Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

EPITAPH

OF

BY-WORDS.

ERE lies a round woman, who thought mighty odd,
Ev'ry word the e'er heard in this church about

God.

To convince her of God the good Dean did endeavour;
But ftill in her heart fhe held nature more clever.
Tho' he talk'd much of virtue, her head always run 5
Upon fomething or other she found better fun:
For the dame, by her skill in affairs astronomical,
Imagin'd, to live in the clouds was but comical.
In this world the despis'd ev'ry soul she met here;
And now she's in t'other, fhe thinks it but queer. 10

EPIGRAM, on feeing a worthy prelate go out of church in the time of divine service to wait on his Grace the D. of D

Lo

ORD Pam in the church (could you think it ?)
kneel'd down;

When told the Lieutenant was just come to town,
His fation defpifing, unaw'd by the place,

He flies from his God to attend on his Grace:
To the court it was fitter to pay his devotion,
Since God had no hand in his Lordship's promotion.

EPIGRAM from the French.

IR, I admit your gen'ral rule,

SIR,

That ev'ry poet is a fool:

But you yourself may ferve to fhow it,

That ev'ry fool is not a poet.

5:

[ocr errors]

*EPITAPH ON FRANCIS CHARTRES

HERE continueth to rot

The body of FRANCIS CHARTRES;
Who, with an INFLEXIBLE CONSTANCY,
And INIMITABLE UNIFORMITY of life,
PERSISTED,

In fpite of AGB and INFIRMITIES, In the practice of EVERY HUMAN VICE; Excepting PRODIGALITY and HYPOCRISY His infatiable AVARICE exempted him from the first, His matchlefs IMPUDENCE from the fecond.

Nor was he more fingular

In the undeviating pravity of his manners,
Than fuccefsful

In accumulating WEALTH:

For, without TRADE OF PROFESSION,
Without TRUST of PUBLIC MONEY,
And without BRIBE-WORTHY service,
He acquired, or more properly created,
A MINISTERIAL ESTATE.

+FR. CHARTRES was a man infamous for all manner of vices. When he was an enfign in the army, he was drummed out of the regiment for a cheat; he was next banished Bruffels, and drummed out of Ghent, on the fame account. After a hundred tricks at the gaming-tables, he took to lending of money at exorbitant intereft, and on great penalties, accumulating premium, intereft, and capital into a new capital, and feizing to a minute when the payments became due. In a word, by a conftant attention to the vices, wants, and follies of mankind, he acquired an immenfe fortune. His houfe was a perpetual bawdyhoufe. He was twice condemned for rapes, and pardoned; but the last time not without imprifonment in Newgate, and large confifcations. He died in

Scotland in 1731, aged 62. The populace at his funeral raised a great riot, almost tore the body out of the coffin, and caff dead dogs, &c. into the grave along with it. This epitaph contains his character, very juftly drawn by Dr Arbuthnot--This gentleman was worth seven thousand pounds a year estate in land, and about one hundred thoufand in money. Pope.

He was the only person of his time,
Who could CHEAT without the mask of HONESTY,
Retain his primeval MEANNESS

When poffefs'd of TEN THOUSAND a-year; And having daily deferved the GIBBET for what he did, Was at laft condemned to it for what he could not do.

Oh indignant reader!

Think not his life ufelefs to mankind!
PROVIDENCE COnniv'd † at his execrable designs,
To give to after ages

A confpicuous PROOF and EXAMPLE,
Of how fmall eftimation is EXORBITANT WEALTH
In the fight of GOD,

By his bestowing it on the moft UNWORTHY OF ALL

MORTALS.

Joannes jacet hic Mirandula

-cætera norunt

Et Tagus et Ganges-forjan et Antipodes.

Applied to FRANCIS CHARTRES.

HERE Francis Chartres lies— be civil!
The reft God knows-perhaps the devil.

*E P PIGRA

PETER complains that God has given

To his poor babe a life fo fhort:

Confider, Peter, he's in heaven;

"Tis good to have a friend at court.

M.

* A

A

N

NO

THE R.

You beat your pate, and fancy wit will come; Knock as you please, there's no body at home.

EPI

† See vol. iv. p. 7.

*EPITAPH ON FRANCIS CHARTRES †.

HERE continueth to rot

The body of FRANCIS CHARTRES;
Who, with an INFLEXIBLE CONSTANCY,
And INIMITABLE UNIFORMITY of life,
PERSISTED,

In fpite of AGE and INFIRMITIES,
In the practice of EVERY HUMAN VICE;
Excepting PRODIGALITY and HYPOCRISY :)
His infatiable AVARICE exempted him from the first,
His matchless IMPUDENCE from the fecond.

Nor was he more fingular

In the undeviating pravity of his manners,
Than fuccefsful

In accumulating WEALTH:

For, without TRADE OF PROFESSION,
Without TRUST of PUBLIC MONEY,
And without BRIBE-WORTHY fervice,
He acquired, or more properly created,
A MINISTERIAL ESTATE.

+FR. CHARTRES was a man infamous for all manner of vices. When he was an enfign in the army, he was drummed out of the regiment for a cheat; he was next banished Bruffels, and drummed out of Ghent, on the fame account. After a hundred tricks at the gaming-tables, he took to lending of money at exorbitant intereft, and on great penalties, accumulating premium, interest, and capital into a new capital, and feizing to a minute when the payments became due. In a word, by a conftant attention to the vices, wants, and follies of mankind, he acquired an immenfe fortune. His house was a perpetual bawdyhoufe. He was twice condemned for rapes, and pardoned; but the last time not without imprifonment in Newgate, and large confifcations. He died in Scotland in 1731, aged 62. The populace at his funeral raised a great riot, almost tore the body out of the coffin, and caff dead dogs, &c. into the grave along with it. This epitaph contains his character, very juftly drawn by Dr Arbuthnot--This gentleman was worth feven thousand pounds a year eftate in land, and about one hundred thoufand in money. Pope.

He was the only person of his time,
Who could CHEAT without the mask of HONESTY,
Retain his primeval MEANNESS

When poffefs'd of TEN THOUSAND a-year; And having daily deferved the GIBBET for what he did, Was at laft condemned to it for what he could not do.

Oh indignant reader !

Think not his life useless to mankind!
PROVIDENCE COnniv'd † at his execrable defigns,
To give to after ages
A confpicuous PROOF and EXAMPLE,
Of how small eftimation is EXORBITANT WEALTH
In the fight of GOD,

By his bestowing it on the moft UNWORTHY Of ALL
MORTALS.

* Joannes jacet hic Mirandulacætera norunt Et Tagus et Ganges-forlan et Antipodes.

HE

Applied to FRANCIS CHARTRES.

ERE Francis Chartres lies- -be civil!
The reft God knows-perhaps the devil.

GRA M..

* EPIGR

PETER complains that God has given

To his poor babe a life so short:

Confider, Peter, he's in heaven;

'Tis good to have a friend at court.

* A

NOT

HER.

You

OU beat your pate, and fancy wit will come ;
Knock as you please, there's no body at home.

+ See vol. iv. p. 7.

EPI

« AnteriorContinuar »