Sense, freedom, piety, refin'd away, Of France the mimic, and of Spain the prey. 16 They sing, they dance, clean shoes, or cure a clap: "Ah! what avails it, that, from slav'ry far, 18 Studious to please, and ready to submit, 15 Ingenium velox, audacia perdita, sermo Promptus. 16 Augur, schoenobates, medicus, magus: omnia novit, Græculus esuriens, in cœlum, jusseris, ibit. 17 Usque adeo nihil est, quod nostra infantia cœlum Hausit Aventini?. 18 Quid? quod adulandi gens prudentissima, laudat Sermonem indocti, faciem deformis amici? 19 These arts in vain our rugged natives try, Strain out with falt'ring diffidence a lie, And get a kick for awkward flattery. Besides, with justice, this discerning age Admires their wond'rous talents for the stage: 20 *° Well may they venture on the mimic's art, And view each object with another's eye; 21 " How, when competitors like these contend, Can surly virtue hope to fix a friend? Slaves that with serious impudence beguile, For arts like these preferr'd, admir'd, caress'd, They first invade your table, then your breast; 19 Hæc eadem licet et nobis laudare: sed illis Creditur. 20 Natio comoda est. Rides? majore cachinno Concutitur, &c. 21 Non sumus ergo pares: melior, qui semper et omni Nocte dieque potest alienum sumere vultum, A facie jactare manus: laudare paratus, 22 Explore your secrets with insidious art, Watch the weak hour, and ransack all the heart; Then soon your ill-plac'd confidence repay, Commence your lords, and govern or betray. 23 By numbers here from shame or censure free, All crimes are safe but hated poverty. This, only this, the rigid law pursues, This, only this, provokes the snarling muse. Wakes from his dream, and labours for a joke; 22 Scire volunt secreta domus, atque inde timeri. 23 Materiem præbet causasque jocorum Omnibus hic idem? si fœda et scissa lacerna, &c. 24 Nil habet infelix paupertas durius in se, Quam quod ridiculos homines facit. *The Spaniards at this time were said to make claim to some of our American provinces. This mournful truth is ev'ry where confess'd, 26 Slow rises worth, by poverty depress'd: But here more slow, where all are slaves to gold, But hark! th' affrighted crowd's tumultuous cries Roll through the streets, and thunder to the skies: Rais'd from some pleasing dream of wealth and power, Some pompous palace, or some blissful bower, Aghast you start, and scarce with aching sight Sustain th' approaching fire's tremendous light; Swift from pursuing horrors take your way, And leave your little all to flames a prey; 27 Then thro' the world a wretched vagrant roam, For where can starving merit find a home? In vain your mournful narrative disclose, While all neglect, and most insult your woes. 28 Should Heaven's just bolts Orgilio's wealth confound, And spread his flaming palace on the ground, 26 Haud facile emergunt, quorum virtutibus obstat Res angusta domi, sed Romæ durior illis Ærumnæ cumulus, quod nudum, et frustra rogantem 28 Si magna Asturici cecidit domus, horrida mater, Pullati proceres. Swift o'er the land the dismal rumour flies, 31 Could'st thou resign the park and play content, And stretch thy prospects o'er the smiling land, For less than rent the dungeons of the Strand; There prune thy walks, support thy drooping flowers, Direct thy rivulets, and twine thy bowers; 29 -Jam accurrit, qui marmora donet, Conferat impensas: hic, &c. Hic modium argenti. 30 -Meliora, ac plura reponit Persicus orborum lautissimus. 31 Si potes avelli Circensibus, optima Soræ, Vive bidentis amans et culti villicus horti, Unde epulum possis centum dare Pythagoreis. |