My eldest born refides not far,

Where fhines great Strafford's glitt❜ring star:

My fecond (child of fortune!) waits

At Burlington's Palladian gates:

A third majestically stalks

(Happiest of dogs !) in Cobham's walks:

One ushers friends to Bathurst's door;

60.

One fawns at Oxford's on the poor.

NOBLES whom arms or arts adorn,

Wait for my infants yet unborn.
None but a peer of wit and grace

Can hope a puppy of my race.

AND O! would fate the bliss decree

To mine (a blifs too great for me !)

That two my talleft fons might grace,
Attending each with stately pace,
Fülus' fide, as erft Evander's t,

65

70

To keep off flatt rers, fpies, and panders,
To let no noble flave come near,

75

And scarce Lord Fannys from his ear ;

Then might a royal youth, and true,

Enjoy at least a friend

or two;

A treasure which of royal kind

Few but himself deserve to find.

THEN Bounce ('tis all that Bounce can crave)

Shall wag her tail within the grave.

80

* On the Countess of BURLINGTON

cutting PAPER.

PALL

ALLAS grew vap'rish once and odd;
She would not do the leaft right thing,

Either for goddess or for god,

Nor work, nor play, nor paint, nor fing.

Jove frown'd, and “ Use” (he cry’d) “those eyes
"So fkilful, and thofe hands fo taper;
"Do fomething exquifite and wife"
She bow'd, obey'd him, and cut paper.

This vexing him who gave her birth,

Thought by all heav'n a burning shame,
What does the next, but bids on earth
Her Burlington do just the fame ?

Pallas, you give yourself strange airs;

But fure you'll find it hard to fpoil The fenfe and taste of one that bears The name of Savile and of Boyle.

Alas! one bad example shown,

How quickly all the fex parfue!
See, Madam! fee. the arts o'erthrown
Between John Overton and you.

* On a certain LADY at court.

Know the thing that's most uncommon,

(Envy, be filent, and attend!)

I know a reasonable woman,

Handsome and witty, yet a friend.

Not warp'd by paffion, aw'd by rumour!

Not grave thro' pride, or gay thro' folly;

An equal mixture of good humour,

And fenfible soft melancholy.

5

"Has the no faults then," (Envy fays)" Sir !” Yes, the has one, I must aver:

10

When all the world confpires to praise her,

The woman's deaf, and does not hear.

To

To Dr DELANY, on the LIBELS wtitten against him.

-Tanti tibi non fit opaci

Omnis arena Tagi.

Written in the year 1729.

S fome raw youth in country bred,

To arms by thirft of honour led,
When at a fkirmish first he hears
The bullets whistling round his ears,
Will duck his head afide, will start,
And feel a trembling at his heart;
Till 'fcaping oft without a wound
Leffens the terror of the found;
Fly bullets now as thick as hops,
He runs into a canon's chops:
An author thus who pants for fame,
Begins the world with fear and shame:
When firft in print you fee him dread
Each pop-gun levell'd at his head :
The lead yon critic's quill contains,
Is deftin'd to beat out his brains.
As if he heard loud thunders roll,
Cries, Lord, have mercy on his foul!

Concluding, that another shot

Will strike him dead upon the spot.

But, when with fquibbing, flashing, popping,

He cannot fee one creature dropping;
That, miffing fire, or miffling aim,

His life is fafe, I mean his fame;
The danger paft, takes heart of grace,
And looks a critic in the face.

THO' fplendor gives the faireft mark To poifon'd arrows from the dark,

Juv.

5

15

20

25

Yet, in yourself when fmooth and round*,
They glance afide without a wound.

"Tis faid, the gods try'd all their art, How Pain they might from Pleafure part; But little could their ftrength avail;

30

Both still are fasten'd by the tail.

Thus Fame and Cenfure with a tether
By fate are always link'd together.

35

WHY will you aim to be preferr'd In wit before the common herd? And yet grow mortify'd and vex'd To pay the penalty annex'd?

As faireft fruits attract the flies.

Should ftupid libels grieve your mind,
You foon a remedy may find;
Lie down obfcure like other folks
Below the lafh of fnarlers jokes.
Their faction is five hundred odds ;
For every coxcomb lends them rods ;
And fneers as learnedly as they;
Like females o'er their morning-tea.

You fay, the mufe will not contain, And write you muft, or break a vein. find the terms too hard,

Then, if
you
No longer my advice regard:

4-5

50

But raise your fancy on the wings

55

The Irish fenate's praifes fing;

How jealous of the nation's freedom,

And for corruptions, how they weed 'em ;

How each the public good pursues,

How far their hearts from private views;

60

• In feipfo totus teres atque rotundus, et

Make all true patriots up to fhoe boys
Huzza their brethren at the Blue-boys *;
Thus grown
a member of the club,
No longer dread the rage of Grub.

How oft am I for rhyme to feek!
To drefs a thought, I toil a week :
And then how thankful to the town,
If all my pains will earn a crown !
Whilft every critic can devour
My work and me in half an hour.
Would men of genius cease to write,

The rogues muft die for want and fpite;
Muft die for want of food and raiment,
If fcandal did not find them payment.
How chearfully the hawkers cry
A fatire, and the gentry buy!
While my hard-labour'd poem pines
Unfold upon the printer's lines.

A genius in the rev'rend gown Muft ever keep its owner down; 'Tis an unnatural conjunction,

And fpoils the credit of the function.

65

70,

75

80

Round all your brethren caft your eyes;
Point out the fureft men to rife;
That club of candidates in black,
The least deserving of the pack,
Afpiring, factious, fierce, and loud,
With grace and learning unendu'd,
Can turn their hands to ev'ry job,
The fittest tools to work for Bobt;
Will fooner coin a thousand lies,
Than fuffer men of parts to rife

85

• The Irish parliament sat at the Blue-boys hospital, while the

new parliament-house was building.

↑ Sir Robert Walpole, afterwards Earl of Orford.