, Sat. v. :

Up, up, says Avarice: thou snor'st again.
-WAKEFIELD.

2 There was a Lord Russel who, by living too luxuriously, had quite spoiled his constitution. He did not love sport, but used to go out with his dogs every day only to hunt for an appetite. If he felt anything of that he would cry out, "Oh ! I have found it!" turn short round and ride home again, though they were in the midst of the finest chase. It was this lord who, when he met a beggar, and was entreated by him to give him something because he was almost famished with hunger, called him in a "happy dog."— POPE Spence's Anecdotes.

Francis, elder brother of the celebrated Lord William Russel, born in 1638, died in 1678.

3 The Earl of Kinnoul married Lord Oxford's daughter, and, while

105

110

115

120

Lord Dupplin, was a great friend of
Pope and Swift. He seems to have
impaired his fortune by his extrava-
gance, and to have lost the esteem of
his friends. Lewis writes to Swift,
30th June, 1737, of the second Lord
Oxford: "God Almighty has given
him the power and the will to sup-
port the numerous family of his
sister, which has been brought to
ruin by that unworthy man, Lord
Kinnoul." To which Swift replies,
23rd July of the same year: “I
never was so much deceived in any
man as in that execrable Lord Kin-
noul, whom I loved extremely, but
now hate beyond expression."
was ambassador in Turkey, and after-
wards at Lisbon.

1728.

He

4 James O'Hara, Earl of Tyrawley,
appointed ambassador to Lisbon,
January 13,
See British
See
Chronologist under that date.
Horace Walpole to Mann, 15th
November, 1742: "My Lord Ty-

From Latian syrens, French Circæan feasts,
Return well-travelled, and transformed to beasts;
Or for a titled punk, or foreign flame,
Renounce our country, and degrade our name?
If, after all, we must with Wilmot own,
The cordial drop of life is love alone,'
And Swift cry wisely, "Vive la Bagatelle!"?

The man that loves and laughs, must sure do well.
Adieu-if this advice appear the worst,
E'en take the counsel which I gave you first:"
Or better precepts if you can impart,
Why do, I'll follow them with all my heart.

1 The allusion is to a verse of the Earl of Rochester's in his Letter from Artemisia in the Town to Chloe in the Country :

The cordial drop Heaven in our cup has thrown.

This line seems to have been wellknown about this period. Mrs. Pendarves (Mrs. Delany) quotes it in a letter to Mrs. Anne Granville, of New Year's Day, 1728. See Autobiography of Mrs. Delany, vol. i. p. 150. 2 "I choose," says he (Swift), in a letter to Mr. Pope, my companions amongst those of the least consequence and most compliance: I read the most trifling books I can find,

66

125

130

and whenever I write it is on the most trifling subjects." And again : "I love La Bagatelle better than ever. I am always writing bad prose or bad verses, either of Rage or Raillery," &c. And again, in a letter to Mr. Gay: "My rule is, Vive la Bagatelle !"-WARBURTON.

verses is

3 The turn of these noticeable as compared with the original. Horace says nothing about his advice, "vivas in amore, jocisque," being worse than any other of the plans of life he had been enumerating; but Pope probably felt that a recommendation to any of his hearers, who felt so inclined, to acquiesce contentedly in the cynicism of Swift or the prodigality of Rochester, was not exactly becoming in a poet who called himself a Christian, and prided himself on his virtue. The truth is that Horace's Epistle was incapable of Imitation. Its humour, no less than its philosophy, belongs entirely to the Pagan world.

THE FIRST EPISTLE

OF THE

FIRST BOOK OF HORACE.