,,an ,,essay ,,on ,,man4  ,,moral       
,,essays ,,and ,,satires      ,,by      
,,alexander ,,pope4    ,,cassell        
,,company1 ,,limited3  ,,london1 ,,paris
  ,,melbourne4  #ahia4                  
,,introduction4      ,pope's life as a  
writer falls into three periods1        
answering fairly enough  to the three   
reigns in which he worked4  ,under      
,queen ,anne he was an  original poet1  
but made little money by his verses2    
under ,george ,i4 he  was chiefly a     
translator1 and made much money by      
satisfying the ,french-  classical taste
 with versions of the ,iliad and        
,odyssey4  ,under ,george  ,i4 he also  
edited ,shakespeare1 but with little    
profit to himself2 for  ,shakespeare was
 but a ,philistine in the eyes of the   
,french-classical  critics4  ,but as the
 eighteenth century grew slowly to its  
work1 signs of  a deepening interest in 
the real issues of life distracted men's
  attention from the culture of the     
snuff-box and the fan4  ,as ,pope's     

genius ripened1 the best part of the    
world in which he worked was  pressing  
forward1 as a mariner who will no longer
 hug the coast but  crowds all sail to  
cross the storms of a wide unknown sea4 
,pope's poetry  thus deepened with the  
course of time1 and the third period of 
his life1  which fell within the reign  
of ,george ,,ii41 was that in which he  
produced  the ,essay on ,man1 the ,moral
 ,essays1 and the ,satires4  ,these deal
  wholly with aspects of human life and 
the great questions they raise1         
according throughout with the doctrine  
of the poet1 and of the reasoning  world
 about him in his latter day1 that the  
proper study of mankind is  ,man4       
,wrongs in high places1 and the private 
infamy of many who enforced the         
doctrines of the ,church1 had produced  
in earnest men a vigorous  antagonism4  
,tyranny and unreason of low-minded     
advocates had brought  religion itself  
into question2 and profligacy of        
courtiers1 each  worshipping the golden 

calf seen in his mirror1 had spread     
another form  of scepticism4  ,the      
intellectual scepticism1 based upon an  
honest search  for truth1 could end only
 in making truth the surer by its       
questionings4  ,the other form of       
scepticism1 which might be traced in    
,england from the  low-minded           
frivolities of the court of ,charles the
 ,second1 was widely  spread among the  
weak1 whose minds flinched from all     
earnest thought4  ,they swelled the     
number of the army of bold questioners  
upon the ways of  ,god to ,man1 but they
 were an idle rout of camp-followers1   
not combatants2  they simply ate1 and   
drank1 and died4    ,in #afig1 ,pierre  
,bayle published at ,rotterdam1 his     
,historical and  ,critical ,dictionary1 
in which the lives of men were          
associated with a  comment that         
suggested1 from the ills of life1 the   
absence of divine care  in the shaping  
of the world4  ,doubt was born of the   
corruption of  society2 ,nature and ,man

 were said to be against faith in the   
rule of a  ,god1 wise1 just1 and        
merciful4  ,in #agaj1 after ,bayle's    
death1 ,leibnitz1 a  ,german philosopher
 then resident in ,paris1 wrote in      
,french a book1 with a  title formed    
from ,greek words meaning ,justice of   
,god1 ,theodicee1 in which  he met      
,bayle's argument by reasoning that what
 we cannot understand  confuses us1     
because we see only the parts of a great
 whole4  ,bayle1 he  said1 is now in    
,heaven1 and from his place by the      
throne of ,god1 he sees  the harmony of 
the great ,universe1 and doubts no more4
  ,we see only a  little part in which  
are many details that have purposes     
beyond our ken4  ,the argument of       
,leibnitz's ,theodicee was widely used2 
and although ,pope  said that he had    
never read the ,theodicee1 his ,essay on
 ,man has a like  argument4  ,when any  
book has a wide influence upon opinion1 
its general  ideas pass into the minds  
of many people who have never read it4  

,many  now talk about evolution and     
natural selection1 who have never read a
  line of ,darwin4    ,in the reign of  
,george the ,second1 questionings did   
spread that went to  the roots of all   
religious faith1 and many earnest minds 
were busying  themselves with problems  
of the state of ,man1 and of the        
evidence of ,god  in the life of man1   
and in the course of ,nature4  ,out of  
this came1  nearly at the same time1 two
 works wholly different in method and in
  tone--so different1 that at first     
sight it may seem absurd to speak of    
them together4  ,they were ,pope's      
,essay on ,man1 and ,butler's ,analogy  
of  ,religion1 ,natural and ,revealed1  
to the ,constitution and ,course of     
,nature4    ,butler's ,analogy was      
published in #agcf2 of the ,essay on    
,man1 the  first two ,epistles appeared 
in #agcb1 the ,third ,epistle in #agcc1 
the  ,fourth in #agcd1 and the closing  
,universal ,hymn in #agch4  ,it may seem
 even  more absurd to name ,pope's      

,essay on ,man in the same breath with  
,milton's ,paradise ,lost2 but to the   
best of his knowledge and power1 in  his
 smaller way1 according to his nature   
and the questions of his time1  ,pope   
was1 like ,milton1 endeavouring to      
justify the ways of ,god to ,man4  ,he  
even borrowed ,milton's line for his own
 poem1 only weakening the verb1  and    
said that he sought to vindicate the    
ways of ,god to ,man4  ,in  ,milton's   
day the questioning all centred in the  
doctrine of the ,fall of  ,man1 and     
questions of ,god's ,justice were       
associated with debate on fate1         
fore-knowledge1 and free will4  ,in     
,pope's day the question was not        
theological1 but went to the root of all
 faith in existence of a ,god1 by       
declaring that the state of ,man and of 
the world about him met such faith  with
 an absolute denial4  ,pope's argument1 
good or bad1 had nothing to do  with    
questions of theology4  ,like ,butler's1
 it sought for grounds of  faith in the 

conditions on which doubt was rested4   
,milton sought to set  forth the story  
of the ,fall in such way as to show that
 ,god was love4  ,pope dealt with the   
question of ,god in ,nature1 and the    
world of ,man4    ,pope's argument was  
attacked with violence by ,m4 de        
,crousaz1 ,professor of  ,philosophy and
 ,mathematics in the ,university of     
,lausanne1 and defended by  ,warburton1 
then chaplain to the ,prince of ,wales1 
in six letters published  in #agci1 and 
a seventh in #agdj1 for which ,pope 7who
 died in #agdd7 was  deeply grateful4   
,his offence in the eyes of de ,crousaz 
was that he had  left out of account all
 doctrines of orthodox theology4  ,but  
if he had  been orthodox of the         
orthodox1 his argument obviously could  
have been  directed only to the form of 
doubt it sought to overcome4  ,and when 
his  closing hymn was condemned as the  
freethinker's hymn1 its censurers       
surely forgot that their arguments      
against it would equally apply to the   

,lord's ,prayer1 of which it is1 in some
 degree1 a paraphrase4    ,the first    
design of the ,essay on ,man arranged it
 into four books1 each  consisting of a 
distinct group of ,epistles4  ,the      
,first ,book1 in four  ,epistles1 was to
 treat of man in the abstract1 and of   
his relation to the  ,universe4  ,that  
is the whole work as we have it now4    
,the ,second ,book was  to treat of ,man
 ,intellectual2 the ,third ,book1 of    
,man ,social1 including  ties to ,church
 and ,state2 the ,fourth ,book1 of ,man 
,moral1 was to  illustrate abstract     
truth by sketches of character4  ,this  
part of the  design is represented by   
the ,moral ,essays1 of which four were  
written1 to  which was added1 as a      
fifth1 the ,epistle to ,addison which   
had been  written much earlier1 in      
#agae1 and first published in #agbj4    
,the four  ,moral essays are two pairs4 
,one pair is upon the ,characters of    
,men and  on the ,characters of ,women1 
which would have formed the opening of  

the  subject of the ,fourth ,book of the
 ,essay3 the other pair shows character 
expressed through a right or a wrong use
 of ,riches3 in fact1 ,money and        
,morals4  ,the four ,epistles were      
published separately4  ,the fourth 7to  
the  ,earl of ,burlington7 was first    
published in #agca1 its title then being
 ,of  ,taste2 the third 7to ,lord       
,bathurst7 followed in #agcb1 the year  
of the  publication of the first two    
,epistles on the ,essay on ,man4  ,in   
#agcc1  the year of publication of the  
,third ,epistle of the ,essay on ,man1  
,pope  published his ,moral ,essay of   
the ,characters of ,men4  ,in #agcd     
followed  the ,fourth ,epistle of the   
,essay on ,man2 and in #agce the        
,characters of  ,women1 addressed to    
,martha ,blount1 the woman whom ,pope   
loved1 though he  was withheld by a     
frail body from marriage4  ,thus the two
 works were1 in  fact1 produced         
together1 parts of one design4          
,pope's ,satires1 which still deal with 

characters of men1 followed             
immediately1 some appearing in a folio  
in ,january1 #agce4  ,that part of  the 
epistle to ,arbuthnot forming the       
,prologue1 which gives a character of   
,addison1 as ,atticus1 had been sketched
 more than twelve years before1 and     
earlier sketches of some smaller critics
 were introduced2 but the  beginning and
 the end1 the parts in which ,pope spoke
 of himself and of  his father and      
mother1 and his friend ,dr4 ,arbuthnot1 
were written in #agcc  and #agcd4  ,then
 follows an imitation of the first      
,epistle of the ,second  ,book of the   
,satires of ,horace1 concerning which   
,pope told a friend1 ,when  ,i had a    
fever one winter in town that confined  
me to my room for five or  six days1    
,lord ,bolingbroke1 who came to see me1 
happened to take up a  ,horace that lay 
on the table1 and1 turning it over1     
dropped on the first  satire in the     
,second ,book1 which begins1 ',sunt1    
quibus in satira4'  ,he  observed how   

well that would suit my case if ,i were 
to imitate it in  ,english4  ,after he  
was gone1 ,i read it over1 translated it
 in a morning  or two1 and sent it to   
press in a week or a fortnight after    
7,february1  #agcc74  ,and this was the 
occasion of my imitating some others of 
the  ,satires and ,epistles4  ,the two  
dialogues finally used as the ,epilogue 
to  the ,satires were first published in
 the year #agch1 with the name of the   
year1 ,seventeen ,hundred and           
,thirty-eight4  ,samuel ,johnson's      
,london1  his first bid for recognition1
 appeared in the same week1 and excited 
in  ,pope not admiration only1 but some 
active endeavour to be useful to its    
author4    ,the reader of ,pope1 as of  
every author1 is advised to begin by    
letting  him say what he has to say1 in 
his own manner to an open mind that     
seeks  only to receive the impressions  
which the writer wishes to convey4      
,first  let the mind and spirit of the  
writer come into free1 full contact with

  the mind and spirit of the reader1    
whose attitude at the first reading     
should be simply receptive4  ,such      
reading is the condition precedent to   
all true judgment of a writer's work4   
,all criticism that is not so  grounded 
spreads as fog over a poet's page4      
,read1 reader1 for yourself1  without   
once pausing to remember what you have  
been told to think4    ,h4,m4           
,,pope',s ,,poems4      ,,an ,,essay    
,,on ,,man4  ,,to ,h4 ,,st4 ,,john      
,,lord ,,bolingbroke4      ,,the        
,,design4      ,having proposed to write
 some pieces of ,human ,life and        
,manners1 such as  7to use my ,lord     
,bacon's expression7 come home to ,men's
 ,business and  ,bosoms1 ,i thought it  
more satisfactory to begin with         
considering ,man in  the abstract1 his  
,nature and his ,state2 since1 to prove 
any moral duty1  to enforce any moral   
precept1 or to examine the perfection or
  imperfection of any creature          
whatsoever1 it is necessary first to    

know  what condition and relation it is 
placed in1 and what is the proper end   
and purpose of its being4    ,the       
science of ,human ,nature is1 like all  
other sciences1 reduced to a few  clear 
points3 there are not many certain      
truths in this world4  ,it is  therefore
 in the anatomy of the ,mind as in that 
of the ,body2 more good  will accrue to 
mankind by attending to the large1 open1
 and perceptible  parts1 than by        
studying too much such finer nerves and 
vessels1 the  conformations and uses of 
which will for ever escape our          
observation4  ,the  disputes are all    
upon these last1 and1 ,i will venture to
 say1 they have  less sharpened the wits
 than the hearts of men against each    
other1 and  have diminished the practice
 more than advanced the theory of       
,morality4  ,if ,i could flatter myself 
that this ,essay has any merit1 it is in
  steering betwixt the extremes of      
doctrines seemingly opposite1 in passing
  over terms utterly unintelligible1 and

 in forming a temperate yet not         
inconsistent1 and a short yet not       
imperfect system of ,ethics4    ,this ,i
 might have done in prose1 but ,i chose 
verse1 and even rhyme1 for  two reasons4
  ,the one will appear obvious2 that    
principles1 maxims1 or  precepts so     
written1 both strike the reader more    
strongly at first1 and  are more easily 
retained by him afterwards3 the other   
may seem odd1 but  is true1 ,i found ,i 
could express them more shortly this way
 than in prose  itself2 and nothing is  
more certain1 than that much of the     
force as well  as grace of arguments or 
instructions depends on their           
conciseness4  ,i  was unable to treat   
this part of my subject more in detail1 
without  becoming dry and tedious2 or   
more poetically1 without sacrificing    
perspicuity to ornament1 without        
wandering from the precision1 or        
breaking the chain of reasoning3 if any 
man can unite all these without         
diminution of any of them ,i freely     

confess he will compass a thing above   
my capacity4    ,what is now published  
is only to be considered as a general   
,map of ,man1  marking out no more than 
the greater parts1 their extent1 their  
limits1  and their connection1 and      
leaving the particular to be more fully 
delineated in the charts which are to   
follow4  ,consequently1 these  ,epistles
 in their progress 7if ,i have health   
and leisure to make any  progress7 will 
be less dry1 and more susceptible of    
poetical ornament4  ,i  am here only    
opening the fountains1 and clearing the 
passage4  ,to deduce  the rivers1 to    
follow them in their course1 and to     
observe their effects1  may be a task   
more agreeable4  ,p4      ,,argument    
,,of ,,epistle ,i4      ,of the ,nature 
and ,state of ,man1 with respect to the 
,universe4    ,of ,man in the abstract4 
,i4 ,that we can judge only with regard 
to our own  system1 being ignorant of   
the relations of systems and things1    
v4#ag1 etc4  ,,ii4 ,that ,man is not to 

be deemed imperfect1 but a being suited 
to his  place and rank in the ,creation1
 agreeable to the general ,order of     
,things1  and conformable to ,ends and  
,relations to him unknown1 v4#ce1 etc4  
,,iii4  ,that it is partly upon his     
ignorance of future events1 and partly  
upon  the hope of future state1 that all
 his happiness in the present depends1  
v4#gg1 etc4  ,,iv4 ,the pride of aiming 
at more knowledge1 and pretending to    
more ,perfection1 the cause of ,man's   
error and misery4  ,the impiety of      
putting himself in the place of ,god1   
and judging of the fitness or           
unfitness1 perfection or imperfection1  
justice or injustice of ,his            
dispensations1 v4#aji1 etc4  ,v4 ,the   
absurdity of conceiting himself the     
final cause of the ,creation1 or        
expecting that perfection in the moral  
world1 which is not in the natural1     
v4#aca1 etc4  ,,vi4 ,the                
unreasonableness  of his complaints     
against ,providence1 while on the one   

hand he demands  the ,perfections of the
 ,angels1 and on the other the bodily   
qualifications  of the ,brutes2 though  
to possess any of the sensitive         
faculties in a  higher degree would     
render him miserable1 v4#agc1 etc4      
,,vii4 ,that  throughout the whole      
visible world1 an universal order and   
gradation in  the sensual and mental    
faculties is observed1 which cause is a 
subordination of creature to creature1  
and of all creatures to ,man4  ,the     
gradations of sense1 instinct1 thought1 
reflection1 reason2 that ,reason  alone 
countervails all the other faculties1   
v4#bjg4  ,,viii4 ,how much  further this
 order and subordination of living      
creatures may extend1  above and below  
us2 were any part of which broken1 not  
that part only1  but the whole connected
 creation1 must be destroyed1 v4#bcc4   
,,ix4  ,the  extravagance1 madness1 and 
pride of such a desire1 v4#bej4  ,x4    
,the  consequence of all1 the absolute  
submission due to ,providence1 both as  

to  our present and future state1       
v4#bha1 etc41 to the end4      ,,epistle
 ,i4      ,awake1 my ,st4 ,john6 leave  
all meaner things  ,to low ambition1 and
 the pride of kings4  ,let us 7since    
life can little more supply  ,than just 
to look about us and to die7  ,expatiate
 free o'er all this scene of man2  ,a   
mighty maze6 but not without a plan2  ,a
 wild1 where weeds and flowers          
promiscuous shoot2  ,or garden tempting 
with forbidden fruit4  ,together let us 
beat this ample field1  ,try what the   
open1 what the covert yield2  ,the      
latent tracts1 the giddy heights1       
explore  ,of all who blindly creep1 or  
sightless soar2  ,eye ,nature's walks1  
shoot ,folly as it flies1  ,and catch   
the manners living as they rise2  ,laugh
 where we must1 be candid where we can2 
,but vindicate the ways of ,god to man4 
,i4  ,say first1 of ,god above1 or man  
below  ,what can we reason1 but from    
what we know8  ,of man1 what see we but 
his station here1  ,from which to       

reason1 or to which refer8  ,through    
worlds unnumbered though the ,god be    
known1  ',tis ours to trace ,him only in
 our own4  ,he1 who through vast        
immensity can pierce1  ,see worlds on   
worlds compose one universe1  ,observe  
how system into system runs1  ,what     
other planets circle other suns1  ,what 
varied being peoples every star1  ,may  
tell why ,heaven has made us as we are4 
,but of this frame1 the bearings1 and   
the ties1  ,the strong connections1 nice
 dependencies1  ,gradations just1 has   
thy pervading soul  ,looked through8 or 
can a part contain the whole8     ,is   
the great chain1 that draws all to      
agree1  ,and drawn supports1 upheld by  
,god1 or thee8    ,,ii4  ,presumptuous  
man6 the reason wouldst thou find1  ,why
 formed so weak1 so little1 and so      
blind8  ,first1 if thou canst1 the      
harder reason guess1  ,why formed no    
weaker1 blinder1 and no less2  ,ask of  
thy mother earth1 why oaks are made     
,taller or stronger than the weeds they 

shade8  ,or ask of yonder argent fields 
above1  ,why ,jove's satellites are less
 than ,jove8     ,of systems possible1  
if 'tis confest  ,that wisdom infinite  
must form the best1  ,where all must    
full or not coherent be1  ,and all that 
rises1 rise in due degree2  ,then in the
 scale of reasoning life1 'tis plain1   
,there must be1 somewhere1 such a rank  
as man3  ,and all the question 7wrangle 
e'er so long7  ,is only this1 if ,god   
has placed him wrong8     ,respecting   
man1 whatever wrong we call1  ,may1 must
 be right1 as relative to all4  ,in     
human works1 though laboured on with    
pain1  ,a thousand movements scarce one 
purpose gain2  ,in ,god's one single can
 its end produce2  ,yet serves to second
 too some other use4  ,so man1 who here 
seems principal alone1  ,perhaps acts   
second to some sphere unknown1  ,touches
 some wheel1 or verges to some goal2    
',tis but a part we see1 and not a      
whole4     ,when the proud steed shall  
know why man restrains  ,his fiery      

course1 or drives him o'er the plains3  
,when the dull ox1 why now he breaks the
 clod1  ,is now a victim1 and now       
,egypt's god3  ,then shall man's pride  
and dulness comprehend  ,his actions'1  
passions'1 being's1 use and end2  ,why  
doing1 suffering1 checked1 impelled2 and
 why  ,this hour a slave1 the next a    
deity4     ,then say not man's          
imperfect1 ,heaven in fault2  ,say      
rather man's as perfect as he ought3    
,his knowledge measured to his state and
 place2  ,his time a moment1 and a point
 his space4  ,if to be perfect in a     
certain sphere1  ,what matter1 soon or  
late1 or here or there8  ,the blest     
to-day is as completely so1  ,as who    
began a thousand years ago4    ,,iii4   
,heaven from all creatures hides the    
book of ,fate1  ,all but the page       
prescribed1 their present state3  ,from 
brutes what men1 from men what spirits  
know3  ,or who could suffer being here  
below8  ,the lamb thy riot dooms to     
bleed to-day1  ,had he thy reason1 would

 he skip and play8  ,pleased to the     
last1 he crops the flowery food1  ,and  
licks the hand just raised to shed his  
blood4  ,oh1 blindness to the future6   
kindly given1  ,that each may fill the  
circle1 marked by ,heaven3  ,who sees   
with equal eye1 as ,god of all1  ,a hero
 perish1 or a sparrow fall1  ,atoms or  
systems into ruin hurled1  ,and now a   
bubble burst1 and now a world4     ,hope
 humbly1 then2 with trembling pinions   
soar2  ,wait the great teacher ,death2  
and ,god adore4  ,what future bliss1 ,he
 gives not thee to know1  ,but gives    
that hope to be thy blessing now4  ,hope
 springs eternal in the human breast3   
,man never is1 but always to be blest3  
,the soul1 uneasy and confined from     
home1  ,rests and expatiates in a life  
to come4     ,lo1 the poor ,indian6     
whose untutored mind  ,sees ,god in     
clouds1 or hears ,him in the wind2  ,his
 soul1 proud science never taught to    
stray  ,far as the solar walk1 or milky 
way2  ,yet simple ,nature to his hope   

has given1  ,behind the cloud-topped    
hill1 an humbler heaven2  ,some safer   
world in depth of woods embraced1  ,some
 happier island in the watery waste1    
,where slaves once more their native    
land behold1  ,no fiends torment1 no    
,christians thirst for gold4  ,to be1   
contents his natural desire1  ,he asks  
no angel's wing1 no seraph's fire2  ,but
 thinks1 admitted to that equal sky1    
,his faithful dog shall bear him        
company4    ,,iv4  ,go1 wiser thou6 and1
 in thy scale of sense1  ,weigh thy     
opinion against providence2  ,call      
imperfection what thou fanciest such1   
,say1 here ,he gives too little1 there  
too much2  ,destroy all creatures for   
thy sport or gust1  ,yet cry1 if man's  
unhappy1 ,god's unjust2  ,if man alone  
engross not ,heaven's high care1  ,alone
 made perfect here1 immortal there3     
,snatch from ,his hand the balance and  
the rod1  ,re-judge ,his justice1 be the
 ,god of ,god4  ,in pride1 in reasoning 
pride1 our error lies2  ,all quit their 

sphere1 and rush into the skies4  ,pride
 still is aiming at the blest abodes1   
,men would be angels1 angels would be   
gods4  ,aspiring to be gods1 if angels  
fell1  ,aspiring to be angels1 men      
rebel3  ,and who but wishes to invert   
the laws  ,of order1 sins against the   
,eternal ,cause4    ,v4  ,ask for what  
end the heavenly bodies shine1  ,earth  
for whose use8  ,pride answers1 ',tis   
for mine3  ,for me kind ,nature wakes   
her genial power1  ,suckles each herb1  
and spreads out every flower2  ,annual  
for me1 the grape1 the rose renew  ,the 
juice nectareous1 and the balmy dew2    
,for me1 the mine a thousand treasures  
brings2  ,for me1 health gushes from a  
thousand springs2  ,seas roll to waft   
me1 suns to light me rise2  ,my         
footstool earth1 my canopy the skies4   
,but errs not ,nature from this gracious
 end1  ,from burning suns when livid    
deaths descend1  ,when earthquakes      
swallow1 or when tempests sweep  ,towns 
to one grave1 whole nations to the deep8

  ,no1 7'tis replied7 the first         
,almighty ,cause  ,acts not by partial1 
but by general laws2  ,the exceptions   
few2 some change since all began2  ,and 
what created perfect8--,why then man8   
,if the great end be human happiness1   
,then ,nature deviates2 and can man do  
less8  ,as much that end a constant     
course requires  ,of showers and        
sunshine1 as of man's desires2  ,as much
 eternal springs and cloudless skies1   
,as men for ever temperate1 calm1 and   
wise4  ,if plagues or earthquakes break 
not ,heaven's design1  ,why then a      
,borgia1 or a ,catiline8  ,who knows but
 ,he1 whose hand the lightning forms1   
,who heaves old ocean1 and who wings the
 storms2  ,pours fierce ambition in a   
,caesar's mind1  ,or turns young ,ammon 
loose to scourge mankind8  ,from pride1 
from pride1 our very reasoning springs2 
,account for moral1 as for natural      
things3  ,why charge we heaven in those1
 in these acquit8  ,in both1 to reason  
right is to submit4     ,better for us1 

perhaps1 it might appear1  ,were there  
all harmony1 all virtue here2  ,that    
never air or ocean felt the wind2  ,that
 never passion discomposed the mind4    
,but all subsists by elemental strife2  
,and passions are the elements of life4 
,the general order1 since the whole     
began1  ,is kept in nature1 and is kept 
in man4    ,,vi4  ,what would this man8 
,now upward will he soar1  ,and little  
less than angel1 would be more2  ,now   
looking downwards1 just as grieved      
appears  ,to want the strength of bulls1
 the fur of bears  ,made for his use all
 creatures if he call1  ,say what their 
use1 had he the powers of all8  ,nature 
to these1 without profusion1 kind1  ,the
 proper organs1 proper powers assigned2 
,each seeming want compensated of       
course1  ,here with degrees of          
swiftness1 there of force2  ,all in     
exact proportion to the state2  ,nothing
 to add1 and nothing to abate4  ,each   
beast1 each insect1 happy in its own3   
,is ,heaven unkind to man1 and man      

alone8  ,shall he alone1 whom rational  
we call1  ,be pleased with nothing1 if  
not blessed with all8     ,the bliss of 
man 7could pride that blessing find7    
,is not to act or think beyond mankind2 
,no powers of body or of soul to share1 
,but what his nature and his state can  
bear4  ,why has not man a microscopic   
eye8  ,for this plain reason1 man is not
 a fly4  ,say what the use1 were finer  
optics given1  ,to inspect a mite1 not  
comprehend the heaven8  ,or touch1 if   
tremblingly alive all o'er1  ,to smart  
and agonize at every pore8  ,or quick   
effluvia darting through the brain1     
,die of a rose in aromatic pain8  ,if   
,nature thundered in his opening ears1  
,and stunned him with the music of the  
spheres1  ,how would he wish that       
,heaven had left him still  ,the        
whispering zephyr1 and the purling rill8
  ,who finds not ,providence all good   
and wise1  ,alike in what it gives1 and 
what denies8    ,,vii4  ,far as         
,creation's ample range extends1  ,the  

scale of sensual1 mental powers ascends3
  ,mark how it mounts1 to man's imperial
 race1  ,from the green myriads in the  
peopled grass3  ,what modes of sight    
betwixt each wide extreme1  ,the mole's 
dim curtain1 and the lynx's beam3  ,of  
smell1 the headlong lioness between1    
,and hound sagacious on the tainted     
green3  ,of hearing1 from the life that 
fills the flood1  ,to that which warbles
 through the vernal wood3  ,the spider's
 touch1 how exquisitely fine6  ,feels at
 each thread1 and lives along the line3 
,in the nice bee1 what sense so subtly  
true  ,from poisonous herbs extracts the
 healing dew8  ,how instinct varies in  
the grovelling swine1  ,compared1       
half-reasoning elephant1 with thine6    
',twixt that1 and reason1 what a nice   
barrier1  ,for ever separate1 yet for   
ever near6  ,remembrance and reflection 
how allayed2  ,what thin partitions     
sense from thought divide3  ,and middle 
natures1 how they long to join1  ,yet   
never passed the insuperable line6      

,without this just gradation1 could they
 be  ,subjected1 these to those1 or all 
to thee8  ,the powers of all subdued by 
thee alone1  ,is not thy reason all     
these powers in one8    ,,viii4  ,see1  
through this air1 this ocean1 and this  
earth1  ,all matter quick1 and bursting 
into birth4  ,above1 how high1          
progressive life may go6  ,around1 how  
wide6 how deep extend below8  ,vast     
chain of being6 which from ,god began1  
,natures ethereal1 human1 angel1 man1   
,beast1 bird1 fish1 insect1 what no eye 
can see1  ,no glass can reach2 from     
,infinite to thee1  ,from thee to       
nothing4  ,on superior powers  ,were we 
to press1 inferior might on ours3  ,or  
in the full creation leave a void1      
,where1 one step broken1 the great      
scale's destroyed3  ,from ,nature's     
chain whatever link you strike1  ,tenth 
or ten thousandth1 breaks the chain     
alike4     ,and1 if each system in      
gradation roll  ,alike essential to the 
amazing whole1  ,the least confusion but

 in one1 not all  ,that system only1 but
 the whole must fall4  ,let earth       
unbalanced from her orbit fly1  ,planets
 and suns run lawless through the sky2  
,let ruling angels from their spheres be
 hurled1  ,being on being wrecked1 and  
world on world2  ,heaven's whole        
foundations to their centre nod1  ,and  
nature tremble to the throne of ,god4   
,all this dread order break--for whom8  
for thee8  ,vile worm6--,oh1 madness6   
pride6 impiety6    ,,ix4  ,what if the  
foot1 ordained the dust to tread1  ,or  
hand1 to toil1 aspired to be the head8  
,what if the head1 the eye1 or ear      
repined  ,to serve mere engines to the  
ruling mind8  ,just as absurd for any   
part to claim  ,to be another1 in this  
general frame3  ,just as absurd1 to     
mourn the tasks or pains1  ,the great   
directing ,mind of ,all ordains4        
,all are but parts of one stupendous    
whole1  ,whose body ,nature is1 and ,god
 the soul2  ,that1 changed through all1 
and yet in all the same2  ,great in the 

earth1 as in the ethereal frame2  ,warms
 in the sun1 refreshes in the breeze1   
,glows in the stars1 and blossoms in the
 trees1  ,lives through all life1       
extends through all extent1  ,spreads   
undivided1 operates unspent2  ,breathes 
in our soul1 informs our mortal part1   
,as full1 as perfect1 in a hair as      
heart3  ,as full1 as perfect1 in vile   
man that mourns1  ,as the rapt seraph   
that adores and burns3  ,to him no high1
 no low1 no great1 no small2  ,he fills1
 he bounds1 connects1 and equals all4   
,x4  ,cease1 then1 nor order            
imperfection name3  ,our proper bliss   
depends on what we blame4  ,know thy own
 point3 this kind1 this due degree  ,of 
blindness1 weakness1 ,heaven bestows on 
thee4  ,submit4  ,in this1 or any other 
sphere1  ,secure to be as blest as thou 
canst bear3  ,safe in the hand of one   
disposing ,power1  ,or in the natal1 or 
the mortal hour4  ,all nature is but    
art1 unknown to thee2  ,all chance1     
direction1 which thou canst not see2    

,all discord1 harmony not understood2   
,all partial evil1 universal good3      
,and1 spite of pride in erring reason's 
spite1  ,one truth is clear1 whatever   
is1 is right4      ,,argument ,,of      
,,epistle ,,ii4      ,of the ,nature and
 ,state of ,man with respect to         
,himself1 as an ,individual4    ,i4 ,the
 business of ,man not to pry into ,god1 
but to study himself4  ,his  ,middle    
,nature2 his ,powers and ,frailties1    
v4#a to #ai4 ,the ,limits of his        
,capacity1 v4#ai1 etc4  ,,ii4 ,the two  
,principles of ,man1 ,self-love and     
,reason1 both necessary1 v4#ec1 etc4    
,self-love the stronger1 and why1 v4#fg1
  etc4  ,their end the same1 v4#ha1 etc4
  ,,iii4 ,the ,passions1 and their use1 
v4#ic to #acj4  ,the predominant        
,passion1 and its force1 v4#acb to #afj4
  ,its  ,necessity1 in directing ,men to
 different purposes1 v4#afe1 etc4  ,its 
providential ,use1 in fixing our        
,principle1 and ascertaining our        
,virtue1  v4#agg4  ,,iv4 ,virtue and    

,vice joined in our mixed ,nature2 the  
limits near1  yet the things separate   
and evident3 ,what is the ,office of    
,reason1 v4#bjb  to #baf4  ,v4 ,how     
odious ,vice in itself1 and how we      
deceive ourselves into  it1 v4#bag4     
,,vi4 ,that1 however1 the ,ends of      
,providence and general ,good  are      
answered in our ,passions and           
,imperfections1 v4#bch1 etc4  ,how      
usefully  these are distributed to all  
,orders of ,men1 v4#bda4  ,how useful   
they are  to ,society1 v4#bea4  ,and to 
the ,individuals1 v4#bfc4  ,in every    
state1 and  every age of life1 v4#bgc1  
etc4      ,,epistle ,,ii4      ,i4      
,know1 then1 thyself1 presume not ,god  
to scan2  ,the proper study of mankind  
is man4  ,placed on this isthmus of a   
middle state1  ,a being darkly wise1 and
 rudely great3  ,with too much knowledge
 for the sceptic side1  ,with too much  
weakness for the stoic's pride1  ,he    
hangs between2 in doubt to act1 or rest2
  ,in doubt to deem himself a god1 or   

beast2  ,in doubt his mind or body to   
prefer2  ,born but to die1 and reasoning
 but to err2  ,alike in ignorance1 his  
reason such1  ,whether he thinks too    
little1 or too much3  ,chaos of thought 
and passion1 all confused2  ,still by   
himself abused1 or disabused2  ,created 
half to rise1 and half to fall2  ,great 
lord of all things1 yet a prey to all2  
,sole judge of truth1 in endless error  
hurled3  ,the glory1 jest1 and riddle of
 the world6     ,go1 wondrous creature6 
mount where science guides1  ,go1       
measure earth1 weigh air1 and state the 
tides2  ,instruct the planets in what   
orbs to run1  ,correct old time1 and    
regulate the sun2  ,go1 soar with ,plato
 to th' empyreal sphere1  ,to the first 
good1 first perfect1 and first fair2    
,or tread the mazy round his followers  
trod1  ,and quitting sense call         
imitating ,god2  ,as ,eastern priests in
 giddy circles run1  ,and turn their    
heads to imitate the sun4  ,go1 teach   
,eternal ,wisdom how to rule--  ,then   

drop into thyself1 and be a fool6       
,superior beings1 when of late they saw 
,a mortal man unfold all ,nature's law1 
,admired such wisdom in an earthly shape
  ,and showed a ,newton as we show an   
ape4     ,could he1 whose rules the     
rapid comet bind1  ,describe or fix one 
movement of his mind8  ,who saw its     
fires here rise1 and there descend1     
,explain his own beginning1 or his end8 
,alas1 what wonder6 man's superior part 
,unchecked may rise1 and climb from art 
to art2  ,but when his own great work is
 but begun1  ,what reason weaves1 by    
passion is undone4   ,trace ,science1   
then1 with ,modesty thy guide2  ,first  
strip off all her equipage of pride2    
,deduct what is but vanity or dress1    
,or learning's luxury1 or idleness2  ,or
 tricks to show the stretch of human    
brain1  ,mere curious pleasure1 or      
ingenious pain2  ,expunge the whole1 or 
lop th' excrescent parts  ,of all our   
vices have created arts2  ,then see how 
little the remaining sum1  ,which served

 the past1 and must the times to come6  
,,ii4  ,two principles in human nature  
reign2  ,self-love to urge1 and reason1 
to restrain2  ,nor this a good1 nor that
 a bad we call1  ,each works its end1 to
 move or govern all  ,and to their      
proper operation still1  ,ascribe all   
good2 to their improper1 ill4           
,self-love1 the spring of motion1 acts  
the soul2  ,reason's comparing balance  
rules the whole4  ,man1 but for that1 no
 action could attend1  ,and but for     
this1 were active to no end3  ,fixed    
like a plant on his peculiar spot1  ,to 
draw nutrition1 propagate1 and rot2     
,or1 meteor-like1 flame lawless through 
the void1  ,destroying others1 by       
himself destroyed4   ,most strength the 
moving principle requires2  ,active its 
task1 it prompts1 impels1 inspires4     
,sedate and quiet the comparing lies1   
,formed but to check1 deliberate1 and   
advise4  ,self-love still stronger1 as  
its objects nigh2  ,reason's at         
distance1 and in prospect lie3  ,that   

sees immediate good by present sense2   
,reason1 the future and the consequence4
  ,thicker than arguments1 temptations  
throng4  ,at best more watchful this1   
but that more strong4  ,the action of   
the stronger to suspend1  ,reason still 
use1 to reason still attend4            
,attention1 habit and experience gains2 
,each strengthens reason1 and self-love 
restrains4   ,let subtle schoolmen teach
 these friends to fight1  ,more studious
 to divide than to unite2  ,and grace   
and virtue1 sense and reason split1     
,with all the rash dexterity of wit4    
,wits1 just like fools1 at war about a  
name1  ,have full as oft no meaning1 or 
the same4  ,self-love and reason to one 
end aspire1  ,pain their aversion1      
pleasure their desire2  ,but greedy     
that1 its object would devour1  ,this   
taste the honey1 and not wound the      
flower3  ,pleasure1 or wrong or rightly 
understood1  ,our greatest evil1 or our 
greatest good4    ,,iii4  ,modes of     
self-love the passions we may call2     

',tis real good1 or seeming1 moves them 
all3  ,but since not every good we can  
divide1  ,and reason bids us for our own
 provide2  ,passions1 though selfish1 if
 their means be fair1  ,list under      
,reason1 and deserve her care2  ,those1 
that imparted1 court a nobler aim1      
,exalt their kind1 and take some        
virtue's name4     ,in lazy apathy let  
stoics boast  ,their virtue fixed2 'tis 
fixed as in a frost2  ,contracted all1  
retiring to the breast2  ,but strength  
of mind is exercise1 not rest3  ,the    
rising tempest puts in act the soul1    
,parts it may ravage1 but preserves the 
whole4  ,on life's vast ocean diversely 
we sail1  ,reason the card1 but passion 
is the gale2  ,nor ,god alone in the    
still calm we find1  ,he mounts the     
storm1 and walks upon the wind4         
,passions1 like elements1 though born to
 fight1  ,yet1 mixed and softened1 in   
his work unite3  ,these1 'tis enough to 
temper and employ2  ,but what composes  
man1 can man destroy8  ,suffice that    

,reason keep to ,nature's road1         
,subject1 compound them1 follow her and 
,god4  ,love1 hope1 and joy1 fair       
pleasure's smiling train1  ,hate1 fear1 
and grief1 the family of pain1  ,these  
mixed with art1 and to due bounds       
confined1  ,make and maintain the       
balance of the mind2  ,the lights and   
shades1 whose well-accorded strife      
,gives all the strength and colour of   
our life4   ,pleasures are ever in our  
hands or eyes2  ,and when in act they   
cease1 in prospect rise3  ,present to   
grasp1 and future still to find1  ,the  
whole employ of body and of mind4  ,all 
spread their charms1 but charm not all  
alike2  ,on different senses different  
objects strike2  ,hence different       
passions more or less inflame1  ,as     
strong or weak1 the organs of the frame2
  ,and hence once master passion in the 
breast1  ,like ,aaron's serpent1        
swallows up the rest4     ,as man1      
perhaps1 the moment of his breath       
,receives the lurking principle of      

death2  ,the young disease that must    
subdue at length1  ,grows with his      
growth1 and strengthens with his        
strength3  ,so1 cast and mingled with   
his very frame1  ,the mind's disease1   
its ruling passion came2  ,each vital   
humour which should feed the whole1     
,soon flows to this1 in body and in     
soul3  ,whatever warms the heart1 or    
fills the head1  ,as the mind opens1 and
 its functions spread1  ,imagination    
plies her dangerous art1  ,and pours it 
all upon the peccant part4     ,nature  
its mother1 habit is its nurse2  ,wit1  
spirit1 faculties1 but make it worse2   
,reason itself but gives it edge and    
power2  ,as ,heaven's blest beam turns  
vinegar more sour4     ,we1 wretched    
subjects1 though to lawful sway1  ,in   
this weak queen some favourite still    
obey3  ,ah6 if she lend not arms1 as    
well as rules1  ,what can she more than 
tell us we are fools8  ,teach us to     
mourn our nature1 not to mend1  ,a sharp
 accuser1 but a helpless friend6  ,or   

from a judge turn pleader1 to persuade  
,the choice we make1 or justify it made2
  ,proud of an easy conquest all along1 
,she but removes weak passions for the  
strong2  ,so1 when small humours gather 
to a gout1  ,the doctor fancies he has  
driven them out4     ,yes1 ,nature's    
road must ever be preferred2  ,reason is
 here no guide1 but still a guard3      
',tis hers to rectify1 not overthrow1   
,and treat this passion more as friend  
than foe3  ,a mightier power the strong 
direction sends1  ,and several men      
impels to several ends3  ,like varying  
winds1 by other passions tossed1  ,this 
drives them constant to a certain coast4
  ,let power or knowledge1 gold or      
glory1 please1  ,or 7oft more strong    
than all7 the love of ease2  ,through   
life 'tis followed1 even at life's      
expense2  ,the merchant's toil1 the     
sage's indolence1  ,the monk's humility1
 the hero's pride1  ,all1 all alike1    
find reason on their side4     ,the     
eternal art1 educing good from ill1     

,grafts on this passion our best        
principle3  ',tis thus the mercury of   
man is fixed1  ,strong grows the virtue 
with his nature mixed2  ,the dross      
cements what else were too refined1     
,and in one interest body acts with     
mind4     ,as fruits1 ungrateful to the 
planter's care1  ,on savage stocks      
inserted1 learn to bear2  ,the surest   
virtues thus from passions shoot1  ,wild
 nature's vigour working at the root4   
,what crops of wit and honesty appear   
,from spleen1 from obstinacy1 hate1 or  
fear6  ,see anger1 zeal and fortitude   
supply2  ,even avarice1 prudence2 sloth1
 philosophy2  ,lust1 through some       
certain strainers well refined1  ,is    
gentle love1 and charms all womankind2  
,envy1 to which th' ignoble mind's a    
slave1  ,is emulation in the learned or 
brave2  ,nor virtue1 male or female1 can
 we name1  ,but what will grow on pride1
 or grow on shame4     ,thus ,nature    
gives us 7let it check our pride7  ,the 
virtue nearest to our vice allied3      

,reason the bias turns to good from ill 
,and ,nero reigns a ,titus1 if he will4 
,the fiery soul abhorred in ,catiline1  
,in ,decius charms1 in ,curtius is      
divine3  ,the same ambition can destroy 
or save1  ,and makes a patriot as it    
makes a knave4     ,this light and      
darkness in our chaos joined1  ,what    
shall divide8  ,the ,god within the     
mind4     ,extremes in nature equal ends
 produce1  ,in man they join to some    
mysterious use2  ,though each by turns  
the other's bound invade1  ,as1 in some 
well-wrought picture1 light and shade1  
,and oft so mix1 the difference is too  
nice  ,where ends the virtue or begins  
the vice4     ,fools6 who from hence    
into the notion fall1  ,that vice or    
virtue there is none at all4  ,if white 
and black blend1 soften1 and unite  ,a  
thousand ways1 is there no black or     
white8  ,ask your own heart1 and nothing
 is so plain2  ',tis to mistake them1   
costs the time and pain4     ,vice is a 
monster of so frightful mien1  ,as1 to  

be hated1 needs but to be seen2  ,yet   
seen too oft1 familiar with her face1   
,we first endure1 then pity1 then       
embrace4  ,but where th' extreme of     
vice1 was ne'er agreed3  ,ask where's   
the north8 at ,york1 'tis on the ,tweed2
  ,in ,scotland1 at the ,orcades2 and   
there1  ,at ,greenland1 ,zembla1 or the 
,lord knows where4  ,no creature owns it
 in the first degree1  ,but thinks his  
neighbour farther gone than he2  ,even  
those who dwell beneath its very zone1  
,or never feel the rage1 or never own2  
,what happier nations shrink at with    
affright1  ,the hard inhabitant contends
 is right4     ,virtuous and vicious    
every man must be1  ,few in th' extreme1
 but all in the degree1  ,the rogue and 
fool by fits is fair and wise2  ,and    
even the best1 by fits1 what they       
despise4  ',tis but by parts we follow  
good or ill2  ,for1 vice or virtue1 self
 directs it still2  ,each individual    
seeks a several goal2  ,but ,heaven's   
great view is one1 and that the whole4  

,that counter-works each folly and      
caprice2  ,that disappoints th' effect  
of every vice2  ,that1 happy frailties  
to all ranks applied1  ,shame to the    
virgin1 to the matron pride1  ,fear to  
the statesman1 rashness to the chief1   
,to kings presumption1 and to crowds    
belief3  ,that1 virtue's ends from      
vanity can raise1  ,which seeks no      
interest1 no reward but praise2  ,and   
build on wants1 and on defects of mind1 
,the joy1 the peace1 the glory of       
mankind4     ,heaven forming each on    
other to depend1  ,a master1 or a       
servant1 or a friend1  ,bids each on    
other for assistance call1  ,till one   
man's weakness grows the strength of    
all4  ,wants1 frailties1 passions1      
closer still ally  ,the common interest1
 or endear the tie4  ,to these we owe   
true friendship1 love sincere1  ,each   
home-felt joy that life inherits here2  
,yet from the same we learn1 in its     
decline1  ,those joys1 those loves1     
those interests to resign2  ,taught half

 by reason1 half by mere decay1  ,to    
welcome death1 and calmly pass away4    
,whate'er the passion1 knowledge1 fame1 
or pelf1  ,not one will change his      
neighbour with himself4  ,the learned is
 happy nature to explore1  ,the fool is 
happy that he knows no more2  ,the rich 
is happy in the plenty given1  ,the poor
 contents him with the care of ,heaven4 
,see the blind beggar dance1 the cripple
 sing1  ,the sot a hero1 lunatic a king2
  ,the starving chemist in his golden   
views  ,supremely blest1 the poet in his
 muse4     ,see some strange comfort    
every state attend1  ,and pride bestowed
 on all1 a common friend2  ,see some fit
 passion every age supply1  ,hope       
travels through1 nor quits us when we   
die4     ,behold the child1 by ,nature's
 kindly law1  ,pleased with a rattle1   
tickled with a straw3  ,some livelier   
plaything gives his youth delight1  ,a  
little louder1 but as empty quite3      
,scarves1 garters1 gold1 amuse his riper
 stage1  ,and beads and prayer-books are

 the toys of age3  ,pleased with this   
bauble still1 as that before2  ,till    
tired he sleeps1 and life's poor play is
 o'er4     ,meanwhile opinion gilds with
 varying rays  ,those painted clouds    
that beautify our days2  ,each want of  
happiness by hope supplied1  ,and each  
vacuity of sense by pride3  ,these build
 as fast as knowledge can destroy2  ,in 
folly's cup still laughs the bubble1    
joy2  ,one prospect lost1 another still 
we gain2  ,and not a vanity is given in 
vain2  ,even mean self-love becomes1 by 
force divine1  ,the scale to measure    
others' wants by thine4  ,see6 and      
confess1 one comfort still must rise1   
',tis this1 though man's a fool1 yet    
,god is wise4      ,,argument ,,of      
,,epistle ,,iii4      ,of the ,nature   
and ,state of ,man with respect to      
,society4    ,i4 ,the whole ,universe   
one system of ,society1 v4#g1 etc4      
,nothing made  wholly for itself1 nor   
yet wholly for another1 v4#bg4  ,the    
happiness of  ,animals mutual1 v4#di4   

,,ii4 ,reason or ,instinct operate alike
 to the good  of each ,individual1      
v4#gi4  ,reason or ,instinct operate    
also to ,society1 in  all ,animals1     
v4#aji4  ,,iii4 ,how far ,society       
carried by ,instinct1 v4#aae4  ,how     
much farther by ,reason1 v4#abh4  ,,iv4 
,of that which is called the ,state of  
,nature1 v4#add4  ,reason instructed by 
,instinct in the invention of ,arts1    
v4#aff1 and in the ,forms of ,society1  
v4#agf4  ,v4 ,origin of ,political      
,societies1 v4#aif4  ,origin of         
,monarchy1 v4#bjg4  ,patriarchal        
,government1  v4#bab4  ,,vi4 ,origin of 
true ,religion and ,government1 from the
 same  principle1 of ,love1 v4#bca1 etc4
  ,origin of ,superstition and ,tyranny1
 from  the same principle1 of ,fear1    
v4#bcg1 etc4  ,the ,influence of        
,self-love  operating to the social and 
public ,good1 v4#bff4  ,restoration of  
true  ,religion and ,government on their
 first principle1 v4#bhe4  ,mixed       
,government1 v4#bhh4  ,various forms of 

each1 and the true end of all1  v4#cjj1 
etc4      ,,epistle ,,iii4      ,here1  
then1 we rest3 ,the ,universal ,cause   
,acts to one end1 but acts by various   
laws4  ,in all the madness of           
superfluous health1  ,the trim of pride1
 the impudence of wealth1  ,let this    
great truth be present night and day2   
,but most be present1 if we preach or   
pray4     ,look round our world2 behold 
the chain of love  ,combining all below 
and all above4  ,see plastic ,nature    
working to this end1  ,the single atoms 
each to other tend1  ,attract1 attracted
 to1 the next in place  ,formed and     
impelled its neighbour to embrace4  ,see
 matter next1 with various life endued1 
,press to one centre still1 the general 
good4  ,see dying vegetables life       
sustain1  ,see life dissolving vegetate 
again3  ,all forms that perish other    
forms supply  7,by turns we catch the   
vital breath1 and die71  ,like bubbles  
on the sea of matter borne1  ,they rise1
 they break1 and to that sea return4    

,nothing is foreign3 parts relate to    
whole2  ,one all-extending1             
all-preserving soul  ,connects each     
being1 greatest with the least2  ,made  
beast in aid of man1 and man of beast2  
,all served1 all serving3 nothing stands
 alone2  ,the chain holds on1 and where 
it ends1 unknown4     ,has ,god1 thou   
fool6 worked solely for thy ,thy good1  
,thy joy1 thy pastime1 thy attire1 thy  
food8  ,who for thy table feeds the     
wanton fawn1  ,for him as kindly spread 
the flowery lawn3  ,is it for thee the  
lark ascends and sings8  ,joy tunes his 
voice1 joy elevates his wings4  ,is it  
for thee the linnet pours his throat8   
,loves of his own and raptures swell the
 note4  ,the bounding steed you         
pompously bestride1  ,shares with his   
lord the pleasure and the pride4  ,is   
thine alone the seed that strews the    
plain8  ,the birds of heaven shall      
vindicate their grain4  ,thine the full 
harvest of the golden year8  ,part pays1
 and justly1 the deserving steer3  ,the 

hog1 that ploughs not nor obeys thy     
call1  ,lives on the labours of this    
lord of all4     ,know1 ,nature's       
children all divide her care2  ,the fur 
that warms a monarch1 warmed a bear4    
,while man exclaims1 ,see all things for
 my use6  ,see man for mine6 replies a  
pampered goose3  ,and just as short of  
reason he must fall1  ,who thinks all   
made for one1 not one for all4          
,grant that the powerful still the weak 
control2  ,be man the wit and tyrant of 
the whole3  ,nature that tyrant checks2 
he only knows1  ,and helps1 another     
creature's wants and woes4  ,say1 will  
the falcon1 stooping from above1  ,smit 
with her varying plumage1 spare the     
dove8  ,admires the jay the insect's    
gilded wings8  ,or hears the hawk when  
,philomela sings8  ,man cares for all3  
to birds he gives his woods1  ,to beasts
 his pastures1 and to fish his floods2  
,for some his interest prompts him to   
provide1  ,for more his pleasure1 yet   
for more his pride3  ,all feed on one   

vain patron1 and enjoy  ,the extensive  
blessing of his luxury4  ,that very life
 his learned hunger craves1  ,he saves  
from famine1 from the savage saves2     
,nay1 feasts the animal he dooms his    
feast1  ,and1 till he ends the being1   
makes it blest2  ,which sees no more the
 stroke1 or feels the pain1  ,than      
favoured man by touch ethereal slain4   
,the creature had his feast of life     
before2  ,thou too must perish when thy 
feast is o'er6     ,to each unthinking  
being1 ,heaven1 a friend1  ,gives not   
the useless knowledge of its end3  ,to  
man imparts it2 but with such a view    
,as1 while he dreads it1 makes him hope 
it too2  ,the hour concealed1 and so    
remote the fear1  ,death still draws    
nearer1 never seeming near4  ,great     
standing miracle6 that ,heaven assigned 
,its only thinking thing this turn of   
mind4    ,,ii4  ,whether with reason1 or
 with instinct blest1  ,know1 all enjoy 
that power which suits them best2  ,to  
bliss alike by that direction tend1     

,and find the means proportioned to     
their end4  ,say1 where full instinct is
 the unerring guide1  ,what pope or     
council can they need beside8  ,reason1 
however able1 cool at best1  ,cares not 
for service1 or but serves when pressed1
  ,stays till we call1 and then not     
often near2  ,but honest instinct comes 
a volunteer1  ,sure never to o'er-shoot1
 but just to hit2  ,while still too wide
 or short is human wit2  ,sure by quick 
nature happiness to gain1  ,which       
heavier reason labours at in vain1      
,this too serves always1 reason never   
long2  ,one must go right1 the other may
 go wrong4  ,see then the acting and    
comparing powers  ,one in their nature1 
which are two in ours2  ,and reason     
raise o'er instinct as you can1  ,in    
this 'tis ,god directs1 in that 'tis    
man4     ,who taught the nations of the 
field and wood  ,to shun their poison1  
and to choose their food8  ,prescient1  
the tides or tempests to withstand1     
,build on the wave1 or arch beneath the 

sand8  ,who made the spider parallels   
design1  ,sure as ,demoivre1 without    
rule or line8  ,who did the stork1      
,columbus-like1 explore  ,heavens not   
his own1 and worlds unknown before8     
,who calls the council1 states the      
certain day1  ,who forms the phalanx1   
and who points the way8    ,,iii4  ,god 
in the nature of each being founds  ,its
 proper bliss1 and sets its proper      
bounds3  ,but as ,he framed a whole1 the
 whole to bless1  ,on mutual wants built
 mutual happiness3  ,so from the first1 
eternal order ran1  ,and creature linked
 to creature1 man to man4  ,whate'er of 
life all-quickening ether keeps1  ,or   
breathes through air1 or shoots beneath 
the deeps1  ,or pours profuse on earth1 
one nature feeds  ,the vital flame1 and 
swells the genial seeds4  ,not man      
alone1 but all that roam the wood1  ,or 
wing the sky1 or roll along the flood1  
,each loves itself1 but not itself      
alone1  ,each sex desires alike1 till   
two are one4  ,nor ends the pleasure    

with the fierce embrace2  ,they love    
themselves1 a third time1 in their race4
  ,thus beast and bird their common     
charge attend1  ,the mothers nurse it1  
and the sires defend2  ,the young       
dismissed to wander earth or air1       
,there stops the instinct1 and there    
ends the care2  ,the link dissolves1    
each seeks a fresh embrace1  ,another   
love succeeds1 another race4  ,a longer 
care man's helpless kind demands2  ,that
 longer care contracts more lasting     
bands3  ,reflection1 reason1 still the  
ties improve1  ,at once extend the      
interest and the love2  ,with choice we 
fix1 with sympathy we burn2  ,each      
virtue in each passion takes its turn2  
,and still new needs1 new helps1 new    
habits rise4  ,that graft benevolence on
 charities4  ,still as one brood1 and as
 another rose1  ,these natural love     
maintained1 habitual those4  ,the last1 
scarce ripened into perfect man1  ,saw  
helpless him from whom their life began3
  ,memory and forecast just returns     

engage1  ,that pointed back to youth1   
this on to age2  ,while pleasure1       
gratitude1 and hope combined1  ,still   
spread the interest1 and preserved the  
kind4    ,,iv4  ,nor think1 in ,nature's
 state they blindly trod2  ,the state of
 nature was the reign of ,god3          
,self-love and social at her birth      
began1  ,union the bond of all things1  
and of man4  ,pride then was not2 nor   
arts1 that pride to aid2  ,man walked   
with beast1 joint tenant of the shade2  
,the same his table1 and the same his   
bed2  ,no murder clothed him1 and no    
murder fed4  ,in the same temple1 the   
resounding wood1  ,all vocal beings     
hymned their equal ,god3  ,the shrine   
with gore unstained1 with gold          
undressed1  ,unbribed1 unbloody1 stood  
the blameless priest3  ,heaven's        
attribute was universal care1  ,and     
man's prerogative to rule1 but spare4   
,ah6 how unlike the man of times to     
come6  ,of half that live the butcher   
and the tomb2  ,who1 foe to nature1     

hears the general groan1  ,murders their
 species1 and betrays his own4  ,but    
just disease to luxury succeeds1  ,and  
every death its own avenger breeds2     
,the fury-passions from that blood      
began1  ,and turned on man a fiercer    
savage1 man4     ,see him from ,nature  
rising slow to art6  ,to copy instinct  
then was reason's part2  ,thus then to  
man the voice of ,nature spake--  ,go1  
from the creatures thy instructions     
take3  ,learn from the birds what food  
the thickets yield2  ,learn from the    
beasts the physic of the field2  ,thy   
arts of building from the bee receive2  
,learn of the mole to plough1 the worm  
to weave2  ,learn of the little nautilus
 to sail1  ,spread the thin oar1 and    
catch the driving gale4  ,here too all  
forms of social union find1  ,and hence 
let reason1 late1 instruct mankind3     
,here subterranean works and cities see2
  ,there towns aerial on the waving     
tree4  ,learn each small people's       
genius1 policies1  ,the ant's republic1 

and the realm of bees2  ,how those in   
common all their wealth bestow1  ,and   
anarchy without confusion know2  ,and   
these for ever1 though a monarch reign1 
,their separate cells and properties    
maintain4  ,mark what unvaried laws     
preserve each state1  ,laws wise as     
nature1 and as fixed as fate4  ,in vain 
thy reason finer webs shall draw1       
,entangle justice in her net of law1    
,and right1 too rigid1 harden into      
wrong2  ,still for the strong too weak1 
the weak too strong4  ,yet go6 and thus 
o'er all the creatures sway1  ,thus let 
the wiser make the rest obey2  ,and1 for
 those arts mere instinct could afford1 
,be crowned as monarchs1 or as gods     
adored4    ,v4  ,great ,nature spoke2   
observant men obeyed2  ,cities were     
built1 societies were made3  ,here rose 
one little state3 another near  ,grew by
 like means1 and joined1 through love or
 fear4  ,did here the trees with ruddier
 burdens bend1  ,and there the streams  
in purer rills descend8  ,what war could

 ravish1 commerce could bestow1  ,and he
 returned a friend1 who came a foe4     
,converse and love mankind might        
strongly draw1  ,when love was liberty1 
and ,nature law4  ,thus ,states were    
formed2 the name of king unknown1       
',till common interest placed the sway  
in one4  ',twas virtue only 7or in arts 
or arms1  ,diffusing blessings1 or      
averting harms7  ,the same which in a   
sire the sons obeyed1  ,a prince the    
father of a people made4    ,,vi4  ,till
 then1 by ,nature crowned1 each         
patriarch sate1  ,king1 priest1 and     
parent of his growing state2  ,on him1  
their second providence1 they hung1     
,their law his eye1 their oracle his    
tongue4  ,he from the wondering furrow  
called the food1  ,taught to command the
 fire1 control the flood1  ,draw forth  
the monsters of the abyss profound1  ,or
 fetch the aerial eagle to the ground4  
,till drooping1 sickening1 dying they   
began  ,whom they revered as ,god to    
mourn as man3  ,then1 looking up1 from  

sire to sire1 explored  ,one great first
 ,father1 and that first adored4  ,or   
plain tradition that this all begun1    
,conveyed unbroken faith from sire to   
son2  ,the worker from the work distinct
 was known1  ,and simple reason never   
sought but one3  ,ere wit oblique had   
broke that steady light1  ,man1 like his
 ,maker1 saw that all was right2  ,to   
virtue1 in the paths of pleasure1 trod1 
,and owned a ,father when he owned a    
,god4  ,love all the faith1 and all the 
allegiance then2  ,for ,nature knew no  
right divine in men1  ,no ill could fear
 in ,god2 and understood  ,a sovereign  
being but a sovereign good4  ,true      
faith1 true policy1 united ran1  ,this  
was but love of ,god1 and this of man4  
,who first taught souls enslaved1 and   
realms undone1  ,the enormous faith of  
many made for one2  ,that proud         
exception to all ,nature's laws1  ,to   
invert the world1 and counter-work its  
cause8  ,force first made conquest1 and 
that conquest1 law2  ,till superstition 

taught the tyrant awe1  ,then shared the
 tyranny1 then lent it aid1  ,and gods  
of conquerors1 slaves of subjects made3 
,she1 'midst the lightning's blaze1 and 
thunder's sound1  ,when rocked the      
mountains1 and when groaned the ground1 
,she taught the weak to bend1 the proud 
to pray1  ,to power unseen1 and mightier
 far than they3  ,she1 from the rending 
earth and bursting skies1  ,saw gods    
descend1 and fiends infernal rise3      
,here fixed the dreadful1 there the     
blest abodes2  ,fear made her devils1   
and weak hope her gods2  ,gods partial1 
changeful1 passionate1 unjust1  ,whose  
attributes were rage1 revenge1 or lust2 
,such as the souls of cowards might     
conceive1  ,and1 formed like tyrants1   
tyrants would believe4  ,zeal then1 not 
charity1 became the guide2  ,and hell   
was built on spite1 and heaven on pride1
  ,then sacred seemed the ethereal vault
 no more2  ,altars grew marble then1 and
 reeked with gore2  ,then first the     
flamen tasted living food2  ,next his   

grim idol smeared with human blood2     
,with heaven's own thunders shook the   
world below1  ,and played the god an    
engine on his foe4     ,so drives       
self-love1 through just and through     
unjust1  ,to one man's power1 ambition1 
lucre1 lust3  ,the same self-love1 in   
all1 becomes the cause  ,of what        
restrains him1 government and laws4     
,for1 what one likes if others like as  
well1  ,what serves one will when many  
wills rebel8  ,how shall he keep1 what1 
sleeping or awake1  ,a weaker may       
surprise1 a stronger take8  ,his safety 
must his liberty restrain3  ,all join to
 guard what each desires to gain4       
,forced into virtue thus by             
self-defence1  ,even kings learned      
justice and benevolence3  ,self-love    
forsook the path it first pursued1  ,and
 found the private in the public good4  
',twas then1 the studious head or       
generous mind1  ,follower of ,god1 or   
friend of human-kind1  ,poet or patriot1
 rose but to restore  ,the faith and    

moral ,nature gave before2  ,re-lumed   
her ancient light1 not kindled new2  ,if
 not ,god's image1 yet ,his shadow drew3
  ,taught power's due use to people and 
to kings1  ,taught nor to slack1 nor    
strain its tender strings1  ,the less1  
or greater1 set so justly true1  ,that  
touching one must strike the other too2 
,till jarring interests1 of themselves  
create  ,the according music of a       
well-mixed state4  ,such is the world's 
great harmony1 that springs  ,from      
order1 union1 full consent of things3   
,where small and great1 where weak and  
mighty1 made  ,to serve1 not suffer1    
strengthen1 not invade2  ,more powerful 
each as needful to the rest1  ,and1 in  
proportion as it blesses1 blest2  ,draw 
to one point1 and to one centre bring   
,beast1 man1 or angel1 servant1 lord1 or
 king4     ,for forms of government let 
fools contest2  ,whate'er is best       
administered is best3  ,for modes of    
faith let graceless zealots fight2  ,his
 can't be wrong whose life is in the    

right3  ,in faith and hope the world    
will disagree1  ,but all mankind's      
concern is charity3  ,all must be false 
that thwart this one great end2  ,and   
all of ,god1 that bless mankind or mend4
     ,man1 like the generous vine1      
supported lives2  ,the strength he gains
 is from the embrace he gives4  ,on     
their own axis as the planets run1  ,yet
 make at once their circle round the    
sun2  ,so two consistent motions act the
 soul2  ,and one regards itself1 and one
 the whole4     ,thus ,god and ,nature  
linked the general frame1  ,and bade    
self-love and social be the same4       
,,argument ,,of ,,epistle ,,iv4      ,of
 the ,nature and ,state of ,man with    
respect to ,happiness4    ,i4 ,false    
,notions of ,happiness1 ,philosophical  
and ,popular1 answered from  v4#ai to   
#gg4  ,,ii4 ,it is the ,end of all ,men1
 and attainable by all1 v4#cj4  ,god    
intends ,happiness to be equal2 and to  
be so1 it must be social1 since  all    
particular ,happiness depends on        

general1 and since ,he governs by       
general1 not particular ,laws1 v4#cg4   
,as it is necessary for ,order1 and  the
 peace and welfare of ,society1 that    
external goods should be unequal1       
,happiness is not made to consist in    
these1 v4#ea4  ,but1 notwithstanding    
that inequality1 the balance of         
,happiness among ,mankind is kept even  
by  ,providence1 by the two ,passions of
 ,hope and ,fear1 v4#gj4  ,,iii4 ,what  
the  ,happiness of ,individuals is1 as  
far as is consistent with the           
constitution of this world2 and that the
 good ,man has here the advantage1      
,v4#gg4  ,the error of imputing to      
,virtue what are only the calamities of 
,nature or of ,fortune1 v4#id4  ,,iv4   
,the folly of expecting that ,god should
  alter ,his general ,laws in favour of 
particulars1 v4#aba4  ,v4 ,that we are  
not judges who are good2 but that1      
whoever they are1 they must be          
happiest1 v4#acc1 etc4  ,,vi4 ,that     
external goods are not the proper       

rewards1 but often inconsistent with1 or
 destructive of ,virtue1 v4#afe4  ,that 
even these can make no ,man happy       
without ,virtue3 ,instanced in  ,riches1
 v4#ahc4  ,honours1 v4#aia4  ,nobility1 
v4#bjc4  ,greatness1 v4#bae4  ,fame1    
v4#bce4  ,superior ,talents1 v4#beg1    
etc4  ,with pictures of human           
,infelicity in ,men possessed of them   
all1 v4#bfg1 etc4  ,,vii4 ,that ,virtue 
only constitutes a ,happiness1 whose    
object is universal1 and whose  prospect
 eternal1 v4#cjg1 etc4  ,that the       
perfection of ,virtue and  ,happiness   
consists in a conformity to the ,order  
of ,providence here1 and a  ,resignation
 to it here and hereafter1 v4#cbf1 etc4 
,,epistle ,,iv4      ,oh1 happiness1 our
 being's end and aim6  ,good1 pleasure1 
ease1 content6 whate'er thy name3  ,that
 something still which prompts the      
eternal sigh1  ,for which we bear to    
live1 or dare to die1  ,which still so  
near us1 yet beyond us lies1            
,o'erlooked1 seen double1 by the fool1  

and wise4  ,plant of celestial seed6 if 
dropped below1  ,say1 in what mortal    
soil thou deign'st to grow8  ,fair      
opening to some ,court's propitious     
shine1  ,or deep with diamonds in the   
flaming mine8  ,twined with the wreaths 
,parnassian laurels yield1  ,or reaped  
in iron harvests of the field8  ,where  
grows8--where grows it not8  ,if vain   
our toil1  ,we ought to blame the       
culture1 not the soil3  ,fixed to no    
spot is happiness sincere1  ',tis       
nowhere to be found1 or everywhere2     
',tis never to be bought1 but always    
free1  ,and fled from monarchs1 ,st4    
,john6 dwells with thee4     ,ask of the
 learned the way8  ,the learned are     
blind2  ,this bids to serve1 and that to
 shun mankind2  ,some place the bliss in
 action1 some in ease1  ,those call it  
pleasure1 and contentment these2  ,some1
 sunk to beasts1 find pleasure end in   
pain2  ,some1 swelled to gods1 confess  
even virtue vain2  ,or indolent1 to each
 extreme they fall1  ,to trust in       

everything1 or doubt of all4     ,who   
thus define it1 say they more or less   
,than this1 that happiness is happiness8
     ,take ,nature's path1 and mad      
opinions leave2  ,all states can reach  
it1 and all heads conceive2  ,obvious   
her goods1 in no extreme they dwell2    
,there needs but thinking right1 and    
meaning well2  ,and mourn our various   
portions as we please1  ,equal is common
 sense1 and common ease4     ,remember1 
man1 the ,universal ,cause  ,acts not by
 partial1 but by general laws2  ,and    
makes what happiness we justly call     
,subsist not in the good of one1 but    
all4  ,there's not a blessing           
individuals find1  ,but some way leans  
and hearkens to the kind3  ,no bandit   
fierce1 no tyrant mad with pride1  ,no  
caverned hermit1 rests self-satisfied3  
,who most to shun or hate mankind       
pretend1  ,seek an admirer1 or would fix
 a friend3  ,abstract what others feel1 
what others think1  ,all pleasures      
sicken1 and all glories sink3  ,each has

 his share2 and who would more obtain1  
,shall find1 the pleasure pays not half 
the pain4     ,order is ,heaven's first 
law2 and this confest1  ,some are1 and  
must be1 greater than the rest1  ,more  
rich1 more wise2 but who infers from    
hence  ,that such are happier1 shocks   
all common sense4  ,heaven to mankind   
impartial we confess1  ,if all are equal
 in their happiness3  ,but mutual wants 
this happiness increase2  ,all ,nature's
 difference keeps all ,nature's peace4  
,condition1 circumstance is not the     
thing2  ,bliss is the same in subject or
 in king1  ,in who obtain defence1 or   
who defend1  ,in him who is1 or him who 
finds a friend3  ,heaven breathes       
through every member of the whole  ,one 
common blessing1 as one common soul4    
,but fortune's gifts if each alike      
possessed1  ,and each were equal1 must  
not all contest8  ,if then to all men   
happiness was meant1  ,god in externals 
could not place content4     ,fortune   
her gifts may variously dispose1  ,and  

these be happy called1 unhappy those2   
,but ,heaven's just balance equal will  
appear1  ,while those are placed in     
hope1 and these in fear3  ,nor present  
good or ill1 the joy or curse1  ,but    
future views of better or of worse1     
,oh1 sons of earth6 attempt ye still to 
rise1  ,by mountains piled on mountains1
 to the skies1  ,heaven still with      
laughter the vain toil surveys1  ,and   
buries madmen in the heaps they raise4  
,know1 all the good that individuals    
find1  ,or ,god and ,nature meant to    
mere mankind1  ,reason's whole pleasure1
 all the joys of sense1  ,lie in three  
words1 health1 peace1 and competence4   
,but health consists with temperance    
alone2  ,and peace1 oh1 virtue6 peace is
 all thy own4  ,the good or bad the     
gifts of fortune gain2  ,but these less 
taste them1 as they worse obtain4  ,say1
 in pursuit of profit or delight1  ,who 
risk the most1 that take wrong means1 or
 right2  ,of vice or virtue1 whether    
blessed or cursed1  ,which meets        

contempt1 or which compassion first8    
,count all the advantage prosperous vice
 attains1  ',tis but what virtue flies  
from and disdains3  ,and grant the bad  
what happiness they would1  ,one they   
must want1 which is1 to pass for good4  
,oh1 blind to truth1 and ,god's whole   
scheme below1  ,who fancy bliss to vice1
 to virtue woe6  ,who sees and follows  
that great scheme the best1  ,best knows
 the blessing1 and will most be blest4  
,but fools the good alone unhappy call1 
,for ills or accidents that chance to   
all4  ,see ,falkland dies1 the virtuous 
and the just6  ,see god-like ,turenne   
prostrate on the dust6  ,see ,sidney    
bleeds amid the martial strife6  ,was   
this their virtue1 or contempt of life8 
,say1 was it virtue1 more though ,heaven
 ne'er gave1  ,lamented ,digby6 sunk    
thee to the grave8  ,tell me1 if virtue 
made the son expire1  ,why1 full of days
 and honour1 lives the sire8  ,why drew 
,marseilles' good bishop purer breath1  
,when ,nature sickened1 and each gale   

was death8  ,or why so long 7in life if 
long can be7  ,lent ,heaven a parent to 
the poor and me8     ,what makes all    
physical or moral ill8  ,there deviates 
,nature1 and here wanders will4  ,god   
sends not ill2 if rightly understood1   
,or partial ill is universal good1  ,or 
change admits1 or ,nature lets it fall2 
,short1 and but rare1 till man improved 
it all4  ,we just as wisely might of    
,heaven complain  ,that righteous ,abel 
was destroyed by ,cain1  ,as that the   
virtuous son is ill at ease  ,when his  
lewd father gave the dire disease4      
,think we1 like some weak prince1 the   
,eternal ,cause  ,prone for ,his        
favourites to reverse ,his laws8        
,shall burning ,etna1 if a sage         
requires1  ,forget to thunder1 and      
recall her fires8  ,on air or sea new   
motions be imprest1  ,oh1 blameless     
,bethel6 to relieve thy breast8  ,when  
the loose mountain trembles from on     
high1  ,shall gravitation cease1 if you 
go by8  ,or some old temple1 nodding to 

its fall1  ,for ,chartres' head reserve 
the hanging wall8     ,but still this   
world 7so fitted for the knave7         
,contents us not4  ,a better shall we   
have8  ,a kingdom of the just then let  
it be3  ,but first consider how those   
just agree4  ,the good must merit ,god's
 peculiar care3  ,but who1 but ,god1 can
 tell us who they are8  ,one thinks on  
,calvin ,heaven's own spirit fell2      
,another deems him instrument of hell2  
,if ,calvin feel ,heaven's blessing1 or 
its rod4  ,this cries there is1 and     
that1 there is no ,god4  ,what shocks   
one part will edify the rest1  ,nor with
 one system can they all be blest4  ,the
 very best will variously incline1  ,and
 what rewards your virtue1 punish mine4 
,whatever is1 is right4  ,this world1   
'tis true1  ,was made for ,caesar--but  
for ,titus too3  ,and which more blest8 
who chained his country1 say1  ,or he   
whose virtue sighed to lose a day8      
,but sometimes virtue starves1 while    
vice is fed4  ,what then8  ,is the      

reward of virtue bread8  ,that1 vice may
 merit1 'tis the price of toil2  ,the   
knave deserves it1 when he tills the    
soil1  ,the knave deserves it1 when he  
tempts the main1  ,where folly fights   
for kings1 or dives for gain4  ,the good
 man may be weak1 be indolent2  ,nor is 
his claim to plenty1 but content4  ,but 
grant him riches1 your demand is o'er8  
,no--shall the good want health1 the    
good want power8  ,add health1 and      
power1 and every earthly thing1  ,why   
bounded power8 why private8 why no king8
  ,nay1 why external for internal given8
  ,why is not man a god1 and earth a    
heaven8  ,who ask and reason thus1 will 
scarce conceive  ,god gives enough1     
while ,he has more to give3  ,immense   
the power1 immense were the demand2     
,say1 at what part of nature will they  
stand8     ,what nothing earthly gives1 
or can destroy1  ,the soul's calm       
sunshine1 and the heartfelt joy1  ,is   
virtue's prize3 ,a better would you fix8
  ,then give humility a coach and six1  

,justice a conqueror's sword1 or truth a
 gown1  ,or public spirit its great     
cure1 a crown4  ,weak1 foolish man6 will
 heaven reward us there  ,with the same 
trash mad mortals wish for here8  ,the  
boy and man an individual makes1  ,yet  
sighest thou now for apples and for     
cakes8  ,go1 like the ,indian1 in       
another life  ,expect thy dog1 thy      
bottle1 and thy wife3  ,as well as dream
 such trifles are assigned1  ,as toys   
and empires1 for a ,god-like mind4      
,rewards1 that either would to virtue   
bring  ,no joy1 or be destructive of the
 thing3  ,how oft by these at sixty are 
undone  ,the virtues of a saint at      
twenty-one6  ,to whom can riches give   
repute or trust1  ,content1 or pleasure1
 but the good and just8  ,judges and    
senates have been bought for gold1      
,esteem and love were never to be sold4 
,oh1 fool6 to think ,god hates the      
worthy mind1  ,the lover and the love of
 human kind1  ,whose life is healthful1 
and whose conscience clear1  ,because he

 wants a thousand pounds a year4        
,honour and shame from no condition     
rise2  ,act well your part1 there all   
the honour lies4  ,fortune in men has   
some small difference made1  ,one       
flaunts in rags1 one flutters in        
brocade2  ,the cobbler aproned1 and the 
parson gowned1  ,the friar hooded1 and  
the monarch crowned1  ,what differ more 
7you cry7 than crown and cowl8  ,i'll   
tell you1 friend6 a wise man and a fool4
  ,you'll find1 if once the monarch acts
 the monk1  ,or1 cobbler-like1 the      
parson will be drunk1  ,worth makes the 
man1 and want of it1 the fellow2  ,the  
rest is all but leather or prunella4    
,stuck o'er with titles and hung round  
with strings1  ,that thou mayest be by  
kings1 or wh999999s of kings4  ,boast   
the pure blood of an illustrious race1  
,in quiet flow from ,lucrece to         
,lucrece2  ,but by your fathers' worth  
if yours you rate1  ,count me those only
 who were good and great4  ,go6 if your 
ancient1 but ignoble blood  ,has crept  

through scoundrels ever since the flood1
  ,go6 and pretend your family is young2
  ,nor own1 your fathers have been fools
 so long4  ,what can ennoble sots1 or   
slaves1 or cowards8  ,alas6 not all the 
blood of all the ,howards4     ,look    
next on greatness2 say where greatness  
lies8  ,where1 but among the heroes and 
the wise8  ,heroes are much the same1   
the points agreed1  ,from ,macedonia's  
madman to the ,swede2  ,the whole       
strange purpose of their lives1 to find 
,or make1 an enemy of all mankind8  ,not
 one looks backward1 onward still he    
goes1  ,yet ne'er looks forward farther 
than his nose4  ,no less alike the      
politic and wise2  ,all sly slow things1
 with circumspective eyes2  ,men in     
their loose unguarded hours they take1  
,not that themselves are wise1 but      
others weak4  ,but grant that those can 
conquer1 these can cheat2  ',tis phrase 
absurd to call a villain great3  ,who   
wickedly is wise1 or madly brave1  ,is  
but the more a fool1 the more a knave4  

,who noble ends by noble means obtains1 
,or failing1 smiles in exile or in      
chains1  ,like good ,aurelius let him   
reign1 or bleed  ,like ,socrates1 that  
man is great indeed4     ,what's fame8 a
 fancied life in others' breath1  ,a    
thing beyond us1 even before our death4 
,just what you hear1 you have1 and      
what's unknown  ,the same 7my ,lord7 if 
,tully's1 or your own4  ,all that we    
feel of it begins and ends  ,in the     
small circle of our foes or friends2    
,to all beside as much an empty shade   
,an ,eugene living1 as a ,caesar dead2  
,alike or when1 or where1 they shone1 or
 shine1  ,or on the ,rubicon1 or on the 
,rhine4  ,a wit's a feather1 and a chief
 a rod2  ,an honest man's the noblest   
work of ,god4  ,fame but from death a   
villain's name can save1  ,as justice   
tears his body from the grave2  ,when   
what the oblivion better were resigned1 
,is hung on high1 to poison half        
mankind4  ,all fame is foreign1 but of  
true desert2  ,plays round the head1 but

 comes not to the heart3  ,one          
self-approving hour whole years         
outweighs  ,of stupid starers1 and of   
loud huzzas2  ,and more true joy        
,marcellus exiled feels1  ,than ,caesar 
with a senate at his heels4     ,in     
parts superior what advantage lies8     
,tell 7for you can7 what is it to be    
wise8  ',tis but to know how little can 
be known2  ,to see all others' faults1  
and feel our own2  ,condemned in        
business or in arts to drudge1  ,without
 a second or without a judge2  ,truths  
would you teach or save a sinking land1 
,all fear1 none aid you1 and few        
understand4  ,painful pre-eminence6     
yourself to view  ,above life's         
weakness1 and its comforts too4         
,bring1 then1 these blessings to a      
strict account2  ,make fair deductions2 
see to what they mount2  ,how much of   
other each is sure to cost2  ,how each  
for other oft is wholly lost2  ,how     
inconsistent greater goods with these2  
,how sometimes life is risked1 and      

always ease2  ,think1 and if still the  
things thy envy call1  ,say1 would'st   
thou be the man to whom they fall8  ,to 
sigh for ribands if thou art so silly1  
,mark how they grace ,lord ,umbra1 or   
,sir ,billy3  ,is yellow dirt the       
passion of thy life8  ,look but on      
,gripus1 or on ,gripus' wife2  ,if parts
 allure thee1 think how ,bacon shined1  
,the wisest1 brightest1 meanest of      
mankind3  ,or ravished with the         
whistling of a name1  ,see ,cromwell2   
damned to everlasting fame6  ,if all1   
united1 thy ambition call1  ,from       
ancient story learn to scorn them all4  
,there1 in the rich1 the honoured1      
famed1 and great1  ,see the false scale 
of happiness complete6  ,in hearts of   
kings1 or arms of queens who lay1  ,how 
happy6 those to ruin1 these betray4     
,mark by what wretched steps their glory
 grows1  ,from dirt and seaweed as proud
 ,venice rose2  ,in each how guilt and  
greatness equal ran1  ,and all that     
raised the hero1 sunk the man3  ,now    

,europe's laurels on their brows behold1
  ,but stained with blood1 or ill       
exchanged for gold2  ,then see them     
broke with toils or sunk with ease1  ,or
 infamous for plundered provinces4  ,oh1
 wealth ill-fated6 which no act of fame 
,e'er taught to shine1 or sanctified    
from shame2  ,what greater bliss attends
 their close of life8  ,some greedy     
minion1 or imperious wife4  ,the        
trophied arches1 storeyed halls invade  
,and haunt their slumbers in the pompous
 shade4  ,alas6 not dazzled with their  
noontide ray1  ,compute the morn and    
evening to the day2  ,the whole amount  
of that enormous fame1  ,a tale1 that   
blends their glory with their shame2    
,know1 then1 this truth 7enough for man 
to know7  ,virtue alone is happiness    
below4  ,the only point where human     
bliss stands still1  ,and tastes the    
good without the fall to ill2  ,where   
only merit constant pay receives1  ,is  
blest in what it takes1 and what it     
gives2  ,the joy unequalled1 if its end 

it gain1  ,and if it lose1 attended with
 no pain2  ,without satiety1 though e'er
 so blessed1  ,and but more relished as 
the more distressed3  ,the broadest     
mirth unfeeling folly wears1  ,less     
pleasing far than virtue's very tears3  
,good1 from each object1 from each place
 acquired  ,for ever exercised1 yet     
never tired2  ,never elated1 while one  
man's oppressed2  ,never dejected while 
another's blessed2  ,and where no wants1
 no wishes can remain1  ,since but to   
wish more virtue1 is to gain4     ,see  
the sole bliss ,heaven could on all     
bestow6  ,which who but feels can taste1
 but thinks can know3  ,yet poor with   
fortune1 and with learning blind1  ,the 
bad must miss2 the good1 untaught1 will 
find2  ,slave to no sect1 who takes no  
private road1  ,but looks through       
,nature up to ,nature's ,god2  ,pursues 
that chain which links the immense      
design1  ,joins heaven and earth1 and   
mortal and divine2  ,sees1 that no being
 any bliss can know1  ,but touches some 

above1 and some below2  ,learns1 from   
this union of the rising whole1  ,the   
first1 last purpose of the human soul2  
,and knows1 where faith1 law1 morals1   
all began1  ,all end1 in love of ,god1  
and love of man4     ,for ,him alone1   
hope leads from goal to goal1  ,and     
opens still1 and opens on his soul6     
,till lengthened on to faith1 and       
unconfined1  ,it pours the bliss that   
fills up all the mind  ,he sees1 why    
,nature plants in man alone  ,hope of   
known bliss1 and faith in bliss unknown3
  7,nature1 whose dictates to no other  
kind  ,are given in vain1 but what they 
seek they find7  ,wise is her present2  
she connects in this  ,his greatest     
virtue with his greatest bliss2  ,at    
once his own bright prospect to be      
blest1  ,and strongest motive to assist 
the rest4     ,self-love thus pushed to 
social1 to divine1  ,gives thee to make 
thy neighbour's blessing thine4  ,is    
this too little for the boundless heart8
  ,extend it1 let thy enemies have part3

  ,grasp the whole worlds of reason1    
life1 and sense1  ,in one close system  
of benevolence3  ,happier as kinder1 in 
whate'er degree1  ,and height of bliss  
but height of charity4     ,god loves   
from whole to parts3 but human soul     
,must rise from individual to the whole4
  ,self-love but serves the virtuous    
mind to wake1  ,as the small pebble     
stirs the peaceful lake6  ,the centre   
moved1 a circle straight succeeds1      
,another still1 and still another       
spreads2  ,friend1 parent1 neighbour1   
first it will embrace2  ,his country    
next2 and next all human race2  ,wide   
and more wide1 the o'erflowings of the  
mind  ,take every creature in1 of every 
kind2  ,earth smiles around1 with       
boundless bounty blest1  ,and ,heaven   
beholds its image in his breast4        
,come1 then1 my friend6 my genius6 come 
along2  ,oh1 master of the poet1 and the
 song6  ,and while the muse now stoops1 
or now ascends1  ,to man's low passions1
 or their glorious ends1  ,teach me1    

like thee1 in various nature wise1  ,to 
fall with dignity1 with temper rise2    
,formed by thy converse1 happily to     
steer  ,from grave to gay1 from lively  
to severe2  ,correct with spirit1       
eloquent with ease1  ,intent to reason1 
or polite to please4  ,oh6 while along  
the stream of time thy name  ,expanded  
flies1 and gathers all its fame1  ,say1 
shall my little bark attendant sail1    
,pursue the triumph1 and partake the    
gale8  ,when statesmen1 heroes1 kings1  
in dust repose1  ,whose sons shall blush
 their fathers were thy foes1  ,shall   
then this verse to future age pretend   
,thou wert my guide1 philosopher1 and   
friend8  ,that urged by thee1 ,i turned 
the tuneful art  ,from sounds to things1
 from fancy to the heart2  ,from wit's  
false mirror held up ,nature's light2   
,showed erring pride1 whatever is1 is   
right2  ,that reason1 passion1 answer   
one great aim2  ,that true self-love and
 social are the same2  ,that virtue only
 makes our bliss below2  ,and all our   

knowledge is1 ourselves to know4        
,,the ,,universal ,,prayer4  ,,deo      
,,opt4 ,,max4      ,father of all6 in   
every age1     ,in every clime adored1  
,by saint1 by savage1 and by sage1      
,jehovah1 ,jove1 or ,lord6    ,thou     
,great ,first ,cause1 least understood1 
,who all my sense confined  ,to know but
 this1 that ,thou art good1     ,and    
that myself am blind2    ,yet gave me1  
in this dark estate1     ,to see the    
good from ill2  ,and binding ,nature    
fast in fate1     ,left free the human  
will4    ,what conscience dictates to be
 done1     ,or warns me not to do1      
,this1 teach me more than ,hell to shun1
     ,that1 more than ,heaven pursue4   
,what blessings ,thy free bounty gives1 
,let me not cast away2  ,for ,god is    
paid when man receives1     ,to enjoy is
 to obey4    ,yet not to earth's        
contracted span     ,thy goodness let me
 bound1  ,or think ,thee ,lord alone of 
man1     ,when thousand worlds are      
round3    ,let not this weak1 unknowing 

hand     ,presume ,thy bolts to throw1  
,and deal damnation round the land1     
,on each ,i judge ,thy foe4    ,if ,i am
 right1 ,thy grace impart1     ,still in
 the right to stay2  ,if ,i am wrong1   
oh1 teach my heart     ,to find that    
better way4    ,save me alike from      
foolish pride1     ,or impious          
discontent1  ,at aught ,thy wisdom has  
denied1     ,or aught ,thy goodness     
lent4    ,teach me to feel another's    
woe1     ,to hide the fault ,i see2     
,that mercy ,i to others show1     ,that
 mercy show to me4    ,mean though ,i   
am1 not wholly so1     ,since quickened 
by ,thy breath2  ,oh1 lead me           
wheresoe'er ,i go1     ,through this    
day's life or death4    ,this day1 be   
bread and peace my lot3     ,all else   
beneath the sun1  ,thou know'st if best 
bestowed or not2     ,and let ,thy will 
be done4    ,to ,thee1 whose temple is  
all space1     ,whose altar earth1 sea1 
skies1  ,one chorus let all being raise1
     ,all ,nature's incense rise6       

,,moral ,,essays1  ,,in ,,four          
,,epistles ,,to ,,several ,,persons4    
,est brevitate opus1 ut currat          
sententia1 neu se     ,impediat verbis  
lassas onerantibus aures3     ,et       
sermone opus est modo tristi1 saepe     
jocoso1     ,defendente vicem modo      
,rhetoris atque ,poetae1     ,interdum  
urbani1 parcentis viribus1 atque        
,extenuantis eas consulto4--,,hor4      
7,sat4 ,i4 ,x4 #i-ad47        ,,epistle 
,i4  ,,to ,,sir ,,richard ,,temple1     
,,lord ,,cobham4    ,,argument4      ,of
 the ,knowledge and ,characters of ,men4
    ,i4 ,that it is not sufficient for  
this knowledge to consider ,man in the  
,abstract3 ,books will not serve the    
purpose1 nor yet our own ,experience    
singly1 v4#a4  ,general maxims1 unless  
they be formed upon both1 will be  but  
notional1 v4#aj4  ,some ,peculiarity in 
every man1 characteristic to  himself1  
yet varying from himself1 v4#ae4        
,difficulties arising from our  own     
,passions1 ,fancies1 ,faculties1 etc41  

v4#ca4  ,the shortness of ,life1 to     
observe in1 and the uncertainty of the  
,principles of action in men1 to        
observe by1 v4#cg1 etc4  ,our own       
,principle of action often hid from     
ourselves1 v4#da4  ,some few ,characters
 plain1 but in general confounded1      
dissembled1 or inconsistent1 v4#ea4     
,the same man utterly different in      
different places and seasons1 v4#ga4    
,unimaginable weaknesses in the         
greatest1 v4#gj1 etc4  ,nothing constant
 and certain but ,god and ,nature1      
v4#ie4  ,no judging of the ,motives from
 the actions2 the same actions          
proceeding from contrary ,motives1 and  
the same ,motives influencing  contrary 
actions v4#ajj4  ,,ii4 ,yet to form     
,characters1 we can only take the       
strongest actions of a man's life1 and  
try to make them agree3 ,the utter      
uncertainty of this1 from ,nature       
itself1 and from ,policy1 v4#abj4       
,characters given according to the rank 
of men of the world1 v4#ace4  ,and  some

 reason for it1 v4#adj4  ,education     
alters the ,nature1 or at least         
,character of many1 v4#adi4  ,actions1  
,passions1 ,opinions1 ,manners1         
,humours1  or ,principles all subject to
 change4  ,no judging by ,nature1 from  
v4#aeh to  #agh4  ,,iii4 ,it only       
remains to find 7if we can7 his ,ruling 
,passion3 ,that  will certainly         
influence all the rest1 and can         
reconcile the seeming or  real          
inconsistency of all his actions1       
v4#age4  ,instanced in the              
extraordinary character of ,clodio1     
v4#agi4  ,a caution against mistaking   
second qualities for first1 which will  
destroy all possibility of the          
knowledge of mankind1 v4#baj4  ,examples
 of the strength of the ,ruling         
,passion1 and its continuation to the   
last breath1 v4#bbb1 etc4    ,yes1 you  
despise the man to books confined1  ,who
 from his study rails at human kind2    
,though what he learns he speaks1 and   
may advance  ,some general maxims1 or be

 right by chance4  ,the coxcomb bird1 so
 talkative and grave1  ,that from his   
cage cries c9999d1 w9999e1 and knave1   
,though many a passenger he rightly     
call1  ,you hold him no philosopher at  
all4     ,and yet the fate of all       
extremes is such1  ,men may be read as  
well as books1 too much4  ,to           
observations which ourselves we make1   
,we grow more partial for the observer's
 sake2  ,to written wisdom1 as          
another's1 less3  ,maxims are drawn from
 notions1 those from guess4  ,there's   
some peculiar in each leaf and grain1   
,some unmarked fibre1 or some varying   
vein3  ,shall only man be taken in the  
gross8  ,grant but as many sorts of mind
 as moss4     ,that each from other     
differs1 first confess2  ,next1 that he 
varies from himself no less3  ,add      
,nature's1 custom's reason's passion's  
strife1  ,and all opinion's colours cast
 on life4     ,our depths who fathoms1  
or our shallows finds1  ,quick whirls1  
and shifting eddies1 of our minds8  ,on 

human actions reason though you can1    
,it may be reason1 but it is not man3   
,his principle of action once explore1  
,that instant 'tis his principle no     
more4  ,like following life through     
creatures you dissect1  ,you lose it in 
the moment you detect4     ,yet more2   
the difference is as great between  ,the
 optics seeing1 as the object seen4     
,all manners take a tincture from our   
own2  ,or come discoloured through our  
passions shown4  ,or fancy's beam       
enlarges1 multiplies1  ,contracts1      
inverts1 and gives ten thousand dyes4   
,nor will life's stream for observation 
stay1  ,it hurries all too fast to mark 
their way3  ,in vain sedate reflections 
we would make1  ,when half our knowledge
 we must snatch1 not take4  ,oft1 in the
 passion's wild rotation tost1  ,our    
spring of action to ourselves is lost3  
,tired1 not determined1 to the last we  
yield1  ,and what comes then is master  
of the field4  ,as the last image of    
that troubled heap1  ,when sense        

subsides1 and fancy sports in sleep     
7,though past the recollection of the   
thought71  ,becomes the stuff of which  
our dream is wrought3  ,something as dim
 to our internal view1  ,is thus1       
perhaps1 the cause of most we do4       
,true1 some are open1 and to all men    
known2  ,others so very close1 they're  
hid from none  7,so darkness strikes the
 sense no less than light71  ,thus      
gracious ,chandos is beloved at sight2  
,and every child hates ,shylock1 though 
his soul  ,still sits at squat1 and     
peeps not from its hole4  ,at half      
mankind when generous ,manly raves1     
,all know 'tis virtue1 for he thinks    
them knaves3  ,when universal homage    
,umbra pays1  ,all see 'tis vice1 and   
itch of vulgar praise4  ,when flattery  
glares1 all hate it in a queen1  ,while 
one there is who charms us with his     
spleen4     ,but these plain characters 
we rarely find2  ,though strong the     
bent1 yet quick the turns of mind3  ,or 
puzzling contraries confound the whole2 

,or affectations quite reverse the soul4
  ,the dull1 flat falsehood serves for  
policy2  ,and in the cunning1 truth     
itself's a lie3  ,unthought-of frailties
 cheat us in the wise2  ,the fool lies  
hid in inconsistencies4     ,see the    
same man1 in vigour1 in the gout2       
,alone1 in company2 in place1 or out2   
,early at business1 and at hazard late2 
,mad at a fox-chase1 wise at a debate2  
,drunk at a borough1 civil at a ball2   
,friendly at ,hackney1 faithless at     
,whitehall4  ,catius is ever moral1 ever
 grave1  ,thinks who endures a knave is 
next a knave1  ,save just at            
dinner--then prefers1 no doubt1  ,a     
rogue with venison to a saint without4  
,who would not praise ,patritio's high  
desert1  ,his hand unstained1 his       
uncorrupted heart1  ,his comprehensive  
head6 all interests weighed1  ,all      
,europe saved1 yet ,britain not         
betrayed4  ,he thanks you not1 his pride
 is in piquet1  ,newmarket-fame1 and    
judgment at a bet4     ,what made 7say  

,montagne1 or more sage ,charron7  ,otho
 a warrior1 ,cromwell a buffoon8  ,a    
perjured prince a leaden saint revere1  
,a godless regent tremble at a star8    
,the throne a bigot keep1 a genius quit1
  ,faithless through piety1 and duped   
through wit8  ,europe a woman1 child1 or
 dotard rule1  ,and just her wisest     
monarch made a fool8     ,know1 ,god and
 ,nature only are the same3  ,in man1   
the judgment shoots at flying game1  ,a 
bird of passage6 gone as soon as found1 
,now in the moon1 perhaps1 now under    
ground4     ,in vain the sage1 with     
retrospective eye1  ,would from the     
apparent what conclude the why1  ,infer 
the motive from the deed1 and show1     
,that what we chanced was what we meant 
to do4  ,behold6 if fortune or a        
mistress frowns1  ,some plunge in       
business1 others shave their crowns3    
,to ease the soul of one oppressive     
weight1  ,this quits an empire1 that    
embroils a state3  ,the same adust      
complexion has impelled  ,charles to the

 convent1 ,philip to the field4     ,not
 always actions show the man3 we find   
,who does a kindness1 is not therefore  
kind2  ,perhaps prosperity becalmed his 
breast1  ,perhaps the wind just shifted 
from the east3  ,not therefore humble he
 who seeks retreat1  ,pride guides his  
steps1 and bids him shun the great3     
,who combats bravely is not therefore   
brave1  ,he dreads a death-bed like the 
meanest slave3  ,who reasons wisely is  
not therefore wise1  ,his pride in      
reasoning1 not in acting lies4     ,but 
grant that actions best discover man2   
,take the most strong1 and sort them as 
you can4  ,the few that glare each      
character must mark2  ,you balance not  
the many in the dark4  ,what will you do
 with such as disagree8  ,suppress them1
 or miscall them policy8  ,must then at 
once 7the character to save7  ,the plain
 rough hero turn a crafty knave8  ,alas6
 in truth the man but changed his mind1 
,perhaps was sick1 in love1 or had not  
dined4  ,ask why from ,britain ,caesar  

would retreat8  ,caesar himself might   
whisper he was beat4  ,why risk the     
world's great empire for a punk8        
,caesar perhaps might answer he was     
drunk4  ,but1 sage historians6 'tis your
 task to prove  ,one action conduct2    
one1 heroic love4     ',tis from high   
life high characters are drawn2  ,a     
saint in crape is twice a saint in lawn2
  ,a judge is just1 a chancellor juster 
still2  ,a gownman1 learn'd2 a bishop1  
what you will2  ,wise1 if a minister2   
but1 if a king1  ,more wise1 more       
learned1 more just1 more everything4    
,court-virtues bear1 like gems1 the     
highest rate1  ,born where ,heaven's    
influence scarce can penetrate3  ,in    
life's low vale1 the soil the virtues   
like1  ,they please as beauties1 here as
 wonders strike4  ,though the same sun  
with all-diffusive rays  ,blush in the  
rose1 and in the diamond blaze1  ,we    
prize the stronger effort of his power1 
,and justly set the gem above the       
flower4     ',tis education forms the   

common mind2  ,just as the twig is bent1
 the tree's inclined4  ,boastful and    
rough1 your first son is a squire2  ,the
 next a tradesman1 meek1 and much a     
liar2  ,tom struts a soldier1 open1     
bold1 and brave2  ,will sneaks a        
scrivener1 an exceeding knave3  ,is he a
 ,churchman8 then he's fond of power3   
,a ,quaker8 sly3 ,a ,presbyterian8 sour3
   ,a smart ,freethinker8 all things in 
an hour4      ,ask men's opinions3      
,scoto now shall tell  ,how trade       
increases1 and the world goes well2     
,strike off his pension1 by the setting 
sun1  ,and ,britain1 if not ,europe1 is 
undone4     ,that gay ,freethinker1 a   
fine talker once1  ,what turns him now a
 stupid silent dunce8  ,some god1 or    
spirit he has lately found3  ,or chanced
 to meet a minister that frowned4       
,judge we by ,nature8 habit can efface1 
,interest o'ercome1 or policy take      
place3  ,by actions8 those uncertainty  
divides3  ,by passions8 these           
dissimulation hides3  ,opinions8 they   

still take a wider range3  ,find1 if you
 can1 in what you cannot change4        
,manners with fortunes1 humours turn    
with climes1  ,tenets with books1 and   
principles with times4       ,search    
then the ruling passion3 there1 alone1  
,the wild are constant1 and the cunning 
known2  ,the fool consistent1 and the   
false sincere2  ,priests1 princes1      
women1 no dissemblers here4  ,this clue 
once found1 unravels all the rest1  ,the
 prospect clears1 and ,wharton stands   
confest4  ,wharton1 the scorn and wonder
 of our days1  ,whose ruling passion was
 the lust of praise3  ,born with        
whate'er could win it from the wise1    
,women and fools must like him or he    
dies2  ,though wondering senates hung on
 all he spoke1  ,the club must hail him 
master of the joke4  ,shall parts so    
various aim at nothing new6  ,he'll     
shine a ,tully and a ,wilmot too4  ,then
 turns repentant1 and his ,god adores   
,with the same spirit that he drinks and
 wh999999s2  ,enough if all around him  

but admire1  ,and now the punk applaud1 
and now the friar4  ,thus with each gift
 of nature and of art1  ,and wanting    
nothing but an honest heart2  ,grown all
 to all1 from no one vice exempt2  ,and 
most contemptible1 to shun contempt3    
,his passion still1 to covet general    
praise1  ,his life1 to forfeit it a     
thousand ways2  ,a constant bounty which
 no friend has made2  ,an angel tongue1 
which no man can persuade2  ,a fool1    
with more of wit than half mankind1     
,too rash for thought1 for action too   
refined3  ,a tyrant to the wife his     
heart approves2  ,a rebel to the very   
king he loves2  ,he dies1 sad outcast of
 each church and state1  ,and1 harder   
still6 flagitious1 yet not great4  ,ask 
you why ,wharton broke through every    
rule8  ',twas all for fear the knaves   
should call him fool4     ,nature well  
known1 no prodigies remain1  ,comets are
 regular1 and ,wharton plain4     ,yet1 
in this search1 the wisest may mistake1 
,if second qualities for first they     

take4  ,when ,catiline by rapine swelled
 his store2  ,when ,caesar made a noble 
dame a wh9999992  ,in this the lust1 in 
that the avarice  ,were means1 not ends2
 ambition was the vice4  ,that very     
,caesar1 born in ,scipio's days1  ,had  
aimed1 like him1 by chastity at praise4 
,lucullus1 when frugality could charm1  
,had roasted turnips in the ,sabine     
farm4     ,in vain the observer eyes the
 builder's toil1  ,but quite mistakes   
the scaffold for the pile4  ,in this one
 passion man can strength enjoy1  ,as   
fits give vigour1 just when they        
destroy4  ,time1 that on all things lays
 his lenient hand1  ,yet tames not this2
 it sticks to our last sand4            
,consistent in our follies and our sins1
  ,here honest ,nature ends as she      
begins4     ,old politicians chew on    
wisdom past1  ,and totter on in business
 to the last2  ,as weak1 as earnest1 and
 as gravely out1  ,as sober ,lanesb'row 
dancing in the gout4     ,behold a      
reverend sire1 whom want of grace  ,has 

made the father of a nameless race1     
,shoved from the wall perhaps1 or rudely
 pressed  ,by his own son1 that passes  
by unblessed3  ,still to his haunt he   
crawls on knocking knees1  ,and envies  
every sparrow that he sees4     ,a      
salmon's belly1 ,helluo1 was thy fate2  
,the doctor called1 declares all help   
too late3  ,mercy6 cries ,helluo1 mercy 
on my soul6  ,is there no               
hope6--,alas6--then bring the jowl4     
,the frugal crone1 whom praying priests 
attend1  ,still tries to save the       
hallowed taper's end1  ,collects her    
breath1 as ebbing life retires1  ,for   
one puff more1 and in that puff expires4
     ,odious6 in woollen6 'twould a     
saint provoke  7,were the last words    
that poor ,narcissa spoke72  ,no1 let a 
charming chintz1 and ,brussels lace     
,wrap my cold limbs1 and shade my       
lifeless face3  ,one would not1 sure1 be
 frightful when one's dead--            
,and--,betty--give this cheek a little  
red4     ,the courtier smooth1 who forty

 years had shined  ,an humble servant to
 all human kind1  ,just brought out     
this1 when scarce his tongue could stir1
  ,if--where ,i'm going--,i could serve 
you1 sir8  ,i give and ,i devise 7old   
,euclio said1  ,and sighed7 my lands and
 tenements to ,ned4  ,your money1 sir8  
,my money1 sir8 what1 all8  ,why--if ,i 
must 7then wept7--,i give it ,paul4     
,the ,manor1 sir8--,the ,manor6 hold1 he
 cried1  ,not that1--,i cannot part with
 that--and died4     ,and you6 brave    
,cobham1 to the latest breath  ,shall   
feel your ruling passion strong in      
death3  ,such in those moments as in all
 the past1  ,oh1 save my country1       
,heaven6 shall be your last4            
,,epistle ,,ii4  ,,to ,a ,,lady4        
,of the ,characters of ,women4          
,nothing so true as what you once let   
fall1  ,most women have no characters at
 all4  ,matter too soft a lasting mark  
to bear1  ,and best distinguished by    
black1 brown1 or fair4     ,how many    
pictures of one nymph we view1  ,all how

 unlike each other1 all how true6       
,arcadia's countess1 here1 in ermined   
pride1  ,is1 there1 ,pastora by a       
fountain side4  ,here ,fannia1 leering  
on her own good man1  ,and there1 a     
naked ,leda with a swan4  ,let then the 
fair one beautifully cry1  ,in          
,magdalen's loose hair1 and lifted eye1 
,or dressed in smiles of sweet ,cecilia 
shine1  ,with simpering angels1 palms1  
and harps divine2  ,whether the charmer 
sinner it1 or saint it1  ,if folly grow 
romantic1 ,i must paint it4       ,come 
then1 the colours and the ground        
prepare6  ,dip in the rainbow1 trick her
 off in air2  ,choose a firm cloud1     
before it fall1 and in it  ,catch1 ere  
she change1 the ,cynthia of this minute4
       ,rufa1 whose eye1 quick-glancing 
o'er the park  ,attracts each light gay 
meteor of a spark1  ,agrees as ill with 
,rufa studying ,locke1  ,as ,sappho's   
diamonds with her dirty smock2  ,or     
,sappho at her toilet's greasy task1    
,with ,sappho fragrant at an evening    

masque3  ,so morning insects that in    
muck begun1  ,shine1 buzz1 and fly-blow 
in the setting sun4       ,how soft is  
,silia6 fearful to offend2  ,the frail  
one's advocate1 the weak one's friend3  
,to her1 ,calista proved her conduct    
nice2  ,and good ,simplicius asks of her
 advice4  ,sudden1 she storms6 she      
raves6  ,you tip the wink1  ,but spare  
your censure2 ,silia does not drink4    
,all eyes may see from what the change  
arose1  ,all eyes may see--a pimple on  
her nose4       ,papillia1 wedded to her
 am'rous spark1  ,sighs for the         
shades--,how charming is a park6  ,a    
park is purchased1 but the fair he sees 
,all bathed in tears--,oh1 odious1      
odious trees6       ,ladies1 like       
variegated tulips show2  ',tis to their 
changes half their charms we owe2  ,fine
 by defect1 and delicately weak1  ,their
 happy spots the nice admirer take1     
',twas thus ,calypso once each heart    
alarmed1  ,awed without virtue1 without 
beauty charmed2  ,her tongue bewitched  

as oddly as her eyes1  ,less wit than   
mimic1 more a wit than wise2  ,strange  
graces still1 and stranger flights she  
had1  ,was just not ugly1 and was just  
not mad2  ,yet ne'er so sure our passion
 to create1  ,as when she touched the   
brink of all we hate4       ,narcissa's 
nature1 tolerably mild1  ,to make a     
wash1 would hardly stew a child2  ,has  
even been proved to grant a lover's     
prayer1  ,and paid a tradesman once to  
make him stare2  ,gave alms at ,easter1 
in a ,christian trim1  ,and made a widow
 happy1 for a whim4  ,why then declare  
good-nature is her scorn1  ,when 'tis by
 that alone she can be borne8  ,why     
pique all mortals1 yet affect a name8   
,a fool to pleasure1 yet a slave to     
fame3  ,now deep in ,taylor and the     
,book of ,martyrs1  ,now drinking citron
 with his grace and ,chartres3  ,now    
,conscience chills her1 and now ,passion
 burns2  ,and ,atheism and ,religion    
take their turns2  ,a very heathen in   
the carnal part1  ,yet still a sad1 good

 ,christian at her heart4       ,what   
then8 let blood and body bear the fault1
  ,her head's untouched1 that noble seat
 of thought3  ,such this day's          
doctrine--in another fit  ,she sins with
 poets through pure love of wit4  ,what 
has not fired her bosom or her brain8   
,caesar and ,tall-boy1 ,charles and     
,charlemagne4  ,as ,helluo1 late        
dictator of the feast1  ,the nose of    
,hautgout1 and the tip of taste1        
,critic'd your wine1 and analysed your  
meat1  ,yet on plain pudding deigned at 
home to eat2  ,so ,philomede1 lecturing 
all mankind  ,on the soft passion1 and  
the taste refined1  ,the address1 the   
delicacy--stoops at once1  ,and makes   
her hearty meal upon a dunce4           
,flavia's a wit1 has too much sense to  
pray2  ,to toast our wants and wishes1  
is her way2  ,nor asks of ,god1 but of  
her stars1 to give  ,the mighty         
blessing1 while we live1 to live4  ,then
 all for death1 that opiate of the soul6
  ,lucretia's dagger1 ,rosamonda's bowl4

  ,say1 what can cause such impotence of
 mind8  ,a spark too fickle1 or a spouse
 too kind4  ,wise wretch6 with pleasures
 too refined to please2  ,with too much 
spirit to be e'er at ease2  ,with too   
much quickness ever to be taught2  ,with
 too much thinking to have common       
thought3  ,you purchase pain with all   
that joy can give1  ,and die of nothing 
but a rage to live4     ,turn then from 
wits2 and look on ,simo's mate1  ,no ass
 so meek1 no ass so obstinate4  ,or her1
 that owns her faults1 but never mends1 
,because she's honest1 and the best of  
friends4  ,or her1 whose life the       
,church and scandal share1  ,for ever in
 a passion1 or a prayer4  ,or her1 who  
laughs at hell1 but 7like her ,grace7   
,cries1 ,ah6 how charming1 if there's no
 such place6  ,or who in sweet          
vicissitude appears  ,of mirth and      
opium1 ratafie and tears1  ,the daily   
anodyne1 and nightly draught1  ,to kill 
those foes to fair ones1 time and       
thought4  ,woman and fool are two hard  

things to hit2  ,for true no-meaning    
puzzles more than wit4     ,but what are
 these to great ,atossa's mind8  ,scarce
 once herself1 by turns all womankind6  
,who1 with herself1 or others1 from her 
birth  ,finds all her life one warfare  
upon earth3  ,shines in exposing knaves1
 and painting fools1  ,yet is1 whate'er 
she hates and ridicules4  ,no thought   
advances1 but her eddy brain  ,whisks it
 about1 and down it goes again4  ,full  
sixty years the world has been her      
trade1  ,the wisest fool much time has  
ever made  ,from loveless youth to      
unrespected age1  ,no passion gratified 
except her rage4  ,so much the fury     
still outran the wit1  ,the pleasure    
missed her1 and the scandal hit4  ,who  
breaks with her1 provokes revenge from  
hell1  ,but he's a bolder man who dares 
be well4  ,her every turn with violence 
pursued1  ,nor more a storm her hate    
than gratitude3  ,to that each passion  
turns1 or soon or late2  ,love1 if it   
makes her yield1 must make her hate3    

,superiors8 death6 and equals8 what a   
curse6  ,but an inferior not dependent8 
worse4  ,offend her1 and she knows not  
to forgive2  ,oblige her1 and she'll    
hate you while you live3  ,but die1 and 
she'll adore you--then the bust  ,and   
temple rise--then fall again to dust4   
,last night1 her lord was all that's    
good and great2  ,a knave this morning1 
and his will a cheat4  ,strange6 by the 
means defeated of the ends1  ,by spirit 
robbed of power1 by warmth of friend    
,by wealth of followers6 without one    
distress  ,sick of herself through very 
selfishness6  ,atossa1 cursed with every
 granted prayer1  ,childless with all   
her children1 wants an heir4  ,to heirs 
unknown descends the unguarded store1   
,or wanders1 ,heaven-directed1 to the   
poor4     ,pictures like these1 dear    
madam1 to design1  ,asks no firm hand1  
and no unerring line2  ,some wandering  
touches1 some reflected light1  ,some   
flying stroke alone can hit 'em right3  
,for how should equal colours do the    

knack8  ,chameleons who can paint in    
white and black8     ,yet ,chloe sure   
was formed without a spot--  ,nature in 
her then erred not1 but forgot4  ,with  
every pleasing1 every prudent part1     
,say1 what can ,chloe want8--,she wants 
a heart4  ,she speaks1 behaves1 and acts
 just as she ought2  ,but never1 never1 
reached one generous thought4  ,virtue  
she finds too painful an endeavour1     
,content to dwell in decencies for ever4
  ,so very reasonable1 so unmoved1  ,as 
never yet to love1 or to be loved4      
,she1 while her lover pants upon her    
breast1  ,can mark the figures on an    
,indian chest2  ,and when she sees her  
friend in deep despair1  ,observes how  
much a chintz exceeds mohair4  ,forbid  
it1 ,heaven1 a favour or a debt  ,she   
e'er should cancel--but she may forget4 
,safe is your secret still in ,chloe's  
ear2  ,but none of ,chloe's shall you   
ever hear4  ,of all her dears she never 
slandered one1  ,but cares not if a     
thousand are undone4  ,would ,chloe know

 if you're alive or dead8  ,she bids her
 footman put it in her head4  ,chloe is 
prudent--would you too be wise8  ,then  
never break your heart when ,chloe dies4
     ,one certain portrait may 7,i      
grant7 be seen1  ,which ,heaven has     
varnished out1 and made a ,queen4  ,the 
same for ever6 and described by all     
,with truth and goodness1 as with crown 
and ball4  ,poets heap virtues1 painters
 gems at will1  ,and show their zeal1   
and hide their want of skill4  ',tis    
well--but1 artists6 who can paint or    
write1  ,to draw the naked is your true 
delight4  ,that robe of quality so      
struts and swells1  ,none see what parts
 of nature it conceals3  ,the exactest  
traits of body or of mind1  ,we owe to  
models of an humble kind4  ,if          
,queensbury to strip there's no         
compelling1  ',tis from a handmaid we   
must take a ,helen1  ,from peer or      
bishop 'tis no easy thing  ,to draw the 
man who loves his ,god or king3  ,alas6 
,i copy 7or my draught would fail7      

,from honest ,mah'met1 or plain ,parson 
,hale4     ,but grant in public men     
sometimes are shown1  ,a woman's seen in
 private life alone3  ,our bolder       
talents in full light displayed2  ,your 
virtues open fairest in the shade4      
,bred to disguise1 in public 'tis you   
hide2  ,there1 none distinguish 'twixt  
your shame or pride1  ,weakness or      
delicacy2 all so nice1  ,that each may  
seem a virtue or a vice4     ,in men1 we
 various ruling passions find2  ,in     
women1 two almost divide the kind3      
,those1 only fixed they first or last   
obey--  ,the love of pleasure1 and the  
love of sway4     ,that1 ,nature gives2 
and where the lesson taught  ,is but to 
please1 can pleasure seem a fault8      
,experience1 this2 by man's oppression  
curst1  ,they seek the second not to    
lose the first4     ,men1 some to       
business1 some to pleasure take2  ,but  
every woman is at heart a rake3  ,men1  
some to quiet1 some to public strife2   
,but every lady would be queen for life4

     ,yet mark the fate of a whole sex  
of queens6  ,power all their end1 but   
beauty all the means3  ,in youth they   
conquer1 with so wild a rage1  ,as      
leaves them scarce a subject in their   
age3  ,for foreign glory1 foreign joy1  
they roam2  ,no thought of peace or     
happiness at home4  ,but wisdom's       
triumph is well-timed retreat1  ,as hard
 a science to the fair as great6        
,beauties1 like tyrants1 old and        
friendless grown1  ,yet hate repose1 and
 dread to be alone1  ,worn out in       
public1 weary every eye1  ,nor leave one
 sigh behind them when they die4        
,pleasures the sex1 as children birds1  
pursue1  ,still out of reach1 yet never 
out of view2  ,sure1 if they catch1 to  
spoil the toy at most1  ,to covet       
flying1 and regret when lost3  ,at last1
 to follies youth could scarce defend1  
,it grows their age's prudence to       
pretend2  ,ashamed to own they gave     
delight before1  ,reduced to feign it1  
when they give no more3  ,as hags hold  

,sabbaths1 less for joy than spite1  ,so
 these their merry1 miserable night2    
,still round and round the ghosts of    
beauty glide1  ,and haunt the places    
where their honour died4     ,see how   
the world its veterans rewards6  ,a     
youth of frolics1 an old age of cards2  
,fair to no purpose1 artful to no end2  
,young without lovers1 old without a    
friend2  ,a fop their passion1 but their
 prize a sot2  ,alive1 ridiculous2 and  
dead1 forgot6     ,ah6 friend6 to dazzle
 let the vain design2  ,to raise the    
thought and touch the heart be thine6   
,that charm shall grow1 while what      
fatigues the ring1  ,flaunts and goes   
down1 an unregarded thing3  ,so when the
 sun's broad beam has tired the sight1  
,all mild ascends the moon's more sober 
light2  ,serene in virgin modesty she   
shines1  ,and unobserved the glaring orb
 declines4     ,oh6 blest with temper   
whose unclouded ray  ,can make to-morrow
 cheerful as to-day1  ,she1 who can love
 a sister's charms1 or hear  ,sighs for 

a daughter with unwounded ear2  ,she1   
who ne'er answers till a husband cools1 
,or1 if she rules him1 never shows she  
rules2  ,charms by accepting1 by        
submitting sways1  ,yet has her humour  
most1 when she obeys2  ,let fops or     
fortune fly which way they will2        
,disdains all loss of tickets1 or       
,codille3  ,spleen1 vapours1 or         
small-pox1 above them all1  ,and        
mistress of herself1 though ,china fall4
     ,and yet1 believe me1 good as well 
as ill1  ,woman's at best a             
contradiction still4  ,heaven1 when it  
strives to polish all it can  ,its last 
best work1 but forms a softer man2      
,picks from each sex1 to make the       
fav'rite blest1  ,your love of pleasure1
 or desire of rest3  ,blends1 in        
exception to all general rules1  ,your  
taste of follies1 with our scorn of     
fools3  ,reserve with frankness1 art    
with truth allied1  ,courage with       
softness1 modesty with pride2  ,fixed   
principles1 with fancy ever new2        

,shakes all together1 and               
produces--,you4     ,be this a woman's  
fame3 with this unblest1  ,toasts live a
 scorn1 and queens may die a jest4      
,this ,phoebus promised 7,i forget the  
year7  ,when those blue eyes first      
opened on the sphere2  ,ascendant       
,phoebus watched that hour with care1   
,averted half your parents' simple      
prayer1  ,and gave you beauty1 but      
denied the pelf  ,that buys your sex a  
tyrant o'er itself4  ,the gen'rous god1 
who wit and gold refines1  ,and ripens  
spirits as he ripens mines1  ,kept dross
 for duchesses--the world shall know    
it--  ,to you gave sense1 good-humour1  
and a poet4      ,,epistle ,,iii4  ,,to 
,,allen ,,lord ,,bathurst4              
,,argument4      ,of the use of ,riches4
    ,that it is known to few1 most      
falling into one of the extremes1       
,avarice  or ,profusion1 v4#a1 etc4     
,the point discussed1 whether the       
invention of  money has been more       
commodious or pernicious to ,mankind1   

v4#ba to #gg4  ,that  ,riches1 either to
 the ,avaricious or the ,prodigal1      
cannot afford  ,happiness1 scarcely     
,necessaries1 v4#hi-afj4  ,that ,avarice
 is an absolute  ,frenzy1 without an end
 or purpose1 v4#aac1 etc41 #aeb4        
,conjectures about  the motives of      
,avaricious men1 v4#aba to #aec4  ,that 
the conduct of men1  with respect to    
,riches1 can only be accounted for by   
the ,order of  ,providence1 which works 
the general good out of extremes1 and   
brings all  to its great ,end by        
perpetual ,revolutions1 v4#afa to #agh4 
,how a ,miser  acts upon ,principles    
which appear to him reasonable1 v4#agi4 
,how a  ,prodigal does the same1 v4#aii4
  ,the due ,medium and true use of      
,riches1  v4#bai4  ,the ,man of ,ross1  
v4#bej4  ,the fate of the ,profuse and  
the  ,covetous1 in two examples2 both   
miserable in ,life and in ,death1       
v4#cjj1  etc4  ,the ,story of ,sir      
,balaam1 v4#cci to the end4       ,p4   
,who shall decide1 when doctors         

disagree1  ,and soundest casuists doubt1
 like you and me8  ,you hold the word1  
from ,jove to ,momus given1  ,that man  
was made the standing jest of ,heaven2  
,and gold but sent to keep the fools in 
play1  ,for some to heap1 and some to   
throw away4     ,but ,i1 who think more 
highly of our kind1  7,and surely1      
,heaven and ,i are of a mind7  ,opine1  
that ,nature1 as in duty bound1  ,deep  
hid the shining mischief under ground3  
,but when by man's audacious labour won1
  ,flamed forth this rival to its sire1 
the sun1  ,then careful ,heaven supplied
 two sorts of men1  ,to squander these1 
and those to hide again4     ,like      
doctors thus1 when much dispute has     
past1  ,we find our tenets just the same
 at last4  ,both fairly owning ,riches1 
in effect1  ,no grace of ,heaven or     
token of th' elect2  ,given to the fool1
 the mad1 the vain1 the evil1  ,to      
,ward1 to ,waters1 ,chartres1 and the   
devil4     ,b4 ,what ,nature wants1     
commodious gold bestows1  ',tis thus we 

eat the bread another sows4     ,p4 ,but
 how unequal it bestows1 observe2  ',tis
 thus we riot1 while1 who sow it1       
starve3  ,what ,nature wants 7a phrase  
,i much distrust7  ,extends to luxury1  
extends to lust3  ,useful1 ,i grant1 it 
serves what life requires1  ,but1       
dreadful too1 the dark assassin hires4  
,b4 ,trade it may help1 society extend4 
,p4 ,but lures the pirate1 and corrupts 
the friend4     ,b4 ,it raises armies in
 a nation's aid4     ,p4 ,but bribes a  
senate1 and the land's betrayed4  ,in   
vain may heroes fight1 and patriots     
rave2  ,if secret gold sap on from knave
 to knave4  ,once1 we confess1 beneath  
the patriot's cloak1  ,from the cracked 
bag the dropping guinea spoke1  ,and    
jingling down the back-stairs1 told the 
crew1  ,old ,cato is as great a rogue as
 you4  ,blest paper-credit6 last and    
best supply6  ,that lends corruption    
lighter wings to fly6  ,gold imped by   
thee can compass hardest things1  ,can  
pocket states1 can fetch or carry kings2

  ,a single leaf shall waft an army     
o'er1  ,or ship off senates to a distant
 shore2  ,a leaf1 like ,sibyl's1 scatter
 to and fro  ,our fates and fortunes1 as
 the winds shall blow3  ,pregnant with  
thousands flits the scrap unseen1  ,and 
silent sells a king1 or buys a queen4   
,oh6 that such bulky bribes as all might
 see1  ,still1 as of old1 encumbered    
villainy6  ,could ,france or ,rome      
divert our brave designs1  ,with all    
their brandies or with all their wines8 
,what could they more than knights and  
squires confound1  ,or water all the    
,quorum ten miles round8  ,a statesman's
 slumbers how this speech would spoil6  
,sir1 ,spain has sent a thousand jars of
 oil2  ,huge bales of ,british cloth    
blockade the door2  ,a hundred oxen at  
your levee roar4     ,poor ,avarice one 
torment more would find2  ,nor could    
,profusion squander all in kind4        
,astride his cheese ,sir ,morgan might  
we meet2  ,and ,worldly crying coals    
from street to street1  ,whom with a wig

 so wild1 and mien so mazed1  ,pity     
mistakes for some poor tradesman crazed4
  ,had ,colepepper's whole wealth been  
hops and hogs1  ,could he himself have  
sent it to the dogs8  ,his ,grace will  
game3 to ,white's a bull be led1  ,with 
spurning heels and with a butting head4 
,to ,white's be carried1 as to ancient  
games1  ,fair coursers1 vases1 and      
alluring dames4  ,shall then ,uxorio1 if
 the stakes he sweep1  ,bear home six   
w99999999s1 and make his lady weep8  ,or
 soft ,adonis1 so perfumed and fine1    
,drive to ,st4 ,james's a whole herd of 
swine8  ,oh1 filthy cheek on all        
industrious skill1  ,to spoil the       
nation's last great trade1 ,quadrille6  
,since then1 my lord1 on such a world we
 fall1  ,what say you8  ,b4 ,say8  ,why1
 take it1 gold and all4     ,p4 ,what   
,riches give us let us then inquire3    
,meat1 fire1 and clothes4  ,b4 ,what    
more8  ,p4 ,meat1 clothes1 and fire4    
,is this too little8 would you more than
 live8  ,alas6 'tis more than ,turner   

finds they give4  ,alas6 'tis more than 
7all his visions past7  ,unhappy        
,wharton1 waking1 found at last6  ,what 
can they give8 to dying ,hopkins1 heirs2
  ,to ,chartres1 vigour2 ,japhet1 nose  
and ears8  ,can they in gems bid pallid 
,hippia glow1  ,in ,fulvia's buckle ease
 the throbs below2  ,or heal1 old       
,narses1 thy obscener ail1  ,with all   
th' embroid'ry plastered at thy tail8   
,they might 7were ,harpax not too wise  
to spend7  ,give ,harpax' self the      
blessing of a friend2  ,or find some    
doctor that would save the life  ,of    
wretched ,shylock1 spite of ,shylock's  
wife3  ,but thousands die1 without or   
this or that1  ,die1 and endow a        
college1 or a cat4  ,to some1 indeed1   
,heaven grants the happier fate1  ,t'   
enrich a bastard1 or a son they hate4   
,perhaps you think the poor might have  
their part8  ,bond damns the poor1 and  
hates them from his heart3  ,the grave  
,sir ,gilbert holds it for a rule1      
,that every man in want is knave or     

fool3  ,god cannot love1 says ,blunt1   
with tearless eyes1  ,the wretch ,he    
starves--and piously denies3  ,but the  
good bishop1 with a meeker air1         
,admits1 and leaves them--,providence's 
care4     ,yet1 to be just to these poor
 men of pelf1  ,each does but hate his  
neighbour as himself3  ,damned to the   
mines1 an equal fate betides  ,the slave
 that digs it1 and the slave that hides4
     ,b4 ,who suffer thus1 mere charity 
should own1  ,must act on motives       
powerful1 though unknown4     ,p4 ,some 
war1 some plague1 or famine they        
foresee1  ,some revelation hid from you 
and me4  ,why ,shylock wants a meal1 the
 cause is found--  ,he thinks a loaf    
will rise to fifty pound4  ,what made   
directors cheat in ,south-,sea year8    
,to live on venison when it sold so     
dear4  ,ask you why ,phryne the whole   
auction buys8  ,phryne foresees a       
general excise4  ,why she and ,sappho   
raise that monstrous sum8  ,alas6 they  
fear a man will cost a plum4     ,wise  

,peter sees the world's respect for     
gold1  ,and therefore hopes this nation 
may be sold3  ,glorious ambition6       
,peter1 swell thy store1  ,and be what  
,rome's great ,didius was before4       
,the crown of ,poland1 venal twice an   
age1  ,to just three millions stinted   
modest ,gage4  ,but nobler scenes       
,maria's dreams unfold1  ,hereditary    
realms1 and worlds of gold4  ,congenial 
souls6 whose life one av'rice joins1    
,and one fate buries in th' ,asturian   
mines4     ,much injured ,blunt6 why    
bears he ,britain's hate8  ,a wizard    
told him in these words our fate3  ,at  
length corruption1 like a gen'ral flood 
7,so long by watchful ,ministers        
withstood71  ,shall deluge all2 and     
av'rice1 creeping on1  ,spread like a   
low-born mist1 and blot the sun2        
,statesman and patriot ply alike the    
stocks1  ,peeress and butler share alike
 the box1  ,and judges job1 and bishops 
bite the town1  ,and mighty dukes pack  
cards for half-a-crown4  ,see ,britain  

sunk in ,lucre's sordid charms1  ,and   
,france revenged of ,anne's and         
,edward's arms6  ',twas no ,court-badge1
 great ,scriv'ner6 fired thy brain1     
,nor lordly luxury1 nor ,city gain3     
,no1 'twas thy righteous end1 ashamed to
 see  ,senates degen'rate1 patriots     
disagree1  ,and1 nobly wishing          
party-rage to cease1  ,to buy both      
sides1 and give thy country peace4      
,all this is madness1 cries a sober     
sage3  ,but who1 my friend1 has reason  
in his rage8  ,the ruling passion1 be it
 what it will1  ,the ruling passion     
conquers reason still4  ,less mad the   
wildest whimsey we can frame1  ,than    
even that passion1 if it has no aim2    
,for though such motives folly you may  
call1  ,the folly's greater to have none
 at all4     ,hear then the truth3 ',tis
 ,heaven each passion sends1  ,and      
different men directs to different ends4
  ,extremes in nature equal good        
produce1  ,extremes in man concur to    
gen'ral use4  ,ask we what makes one    

keep1 and one bestow8  ,that ,,power who
 bids the ocean ebb and flow1  ,bids    
seed-time1 harvest1 equal course        
maintain1  ,through reconciled extremes 
of drought and rain1  ,builds life on   
death1 on change duration founds1  ,and 
gives th' eternal wheels to know their  
rounds4     ,riches1 like insects1 when 
concealed they lie1  ,wait but for      
wings1 and in their season fly4  ,who   
sees pale ,mammon pine amidst his store1
  ,sees but a backward steward for the  
poor2  ,this year a reservoir1 to keep  
and spare2  ,the next1 a fountain1      
spouting through his heir1  ,in lavish  
streams to quench a country's thirst1   
,and men and dogs shall drink him till  
they burst4     ,old ,cotta shamed his  
fortune and his birth1  ,yet was not    
,cotta void of wit or worth3  ,what     
though 7the use of barbarous spits      
forgot7  ,his kitchen vied in coolness  
with his grot8  ,his court with nettles1
 moats with cresses stored1  ,with soups
 unbought and salads blessed his board8 

,if ,cotta lived on pulse1 it was no    
more  ,than ,brahmins1 saints1 and sages
 did before2  ,to cram the rich was     
prodigal expense1  ,and who would take  
the poor from ,providence8  ,like some  
lone ,chartreux stands the good old     
hall1  ,silence without1 and fasts      
within the wall2  ,no raftered roofs    
with dance and tabor sound1  ,no        
noontide bell invites the country round2
  ,tenants with sighs the smokeless     
towers survey1  ,and turn th' unwilling 
steeds another way2  ,benighted         
wanderers1 the forest o'er1  ,curse the 
saved candle and unopening door2  ,while
 the gaunt mastiff growling at the gate1
  ,affrights the beggar whom he longs to
 eat4     ,not so his son2 he marked    
this oversight1  ,and then mistook      
reverse of wrong for right4  7,for what 
to shun will no great knowledge need2   
,but what to follow is a task indeed47  
,yet sure1 of qualities deserving       
praise1  ,more go to ruin fortunes1 than
 to raise4  ,what slaughtered hecatombs1

 what floods of wine1  ,fill the        
capacious squire1 and deep divine6  ,yet
 no mean motive this profusion draws2   
,his oxen perish in his country's cause2
  ',tis ,george and ,liberty that crowns
 the cup1  ,and zeal for that great     
house which eats him up4  ,the woods    
recede around the naked seat2  ,the     
sylvans groan--no matter--for the fleet2
  ,next goes his wool--to clothe our    
valiant bands2  ,last1 for his country's
 love1 he sells his lands4  ,to town he 
comes1 completes the nation's hope1     
,and heads the bold train-bands1 and    
burns a ,pope4  ,and shall not ,britain 
now reward his toils1  ,britain1 that   
pays her patriots with her spoils8  ,in 
vain at ,court the bankrupt pleads his  
cause1  ,his thankless country leaves   
him to her laws4     ,the sense to value
 riches1 with the art  ,t' enjoy them1  
and the virtue to impart1  ,not meanly1 
nor ambitiously pursued1  ,not sunk by  
sloth1 nor raised by servitude2  ,to    
balance fortune by a just expense1      

,join with economy1 magnificence2  ,with
 splendour1 charity2 with plenty1       
health2  ,o teach us1 ,bathurst6 yet    
unspoiled by wealth6  ,that secret rare1
 between the extremes to move  ,of mad  
good-nature1 and of mean self-love4     
,b4 ,to worth or want well weighed1 be  
bounty given1  ,and ease1 or emulate1   
the care of ,heaven  7,whose measure    
full o'erflows on human race72  ,mend   
,fortune's fault1 and justify her grace4
  ,wealth in the gross is death1 but    
life diffused2  ,as poison heals1 in    
just proportion used3  ,in heaps1 like  
ambergrise1 a stink it lies1  ,but well 
dispersed1 is incense to the skies4     
,p4 ,who starves by nobles1 or with     
nobles eats8  ,the wretch that trusts   
them1 and the rogue that cheats4  ,is   
there a lord who knows a cheerful noon  
,without a fiddler1 flatterer1 or       
buffoon8  ,whose table1 wit or modest   
merit share1  ,unelbowed by a gamester1 
pimp1 or play'r8  ,who copies yours or  
,oxford's better part1  ,to ease the    

oppressed1 and raise the sinking heart8 
,where'er he shines1 ,o ,fortune1 gild  
the scene1  ,and angels guard him in the
 golden mean6  ,there1 ,english bounty  
yet awhile may stand1  ,and ,honour     
linger ere it leaves the land4     ,but 
all our praises why should lords        
engross8  ,rise1 honest ,muse6 and sing 
the ,man of ,ross3  ,pleased ,vaga      
echoes through her winding bounds1  ,and
 rapid ,severn hoarse applause resounds4
  ,who hung with woods you mountain's   
sultry brow8  ,from the dry rock who    
bade the waters flow8  ,not to the skies
 in useless columns tost1  ,or in proud 
falls magnificently lost1  ,but clear   
and artless1 pouring through the plain  
,health to the sick1 and solace to the  
swain4  ,whose causeway parts the vale  
with shady rows8  ,whose seats the weary
 traveller repose8  ,who taught that    
heaven-directed spire to rise8  ,the    
,man of ,ross1 each lisping babe        
replies4  ,behold the market-place with 
poor o'erspread6  ,the ,man of ,ross    

divides the weekly bread2  ,he feeds yon
 almshouse1 neat1 but void of state1    
,where age and want sit smiling at the  
gate2  ,him portioned maids1 apprenticed
 orphans blest1  ,the young who labour1 
and the old who rest4  ,is any sick8 the
 ,man of ,ross relieves1  ,prescribes1  
attends1 the medicine makes1 and gives4 
,is there a variance8 enter but his     
door1  ,baulked are the courts1 and     
contest is no more4  ,despairing quacks 
with curses fled the place1  ,and vile  
attorneys1 now a useless race4     ,b4  
,thrice happy man6 enabled to pursue    
,what all so wish1 but want the power to
 do6  ,oh say1 what sums that generous  
hand supply8  ,what mines1 to swell that
 boundless charity8     ,p4 ,of debts1  
and taxes1 wife and children clear1     
,this man possest--five hundred pounds a
 year4  ,blush1 grandeur1 blush6 proud  
courts1 withdraw your blaze6  ,ye little
 stars1 hide your diminished rays6      
,b4 ,and what8 no monument1 inscription1
 stone8  ,his race1 his form1 his name  

almost unknown8     ,p4 ,who builds a   
church to ,god1 and not to ,fame1  ,will
 never mark the marble with his name2   
,go1 search it there1 where to be born  
and die1  ,of rich and poor makes all   
the history2  ,enough1 that virtue      
filled the space between2  ,proved1 by  
the ends of being1 to have been4  ,when 
,hopkins dies1 a thousand lights attend 
,the wretch1 who living saved a candle's
 end3  ,shouldering ,god's altar a vile 
image stands1  ,belies his features1    
nay1 extends his hands2  ,that livelong 
wig1 which ,gorgon's self might own1    
,eternal buckle takes in ,parian stone4 
,behold what blessings wealth to life   
can lend6  ,and see what comfort it     
affords our end4     ,in the worst inn's
 worst room1 with mat half-hung1  ,the  
floors of plaster1 and the walls of     
dung1  ,on once a flock-bed1 but        
repaired with straw1  ,with tape-tied   
curtains1 never meant to draw1  ,the    
,george and ,garter dangling from that  
bed  ,where tawdry yellow strove with   

dirty red1  ,great ,villiers lies--alas6
 how changed from him1  ,that life of   
pleasure1 and that soul of whim6--      
,gallant and gay1 in ,cliveden's proud  
alcove1  ,the bower of wanton           
,shrewsbury and love2  ,or just as gay1 
at council1 in a ring  ,of mimic'd      
statesmen and their merry king4  ,no wit
 to flatter left of all his store6  ,no 
fool to laugh at1 which he valued more4 
,there1 victor of his health1 of        
fortune1 friends1  ,and fame1 this lord 
of useless thousands ends4     ,his     
grace's fate sage ,cutler could foresee1
  ,and well 7he thought7 advised him1   
,live like me4  ,as well his grace      
replied1 ,like you1 ,sir ,john8  ,that  
,i can do1 when all ,i have is gone4    
,resolve me1 ,reason1 which of these is 
worse1  ,want with a full1 or with an   
empty purse8  ,thy life more wretched1  
,cutler1 was confessed1  ,arise1 and    
tell me1 was thy death more blessed8    
,cutler saw tenants break1 and houses   
fall1  ,for very want2 he could not     

build a wall4  ,his only daughter in a  
stranger's power1  ,for very want2 he   
could not pay a dower4  ,a few grey     
hairs his reverend temples crowned1     
',twas very want that sold them for two 
pound4  ,what even denied a cordial at  
his end1  ,banished the doctor1 and     
expelled the friend8  ,what but a want1 
which you perhaps think mad1  ,yet      
numbers feel the want of what he had6   
,cutler and ,brutus1 dying1 both        
exclaim1  ,virtue6 and wealth6 what are 
ye but a name6     ,say1 for such worth 
are other worlds prepared8  ,or are they
 both in this their own reward8  ,a     
knotty point6 to which we now proceed4  
,but you are tired--,i'll tell a tale4  
,b4 ,agreed4     ,p4 ,where ,london's   
column1 pointing at the skies1  ,like a 
tall bully1 lifts the head1 and lies2   
,there dwelt a citizen of sober fame1   
,a plain good man1 and ,balaam was his  
name2  ,religious1 punctual1 frugal1 and
 so forth2  ,his word would pass for    
more than he was worth4  ,one solid dish

 his week-day meal affords1  ,an added  
pudding solemnised the ,lord's2         
,constant at church1 and ,change2 his   
gains were sure1  ,his givings rare1    
save farthings to the poor4  ,the devil 
was piqued such saintship to behold1    
,and longed to tempt him like good ,job 
of old3  ,but ,satan now is wiser than  
of yore1  ,and tempts by making rich1   
not making poor4     ,roused by the     
prince of ,air1 the whirlwinds sweep    
,the surge1 and plunge his father in the
 deep2  ,then full against his ,cornish 
lands they roar1  ,and two rich         
shipwrecks bless the lucky shore4       
,sir ,balaam now1 he lives like other   
folks1  ,he takes his chirping pint1 and
 cracks his jokes2  ,live like yourself1
 was soon my lady's word2  ,and lo6 two 
puddings smoked upon the board4         
,asleep and naked as an ,indian lay1    
,an honest factor stole a gem away3  ,he
 pledged it to the knight2 the knight   
had wit1  ,so kept the diamond1 and the 
rogue was bit4  ,some scruple rose1 but 

thus he eased his thought1  ,i'll now   
give sixpence where ,i gave a groat2    
,where once ,i went to church1 ,i'll now
 go twice--  ,and am so clear1 too1 of  
all other vice4     ,the ,tempter saw   
his time2 the work he plied2  ,stocks   
and subscriptions pour on every side1   
',till all the demon makes his full     
descent  ,in one abundant shower of     
cent4 per cent41  ,sinks deep within    
him1 and possesses whole1  ,then dubs   
director1 and secures his soul4         
,behold ,sir ,balaam1 now a man of      
spirit1  ,ascribes his gettings to his  
parts and merit2  ,what late he called a
 blessing1 now was wit1  ,and ,god's    
good ,providence1 a lucky hit4  ,things 
change their titles1 as our manners     
turn2  ,his counting-house employed the 
,sunday morn2  ,seldom at church 7'twas 
such a busy life71  ,but duly sent his  
family and wife4  ,there 7so the devil  
ordained7 one ,christmas tide  ,my good 
old lady catched a cold and died4     ,a
 nymph of quality admires our knight2   

,he marries1 bows at court1 and grows   
polite3  ,leaves the dull cits1 and     
joins 7to please the fair7  ,the well   
bred c99ck9999ds in ,st4 ,james's air2  
,first1 for his son a gay commission    
buys1  ,who drinks and fights1 and in a 
duel dies2  ,his daughter flaunts a     
viscount's tawdry wife2  ,she bears a   
coronet and ---- for life4  ,in         
,britain's senate he a seat obtains1    
,and one more pensioner ,st4 ,stephen   
gains4  ,my lady falls to play2 so bad  
her chance1  ,he must repair it2 takes a
 bribe from ,france2  ,the ,house       
impeach him2 ,coningsby harangues2  ,the
 ,court forsake him1 and ,sir ,balaam   
hangs2  ,wife1 son1 and daughter1       
,satan6 are thine own1  ,his wealth1 yet
 dearer1 forfeit to the ,crown3  ,the   
,devil and the ,king divide the prize1  
,and sad ,sir ,balaam curses ,god and   
dies4      ,,epistle ,,iv4  ,,to        
,,richard ,,boyle1 ,,earl ,,of          
,,burlington4    ,,argument4      ,of   
the ,use of ,riches4    ,the ,vanity of 

,expense in people of ,wealth and       
,quality4  ,the abuse of the  word      
,taste1 v4#ac4  ,that the first         
,principle and foundation1 in this as in
  everything else1 is ,good ,sense1     
v4#dj4   ,the chief ,proof of it is to  
follow ,nature even in works of mere    
,luxury and ,elegance4  ,instanced in   
,architecture and ,gardening1 where all 
must be adapted to the ,genius and  ,use
 of the ,place1 and the ,beauties not   
forced into it1 but resulting from  it1 
v4#ej4  ,how men are disappointed in    
their most expensive undertakings1  for 
want of this true ,foundation1 without  
which nothing can please long1  if at   
all3 and the best ,examples and ,rules  
will but be perverted into  something   
burdensome or ridiculous1 v4#fe1 etc41  
to #ib4  ,a description of  the false   
,taste of ,magnificence2 the first grand
 ,error of which is to  imagine that    
,greatness consists in the size and     
dimension1 instead of the  ,proportion  
and ,harmony of the whole1 v4#ig1 and   

the second1 either in  joining together 
,parts incoherent1 or too minutely      
resembling1 or in the  ,repetition of   
the same too frequently1 v4#aje1 etc4   
,a word or two of  false ,taste in      
,books1 in ,music1 in ,painting1 even in
 ,preaching and  ,prayer1 and lastly in 
,entertainments1 v4#acc1 etc4  ,yet     
,providence is  justified in giving     
,wealth to be squandered in this manner1
 since it is  dispersed to the poor and 
laborious part of mankind1 v4#afi       
7recurring to  what is laid down in the 
first book1 ,ep4 ii41 and in the        
,epistle  preceding this1 v4#aei1 etc474
  ,what are the proper objects of       
,magnificence1 and a proper field for   
the ,expense of ,great ,men1 v4#agg1    
etc41 and finally1 the ,great and       
,public ,works which become a ,prince1  
v4#aia to the end4    ',tis strange1 the
 miser should his cares employ  ,to gain
 those riches he can ne'er enjoy3  ,is  
it less strange1 the prodigal should    
waste  ,his wealth1 to purchase what he 

ne'er can taste8  ,not for himself he   
sees1 or hears1 or eats2  ,artists must 
choose his pictures1 music1 meats3  ,he 
buys for ,topham1 drawings and designs1 
,for ,pembroke1 statues1 dirty gods1 and
 coins2  ,rare monkish manuscripts for  
,hearne alone1  ,and books for ,mead1   
and butterflies for ,sloane4  ,think we 
all these are for himself8 no more      
,than his fine wife1 alas6 or finer     
w999999e4     ,for what has ,virro      
painted1 built1 and planted8  ,only to  
show1 how many tastes he wanted4  ,what 
brought ,sir ,visto's ill-got wealth to 
waste8  ,some demon whispered1 ,visto6  
have a taste4  ,heaven visits with a    
taste the wealthy fool1  ,and needs no  
rod but ,ripley with a rule4  ,see6     
sportive ,fate1 to punish awkward pride1
  ,bids ,bubo build1 and sends him such 
a guide4  ,a standing sermon1 at each   
year's expense1  ,that never coxcomb    
reached magnificence6     ,you show us1 
,rome was glorious1 not profuse1  ,and  
pompous buildings once were things of   

use4  ,yet shall1 my lord1 your just1   
your noble rules  ,fill half the land   
with imitating fools2  ,who random      
drawings from your sheets shall take1   
,and of one beauty many blunders make2  
,load some vain church with old theatric
 state1  ,turn arcs of triumph to a     
garden-gate2  ,reverse your ornaments1  
and hang them all  ,on some patched     
dog-hole eked with ends of wall2  ,then 
clap four slices of pilaster on 't1     
,that1 laced with bits of rustic1 makes 
a front  ,shall call the winds through  
long arcades to roar1  ,proud to catch  
cold at a ,venetian door2  ,conscious   
they act a true ,palladian part1  ,and1 
if they starve1 they starve by rules of 
art4     ,oft have you hinted to your   
brother peer  ,a certain truth1 which   
many buy too dear3  ,something there is 
more needful than expense1  ,and        
something previous even to taste--'tis  
sense4  ,good sense1 which only is the  
gift of ,heaven1  ,and though no        
science1 fairly worth the seven3  ,a    

light1 which in yourself you must       
perceive3  ,jones and ,le ,notre have it
 not to give4     ,to build1 to plant1  
whatever you intend1  ,to rear the      
column1 or the arch to bend1  ,to swell 
the terrace1 or to sink the grot2  ,in  
all1 let ,nature never be forgot4  ,but 
treat the goddess like a modest fair1   
,nor over-dress1 nor leave her wholly   
bare2  ,let not each beauty everywhere  
be spied1  ,where half the skill is     
decently to hide4  ,he gains all points1
 who pleasingly confounds1  ,surprises1 
varies1 and conceals the bounds4        
,consult the genius of the place in all2
  ,that tells the waters or to rise or  
fall1  ,or helps the ambitious hill the 
heavens to scale1  ,or scoops in        
circling theatres the vale2  ,calls in  
the country1 catches opening glades1    
,joins willing woods1 and varies shades 
from shades2  ,now breaks1 or now       
directs1 the intending lines2  ,paints  
as you plant1 and1 as you work1 designs4
     ,still follow sense1 of every art  

the soul1  ,parts answering parts shall 
slide into a whole1  ,spontaneous       
beauties all around advance1  ,start    
even from difficulty1 strike from       
chance2  ,nature shall join you2 ,time  
shall make it grow  ,a work to wonder   
at--perhaps a ,stowe4     ,without it1  
proud ,versailles1 thy glory falls2     
,and ,nero's terraces desert their      
walls3  ,the vast parterres a thousand  
hands shall make2  ,lo6 ,cobham comes1  
and floats them with a lake3  ,or cut   
wide views through mountains to the     
plain1  ,you'll wish your hill or       
sheltered seat again4  ,even in an      
ornament its place remark1  ,nor in a   
hermitage set ,dr4 ,clarke4     ,behold 
,villario's ten years' toil complete3   
,his quincunx darkens1 his espaliers    
meet2  ,the wood supports the plain1 the
 parts unite1  ,and strength of shade   
contends with strength of light2  ,a    
waving glow the bloomy beds display1    
,blushing in bright diversities of day1 
,with silver-quivering rills meandered  

o'er--  ,enjoy them1 you6 ,villario can 
no more2  ,tired of the scene parterres 
and fountains yield1  ,he finds at last 
he better likes a field4     ,through   
his young woods how pleased ,sabinus    
strayed1  ,or sat delighted in the      
thickening shade1  ,with annual joy the 
reddening shoots to greet1  ,or see the 
stretching branches long to meet6  ,his 
son's fine taste an opener vista loves1 
,foe to the ,dryads of his father's     
groves2  ,one boundless green1 or       
flourished carpet views1  ,with all the 
mournful family of yews2  ,the thriving 
plants1 ignoble broomsticks made1  ,now 
sweep those alleys they were born to    
shade4     ,at ,timon's villa let us    
pass a day1  ,where all cry out1 ,what  
sums are thrown away6  ,so proud1 so    
grand2 of that stupendous air1  ,soft   
and agreeable come never there4         
,greatness1 with ,timon1 dwells in such 
a draught  ,as brings all ,brobdingnag  
before your thought4  ,to compass this1 
his building is a town1  ,his pond an   

ocean1 his parterre a down3  ,who but   
must laugh1 the master when he sees1  ,a
 puny insect1 shivering at a breeze6    
,lo1 what huge heaps of littleness      
around6  ,the whole1 a laboured quarry  
above ground2  ,two ,cupids squirt      
before2 a lake behind  ,improves the    
keenness of the northern wind4  ,his    
gardens next your admiration call1  ,on 
every side you look1 behold the wall6   
,no pleasing intricacies intervene1  ,no
 artful wildness to perplex the scene2  
,grove nods at grove1 each alley has a  
brother1  ,and half the platform just   
reflects the other4  ,the suffering eye 
inverted ,nature sees1  ,trees cut to   
statues1 statues thick as trees  ,with  
here a fountain1 never to be played2    
,and there a summer-house1 that knows no
 shade2  ,here ,amphitrite sails through
 myrtle bowers2  ,there gladiators fight
 or die in flowers2  ,unwatered see the 
drooping sea-horse mourn1  ,and swallows
 roost in ,nilus' dusty urn4     ,my    
lord advances with majestic mien1  ,smit

 with the mighty pleasure to be seen3   
,but soft--by regular approach--not     
yet--  ,first through the length of yon 
hot terrace sweat2  ,and when up ten    
steep slopes you've dragged your thighs1
  ,just at his study door he'll bless   
your eyes4     ,his study6 with what    
authors is it stored8  ,in books1 not   
authors1 curious is my lord2  ,to all   
their dated backs he turns you round3   
,these ,aldus printed1 those ,du ,sueil 
has bound1  ,lo1 some are vellum1 and   
the rest as good  ,for all his lordship 
knows1 but they are wood4  ,for ,locke  
or ,milton 'tis in vain to look2  ,these
 shelves admit not any modern book4     
,and now the chapel's silver bell you   
hear1  ,that summons you to all the     
pride of prayer2  ,light quirks of      
music1 broken and uneven1  ,make the    
soul dance upon a jig to heaven4  ,on   
painted ceilings you devoutly stare1    
,where sprawl the saints of ,verrio or  
,laguerre1  ,on gilded clouds in fair   
expansion lie1  ,and bring all ,paradise

 before your eye4  ,to rest1 the cushion
 and soft ,dean invite1  ,who never     
mentions hell to ears polite4     ,but  
hark6 the chiming clocks to dinner call2
  ,a hundred footsteps scrape the marble
 hall3  ,the rich buffet well-coloured  
serpents grace1  ,and gaping ,tritons   
spew to wash your face4  ,is this a     
dinner8 this a genial room8  ,no1 'tis a
 temple1 and a hecatomb4  ,a solemn     
sacrifice1 performed in state1  ,you    
drink by measure1 and to minutes eat4   
,so quick retires each flying course1   
you'd swear  ,sancho's dread doctor and 
his wand were there4  ,between each act 
the trembling salvers ring1  ,from soup 
to sweet-wine1 and ,god bless the ,king4
  ,in plenty starving1 tantalised in    
state1  ,and complaisantly helped to all
 ,i hate1  ,treated1 caressed1 and      
tired1 ,i take my leave1  ,sick of his  
civil pride from morn to eve2  ,i curse 
such lavish cost and little skill1  ,and
 swear no day was ever past so ill4     
,yet hence the poor are clothed1 the    

hungry fed2  ,health to himself1 and to 
his infants bread  ,the labourer bears2 
what his hard heart denies  ,his        
charitable vanity supplies4     ,another
 age shall see the golden ear  ,embrown 
the slope1 and nod on the parterre1     
,deep harvests bury all his pride has   
planned1  ,and laughing ,ceres re-assume
 the land4     ,who then shall grace1 or
 who improve the soil8  ,who plants like
 ,bathurst1 or who builds like ,boyle4  
',tis use alone that sanctifies expense1
  ,and splendour borrows all her rays   
from sense4     ,his father's acres who 
enjoys in peace1  ,or makes his         
neighbours glad1 if he increase3  ,whose
 cheerful tenants bless their yearly    
toil1  ,yet to their lord owe more than 
to the soil2  ,whose ample lawns are not
 ashamed to feed  ,the milky heifer and 
deserving steed2  ,whose rising forests1
 not for pride or show1  ,but future    
buildings1 future navies1 grow3  ,let   
his plantations stretch from down to    
down1  ,first shade a country1 and then 

raise a town4     ,you too proceed6 make
 falling arts your care1  ,erect new    
wonders1 and the old repair2  ,jones and
 ,palladio to themselves restore1  ,and 
be whate'er ,vitruvius was before3      
',till kings call forth the ideas of    
your mind  7,proud to accomplish what   
such hands denied7  ,bid harbours open1 
public ways extend1  ,bid temples1      
worthier of the god1 ascend2  ,bid the  
broad arch the dangerous flood contain1 
,the mole projected break the roaring   
main2  ,back to his bounds their subject
 sea command1  ,and roll obedient rivers
 through the land3  ,these honours peace
 to happy ,britain brings1  ,these are  
imperial works1 and worthy kings4       
,,epistle ,v4  ,,to ,,mr4 ,,addison4    
,occasioned by his ,dialogues on        
,medals4    ,see the wild waste of      
all-devouring years6  ,how ,rome her own
 sad sepulchre appears1  ,with nodding  
arches1 broken temples spread6  ,the    
very tombs now vanished like their dead6
  ,imperial wonders raised on nations   

spoiled1  ,where mixed with slaves the  
groaning martyr toiled3  ,huge theatres1
 that now unpeopled woods1  ,now drained
 a distant country of her floods3       
,fanes1 which admiring gods with pride  
survey1  ,statues of men1 scarce less   
alive than they6  ,some felt the silent 
stroke of mouldering age1  ,some hostile
 fury1 some religious rage4  ,barbarian 
blindness1 ,christian zeal conspire1    
,and ,papal piety1 and ,gothic fire4    
,perhaps1 by its own ruins saved from   
flame1  ,some buried marble half        
preserves a name2  ,that name the       
learned with fierce disputes pursue1    
,and give to ,titus old ,vespasian's    
due4     ,ambition sighed3 she found it 
vain to trust  ,the faithless column and
 the crumbling bust3  ,huge moles1 whose
 shadow stretched from shore to shore1  
,their ruins perished1 and their place  
no more2  ,convinced1 she now contracts 
her vast design1  ,and all her triumphs 
shrink into a coin4  ,a narrow orb each 
crowded conquest keeps2  ,beneath her   

palm here sad ,judea weeps2  ,now       
scantier limits the proud arch confine1 
,and scarce are seen the prostrate ,nile
 or ,rhine2  ,a small ,euphrates through
 the piece is rolled1  ,and little      
eagles wave their wings in gold4  ,the  
medal1 faithful to its charge of fame1  
,through climes and ages bears each form
 and name3  ,in one short view subjected
 to our eye  ,gods1 emperors1 heroes1   
sages1 beauties1 lie4  ,with sharpened  
sight pale antiquaries pore1  ,the      
inscription value1 but the rust adore4  
,this the blue varnish1 that the green  
endears1  ,the sacred rust of twice ten 
hundred years6  ,to gain ,pescennius one
 employs his schemes1  ,one grasps a    
,cecrops in ecstatic dreams4  ,poor     
,vadius1 long with learned spleen       
devoured1  ,can taste no pleasure since 
his shield was scoured2  ,and ,curio1   
restless by the fair one's side1  ,sighs
 for an ,otho1 and neglects his bride4  
,theirs is the vanity1 the learning     
thine3  ,touched by thy hand1 again     

,rome's glories shine2  ,her gods and   
god-like heroes rise to view1  ,and all 
her faded garlands bloom anew4  ,nor    
blush1 these studies thy regard engage2 
,these pleased the fathers of poetic    
rage2  ,the verse and sculpture bore an 
equal part1  ,and art reflected images  
to art4     ,oh1 when shall ,britain1   
conscious of her claim1  ,stand emulous 
of ,greek and ,roman fame8  ,in living  
medals see her wars enrolled1  ,and     
vanquished realms supply recording gold8
  ,here1 rising bold1 the patriot's     
honest face2  ,there warriors frowning  
in historic brass8  ,then future ages   
with delight shall see  ,how ,plato's1  
,bacon's1 ,newton's looks agree2  ,or in
 fair series laurelled bards be shown1  
,a ,virgil there1 and here an ,addison4 
,then shall thy ,craggs 7and let me call
 him mine7  ,on the cast ore1 another   
,pollio shine2  ,with aspect open1 shall
 erect his head1  ,and round the orb in 
lasting notes be read1  ,statesmen1 yet 
friend to truth6 of soul sincere1  ,in  

action faithful1 and in honour clear2   
,who broke no promise1 served no private
 end1  ,who gained no title and who lost
 no friend2  ,ennobled by himself1 by   
all approved1  ,and praised1 unenvied1  
by the muse he loved4                   
,,satires4      ,,epistle ,,to ,,dr4    
,,arbuthnot4      ,,advertisement  ,to  
the first publication of this ,epistle4 
,this ,paper is a sort of bill of       
complaint1 begun many years since1 and  
drawn up by snatches1 as the several    
occasions offered4  ,i had no  thoughts 
of publishing it1 till it pleased some  
persons of rank and  fortune 7the       
authors of ,verses to the ,imitator of  
,horace1 and of an  ,epistle to a       
,doctor of ,divinity from a ,nobleman at
 ,hampton ,court7 to  attack1 in a very 
extraordinary manner1 not only my       
writings 7of which1  being public1 the  
public is judge71 but my person1 morals1
 and family1  whereof1 to those who know
 me not1 a truer information may be     
requisite4  ,being divided between the  

necessity to say something of myself1   
and my  own laziness to undertake so    
awkward a task1 ,i thought it the       
shortest  way to put the last hand to   
this ,epistle4  ,if it have anything    
pleasing1  it will be that by which ,i  
am most desirous to please1 the truth   
and the  sentiment2 and if anything     
offensive1 it will be only to those ,i  
am least  sorry to offend1 the vicious  
or the ungenerous4    ,many will know   
their own pictures in it1 there being   
not a circumstance  but what is true2   
but ,i have1 for the most part1 spared  
their names1 and  they may escape being 
laughed at if they please4    ,i would  
have some of them know1 it was owing to 
the request of the  learned and candid  
friend to whom it is inscribed1 that ,i 
make not as  free use of theirs as they 
have done of mine4  ,however1 ,i shall  
have this  advantage and honour on my   
side1 that whereas1 by their proceeding1
 any  abuse may be directed at any man1 
no injury can possibly be done by mine1 

since a nameless character can never be 
found out but by its truth and          
likeness4--,p4      ,,epistle ,,to ,,dr4
 ,,arbuthnot1  ,,being ,,the  ,,prologue
 ,,to ,,the ,,satires4      ,p4 ,shut1  
shut the door1 good ,john6 fatigued1 ,i 
said1  ,tie up the knocker1 say ,i'm    
sick1 ,i'm dead4  ,the dog-star rages6  
nay 'tis past a doubt1  ,all ,bedlam1 or
 ,parnassus1 is let out3  ,fire in each 
eye1 and papers in each hand1  ,they    
rave1 recite1 and madden round the land4
     ,what walls can guard me1 or what  
shades can hide8  ,they pierce my       
thickets1 through my grot they glide2   
,by land1 by water1 they renew the      
charge2  ,they stop the chariot1 and    
they board the barge4  ,no place is     
sacred1 not the ,church is free2  ,even 
,sunday shines no ,sabbath ,day to me2  
,then from the ,mint walks forth the man
 of rhyme1  ,happy to catch me just at  
dinner-time4     ,is there a parson1    
much bemused in beer1  ,a maudlin       
poetess1 a rhyming peer1  ,a clerk1     

foredoomed his father's soul to cross1  
,who pens a stanza when he should       
engross8  ,is there1 who1 locked from   
ink and paper1 scrawls  ,with desperate 
charcoal round his darkened walls8  ,all
 fly to ,twitenham1 and in humble strain
  ,apply to me1 to keep them mad or     
vain4  ,arthur1 whose giddy son neglects
 the laws1  ,imputes to me and my damned
 works the cause3  ,poor ,cornus sees   
his frantic wife elope1  ,and curses    
wit1 and poetry1 and ,pope4     ,friend 
to my life6 7which did not you prolong1 
,the world had wanted many an idle song7
  ,what drop or nostrum can this plague 
remove8  ,or which must end me1 a fool's
 wrath or love8  ,a dire dilemma6 either
 way ,i'm sped1  ,if foes1 they write1  
if friends1 they read me dead4  ,seized 
and tied down to judge1 how wretched ,i6
  ,who can't be silent1 and who will not
 lie4  ,to laugh1 were want of goodness 
and of grace1  ,and to be grave1 exceeds
 all power of face4  ,i sit with sad    
civility1 ,i read  ,with honest anguish1

 and an aching head2  ,and drop at last1
 but in unwilling ears1  ,this saving   
counsel1 ,keep your piece nine years4   
,nine years6 cries he1 who high in      
,drury ,lane1  ,lulled by soft zephyrs  
through the broken pane1  ,rhymes ere he
 wakes1 and prints before term ends1    
,obliged by hunger1 and request of      
friends3  ,the piece1 you think1 is     
incorrect8 why1 take it1  ,i'm all      
submission1 what you'd have it1 make it4
     ,three things another's modest     
wishes bound1  ,my friendship1 and a    
prologue1 and ten pound4     ,pitholeon 
sends to me3 ,you know his ,grace1  ,i  
want a patron2 ask him for a place4     
',pitholeon libelled me'--but here's a  
letter  ,informs you1 sir1 'twas when he
 knew no better4  ,dare you refuse him8 
,curll invites to dine1  ,he'll write a 
journal1 or he'll turn divine4          
,bless me6 a packet4--',tis a stranger  
sues1  ,a virgin tragedy1 an orphan     
muse4  ,if ,i dislike it1 ,furies1 death
 and rage6  ,if ,i approve1 ,commend it 

to the stage4  ,there 7thank my stars7  
my whole commission ends1  ,the players 
and ,i are1 luckily1 no friends1  ,fired
 that the house reject him1 ',sdeath    
,i'll print it1  ,and shame the         
fools--,your interest1 sir1 with        
,lintot6  ',lintot1 dull rogue6 will    
think your price too much3'  ,not1 sir1 
if you revise it1 and retouch4  ,all my 
demurs but double his attacks2  ,at last
 he whispers1 ,do2 and we go snacks4    
,glad of a quarrel1 straight ,i clap the
 door1  ,sir1 let me see your works and 
you no more4     ',tis sung1 when       
,midas' ears began to spring  7,midas1 a
 sacred person and a king71  ,his very  
minister who spied them first  7,some   
say his queen7 was forced to speak1 or  
burst4  ,and is not mine1 my friend1 a  
sorer case1  ,when every coxcomb perks  
them in my face8  ,a4  ,good friend1    
forbear6 you deal in dangerous things4  
,i'd never name queens1 ministers1 or   
kings2  ,keep close to ears1 and those  
let asses prick2  ',tis nothing-- ,p4   

,nothing8 if they bite and kick8  ,out  
with it1 ,dunciad6 let the secret pass1 
,that secret to each fool1 that he's an 
ass3  ,the truth once told 7and         
wherefore should we lie87  ,the ,queen  
of ,midas slept1 and so may ,i4     ,you
 think this cruel8 take it for a rule1  
,no creature smarts so little as a fool4
  ,let peals of laughter1 ,codrus6 round
 thee break1  ,thou unconcerned canst   
hear the mighty crack3  ,pit1 box1 and  
gallery in convulsions hurled1  ,thou   
stand'st unshook amidst a bursting      
world4  ,who shames a scribbler8 break  
one cobweb through1  ,he spins the      
slight1 self-pleasing thread anew3      
,destroy his fib or sophistry1 in vain1 
,the creature's at his dirty work again1
  ,throned in the centre of his thin    
designs1  ,proud of a vast extent of    
flimsy lines6  ,whom have ,i hurt8 has  
poet yet1 or peer1  ,lost the arched    
eyebrow1 or ,parnassian sneer8  ,and has
 not ,colley still his lord1 and        
w999999e8  ,his butchers ,henley1 his   

free-masons ,moore8  ,does not one table
 ,bavius still admit8  ,still to one    
bishop ,philips seem a wit8  ,still     
,sappho--  ,a4 ,hold6 for ,god's        
sake--you'll offend1  ,no names6--be    
calm6--learn prudence of a friend6  ,i  
too could write1 and ,i am twice as     
tall2  ,but foes like these--  ,p4 ,one 
flatterer's worse than all4  ,of all mad
 creatures1 if the learned are right1   
,it is the slaver kills1 and not the    
bite4  ,a fool quite angry is quite     
innocent3  ,alas6 'tis ten times worse  
when they repent4     ,one dedicates in 
high heroic prose1  ,and ridicules      
beyond a hundred foes3  ,one from all   
,grubstreet will my fame defend1  ,and  
more abusive1 calls himself my friend4  
,this prints my letters1 that expects a 
bribe1  ,and others roar aloud1         
,subscribe1 subscribe4     ,there are1  
who to my person pay their court3  ,i   
cough like ,horace1 and1 though lean1 am
 short1  ,ammon's great son one shoulder
 had too high1  ,such ,ovid's nose1 and 

,sir6 you have an eye--  ,go on1        
obliging creatures1 make me see  ,all   
that disgraced my betters1 met in me4   
,say for my comfort1 languishing in bed1
  ,just so immortal ,maro held his head3
  ,and when ,i die1 be sure you let me  
know  ,great ,homer died three thousand 
years ago4     ,why did ,i write8 what  
sin to me unknown  ,dipped me in ink1 my
 parents'1 or my own8  ,as yet a child1 
nor yet a fool to fame1  ,i lisped in   
numbers1 for the numbers came4  ,i left 
no calling for this idle trade1  ,no    
duty broke1 no father disobeyed4  ,the  
,muse but served to ease some friend1   
not wife1  ,to help me through this long
 disease1 my life1  ,to second1         
,arbuthnot6 thy art and care1  ,and     
teach the being you preserved1 to bear4 
,but why then publish8 ,granville the   
polite1  ,and knowing ,walsh1 would tell
 me ,i could write2  ,well-natured      
,garth1 inflamed with early praise2     
,and ,congreve loved1 and ,swift endured
 my lays2  ,the courtly ,talbot1        

,somers1 ,sheffield1 read2  ,even mitred
 ,rochester would nod the head1  ,and   
,st4 ,john's self 7great ,dryden's      
friends before7  ,with open arms        
received one poet more4  ,happy my      
studies1 when by these approved6        
,happier their author1 when by these    
beloved6  ,from these the world will    
judge of men and books1  ,not from the  
,burnets1 ,oldmixons1 and ,cookes4      
,soft were my numbers2 who could take   
offence1  ,while pure description held  
the place of sense8  ,like gentle       
,fanny's was my flowery theme1  ,a      
painted mistress1 or a purling stream4  
,yet then did ,gildon draw his venal    
quill2--  ,i wished the man a dinner1   
and sat still4  ,yet then did ,dennis   
rave in furious fret2  ,i never         
answered--,i was not in debt4  ,if want 
provoked1 or madness made them print1   
,i waged no war with ,bedlam or the     
,mint4     ,did some more sober critic  
come abroad2  ,if wrong1 ,i smiled2 if  
right1 ,i kissed the rod4  ,pains1      

reading1 study1 are their just pretence1
  ,and all they want is spirit1 taste1  
and sense4  ,commas and points they set 
exactly right1  ,and 'twere a sin to rob
 them of their mite4  ,yet ne'er one    
sprig of laurel graced these ribalds1   
,from slashing ,bentley down to p---g   
,tibalds3  ,each wight1 who reads not1  
and but scans and spells1  ,each        
word-catcher1 that lives on syllables1  
,even such small critics some regard may
 claim1  ,preserved in ,milton's or in  
,shakespeare's name4  ,pretty6 in amber 
to observe the forms  ,of hairs1 or     
straws1 or dirt1 or grubs1 or worms6    
,the things1 we know1 are neither rich  
nor rare1  ,but wonder how the devil    
they got there4     ,were others angry3 
,i excused them too2  ,well might they  
rage1 ,i gave them but their due4  ,a   
man's true merit 'tis not hard to find2 
,but each man's secret standard in his  
mind1  ,that casting-weight pride adds  
to emptiness1  ,this1 who can gratify8  
for who can guess8  ,the bard whom      

pilfered pastorals renown1  ,who turns a
 ,persian tale for half a crown1  ,just 
writes to make his barrenness appear1   
,and strains1 from hard-bound brains1   
eight lines a year2  ,he1 who still     
wanting1 though he lives on theft1      
,steals much1 spends little1 yet has    
nothing left3  ,and he1 who now to      
sense1 now nonsense leaning1  ,means    
not1 but blunders round about a meaning3
  ,and he1 whose fustian's so sublimely 
bad1  ,it is not poetry1 but prose run  
mad3  ,all these1 my modest satire bade 
translate1  ,and owned that nine such   
poets made a ,tate4  ,how did they fume1
 and stamp1 and roar1 and chafe  ,and   
swear not ,addison himself was safe4    
,peace to all such6 but were there one  
whose fires  ,true genius kindles1 and  
fair fame inspires2  ,blessed with each 
talent and each art to please1  ,and    
born to write1 converse1 and live with  
ease3  ,should such a man1 too fond to  
rule alone1  ,bear1 like the ,turk1 no  
brother near the throne4  ,view him with

 scornful1 yet with jealous eyes1  ,and 
hate for arts that caused himself to    
rise2  ,damn with faint praise1 assent  
with civil leer1  ,and without sneering1
 teach the rest to sneer2  ,willing to  
wound1 and yet afraid to strike1  ,just 
hint a fault1 and hesitate dislike2     
,alike reserved to blame1 or to commend1
  ,a timorous foe1 and a suspicious     
friend2  ,dreading even fools1 by       
flatterers besieged1  ,and so obliging1 
that he ne'er obliged2  ,like ,cato1    
give his little senate laws1  ,and sit  
attentive to his own applause2  ,while  
wits and templars every sentence raise1 
,and wonder with a foolish face of      
praise3--  ,who but must laugh1 if such 
a man there be8  ,who would not weep1 if
 ,atticus were he8     ,what though my  
name stood rubric on the walls1  ,or    
plaistered posts1 with claps1 in        
capitals8  ,or smoking forth1 a hundred 
hawkers' load1  ,on wings of winds came 
flying all abroad8  ,i sought no homage 
from the race that write2  ,i kept1 like

 ,asian monarchs1 from their sight3     
,poems ,i heeded 7now be-rhymed so long7
  ,no more than thou1 great ,george6 a  
birthday song4  ,i ne'er with wits or   
witlings passed my days1  ,to spread    
about the itch of verse and praise2     
,nor like a puppy1 daggled through the  
town1  ,to fetch and carry sing-song up 
and down2  ,nor at rehearsals sweat1 and
 mouthed1 and cried1  ,with handkerchief
 and orange at my side2  ,but sick of   
fops1 and poetry1 and prate1  ,to ,bufo 
left the whole ,castalian state4        
,proud as ,apollo on his forked hill1   
,sat full-blown ,bufo puffed by every   
quill2  ,fed with soft dedication all   
day long1  ,horace and he went hand in  
hand in song4  ,his library 7where busts
 of poets dead  ,and a true ,pindar     
stood without a head7  ,received of wits
 an undistinguished race1  ,who first   
his judgment asked1 and then a place3   
,much they extolled his pictures1 much  
his seat1  ,and flattered every day1 and
 some days eat3  ,till grown more frugal

 in his riper days1  ,he paid some bards
 with port1 and some with praise2  ,to  
some a dry rehearsal was assigned1  ,and
 others 7harder still7 he paid in kind4 
,dryden alone 7what wonder87 came not   
nigh1  ,dryden alone escaped this       
judging eye3  ,but still the great have 
kindness in reserve1  ,he helped to bury
 whom he helped to starve4     ,may some
 choice patron bless each grey goose    
quill6  ,may every ,bavius have his     
,bufo still6  ,so1 when a statesman     
wants a day's defence1  ,or envy holds a
 whole week's war with sense1  ,or      
simple pride for flattery makes demands1
  ,may dunce by dunce be whistled off my
 hands6  ,blessed be the great6 for     
those they take away1  ,and those they  
left me2 for they left me gay2  ,left me
 to see neglected genius bloom1         
,neglected die1 and tell it on his tomb3
  ,of all thy blameless life the soul   
return  ,my verse1 and ,queensbury      
weeping o'er thy urn6     ,oh let me    
live my own1 and die so too6  7,to live 

and die is all ,i have to do37          
,maintain a poet's dignity and ease1    
,and see what friends1 and read what    
books ,i please2  ,above a patron1      
though ,i condescend  ,sometimes to call
 a minister my friend4  ,i was not born 
for courts or great affairs2  ,i pay my 
debts1 believe1 and say my prayers2     
,can sleep without a poem in my head2   
,nor know1 if ,dennis be alive or dead4 
,why am ,i asked what next shall see the
 light8  ,heavens6 was ,i born for      
nothing but to write8  ,has life no joys
 for me6 or 7to be grave7  ,have ,i no  
friend to serve1 no soul to save8  ,i   
found him close with ,swift4--',indeed8 
no doubt1'  7,cries prating ,balbus7    
'something will come out4'  ',tis all in
 vain1 deny it as ,i will4  ',no1 such a
 genius never can lie still2'  ,and then
 for mine obligingly mistakes  ,the     
first lampoon ,sir ,will4 or ,bubo      
makes4  ,poor guiltless ,i6 and can ,i  
choose but smile  ,when every coxcomb   
knows me by my style8     ,cursed be the

 verse1 how well soe'er it flow  ,that  
tends to make one worthy man my foe1    
,give virtue scandal1 innocence a fear1 
,or from the soft-eyed virgin steal a   
tear6  ,but he who hurts a harmless     
neighbour's peace1  ,insults fallen     
worth1 or beauty in distress1  ,who     
loves a lie1 lame slander helps about1  
,who writes a libel1 or who copies out3 
,that fop1 whose pride affects a        
patron's name1  ,yet absent1 wounds an  
author's honest fame3  ,who can your    
merit selfishly approve1  ,and show the 
sense of it without the love2  ,who has 
the vanity to call you friend1  ,yet    
wants the honour1 injured1 to defend2   
,who tells whate'er you think1 whate'er 
you say1  ,and1 if he lie not1 must at  
least betray3  ,who to the ,dean1 and   
silver bell can swear1  ,and sees at    
,canons what was never there2  ,who     
reads1 but with a lust to misapply1     
,make satire a lampoon1 and fiction1    
lie4  ,a lash like mine no honest man   
shall dread1  ,but all such babbling    

blockheads in his stead4     ,let       
,sporus tremble--  ,a4 ,what8 that thing
 of silk1  ,sporus1 that mere white curd
 of ass's milk1  ,satire or sense1 alas6
 can ,sporus feel8  ,who breaks a       
butterfly upon a wheel8     ,p4 ,yet let
 me flap this bug with gilded wings1    
,this painted child of dirt1 that stinks
 and stings2  ,whose buzz the witty and 
the fair annoys1  ,yet wit ne'er tastes1
 and beauty ne'er enjoys3  ,so well-bred
 spaniels civilly delight  ,in mumbling 
of the game they dare not bite3         
,eternal smiles his emptiness betray1   
,as shallow streams run dimpling all the
 way4  ,whether in florid impotence he  
speaks  ,and1 as the prompter breathes1 
the puppet squeaks2  ,or at the ear of  
,eve1 familiar toad1  ,half froth1 half 
venom1 spits himself abroad1  ,in puns1 
or politics1 or tales1 or lies1  ,or    
spite1 or smut1 or rhymes1 or           
blasphemies4  ,his wit all see-saw1     
between that and this1   ,now high1 now 
low1 now master up1 now miss1   ,and he 

himself one vile antithesis4            
,amphibious thing6 that acting either   
part1  ,the trifling head or the        
corrupted heart1  ,fop at the toilet1   
flatterer at the board1  ,now trips a   
lady1 and now struts a lord4  ,eve's    
tempter thus the rabbins have expressed1
  ,a cherub's face1 a reptile all the   
rest2  ,beauty that shocks you1 parts   
that none will trust2  ,wit that can    
creep1 and pride that licks the dust4   
,not fortunes worshipper1 nor fashion's 
fool1  ,not lucre's madman1 nor         
ambition's tool1  ,not proud1 nor       
servile2--be one poet's praise1  ,that1 
if he pleased1 he pleased by manly ways3
  ,that flattery1 even to kings1 he held
 a shame1  ,and thought a lie in verse  
or prose the same4  ,that not in fancy's
 maze he wandered long3  ,but stooped to
 truth1 and moralised his song3  ,that  
not for fame1 but virtue's better end1  
,he stood the furious foe1 the timid    
friend1  ,the damning critic1 half      
approving wit1  ,the coxcomb hit1 or    

fearing to be hit2  ,laughed at the loss
 of friends he never had1  ,the dull1   
the proud1 the wicked1 and the mad2     
,the distant threats of vengeance on his
 head1  ,the blow unfelt1 the tear he   
never shed2  ,the tale revived1 the lie 
so oft o'erthrown1  ,the imputed trash1 
and dulness not his own2  ,the morals   
blackened when the writings scape1  ,the
 libelled person1 and the pictured      
shape2  ,abuse1 on all he loved1 or     
loved him1 spread1  ,a friend in exile1 
or a father1 dead2  ,the whisper1 that  
to greatness still too near1  ,perhaps1 
yet vibrates1 on his sovereign's ear3-- 
,welcome for thee1 fair virtue6 all the 
past2  ,for thee1 fair virtue6 welcome  
even the last6     ,a4 ,but why insult  
the poor1 affront the great8     ,p4 ,a 
knave's a knave1 to me in every state3  
,alike my scorn1 if he succeed or fail1 
,sporus at ,court1 or ,japhet in a jail1
  ,a hireling scribbler1 or a hireling  
peer1  ,knight of the post corrupt1 or  
of the shire2  ,if on a pillory1 or near

 a throne1  ,he gain his prince's ear1  
or lose his own4     ,yet soft by       
nature1 more a dupe than wit1  ,sappho  
can tell you how this man was bit2      
,this dreaded satirist ,dennis will     
confess  ,foe to his pride1 but friend  
to his distress3  ,so humble1 he has    
knocked at ,tibbald's door1  ,has drunk 
with ,cibber1 nay has rhymed for ,moore4
  ,full ten years slandered1 did he once
 reply8  ,three thousand sons went down 
on ,welsted's lie4  ,to please a        
mistress one aspersed his life2  ,he    
lashed him not1 but let her be his wife4
  ,let ,budgel charge low ,grubstreet on
 his quill1  ,and write whate'er he     
pleased1 except his will2  ,let the two 
,curlls of town and court abuse  ,his   
father1 mother1 body1 soul1 and muse4   
,yet why8 that father held it for a     
rule1  ,it was a sin to call our        
neighbour fool3  ,that harmless mother  
thought no wife a w999999e3  ,hear this1
 and spare his family1 ,james ,moore6   
,unspotted names1 and memorable long6   

,if there be force in virtue1 or in     
song4     ,of gentle blood 7part shed in
 honour's cause  ,while yet in ,britain 
honour had applause7  ,each parent      
sprung-- ,a4 ,what fortune1 pray8-- ,p4 
,their own1  ,and better got1 than      
,bestia's from the throne4  ,born to no 
pride1 inheriting no strife1  ,nor      
marrying discord in a noble wife1       
,stranger to civil and religious rage1  
,the good man walked innoxious through  
his age4  ,nor courts he saw1 no suits  
would ever try1  ,nor dared an oath1 nor
 hazarded a lie4  ,unlearned he knew no 
schoolman's subtle art1  ,no language1  
but the language of the heart4  ,by     
nature honest1 by experience wise1      
,healthy by temperance1 and by exercise2
  ,his life1 though long1 to sickness   
past unknown1  ,his death was instant1  
and without a groan4  ,o grant me thus  
to live1 and thus to die6  ,who sprung  
from kings shall know less joy than ,i4 
,o friend6 may each domestic bliss be   
thine6  ,be no unpleasing melancholy    

mine3  ,me1 let the tender office long  
engage1  ,to rock the cradle of reposing
 age1  ,with lenient arts extend a      
mother's breath1  ,make languor smile1  
and smooth the bed of death1  ,explore  
the thought1 explain the asking eye1    
,and keep a while one parent from the   
sky6  ,on cares like these if length of 
days attend1  ,may ,heaven1 to bless    
those days1 preserve my friend1         
,preserve him social1 cheerful1 and     
serene1  ,and just as rich as when he   
served a queen4     ,a4 ,whether that   
blessing be denied or given1  ,thus far 
was right1 the rest belongs to ,heaven4 
,,satires ,,and ,,epistles ,,of ,,horace
 ,,imitated4      ,,advertisement4      
,the occasion of publishing these       
,imitations was the clamour raised on   
some of my ,epistles4  ,an answer from  
,horace was both more full1 and of  more
 dignity1 than any ,i could have made in
 my own person2 and the  example of much
 greater freedom in so eminent a divine 
as ,dr4 ,donne1  seemed a proof with    

what indignation and contempt a         
,christian may treat  vice or folly1 in 
ever so low1 or ever so high a station4 
,both these  authors were acceptable to 
the princes and ministers under whom    
they  lived4  ,the ,satires of ,dr4     
,donne ,i versified1 at the desire of   
the ,earl  of ,oxford while he was ,lord
 ,treasurer1 and of the ,duke of        
,shrewsbury who  had been ,secretary of 
,state1 neither of whom looked upon a   
satire on  vicious courts as any        
reflection on those they served in4     
,and indeed  there is not in the world a
 greater error1 than that which fools   
are so  apt to fall into1 and knaves    
with good reason to encourage1 the      
mistaking  a satirist for a libeller2   
whereas to a true satirist nothing is so
  odious as a libeller1 for the same    
reason as to a man truly virtuous       
nothing is so hateful as a hypocrite4   
,uni aequus ,virtuti atque ejus ,amicis4
  ,p4        ,,the ,,first ,,satire ,,of
 ,,the ,,second ,,book ,,of ,,horace4   

,,satire ,i4  ,,to ,,mr4 ,,fortescue4   
,p4 ,there are 7,i scarce can think it1 
but am told71  ,there are1 to whom my   
satire seems too bold3  ,scarce to wise 
,peter complaisant enough1  ,and        
something said of ,chartres much too    
rough4  ,the lines are weak another's   
pleased to say1  ,lord ,fanny spins a   
thousand such a day4  ,timorous by      
nature1 of the rich in awe1  ,i come to 
counsel learned in the law3  ,you'll    
give me1 like a friend both sage and    
free1  ,advice2 and 7as you use7 without
 a fee4     ,f4 ,i'd write no more4  ,p4
 ,not write8 but then ,i think1  ,and   
for my soul ,i cannot sleep a wink4  ,i 
nod in company1 ,i wake at night1       
,fools rush into my head1 and so ,i     
write4     ,f4 ,you could not do a worse
 thing for your life4  ,why1 if the     
nights seem tedious--take a wife3  ,or  
rather truly1 if your point be rest1    
,lettuce and cowslip wine3 ,probatum    
est4  ,but talk with ,celsus1 ,celsus   
will advise  ,hartshorn1 or something   

that shall close your eyes4  ,or1 if you
 needs must write1 write ,caesar's      
praise1  ,you'll gain at least a        
knighthood1 or the bays4     ,p4 ,what8 
like ,sir ,richard1 rumbling1 rough1 and
 fierce1  ,with arms1 and ,george1 and  
,brunswick crowd the verse1  ,rend with 
tremendous sound your ears asunder1     
,with gun1 drum1 trumpet1 blunderbuss1  
and thunder8  ,or nobly wild1 with      
,budgel's fire and force1  ,paint angels
 trembling round his falling horse8     
,f4 ,then all your muse's softer art    
display1  ,let ,carolina smooth the     
tuneful lay1  ,lull with ,amelia's      
liquid name the nine1  ,and sweetly flow
 through all the royal line4     ,p4    
,alas6 few verses touch their nicer ear2
  ,they scarce can bear their laureate  
twice a year2  ,and justly ,caesar      
scorns the poet's lays3  ,it is to      
history he trusts for praise4     ,f4   
,better be ,cibber1 ,i'll maintain it   
still1  ,than ridicule all taste1       
blaspheme quadrille1  ,abuse the city's 

best good men in metre1  ,and laugh at  
peers that put their trust in ,peter4   
,even those you touch not1 hate you4    
,p4 ,what should ail 'em8     ,f4 ,a    
hundred smart in ,timon and in ,balaam3 
,the fewer still you name1 you wound the
 more2  ,bond is but one1 but ,harpax is
 a score4     ,p4 ,each mortal has his  
pleasure3 none deny  ,scarsdale his     
bottle1 ,darty his ham-pie2  ,ridotta   
sips and dances1 till she see  ,the     
doubling lustres dance as fast as she2  
,f---- loves the senate1 ,hockley-hole  
his brother1  ,like in all else1 as one 
egg to another4  ,i love to pour out all
 myself1 as plain  ,as downright        
,shippen1 or as old ,montaigne3  ,in    
them1 as certain to be loved as seen1   
,the soul stood forth1 nor kept a       
thought within2  ,in me what spots 7for 
spots ,i have7 appear1  ,will prove at  
least the medium must be clear4  ,in    
this impartial glass1 my muse intends   
,fair to expose myself1 my foes1 my     
friends2  ,publish the present age2 but 

where my text  ,is vice too high1       
reserve it for the next3  ,my foes shall
 wish my life a longer date1  ,and every
 friend the less lament my fate4  ,my   
head and heart thus flowing through my  
quill1  ,verse-man or prose-man1 term me
 which you will1  ,papist or            
,protestant1 or both between1  ,like    
good ,erasmus in an honest mean1  ,in   
moderation placing all my glory1  ,while
 ,tories call me ,whig1 and ,whigs a    
,tory4     ,satire's my weapon1 but ,i'm
 too discreet  ,to run a muck1 and tilt 
at all ,i meet2  ,i only wear it in a   
land of ,hectors1  ,thieves1            
supercargoes1 sharpers1 and directors4  
,save but our army6 and let ,jove       
encrust  ,swords1 pikes1 and guns1 with 
everlasting rust6  ,peace is my dear    
delight--not ,fleury's more3  ,but touch
 me1 and no minister so sore4  ,whoe'er 
offends1 at some unlucky time  ,slides  
into verse1 and hitches in a rhyme1     
,sacred to ridicule his whole life long1
  ,and the sad burthen of some merry    

song4     ,slander or poison dread from 
,delia's rage  ,hard words or hanging1  
if your judge be ,page4  ,from furious  
,sappho scarce a milder fate1  ,plagued 
by her love1 or libelled by her hate4   
,its proper power to hurt1 each creature
 feels2  ,bulls aim their horns1 and    
asses lift their heels2  ',tis a bear's 
talent not to kick1 but hug2  ,and no   
man wonders he's not stung by pug4  ,so 
drink with ,walters1 or with ,chartres  
eat1  ,they'll never poison you1 they'll
 only cheat4     ,then1 learned sir6 7to
 cut the matter short7  ,whate'er my    
fate1 or well or ill at ,court1         
,whether old age1 with faint but        
cheerful ray1  ,attends to gild the     
evening of my day1  ,or death's black   
wing already be displayed1  ,to wrap me 
in the universal shade2  ,whether the   
darkened room to muse invite1  ,or      
whitened wall provoke the skewer to     
write3  ,in durance1 exile1 ,bedlam or  
the ,mint--  ,like ,lee or ,budgel1 ,i  
will rhyme and print4     ,f4 ,alas1    

young man6 your days can ne'er be long1 
,in flower of age you perish for a song6
  ,plums and directors1 ,shylock and his
 wife1  ,will club their testers1 now1  
to take your life6     ,p4 ,what8 armed 
for virtue when ,i point the pen1       
,brand the bold front of shameless      
guilty men2  ,dash the proud gamester in
 his gilded car2  ,bare the mean heart  
that lurks beneath a star2  ,can there  
be wanting1 to defend her cause1        
,lights of the ,church1 or guardians of 
the laws8  ,could pensioned ,boileau    
lash in honest strain  ,flatterers and  
bigots even in ,louis' reign8  ,could   
,laureate ,dryden pimp and friar engage1
  ,yet neither ,charles nor ,james be in
 a rage8  ,and ,i not strip the gilding 
off a knave1  ,unplaced1 unpensioned1 no
 man's heir1 or slave8  ,i will1 or     
perish in the generous cause3  ,hear    
this1 and tremble6 you1 who 'scape the  
laws4  ,yes1 while ,i live1 no rich or  
noble knave  ,shall walk the world1 in  
credit1 to his grave4  ,to ,virtue only 

and her friends a friend1  ,the world   
beside may murmur1 or commend4  ,know1  
all the distant din that world can keep 
,rolls o'er my grotto1 and but soothes  
my sleep4  ,there1 my retreat the best  
companions grace1  ,chiefs out of war1  
and statesmen out of place4  ,there ,st4
 ,john mingles with my friendly bowl    
,the feast of reason and the flow of    
soul3  ,and he1 whose lightning pierced 
the ,iberian lines1  ,now forms my      
quincunx1 and now ranks my vines  ,or   
tames the genius of the stubborn plain1 
,almost as quickly as he conquered      
,spain4     ,envy must own1 ,i live     
among the great1  ,no pimp of pleasure1 
and no spy of state4  ,with eyes that   
pry not1 tongue that ne'er repeats1     
,fond to spread friendships1 but to     
cover heats2  ,to help who want1 to     
forward who excel2  ,this1 all who know 
me1 know2 who love me1 tell2  ,and who  
unknown defame me1 let them be          
,scribblers or peers1 alike are mob to  
me4  ,this is my plea1 on this ,i rest  

my cause--  ,what saith my counsel1     
learned in the laws8     ,f4 ,your plea 
is good2 but still ,i say1 beware6      
,laws are explained by men--so have a   
care4  ,it stands on record1 that in    
,richard's times  ,a man was hanged for 
very honest rhymes4  ,consult the       
,statute3 quart4 ,i think it is1        
,edwardi sext4 or prim4 et quint4 ,eliz4
  ,see libels1 satires--here you have   
it--read4     ,p4 ,libels and satires6  
lawless things indeed6  ,but grave      
epistles1 bringing vice to light1  ,such
 as a king might read1 a bishop write2  
,such as ,sir ,robert would approve--   
,f4 ,indeed8  ,the case is altered--you 
may then proceed2  ,in such a cause the 
plaintiff would be hissed2  ,my lords   
the judges laugh1 and you're dismissed4 
,,the ,,second ,,satire ,,of ,,the      
,,second ,,book ,,of ,,horace4          
,,satire ,,ii4  ,,to ,,mr4 ,,bethel4    
,what1 and how great1 the virtue and the
 art  ,to live on little with a cheerful
 heart  7,a doctrine sage1 but truly    

none of mine71  ,let's talk1 my friends1
 but talk before we dine4  ,not when a  
gilt buffet's reflected pride  ,turns   
you from sound philosophy aside2  ,not  
when from plate to plate your eyeballs  
roll1  ,and the brain dances to the     
mantling bowl4     ,hear ,bethel's      
sermon1 one not versed in schools1  ,but
 strong in sense1 and wise without the  
rules4     ,go work1 hunt1 exercise6 7he
 thus began7  ,then scorn a homely      
dinner1 if you can4  ,your wine locked  
up1 your butler strolled abroad1  ,or   
fish denied 7the river yet unthawed71   
,if then plain bread and milk will do   
the feat1  ,the pleasure lies in you1   
and not the meat4     ,preach as ,i     
please1 ,i doubt our curious men  ,will 
choose a pheasant still before a hen2   
,yet hens of ,guinea full as good ,i    
hold1  ,except you eat the feathers     
green and gold4  ,of carps and mullets  
why prefer the great  7,though cut in   
pieces ere my lord can eat71  ,yet for  
small turbots such esteem profess8      

,because ,god made these large1 the     
other less4     ,oldfield with more than
 harpy throat endued1  ,cries ,send me1 
gods6 a whole hog barbecued6  ,oh1 b----
 it1 south-winds6 till a stench exhale  
,rank as the ripeness of a rabbit's     
tail4  ,by what criterion do ye eat1    
d'ye think1  ,if this is prized for     
sweetness1 that for stink8  ,when the   
tired glutton labours through a treat1  
,he finds no relish in the sweetest     
meat1  ,he calls for something bitter1  
something sour1  ,and the rich feast    
concludes extremely poor3  ,cheap eggs1 
and herbs1 and olives still we see2     
,thus much is left of old simplicity6   
,the robin-redbreast till of late had   
rest1  ,and children sacred held a      
martin's nest1  ,till becca-ficos sold  
so devilish dear  ,to one that was1 or  
would have been a peer4  ,let me extol a
 cat1 on oysters fed1  ,i'll have a     
party at the ,bedford-head2  ,or even to
 crack live crawfish recommend2  ,i'd   
never doubt at ,court to make a friend4 

',tis yet in vain1 ,i own1 to keep a    
pother  ,about one vice1 and fall into  
the other3  ,between excess and famine  
lies a mean2  ,plain1 but not sordid2   
though not splendid1 clean4             
,avidien1 or his wife 7no matter which1 
,for him you'll call a dog1 and her a   
bitch7  ,sell their presented           
partridges1 and fruits1  ,and humbly    
live on rabbits and on roots3  ,one     
half-pint bottle serves them both to    
dine1  ,and is at once their vinegar and
 wine4  ,but on some lucky day 7as when 
they found  ,a lost bank-bill1 or heard 
their son was drowned7  ,at such a      
feast1 old vinegar to spare1  ,is what  
two souls so generous cannot bear3      
,oil1 though it stink1 they drop by drop
 impart1  ,but souse the cabbage with a 
bounteous heart4     ,he knows to live1 
who keeps the middle state1  ,and       
neither leans on this side1 nor on that2
  ,nor stops1 for one bad cork1 his     
butler's pay1  ,swears1 like ,albutius1 
a good cook away2  ,nor lets1 like      

,naevius1 every error pass1  ,the musty 
wine1 foul cloth1 or greasy glass4      
,now hear what blessings temperance can 
bring3  7,thus said our friend1 and what
 he said ,i sing17  ,first health3 ,the 
stomach 7crammed from every dish1  ,a   
tomb of boiled and roast1 and flesh and 
fish1  ,where bile1 and wind1 and       
phlegm1 and acid jar1  ,and all the man 
is one intestine war7  ,remembers oft   
the schoolboy's simple fare1  ,the      
temperate sleeps1 and spirits light as  
air4     ,how pale1 each worshipful and 
reverend guest  ,rise from a clergy1 or 
a city feast6  ,what life in all that   
ample body1 say8  ,what heavenly        
particle inspires the clay8  ,the soul  
subsides1 and wickedly inclines  ,to    
seem but mortal1 even in sound divines4 
,on morning wings how active springs the
 mind  ,that leaves the load of         
yesterday behind6  ,how easy every      
labour it pursues6  ,how coming to the  
poet every muse6  ,not but we may       
exceed1 some holy time1  ,or tired in   

search of truth1 or search of rhyme2    
,ill health some just indulgence may    
engage1  ,and more the sickness of long 
life1 old age2  ,for fainting age what  
cordial drop remains1  ,if our          
intemperate youth the vessel drains8    
,our fathers praised rank venison4  ,you
 suppose1  ,perhaps1 young men6 our     
fathers had no nose4  ,not so3 a buck   
was then a week's repast1  ,and 'twas   
their point1 ,i ween1 to make it last2  
,more pleased to keep it till their     
friends could come1  ,than eat the      
sweetest by themselves at home4  ,why   
had not ,i in those good times my birth1
  ,ere coxcomb pies or coxcombs were on 
earth8     ,unworthy he1 the voice of   
fame to hear1  ,that sweetest music to  
an honest ear2  7,for 'faith1 ,lord     
,fanny6 you are in the wrong  ,the      
world's good word is better than a song7
  ,who has not learned fresh sturgeon   
and ham-pie  ,are no rewards for want1  
and infamy8  ,when luxury has licked up 
all thy pelf1  ,cursed by thy           

neighbours1 thy trustees1 thyself1  ,to 
friends1 to fortune1 to mankind a shame1
  ,think how posterity will treat thy   
name2  ,and buy a rope1 that future     
times may tell1  ,thou hast at least    
bestowed one penny well4     ,right1    
cries his lordship1 for a rogue in need 
,to have a taste is insolence indeed3   
,in me 'tis noble1 suits my birth and   
state1  ,my wealth unwieldy1 and my heap
 too great4  ,then1 like the sun1 let   
bounty spread her ray1  ,and shine that 
superfluity away4  ,oh1 impudence of    
wealth6 with all thy store1  ,how dar'st
 thou let one worthy man be poor8       
,shall half the new-built churches round
 thee fall8  ,make quays1 build bridges1
 or repair ,whitehall3  ,or to thy      
country let that heap be lent1  ,as     
,m9999o's was1 but not at five per cent4
     ,who thinks that ,fortune cannot   
change her mind1  ,prepares a dreadful  
jest for all mankind4  ,and who stands  
safest8 tell me1 is it he  ,that spreads
 and swells in puffed posterity1  ,or   

blest with little1 whose preventing care
  ,in peace provides fit arms against a 
war8     ,thus ,bethel spoke1 who always
 speaks his thought1  ,and always thinks
 the very thing he ought3  ,his equal   
mind ,i copy what ,i can1  ,and1 as ,i  
love1 would imitate the man4  ,in       
,south-,sea days not happier1 when      
surmised  ,the lord of thousands1 than  
if now excised2  ,in forest planted by a
 father's hand1  ,than in five acres now
 of rented land4  ,content with little1 
,i can p----e here  ,on broccoli and    
mutton1 round the year2  ,but ancient   
friends 7though poor1 or out of play7   
,that touch my bell1 ,i cannot turn     
away4  ',tis true1 no turbots dignify my
 boards1  ,but gudgeons1 flounders1 what
 my ,thames affords3  ,to ,hounslow     
,heath ,i point and ,banstead ,down1    
,thence comes your mutton1 and these    
chicks my own3  ,from yon old           
walnut-tree a shower shall fall2  ,and  
grapes1 long lingering on my only wall1 
,and figs from standard and espalier    

join2  ,the devil is in you if you      
cannot dine3  ,then cheerful healths    
7your mistress shall have place71  ,and1
 what's more rare1 a poet shall say     
grace4     ,fortune not much of humbling
 me can boast2  ,though double taxed1   
how little have ,i lost8  ,my life's    
amusements have been just the same1     
,before1 and after1 standing armies     
came4  ,my lands are sold1 my father's  
house is gone2  ,i'll hire another's2 is
 not that my own1  ,and yours1 my       
friends8 through whose free-opening gate
  ,none comes too early1 none departs   
too late2  7,for ,i1 who hold sage      
,homer's rule the best1  ,welcome the   
coming1 speed the going guest74  ,pray  
,heaven it last6 7cries ,swift67 as you 
go on2  ,i wish to ,god this house had  
been your own3  ,pity6 to build without 
a son or wife3  ,why1 you'll enjoy it   
only all your life4  ,well1 if the use  
be mine1 can it concern one1  ,whether  
the name belong to ,pope or ,vernon8    
,what's property8 dear ,swift6 you see  

it alter  ,from you to me1 from me to   
,peter ,walter2  ,or1 in a mortgage1    
prove a lawyer's share2  ,or1 in a      
jointure1 vanish from the heir2  ,or in 
pure equity 7the case not clear7  ,the  
,chancery takes your rents for twenty   
year3  ,at best1 it falls to some       
ungracious son1  ,who cries1 ,my        
father's damned1 and all's my own4      
,shades1 that to ,bacon could retreat   
afford1  ,become the portion of a booby 
lord2  ,and ,hemsley1 once proud        
,buckingham's delight1  ,slides to a    
scrivener or a city knight4  ,let lands 
and houses have what lords they will1   
,let us be fixed1 and our own masters   
still4        ,,the ,,first ,,epistle   
,,of ,,the ,,first ,,book ,,of ,,horace4
      ,,epistle ,i4  ,,to ,,lord        
,,bolingbroke4         ,st4 ,john1 whose
 love indulged my labours past1         
,matures my present1 and shall bound my 
last6  ,why will you break the ,sabbath 
of my days8  ,now sick alike of envy and
 of praise4  ,public too long1 ah let me

 hide my age6  ,see1 modest ,cibber now 
has left the stage3  ,our generals now1 
retired to their estates1  ,hang their  
old trophies o'er the garden gates1  ,in
 life's cool evening satiate of         
applause1  ,nor fond of bleeding1 even  
in ,brunswick's cause4     ,a voice     
there is1 that whispers in my ear1      
7',tis ,reason's voice1 which sometimes 
one can hear7  ,friend ,pope1 be        
prudent1 let your muse take breath1     
,and never gallop ,pegasus to death2    
,lest stiff and stately1 void of fire or
 force1  ,you limp1 like ,blackmore1 on 
a lord mayor's horse4     ,farewell then
 verse1 and love1 and every toy1  ,the  
rhymes and rattles of the man or boy2   
,what right1 what true1 what fit we     
justly call1  ,let this be all my       
care--for this is all4  ,to lay this    
harvest up1 and hoard with haste  ,what 
every day will want1 and most1 the last4
     ,but ask not1 to what doctors ,i   
apply8  ,sworn to no master1 of no sect 
am ,i3  ,as drives the storm1 at any    

door ,i knock3  ,and house with         
,montaigne now1 or now with ,locke4     
,sometimes a patriot1 active in debate1 
,mix with the world1 and battle for the 
,state1  ,free as young ,lyttelton1 her 
cause pursue1  ,still true to virtue1   
and as warm as true3  ,sometimes with   
,aristippus1 or ,st4 ,paul1  ,indulge my
 candour1 and grow all to all2  ,back to
 my native moderation slide1  ,and win  
my way by yielding to the tide4   ,long1
 as to him who works for debt1 the day1 
,long as the night to her whose love's  
away1  ,long as the year's dull circle  
seems to run1  ,when the brisk minor    
pants for twenty-one3  ,so slow th'     
unprofitable moments roll1  ,that lock  
up all the functions of my soul2  ,that 
keep me from myself2 and still delay    
,life's instant business to a future    
day3  ,that task1 which as we follow1 or
 despise1  ,the eldest is a fool1 the   
youngest wise2  ,which done1 the poorest
 can no wants endure2  ,and which not   
done1 the richest must be poor4         

,late as it is1 ,i put myself to school1
  ,and feel some comfort1 not to be a   
fool4  ,weak though ,i am of limb1 and  
short of sight1  ,far from a lynx1 and  
not a giant quite2  ,i'll do what ,mead 
and ,cheselden advise1  ,to keep these  
limbs1 and to preserve these eyes4  ,not
 to go back1 is somewhat to advance1    
,and men must walk at least before they 
dance4     ,say1 does thy blood rebel1  
thy bosom move  ,with wretched avarice1 
or as wretched love8  ,know1 there are  
words and spells1 which can control     
,between the fits this fever of the     
soul3  ,know1 there are rhymes1 which   
fresh and fresh applied  ,will cure the 
arrant'st puppy of his pride4  ,be      
furious1 envious1 slothful1 mad1 or     
drunk1  ,slave to a wife1 or vassal to a
 punk1  ,a ,switz1 a ,high ,dutch1 or a 
,low ,dutch bear2  ,all that we ask is  
but a patient ear4     ',tis the first  
virtue1 vices to abhor2  ,and the first 
wisdom1 to be fool no more4  ,but to the
 world no bugbear is so great1  ,as want

 of figure1 and a small estate4  ,to    
either ,india see the merchant fly1     
,scared at the spectre of pale poverty6 
,see him1 with pains of body1 pangs of  
soul1  ,burn through the ,tropic1 freeze
 beneath the pole6  ,wilt thou do       
nothing for a nobler end1  ,nothing1 to 
make philosophy thy friend8  ,to stop   
thy foolish views1 thy long desires1    
,and ease thy heart of all that it      
admires8     ,here1 wisdom calls3 ,seek 
virtue first1 be bold6  ,as gold to     
silver1 virtue is to gold4  ,there1     
,london's voice3 ,get money1 money      
still6  ,and then let virtue follow1 if 
she will4  ,this1 this the saving       
doctrine1 preached to all1  ,from low   
,st4 ,james's up to high ,st4 ,paul2    
,from him whose quills stand quivered at
 his ear1  ,to him who notches sticks at
 ,westminster4     ,barnard in spirit1  
sense1 and truth abounds2  ,pray then1  
what wants he8 fourscore thousand       
pounds2  ,a pension1 or such harness for
 a slave  ,as ,bug now has1 and         

,dorimant would have4  ,barnard1 thou   
art a ,cit1 with all thy worth2  ,but   
,bug and ,d 99 l1 their honours1 and so 
forth4     ,yet every child another song
 will sing3  ,virtue1 brave boys6 'tis  
virtue makes a king4  ,true1 conscious  
honour is to feel no sin1  ,he's armed  
without that's innocent within2  ,be    
this thy screen1 and this thy wall of   
brass2  ,compared to this1 a minister's 
an ass4     ,and say1 to which shall our
 applause belong1  ,this new ,court     
jargon1 or the good old song8  ,the     
modern language of corrupted peers1  ,or
 what was spoke at ,cressy and          
,poitiers8  ,who counsels best8 who     
whispers1 ,be but great1  ,with praise  
or infamy leave that to fate2  ,get     
place and wealth1 if possible1 with     
grace2  ,if not1 by any means get wealth
 and place--  ,for what8 to have a box  
where eunuchs sing1  ,and foremost in   
the circle eye a king4  ,or he1 who bids
 thee face with steady view   ,proud    
fortune1 and look shallow greatness     

through3   ,and1 while he bids thee1    
sets th' example too8   ,if such a      
doctrine1 in ,st4 ,james's air1  ,should
 chance to make the well-dressed rabble 
stare2  ,if honest ,s 99 z take scandal 
at a spark1  ,that less admires the     
palace than the park3  ,faith ,i shall  
give the answer ,reynard gave3  ,i      
cannot like1 dread sir1 your royal cave3
  ,because ,i see1 by all the tracks    
about1  ,full many a beast goes in1 but 
none come out4  ,adieu to virtue1 if    
you're once a slave3  ,send her to      
,court1 you send her to her grave4      
,well1 if a king's a lion1 at the least1
  ,the people are a many-headed beast3  
,can they direct what measures to       
pursue1  ,who know themselves so little 
what to do8  ,alike in nothing but one  
lust of gold1  ,just half the land would
 buy1 and half be sold3  ,their         
country's wealth our mightier misers    
drain1  ,or cross1 to plunder provinces1
 the main2  ,the rest1 some farm the    
poor-box1 some the pews2  ,some keep    

assemblies1 and would keep the stews2   
,some with fat bucks on childless       
dotards fawn2  ,some win rich widows by 
their chine and brawn2  ,while with the 
silent growth of ten per cent4  ,in dirt
 and darkness1 hundreds stink content4  
,of all these ways1 if each pursues his 
own1  ,satire be kind1 and let the      
wretch alone3  ,but show me one who has 
it in his power  ,to act consistent with
 himself an hour4  ,sir ,job sailed     
forth1 the evening bright and still1    
,no place on earth1 he cried1 like      
,greenwich ,hill6  ,up starts a palace2 
lo1 th' obedient base   ,slopes at its  
foot1 the woods its sides embrace1      
,the silver ,thames reflects its marble 
face4   ,now let some whimsy1 or that   
devil within   ,which guides all those  
who know not what they mean1   ,but give
 the knight 7or give his lady7 spleen2  
,away1 away6 take all your scaffolds    
down1  ,for snug's the word3 my dear6   
we'll live in town4     ,at amorous     
,flavio is the stocking thrown8  ,that  

very night he longs to lie alone4  ,the 
fool1 whose wife elopes some thrice a   
quarter1  ,for matrimonial solace dies a
 martyr4  ,did ever ,proteus1 ,merlin1  
any witch1   ,transform themselves so   
strangely as the rich8   ,well1 but the 
poor--the poor have the same itch2      
,they change their weekly barber1 weekly
 news1  ,prefer a new japanner to their 
shoes1  ,discharge their garrets1 move  
their beds1 and run  7,they know not    
whither7 in a chaise and one2  ,they    
hire their sculler1 and when once       
aboard1  ,grow sick1 and damn the       
climate--like a lord4     ,you laugh1   
half beau1 half sloven if ,i stand1  ,my
 wig all powder1 and all snuff my band2 
,you laugh1 if coat and breeches        
strangely vary1  ,white gloves1 and     
linen worthy ,lady ,mary6  ,but when no 
prelate's lawn with hair-shirt lined1   
,is half so incoherent as my mind1      
,when 7each opinion with the next at    
strife1  ,one ebb and flow of follies   
all my life7  ,i plant1 root up2 ,i     

build1 and then confound2  ,turn round  
to square1 and square again to round2   
,you never change one muscle of your    
face1  ,you think this madness but a    
common case1  ,nor once to ,chancery1   
nor to ,hale apply2  ,yet hang your lip1
 to see a seam awry6  ,careless how ill 
,i with myself agree1  ,kind to my      
dress1 my figure1 not to me4  ,is this  
my guide1 philosopher1 and ,friend8     
,this1 he who loves me1 and who ought to
 mend8  ,who ought to make me 7what he  
can1 or none71  ,that man divine whom   
wisdom calls her own2  ,great without   
title1 without fortune blessed2  ,rich  
even when plundered1 honoured while     
oppressed2  ,loved without youth1 and   
followed without power2  ,at home1      
though exiled2 free1 though in the      
,tower2  ,in short1 that reasoning1     
high1 immortal thing1  ,just less than  
,jove1 and much above a king1  ,nay1    
half in heaven--except 7what's mighty   
odd7  ,a fit of vapours clouds this     
demi-god4        ,,the ,,sixth ,,epistle

 ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,book ,,of         
,,horace4      ,,epistle ,,vi4  ,,to    
,,mr4 ,,murray4         ,not to admire1 
is all the art ,i know1  ,to make men   
happy1 and to keep them so4  7,plain    
truth1 dear ,murray1 needs no flowers of
 speech1  ,so take it in the very words 
of ,creech47  ,this vault of air1 this  
congregated ball1  ,self-centred sun1   
and stars that rise and fall1  ,there   
are1 my friend6 whose philosophic eyes  
,look through1 and trust the ruler with 
his skies1  ,to him commit the hour1 the
 day1 the year1  ,and view this dreadful
 all without a fear4  ,admire we1 then1 
what earth's low entrails hold1         
,arabian shores1 or ,indian seas infold4
   ,all the mad trade of fools and      
slaves for gold8   ,or popularity8 or   
stars and strings8  ,the mob's          
applauses1 or the gifts of kings8  ,say 
with what eyes we ought at courts to    
gaze1  ,and pay the great our homage of 
amaze8     ,if weak the pleasure that   
from these can spring1  ,the fear to    

want them is as weak a thing3  ,whether 
we dread1 or whether we desire1  ,in    
either case1 believe me1 we admire2     
,whether we joy or grieve1 the same the 
curse1  ,surprised at better1 or        
surprised at worse4  ,thus good or bad1 
to one extreme betray  ,th' unbalanced  
mind1 and snatch the man away2  ,for    
virtue's self may too much zeal be had2 
,the worst of madmen is a saint run mad4
     ,go then1 and if you can1 admire   
the state  ,of beaming diamonds1 and    
reflected plate2  ,procure a taste to   
double the surprise1  ,and gaze on      
,parian charms with learned eyes3  ,be  
struck with bright brocade1 or ,tyrian  
dye1  ,our birthday nobles' splendid    
livery4  ,if not so pleased1 at         
council-board rejoice1  ,to see their   
judgments hang upon thy voice2  ,from   
morn to night1 at senate1 rolls1 and    
hall1  ,plead much1 read more1 dine     
late1 or not at all4  ,but wherefore all
 this labour1 all this strife8  ,for    
fame1 for riches1 for a noble wife8     

,shall one whom nature1 learning1 birth1
 conspired  ,to form not to admire but  
be admired1  ,sigh1 while his ,chloe    
blind to wit and worth  ,weds the rich  
dulness of some son of earth8  ,yet time
 ennobles1 or degrades each line2  ,it  
brightened ,craggs's1 and may darken    
thine3  ,and what is fame8 the meanest  
have their day1  ,the greatest can but  
blaze and pass away4  ,graced as thou   
art1 with all the power of words1  ,so  
known1 so honoured1 at the ,house of    
,lords3  ,conspicuous scene6 another yet
 is nigh1  7,more silent far7 where     
kings and poets lie2  ,where ,murray    
7long enough his country's pride7       
,shall be no more than ,tully1 or than  
,hyde6     ,racked with sciatics1       
martyred with the stone1  ,will any     
mortal let himself alone8  ,see ,ward by
 battered beaux invited over1  ,and     
desperate misery lays hold on ,dover4   
,the case is easier in the mind's       
disease2  ,there all men may be cured1  
whene'er they please1  ,would ye be     

blest8 despise low joys1 low gains2     
,disdain whatever ,cornbury disdains2   
,be virtuous and be happy for your      
pains4      ,but art thou one1 whom new 
opinions sway1  ,one who believes as    
,tindal leads the way1  ,who virtue and 
a church alike disowns1  ,thinks that   
but words1 and this but brick and       
stones8  ,fly then on all the wings of  
wild desire1  ,admire whate'er the      
maddest can admire4  ,is wealth thy     
passion8  ,hence6 from pole to pole1    
,where winds can carry1 or where waves  
can roll1  ,for ,indian spices1 for     
,peruvian gold1  ,prevent the greedy1   
and out-bid the bold3  ,advance thy     
golden mountain to the skies2  ,on the  
broad base of fifty thousand rise1  ,add
 one round hundred1 and 7if that's not  
fair7  ,add fifty more1 and bring it to 
a square4  ,for1 mark th' advantage2    
just so many score  ,will gain a wife   
with half as many more1  ,procure her   
beauty1 make that beauty chaste1  ,and  
then such friends--as cannot fail to    

last4  ,a man of wealth is dubbed a man 
of worth1  ,venus shall give him form1  
and ,antis birth4  7,believe me1 many a 
,german ,prince is worse1  ,who proud of
 pedigree1 is poor of purse47  ,his     
wealth brave ,timon gloriously          
confounds2  ,asked for a groat1 he gives
 a hundred pounds2  ,or if three ladies 
like a luckless play1  ,takes the whole 
house upon the poet's day4  ,now1 in    
such exigencies not to need1  ,upon my  
word1 you must be rich indeed2  ,a noble
 superfluity it craves1  ,not for       
yourself1 but for your fools and knaves3
  ,something1 which for your honour they
 may cheat1  ,and which it much becomes 
you to forget4  ,if wealth alone then   
make and keep us blest1  ,still1 still  
be getting1 never1 never rest4     ,but 
if to power and place your passion lie1 
,if in the pomp of life consist the joy2
  ,then hire a slave1 or 7if you will7 a
 lord  ,to do the honours1 and to give  
the word2  ,tell at your levee1 as the  
crowds approach1  ,to whom to nod1 whom 

take into your coach1  ,whom honour with
 your hand3 to make remarks1  ,who rules
 in ,cornwall1 or who rules in ,berks3  
,this may be troublesome1 is near the   
chair2  ,that makes three members1 this 
can choose a mayor4  ,instructed thus1  
you bow1 embrace1 protest1   ,adopt him 
son1 or cousin at the least1   ,then    
turn about1 and laugh at your own jest4 
,or if your life be one continued treat1
  ,if to live well means nothing but to 
eat2  ,up1 up6 cries gluttony1 'tis     
break of day1  ,go drive the deer1 and  
drag the finny prey2  ,with hounds and  
horns go hunt an appetite--  ,so ,russel
 did1 but could not eat at night1       
,called happy dog6 the beggar at his    
door1  ,and envied thirst and hunger to 
the poor4     ,or shall we every decency
 confound1  ,through taverns1 stews1 and
 bagnios take our round1  ,go dine with 
,chartres1 in each vice out-do  ,k---l's
 lewd cargo1 or ,ty---y's crew1  ,from  
,latian ,syrens1 ,french ,circean       
feasts1  ,return well travelled1 and    

transformed to beasts4     ,if1 after   
all1 we must with ,wilmot own1  ,the    
cordial drop of life is love alone1     
,and ,swift cry wisely1 ,vive la        
,bagatelle6  ,the man that loves and    
laughs1 must sure do well4  ,adieu--if  
this advice appear the worst1  ,e'en    
take the counsel which ,i gave you      
first3  ,or better precepts if you can  
impart1  ,why do1 ,i'll follow them with
 all my heart4        ,,the ,,first     
,,epistle ,,of ,,the ,,second ,,book    
,,of ,,horace4      ,,advertisement4    
,the ,reflections of ,horace1 and the   
,judgments past in his ,epistle to      
,augustus1 seemed so seasonable to the  
present ,times1 that ,i could not  help 
applying them to the use of my own      
,country4  ,the ,author thought them    
considerable enough to address them to  
his ,prince2 whom he paints with  all   
the great and good qualities of a       
,monarch1 upon whom the ,romans         
depended for the ,increase of an        
,absolute ,empire4  ,but to make the    

,poem  entirely ,english1 ,i was willing
 to add one or two of those which       
contribute to the ,happiness of a ,free 
,people1 and are more consistent  with  
the ,welfare of our ,neighbours4        
,this ,epistle will show the learned    
,world to have fallen into ,two         
mistakes3 one1 that ,augustus was a     
,patron of ,poets in general2 whereas he
  not only prohibited all but the ,best 
,writers to name him1 but recommended   
that ,care even to the ,civil           
,magistrate3 ,admonebat ,praetores1 ne  
paterentur ,nomen suum obsolefieri1 etc4
  ,the other1 that this ,piece was  only
 a general ,discourse of ,poetry2       
whereas it was an ,apology for the      
,poets1 in order to render ,augustus    
more their ,patron4  ,horace here pleads
  the ,cause of his ,contemporaries1    
first against the ,taste of the ,town1  
whose humour it was to magnify the      
,authors of the preceding ,age2 secondly
  against the ,court and ,nobility1 who 
encouraged only the ,writers for the    

,theatre2 and lastly against the        
,emperor himself1 who had conceived them
  of little ,use to the ,government4    
,he shows 7by a ,view of the ,progress  
of  ,learning1 and the ,change of ,taste
 among the ,romans7 that the            
,introduction  of the ,polite ,arts of  
,greece had given the ,writers of his   
,time great  advantages over their      
,predecessors2 that their ,morals were  
much improved1  and the ,licence of     
those ancient ,poets restrained3 that   
,satire and ,comedy  were become more   
just and useful2 that1 whatever         
extravagances were left  on the ,stage1 
were owing to the ,ill ,taste of the    
,nobility2 that ,poets1  under due      
,regulations1 were in many respects     
useful to the ,state1 and  concludes1   
that it was upon them the ,emperor      
himself must depend for his  ,fame with 
,posterity4    ,we may farther learn    
from this ,epistle1 that ,horace made   
his ,court to  this great ,prince by    
writing with a decent ,freedom toward   

him1 with a  just ,contempt of his low  
,flatterers1 and with a manly ,regard to
 his own  ,character4  ,p4              
,,epistle ,i4  ,,to ,,augustus4         
,while you1 great patron of mankind6    
sustain  ,the balanced world1 and open  
all the main2  ,your country1 chief1 in 
arms abroad defend1  ,at home1 with     
morals1 arts1 and laws amend2  ,how     
shall the muse from such a monarch1     
steal  ,an hour1 and not defraud the    
public weal8     ,edward and ,henry1 now
 the boast of fame1  ,and virtuous      
,alfred1 a more sacred name1  ,after a  
life of generous toils endured1  ,the   
,gaul subdued1 or property secured1     
,ambition humbled1 mighty cities        
stormed1  ,our laws established1 and the
 world reformed2  ,closed their long    
glories with a sigh1 to find  ,th'      
unwilling gratitude of base mankind6    
,all human virtue1 to its latest breath1
  ,finds envy never conquered but by    
death4  ,the great ,alcides1 every      
labour past1  ,had still this monster to

 subdue at last4  ,sure fate of all1    
beneath whose rising ray  ,each star of 
meaner merit fades away6  ,oppressed we 
feel the beam directly beat1  ,those    
suns of glory please not till they set4 
,to thee1 the world its present homage  
pays1  ,the harvest early1 but mature   
the praise3  ,great friend of liberty6  
in kings a name  ,above all ,greek1     
above all ,roman fame3  ,whose word is  
truth1 as sacred and revered1  ,as      
heaven's own oracles from altars heard4 
,wonder of kings6 like whom1 to mortal  
eyes  ,none e'er has risen1 and none    
e'er shall rise4     ,just in one       
instance be it yet confest  ,your       
people1 sir1 are partial in the rest3   
,foes to all living worth except your   
own1  ,and advocates for folly dead and 
gone4  ,authors1 like coins1 grow dear  
as they grow old2  ,it is the rust we   
value1 not the gold4  ,chaucer's worst  
ribaldry is learned by rote1  ,and      
beastly ,skelton heads of houses quote3 
,one likes no language but the ,faery   

,queen2  ,a ,scot will fight for        
,christ's ,kirk o' the ,green3  ,and    
each true ,briton is to ,ben so civil1  
,he swears the ,muses met him at the    
devil4     ,though justly ,greece her   
eldest sons admires1  ,why should not we
 be wiser than our sires8  ,in every    
public virtue we excel2  ,we build1 we  
paint1 we sing1 we dance as well1  ,and 
learned ,athens to our art must stoop1  
,could she behold us tumbling through a 
hoop4     ,if time improve our wit as   
well as wine1  ,say at what age a poet  
grows divine8  ,shall we or shall we not
 account him so1  ,who died1 perhaps1 a 
hundred years ago8  ,end all dispute2   
and fix the year precise  ,when ,british
 bards begin t' immortalise8     ,who   
lasts a century can have no flaw1  ,i   
hold that wit a classic1 good in law4   
,suppose he wants a year1 will you      
compound2  ,and shall we deem him       
ancient1 right and sound1  ,or damn to  
all eternity at once1  ,at ninety-nine1 
a modern and a dunce8     ,we shall not 

quarrel for a year or two2  ,by courtesy
 of ,england1 he may do4  ,then by the  
rule that made the horse-tail bear1  ,i 
pluck out year by year1 as hair by hair1
  ,and melt down ancients like a heap of
 snow3  ,while you to measure merits1   
look in ,stowe1  ,and estimating authors
 by the year  ,bestow a garland only on 
a bier4     ,shakespeare 7whom you and  
every play-house bill  ,style the       
divine1 the matchless1 what you will7   
,for gain1 not glory1 winged his roving 
flight1  ,and grew immortal in his own  
despite4  ,ben1 old and poor1 as little 
seemed to heed  ,the life to come1 in   
every poet's creed4  ,who now reads     
,cowley8 if he pleases yet1  ,his moral 
pleases1 not his pointed wit2  ,forget  
his epic1 nay ,pindaric art2  ,but still
 ,i love the language of his heart4     
,yet surely1 surely1 these were famous  
men6  ,what boy but hears the sayings of
 old ,ben8  ,in all debates where       
,critics bears a part1  ,not one but    
nods1 and talks of ,jonson's art1  ,of  

,shakespeare's nature1 and of ,cowley's 
wit2  ,how ,beaumont's judgment checked 
what ,fletcher writ2  ,how ,shadwell    
hasty1 ,wycherley was slow2  ,but for   
the passions1 ,southern sure and ,rowe4 
,these1 only these1 support the crowded 
stage1  ,from eldest ,heywood down to   
,cibber's age4     ,all this may be2 the
 people's voice is odd1  ,it is1 and it 
is not1 the voice of ,god4  ,to ,gammer 
,gurton if it give the bays1  ,and yet  
deny the careless husband praise4  ,or  
say our fathers never broke a rule2     
,why then1 ,i say1 the public is a fool4
  ,but let them own1 that greater faults
 than we  ,they had1 and greater        
virtues1 ,i'll agree4  ,spenser himself 
affects the obsolete1  ,and ,sidney's   
verse halts ill on ,roman feet3         
,milton's strong pinion now not ,heaven 
can bound1  ,now serpent-like1 in prose 
he sweeps the ground1  ,in quibbles     
angel and archangel join1  ,and ,god the
 ,father turns a school divine4  ,not   
that ,i'd lop the beauties from his     

book1  ,like slashing ,bentley with his 
desperate hook1  ,or damn all           
,shakespeare1 like the affected fool    
,at court1 who hates whate'er he read at
 school4     ,but for the wits of either
 ,charles's days1  ,the mob of gentlemen
 who wrote with ease2  ,sprat1 ,carew1  
,sedley1 and a hundred more1  7,like    
twinkling stars the miscellanies o'er7  
,one simile1 that solitary shines  ,in  
the dry desert of a thousand lines1  ,or
 lengthened thought that gleams through 
many a page1  ,has sanctified whole     
poems for an age4  ,i lose my patience1 
and ,i own it too1  ,when works are     
censured1 not as bad but new2  ,while if
 our elders break all reason's laws1    
,these fools demand not pardon1 but     
applause4     ,on ,avon's bank1 where   
flowers eternal blow1  ,if ,i but ask1  
if any weed can grow2  ,one tragic      
sentence if ,i dare deride  ,which      
,betterton's grave action dignified1    
,or well-mouthed ,booth with emphasis   
proclaims1  7,though but1 perhaps1 a    

muster-roll of names7  ,how will our    
fathers rise up in a rage1  ,and swear1 
all shame is lost in ,george's age6     
,you'd think no fools disgraced the     
former reign1  ,did not some grave      
examples yet remain1  ,who scorn a lad  
should teach his father skill1  ,and1   
having once been wrong1 will be so      
still4  ,he1 who to seem more deep than 
you or ,i1  ,extols old bards1 or       
,merlin's ,prophecy1  ,mistake him not2 
he envies1 not admires1  ,and to debase 
the sons1 exalts the sires4  ,had       
ancient times conspired to disallow     
,what then was new1 what had been       
ancient now8  ,or what remained1 so     
worthy to be read  ,by learned critics1 
of the mighty dead8     ,in days of     
ease1 when now the weary sword  ,was    
sheathed1 and luxury with ,charles      
restored2  ,in every taste of foreign   
courts improved1  ,all1 by the king's   
example1 lived and loved4  ,then peers  
grew proud in horsemanship t' excel1    
,newmarket's glory rose1 as ,britain's  

fell2  ,the soldier breathed the        
gallantries of ,france1  ,and every     
flowery courtier wrote romance4  ,then  
marble1 softened into life1 grew warm3  
,and yielding metal flowed to human     
form3  ,lely on animated canvas stole   
,the sleepy eye1 that spoke the melting 
soul4  ,no wonder then1 when all was    
love and sport1  ,the willing ,muses    
were debauched at court3  ,on each      
enervate string they taught the note    
,to pant1 or tremble through an eunuch's
 throat4     ,but ,britain1 changeful as
 a child at play1  ,now calls in        
princes1 and now turns away4  ,now      
,whig1 now ,tory1 what we loved we hate2
  ,now all for pleasure1 now for ,church
 and ,state2  ,now for prerogative1 and 
now for laws2  ,effects unhappy from a  
noble cause4     ,time was1 a sober     
,englishman would knock  ,his servants  
up1 and rise by five o'clock1  ,instruct
 his family in every rule1  ,and send   
his wife to church1 his son to school4  
,to worship like his fathers1 was his   

care2  ,to teach their frugal virtues to
 his heir2  ,to prove1 that luxury could
 never hold2  ,and place1 on good       
security1 his gold4  ,now times are     
changed1 and one poetic itch  ,has      
seized the court and city1 poor and     
rich3  ,sons1 sires1 and grandsires1 all
 will wear the bays1  ,our wives read   
,milton1 and our daughters plays1  ,to  
theatres1 and to rehearsals throng1     
,and all our grace at table is a song4  
,i1 who so oft renounce the ,muses1 lie1
  ,not ----'s self e'er tells more fibs 
than ,i2  ,when sick of ,muse1 our      
follies we deplore1  ,and promise our   
best friends to rhyme no more2  ,we wake
 next morning in a raging fit1  ,and    
call for pen and ink to show our wit4   
,he served a 'prenticeship1 who sets up 
shop2  ,ward tried on puppies1 and the  
poor1 his drop2  ,even ,radcliff's      
doctors travel first to ,france1  ,nor  
dare to practise till they've learned to
 dance4  ,who builds a bridge that never
 drove a pile8  7,should ,ripley        

venture1 all the world would smile7     
,but those who cannot write1 and those  
who can1  ,all rhyme1 and scrawl1 and   
scribble1 to a man4     ,yet1 sir1      
reflect1 the mischief is not great2     
,these madmen never hurt the ,church or 
,state2  ,sometimes the folly benefits  
mankind2  ,and rarely av'rice taints the
 tuneful mind4  ,allow him but his      
plaything of a pen1  ,he ne'er rebels1  
or plots1 like other men3  ,flight of   
cashiers1 or mobs1 he'll never mind2    
,and knows no losses while the ,muse is 
kind4  ,to cheat a friend1 or ward1 he  
leaves to ,peter2  ,the good man heaps  
up nothing but mere metre1  ,enjoys his 
garden and his book in quiet2  ,and     
then--a perfect hermit in his diet4     
,of little use the man you may suppose1 
,who says in verse what others say in   
prose2  ,yet let me show1 a poet's of   
some weight1  ,and 7though no soldier7  
useful to the ,state4  ,what will a     
child learn sooner than a song8  ,what  
better teach a foreigner the tongue8    

,what's long or short1 each accent where
 to place1  ,and speak in public with   
some sort of grace8  ,i scarce can think
 him such a worthless thing1  ,unless he
 praise some monster of a king2  ,or    
virtue1 or religion turn to sport1  ,to 
please a lewd or unbelieving court4     
,unhappy ,dryden6--,in all ,charles's   
days1  ,roscommon only boasts unspotted 
bays2  ,and in our own 7excuse some     
courtly stains7  ,no whiter page than   
,addison remains4  ,he1 from the taste  
obscene reclaims our youth1  ,and sets  
the passions on the side of truth1      
,forms the soft bosom with the gentlest 
art1  ,and pours each human virtue in   
the heart4  ,let ,ireland tell1 how wit 
upheld her cause1  ,her trade supported1
 and supplied her laws2  ,and leave on  
,swift this grateful verse engraved3    
',the rights a court attacked1 a poet   
saved4'  ,behold the hand that wrought a
 nation's cure1  ,stretched to relieve  
the idiot and the poor1  ,proud vice to 
brand1 or injured worth adorn1  ,and    

stretch the ray to ages yet unborn4     
,not but there are1 who merit other     
palms2  ,hopkins and ,sternhold glad the
 heart with psalms3  ,the boys and girls
 whom charity maintains1  ,implore your 
help in these pathetic strains3  ,how   
could devotion touch the country pews1  
,unless the gods bestowed a proper      
,muse8  ,verse cheers their leisure1    
verse assists their work1  ,verse prays 
for peace1 or sings down ,pope and      
,turk4  ,the silenced preacher yields to
 potent strain1  ,and feels that grace  
his prayer besought in vain2  ,the      
blessing thrills through all the        
lab'ring throng1  ,and ,heaven is won by
 violence of song4     ,our rural       
ancestors1 with little blest1  ,patient 
of labour when the end was rest1        
,indulged the day that housed their     
annual grain1  ,with feasts1 and        
off'rings1 and a thankful strain3  ,the 
joy their wives1 their sons1 and        
servants share1  ,ease of their toil1   
and partners of their care3  ,the laugh1

 the jest1 attendants on the bowl1      
,smoothed every brow1 and opened every  
soul3  ,with growing years the pleasing 
licence grew1  ,and taunts alternate    
innocently flew4  ,but times corrupt1   
and ,nature1 ill-inclined1  ,produced   
the point that left a sting behind2     
,till friend with friend1 and families  
at strife1  ,triumphant malice raged    
through private life4  ,who felt the    
wrong1 or feared it1 took th' alarm1    
,appealed to law1 and justice lent her  
arm4  ,at length1 by wholesome dread of 
statutes bound1  ,the poets learned to  
please1 and not to wound3  ,most warped 
to flatt'ry's side2 but some more nice1 
,preserved the freedom1 and forebore the
 vice4  ,hence satire rose1 that just   
the medium hit1  ,and heals with morals 
what it hurts with wit4     ,we         
conquered ,france1 but felt our         
captive's charms2  ,her arts victorious 
triumphed o'er our arms2  ,britain to   
soft refinements less a foe1  ,wit grew 
polite1 and numbers learned to flow4    

,waller was smooth2 but ,dryden taught  
to join   ,the varying verse1 the       
full-resounding line1   ,the long       
majestic march1 and energy divine4      
,though still some traces of our rustic 
vein  ,and splay-foot verse1 remained1  
and will remain4  ,late1 very late1     
correctness grew our care1  ,when the   
tired nation breathed from civil war4   
,exact ,racine1 and ,corneille's noble  
fire1  ,showed us that ,france had      
something to admire4  ,not but the      
tragic spirit was our own1  ,and full in
 ,shakespeare1 fair in ,otway shone3    
,but ,otway failed to polish or refine1 
,and fluent ,shakespeare scarce effaced 
a line4  ,e'en copious ,dryden wanted1  
or forgot  ,the last and greatest art1  
the art to blot4  ,some doubt1 if equal 
pains1 or equal fire  ,the humbler ,muse
 of comedy require4  ,but in known      
images of life1 ,i guess  ,the labour   
greater1 as th' indulgence less4        
,observe how seldom even the best       
succeed3  ,tell me if ,congreve's fools 

are fools indeed8  ,what pert1 low      
dialogue has ,farquhar writ6  ,how ,van 
wants grace1 who never wanted wit6  ,the
 stage how loosely does ,astraea tread1 
,who fairly puts all characters to bed6 
,and idle ,cibber1 how he breaks the    
laws1  ,to make poor ,pinky eat with    
vast applause6  ,but fill their purse1  
our poet's work is done1  ,alike to     
them1 by pathos or by pun4     ,o you6  
whom vanity's light bark conveys  ,on   
fame's mad voyage by the wind of praise1
  ,with what a shifting gale your course
 you ply1  ,for ever sunk too low1 or   
borne too high6  ,who pants for glory   
finds but short repose1  ,a breath      
revives him1 or a breath o'erthrows4    
,farewell the stage6 if just as thrives 
the play1  ,the silly bard grows fat1 or
 falls away4     ,there still remains1  
to mortify a wit1  ,the many-headed     
monster of the pit2  ,a senseless1      
worthless1 and unhonoured crowd2  ,who1 
to disturb their betters mighty proud1  
,clatt'ring their sticks before ten     

lines are spoke1  ,call for the farce1  
the bear1 or the black-joke4  ,what dear
 delight to ,britons farce affords6     
,ever the taste of mobs1 but now of     
lords2  7,taste1 that eternal wanderer1 
which flies  ,from heads to ears1 and   
now from ears to eyes74  ,the play      
stands still2 damn action and discourse1
  ,back fly the scenes1 and enter foot  
and horse2  ,pageants on pageants1 in   
long order drawn1  ,peers1 ,heralds1    
,bishops1 ermine1 gold1 and lawn2  ,the 
champion too6 and1 to complete the jest1
  ,old ,edward's armour beams on        
,cibber's breast1  ,with laughter sure  
,democritus had died1  ,had he beheld an
 audience gape so wide4  ,let bear or   
elephant be e'er so white1  ,the people1
 sure1 the people are the sight6  ,ah   
luckless poet6 stretch thy lungs and    
roar1  ,that bear or elephant shall heed
 thee more2  ,while all its throats the 
gallery extends1  ,and all the thunder  
of the pit ascends6  ,loud as the       
wolves1 on ,orcas' stormy steep1  ,howl 

to the roarings of the ,northern deep1  
,such is the shout1 the long-applauding 
note1  ,at ,quin's high plume1 or       
,oldfield's petticoat2  ,or when from   
court a birthday suit bestowed1  ,sinks 
the lost actor in the tawdry load4      
,booth enters--hark6 the universal peal6
  ,but has he spoken8  ,not a syllable4 
,what shook the stage1 and made the     
people stare8  ,cato's long wig1        
flowered gown1 and lacquered chair4     
,yet lest you think ,i rally more than  
teach1  ,or praise malignly arts ,i     
cannot reach1  ,let me for once presume 
t' instruct the times1  ,to know the    
poet from the man of rhymes3  ',tis he1 
who gives my breast a thousand pains1   
,can make me feel each passion that he  
feigns2  ,enrage1 compose1 with more    
than magic art1  ,with pity1 and with   
terror1 tear my heart2  ,and snatch me1 
o'er the earth1 or through the air1  ,to
 ,thebes1 to ,athens1 when he will1 and 
where4     ,but not this part of the    
poetic state  ,alone1 deserves the      

favour of the great2  ,think of those   
authors1 sir1 who would rely  ,more on a
 reader's sense1 than gazer's eye4  ,or 
who shall wander where the ,muses sing8 
,who climb their mountain1 or who taste 
their spring8  ,how shall we fill a     
library with wit1  ,when ,merlin's cave 
is half unfurnished yet8     ,my liege6 
why writers little claim your thought1  
,i guess2 and1 with their leave1 will   
tell the fault3  ,we poets are 7upon a  
poet's word7  ,of all mankind1 the      
creatures most absurd3  ,the season1    
when to come1 and when to go1  ,to sing1
 or cease to sing1 we never know2  ,and 
if we will recite nine hours in ten1    
,you lose your patience1 just like other
 men4  ,then too we hurt ourselves1 when
 to defend  ,a single verse1 we quarrel 
with a friend2  ,repeat unasked2 lament1
 the wit's too fine  ,for vulgar eyes1  
and point out every line4  ,but most1   
when straining with too weak a wing1    
,we needs will write epistles to the    
,king2  ,and from the moment we oblige  

the town1  ,expect a place1 or pension  
from the ,crown2  ,or dubbed historians1
 by express command1  ,t' enrol your    
triumphs o'er the seas and land1  ,be   
called to ,court to plan some work      
divine1  ,as once for ,louis1 ,boileau  
and ,racine4     ,yet think1 great sir6 
7so many virtues shown7  ,ah think1 what
 poet best may make them known8  ,or    
choose at least some minister of grace1 
,fit to bestow the laureate's weighty   
place4     ,charles1 to late times to be
 transmitted fair1  ,assigned his figure
 to ,bernini's care2  ,and great ,nassau
 to ,kneller's hand decreed  ,to fix him
 graceful on the bounding steed2  ,so   
well in paint and stone they judged of  
merit3  ,but kings in wit may want      
discerning spirit4  ,the hero ,william  
and the martyr ,charles1  ,one knighted 
,blackmore1 and one pensioned ,quarles2 
,which made old ,ben1 and surly ,dennis 
swear1  ,no ,lord's anointed1 but a     
,russian bear4     ,not with such       
majesty1 such bold relief1  ,the forms  

august1 of king1 or conquering chief1   
,e'er swelled on marble2 as in verse    
have shined  7,in polished verse7 the   
manners and the mind4  ,oh6 could ,i    
mount on the ,maeonian wing1  ,your     
arms1 your actions1 your repose to sing6
  ,what seas you traversed1 and what    
fields you fought6  ,your country's     
peace1 how oft1 how dearly bought6  ,how
 barb'rous rage subsided at your word1  
,and nations wondered while they dropped
 the sword6  ,how1 when you nodded1 o'er
 the land and deep1  ,peace stole her   
wing1 and wrapped the world in sleep2   
,till earth's extremes your mediation   
own1  ,and ,asia's tyrants tremble at   
your throne--  ,but verse1 alas6 your   
majesty disdains2  ,and ,i'm not used to
 panegyric strains3  ,the zeal of fools 
offends at any time1  ,but most of all1 
the zeal of fools in rhyme4  ,besides1 a
 fate attends on all ,i write1  ,that   
when ,i aim at praise1 they say ,i bite4
  ,a vile encomium doubly ridicules3    
,there's nothing blackens like the ink  

of fools4  ,if true1 a woeful likeness2 
and if lies1  ,praise undeserved is     
scandal in disguise3  ,well may he      
blush1 who gives it1 or receives2  ,and 
when ,i flatter1 let my dirty leaves    
7,like journals1 odes1 and such         
forgotten things  ,as ,eusden1 ,philips1
 ,settle1 writ of kings7  ,clothe spice1
 line trunks1 or1 flutt'ring in a row1  
,befringe the rails of ,bedlam and      
,soho4        ,,the ,,second ,,epistle  
,,of ,,the ,,second ,,book ,,of         
,,horace4         ,ludentis speciem     
dabit1 et torquebitur4  ,,hor4 7v4#abd47
    ,dear ,colonel1 ,cobham's and your  
country's friend6  ,you love a verse1   
take such as ,i can send4  ,a ,frenchman
 comes1 presents you with his boy1      
,bows and begins--,this lad1 sir1 is of 
,blois3  ,observe his shape how clean6  
his locks how curled6  ,my only son1    
,i'd have him see the world3  ,his      
,french is pure2 his voice too--you     
shall hear4  ,sir1 he's your slave for  
twenty pound a year4  ,mere wax as yet1 

you fashion him with ease1  ,your       
barber1 cook1 upholsterer1 what you     
please3  ,a perfect genius at an opera  
song--  ,to say too much might do my    
honour wrong4  ,take him with all his   
virtues1 on my word2  ,his whole        
ambition was to serve a lord3  ,but1    
sir1 to you1 with what would ,i not     
part8  ,though faith1 ,i fear 'twill    
break his mother's heart4  ,once 7and   
but once7 ,i caught him in a lie1  ,and 
then1 unwhipped1 he had the grace to    
cry3  ,the fault he has ,i fairly shall 
reveal1  7,could you o'erlook but that7 
it is to steal4     ,if1 after this1 you
 took the graceless lad1  ,could you    
complain1 my friend1 he proved so bad8  
,faith1 in such case1 if you should     
prosecute1  ,i think ,sir ,godfrey      
should decide the suit3  ,who sent the  
thief that stole the cash away1  ,and   
punished him that put it in his way4    
,consider then1 and judge me in this    
light2  ,i told you when ,i went1 ,i    
could not write2  ,you said the same2   

and are you discontent  ,with laws to   
which you gave your own assent8  ,nay   
worse1 to ask for verse at such a time6 
,d'ye think me good for nothing but to  
rhyme8     ,in ,anna's wars1 a soldier  
poor and old  ,had dearly earned a      
little purse of gold2  ,tired with a    
tedious march1 one luckless night1  ,he 
slept1 poor dog6 and lost it to a doit4 
,this put the man in such a desperate   
mind1   ,between revenge1 and grief1 and
 hunger joined   ,against the foe1      
himself1 and all mankind1   ,he leaped  
the trenches1 scaled a castle wall1     
,tore down a standard1 took the fort and
 all4  ,prodigious well1 his great      
commander cried1  ,gave him much praise 
and some reward beside4  ,next pleased  
his excellence a town to batter3  7,its 
name ,i know not1 and it's no great     
matter74  ,go on1 my friend1 he cried1  
see yonder walls1  ,advance and conquer6
 go where glory calls6  ,more honours1  
more rewards attend the brave4  ,don't  
you remember what reply he gave8  ,d'ye 

think me1 noble general1 such a sot8    
,let him take castles who has ne'er a   
groat4     ,bred up at home1 full early 
,i begun  ,to read in ,greek the wrath  
of ,peleus' son4  ,besides1 my father   
taught me from a lad1  ,the better art  
to know the good from bad3  7,and little
 sure imported to remove1  ,to hunt for 
truth in ,maudlin's learned grove74     
,but knottier points we knew not half so
 well1  ,deprived us soon of our        
paternal cell2  ,and certain laws1 by   
sufferers thought unjust1  ,denied all  
posts of profit or of trust3  ,hopes    
after hopes of pious ,papists failed1   
,while mighty ,william's thundering arm 
prevailed1  ,for right hereditary taxed 
and fined1  ,he stuck to poverty with   
peace of mind2  ,and me1 the ,muses     
helped to undergo it2  ,convict a       
,papist he1 and ,i a poet4  ,but 7thanks
 to ,homer7 since ,i live and thrive1   
,indebted to no prince or peer alive1   
,sure ,i should want the care of ten    
,monroes1  ,if ,i would scribble rather 

than repose4  ,years following years1   
steal something every day1  ,at last    
they steal us from ourselves away2  ,in 
one our frolics1 one amusements end1    
,in one a mistress drops1 in one a      
friend3  ,this subtle thief of life1    
this paltry time1  ,what will it leave  
me1 if it snatch my rhyme8  ,if every   
wheel of that unwearied mill1  ,that    
turned ten thousand verses1 now stands  
still8     ,but after all1 what would   
you have me do8  ,when out of twenty ,i 
can please not two2  ,when this heroics 
only deigns to praise1  ,sharp satire   
that1 and that ,pindaric lays8  ,one    
likes the pheasant's wing1 and one the  
leg2  ,the vulgar boil1 the learned     
roast an egg2  ,hard task6 to hit the   
palate of such guests1  ,when ,oldfield 
loves what ,dartineuf detests4     ,but 
grant ,i may relapse1 for want of grace1
  ,again to rhyme1 can ,london be the   
place8  ,who there his ,muse1 or self1  
or soul attends1  ,in crowds1 and       
courts1 law1 business1 feasts1 and      

friends8  ,my counsel sends to execute a
 deed2  ,a poet begs me ,i will hear him
 read2  ',in ,palace ,yard at nine      
you'll find me there--'  ',at ten for   
certain1 sir1 in ,bloomsbury ,square--' 
',before the ,lords at twelve my cause  
comes on--'  ',there's a rehearsal1 sir1
 exact at one4--'  ,oh1 but a wit can   
study in the streets1  ,and raise his   
mind above the mob he meets4  ,not quite
 so well1 however1 as one ought2  ,a    
hackney coach may chance to spoil a     
thought2  ,and then a nodding beam or   
pig of lead1  ,god knows1 may hurt the  
very ablest head4  ,have you not seen1  
at ,guildhall's narrow pass1  ,two      
aldermen dispute it with an ass8  ,and  
peers give way1 exalted as they are1    
,even to their own s-r-v-ance in a car8 
,go1 lofty poet6 and in such a crowd1   
,sing thy sonorous verse--but not aloud4
  ,alas6 to grottoes and to groves we   
run1  ,to ease and silence1 every       
,muse's son3  ,blackmore himself1 for   
any grand effort1  ,would drink and doze

 at ,tooting or ,earl's ,court4  ,how   
shall ,i rhyme in this eternal roar8    
,how match the bards whom none e'er     
matched before8  ,the man1 who1         
stretched in ,isis' calm retreat1  ,to  
books and study gives seven years       
complete1  ,see6 strewed with learned   
dust1 his night-cap on1  ,he walks1 an  
object new beneath the sun6  ,the boys  
flock round him1 and the people stare3  
,so stiff1 so mute6 some statue you     
would swear1   ,stepped from its        
pedestal to take the air6   ,and here1  
while town1 and court1 and city roars1  
,with mobs1 and duns1 and soldiers at   
their doors2  ,shall ,i1 in ,london1 act
 this idle part8  ,composing songs for  
fools to get by heart8  ,the ,temple    
late two brother sergeants saw1  ,who   
deemed each other oracles of law2  ,with
 equal talents these congenial souls1   
,one lulled th' ,exchequer1 and one     
stunned the ,rolls2  ,each had a gravity
 would make you split1  ,and shook his  
head at ,murray as a wit4  ',twas1 sir1 

your law--and ,sir1 your eloquence--    
,yours1 ,cowper's manner--and yours1    
,talbot's sense4  ,thus we dispose of   
all poetic merit1  ,yours ,milton's     
genius1 and mine ,homer's spirit4  ,call
 ,tibbald ,shakespeare1 and he'll swear 
the nine1  ,dear ,cibber6 never matched 
one ode of thine4  ,lord6 how we strut  
through ,merlin's cave1 to see  ,no     
poets there1 but ,stephen1 you1 and me4 
,walk with respect behind1 while we at  
ease  ,weave laurel crowns1 and take    
what names we please4  ,my dear         
,tibullus6 if that will not do1  ,let me
 be ,horace1 and be ,ovid you3  ,or1    
,i'm content1 allow me ,dryden's        
strains1  ,and you shall rise up ,otway 
for your pains4  ,much do ,i suffer1    
much1 to keep in peace  ,this jealous1  
waspish1 wrong-head1 rhyming race2  ,and
 much must flatter1 if the whim should  
bite  ,to court applause by printing    
what ,i write3  ,but let the fit pass   
o'er1 ,i'm wise enough1  ,to stop my    
ears to their confounded stuff4     ,in 

vain bad rhymers all mankind reject1    
,they treat themselves with most        
profound respect2  ',tis to small       
purpose that you hold your tongue3      
,each praised within1 is happy all day  
long2  ,but how severely with themselves
 proceed  ,the men1 who write such verse
 as we can read8  ,their own strict     
judges1 not a word they spare  ,that    
wants1 or force1 or light1 or weight1 or
 care1  ,howe'er unwillingly it quits   
its place1  ,nay though at ,court1      
perhaps1 it may find grace3  ,such      
they'll degrade2 and sometimes1 in its  
stead1  ,in downright charity revive the
 dead2  ,mark where a bold expressive   
phrase appears1  ,bright through the    
rubbish of some hundred years2  ,command
 old words that long have slept1 to     
wake1  ,words that wise ,bacon or brave 
,raleigh spake2  ,or bid the new be     
,english1 ages hence1  7,for use will   
farther what's begot by sense7  ,pour   
the full tide of eloquence along1       
,serenely pure1 and yet divinely strong1

   ,rich with the treasures of each     
foreign tongue2   ,prune the luxuriant1 
the uncouth refine1  ,but show no mercy 
to an empty line3  ,then polish all1    
with so much life and ease1  ,you think 
'tis nature1 and a knack to please3     
,but ease in writing flows from art1 not
 chance2  ,as those move easiest who    
have learned to dance4     ,if such the 
plague and pains to write by rule1      
,better1 say ,i1 be pleased and play the
 fool2  ,call1 if you will1 bad rhyming 
a disease1  ,it gives men happiness1 or 
leaves them ease4  ,there lived in primo
 ,georgii1 they record1  ,a worthy      
member1 no small fool1 a lord2  ,who1   
though the ,house was up1 delighted     
sate1  ,heard1 noted1 answered1 as in   
full debate3  ,in all but this1 a man of
 sober life1  ,fond of his friend1 and  
civil to his wife2  ,not quite a madman1
 though a pasty fell1  ,and much too    
wise to walk into a well4  ,him1 the    
damned doctors and his friends immured1 
,they bled1 they cupped1 they purged2 in

 short1 they cured4  ,whereat the       
gentleman began to stare--  ,my friends6
 he cried1 plague take you for your     
care6  ,that from a patriot of          
distinguished note1  ,have bled and     
purged me to a simple vote4  ,well1 on  
the whole1 plain prose must be my fate3 
,wisdom 7curse on it7 will come soon or 
late4  ,there is a time when poets will 
grow dull3  ,i'll e'en leave verses to  
the boys at school3  ,to rules of poetry
 no more confined1  ,i learn to smooth  
and harmonise my mind1  ,teach every    
thought within its bounds to roll1  ,and
 keep the equal measure of the soul4    
,soon as ,i enter at my country door    
,my mind resumes the thread it dropt    
before2  ,thoughts1 which at ,hyde ,park
 ,corner ,i forgot1  ,meet and rejoin   
me1 in the pensive grot4  ,there all    
alone1 and compliments apart1  ,i ask   
these sober questions of my heart4      
,if1 when the more you drink1 the more  
you crave1  ,you tell the doctor2 when  
the more you have1  ,the more you want2 

why not with equal ease  ,confess as    
well your folly1 as disease8  ,the heart
 resolves this matter in a thrice1  ,men
 only feel the smart but not the vice4  
,when golden angels cease to cure the   
evil1  ,you give all royal witchcraft to
 the devil2  ,when servile chaplains    
cry1 that birth and place  ,endure a    
peer with honour1 truth1 and grace1     
,look in that breast1 most dirty ,d----6
 be fair1  ,say1 can you find out one   
such lodger there8  ,yet still1 not     
heeding what your heart can teach1  ,you
 go to church to hear these flatterers  
preach4     ,indeed1 could wealth bestow
 or wit or merit1  ,a grain of courage1 
or a spark of spirit1  ,the wisest man  
might blush1 ,i must agree1  ,if        
,d999999 loved sixpence more than he4   
,if there be truth in law1 and use can  
give  ,a property1 that's yours on which
 you life4  ,delightful ,abs ,court1 if 
its fields afford  ,their fruits to you1
 confesses you its lord2  ,all          
,worldly's hens1 nay partridge1 sold to 

town3  ,his venison too1 a guinea makes 
your own3  ,he bought at thousands1 what
 with better wit  ,you purchase as you  
want1 and bit by bit2  ,now1 or long    
since1 what difference will be found8   
,you pay a penny1 and he paid a pound4  
,heathcote himself1 and such large-acred
 men1  ,lords of fat ,e'sham1 or of     
,lincoln fen1  ,buy every stick of wood 
that lends them heat1  ,buy every pullet
 they afford to eat4  ,yet these are    
wights1 who fondly call their own  ,half
 that the ,devil o'erlooks from ,lincoln
 town4  ,the laws of ,god1 as well as of
 the land1  ,abhor1 a perpetuity should 
stand3  ,estates have wings and hang in 
fortune's power  ,loose on the point of 
every wavering hour1  ,ready1 by force1 
or of your own accord1  ,by sale1 at    
least by death1 to change their lord4   
,man8 and for ever8 wretch6 what wouldst
 thou have8  ,heir urges heir1 like wave
 impelling wave4  ,all vast possessions 
7just the same the case  ,whether you   
call them villa1 park1 or chase74       

,alas1 my ,bathurst6 what will they     
avail8  ,join ,cotswold hills to        
,saperton's fair dale1  ,let rising     
granaries and temples here1  ,there     
mingled farms and pyramids appear1      
,link towns to towns with avenues of    
oak1  ,enclose whole downs in walls1    
'tis all a joke6  ,inexorable death     
shall level all1  ,and trees1 and       
stones1 and farms1 and farmer fall4     
,gold1 silver1 ivory1 vases sculptured  
high1  ,paint1 marble1 gems1 and robes  
of ,persian dye1  ,there are who have   
not--and thank heaven there are1  ,who1 
if they have not1 think not worth their 
care1  ,talk what you will of taste1 my 
friend1 you'll find1  ,two of a face1 as
 soon as of a mind4  ,why1 of two       
brothers1 rich and restless one         
,ploughs1 burns1 manures1 and toils from
 sun to sun2  ,the other slights1 for   
women1 sports1 and wines1  ,all         
,townshend's turnips1 and all           
,grosvenor's mines2  ,why one like      
,bu--with pay and scorn content1  ,bows 

and votes on1 in ,court and ,parliament2
  ,one1 driven by strong benevolence of 
soul1  ,shall fly1 like ,oglethorpe1    
from pole to pole2  ,is known alone to  
that directing power1  ,who forms the   
genius in the natal hour2  ,that ,god of
 ,nature1 who1 within us still1         
,inclines our action1 not constrains our
 will3  ,various of temper1 as of face  
or frame4  ,each individual3 ,his great 
end the same4     ,yes1 sir1 how small  
soever be my heap1  ,a part ,i will     
enjoy1 as well as keep4  ,my heir may   
sigh1 and think it want of grace  ,a man
 so poor would live without a place2    
,but sure no statute in his favour says 
,how free1 or frugal1 ,i shall pass my  
days3  ,i1 who at some times spend1 at  
others spare1  ,divided between         
carelessness and care4  ',tis one thing 
madly to disperse my store2  ,another1  
not to heed to treasure more6  ,glad1   
like a boy1 to snatch the first good    
day1  ,and pleased1 if sordid want be   
far away4     ,what is't to me 7a       

passenger1 ,god wot7  ,whether my vessel
 be first-rate or not8  ,the ship itself
 may make a better figure1  ,but ,i that
 sail1 am neither less nor bigger1  ,i  
neither strut with every favouring      
breath1  ,nor strive with all the       
tempest in my teeth4  ,in power1 wit1   
figure1 virtue1 fortune1 placed  ,behind
 the foremost and before the last4      
,but why all this of avarice8 ,i have   
none4  ,i wish you joy1 sir1 of a tyrant
 gone2  ,but does no other lord it at   
this hour1  ,as wild and mad3 the       
avarice of power8  ,does neither rage   
inflame1 nor fear appal8  ,not the black
 fear of death1 that saddens all8  ,with
 terrors round1 can ,reason hold her    
throne1  ,despise the known1 nor tremble
 at the unknown8  ,survey both worlds1  
intrepid and entire1  ,in spite of      
witches1 devils1 dreams1 and fire8      
,pleased to look forward1 pleased to    
look behind1  ,and count each birthday  
with a grateful mind8  ,has life no     
sourness1 drawn so near its end8  ,canst

 thou endure a foe1 forgive a friend8   
,has age but melted the rough parts     
away1  ,as winter fruits grow mild ere  
they decay8  ,or will you think1 my     
friend1 your business done1  ,when1 of a
 hundred thorns1 you pull out one8      
,learn to live well1 or fairly make your
 will2  ,you've played1 and loved1 and  
ate1 and drank your fill3  ,walk sober  
off2 before a sprightlier age  ,comes   
tittering on1 and shoves you from the   
stage2  ,leave such to trifle with more 
grace and ease1  ,where folly pleases1  
and whose follies please4        ,,the  
,,satires ,,of ,,dr4 ,,john ,,donne1    
,,dean ,,of ,,st4 ,,paul',s4            
,,versified4         ,quid vetat et     
nosmet ,lucili scripta legentes         
,quaerere1 num illius1 num rerum dura   
negarit     ,versiculos natura magis    
factos1 et euntes     ,mollius8         
,,hor4 7,sat4 ,,lx4 #ef-i74             
,,satire ,,ii4      ,yes2 thank my      
stars6 as early as ,i knew  ,this town1 
,i had the sense to hate it too2  ,yet  

here2 as even in hell1 there must be    
still  ,one giant-vice1 so excellently  
ill1  ,that all beside1 one pities1 not 
abhors2  ,as who knows ,sappho1 smiles  
at other whores4     ,i grant that      
poetry's a crying sin2  ,it brought 7no 
doubt7 the excise and army in3  ,catched
 like the plague1 or love1 the ,lord    
knows how1  ,but that the cure is       
starving1 all allow4  ,yet like the     
,papist's1 is the poet's state1  ,poor  
and disarmed1 and hardly worth your     
hate6  ,here a lean bard1 whose wit     
could never give  ,himself a dinner1    
makes an actor live3  ,the thief        
condemned1 in law already dead1  ,so    
prompts1 and saves a rogue who cannot   
read4  ,thus1 as the pipes of some      
carved organ move1  ,the gilded puppets 
dance and mount above4  ,heaved by the  
breath the inspiring bellows blow3  ,the
 inspiring bellows lie and pant below4  
,one sings the fair2 but songs no longer
 move2  ,no rat is rhymed to death1 nor 
maid to love3  ,in love's1 in nature's  

spite1 the siege they hold1  ,and scorn 
the flesh1 the devil1 and all but gold4 
,these write to lords1 some mean reward 
to get1  ,as needy beggars sing at doors
 for meat4  ,those write because all    
write1 and so have still  ,excuse for   
writing1 and for writing ill4           
,wretched1 indeed6 but far more wretched
 yet  ,is he who makes his meal on      
others' wit3  ',tis changed1 no doubt1  
from what it was before2  ,his rank     
digestion makes it wit no more3  ,sense1
 past through him1 no longer is the     
same2  ,for food digested takes another 
name4     ,i pass o'er all those        
confessors and martyrs  ,who live like  
,s-tt-n1 or who die like ,chartres1     
,out-cant old ,esdras1 or out-drink his 
heir1  ,out-usure ,jews1 or ,irishmen   
out-swear2  ,wicked as pages1 who in    
early years  ,act sins which ,prisca's  
confessor scarce hears4  ,even those ,i 
pardon1 for whose sinful sake           
,schoolmen new tenements in hell must   
make2  ,of whose strange crimes no      

canonist can tell  ,in what             
,commandment's large contents they      
dwell4     ,one1 one man only breeds my 
just offence2  ,whom crimes gave wealth1
 and wealth gave impudence3  ,time      
brings all natural events to pass1  ,and
 made him an attorney of an ass4  ,no   
young divine1 new beneficed1 can be     
,more pert1 more proud1 more positive   
than he4  ,what further could ,i wish   
the fop to do1  ,but turn a wit1 and    
scribble verses too2  ,pierce the soft  
labyrinth of a lady's ear  ,with rhymes 
of this per cent4 and that per year8    
,or court a wife1 spread out his wily   
parts1  ,like nets or lime-twigs1 for   
rich widows' hearts2  ,call himself     
barrister to every wench1  ,and woo in  
language of the pleas and bench8        
,language1 which ,boreas might to       
,auster hold  ,more rough than forty    
,germans when they scold4     ,cursed be
 the wretch1 so venal and so vain3      
,paltry and proud1 as drabs in ,drury   
,lane4  ',tis such a bounty as was never

 known1  ,if ,peter deigns to help you  
to your own3  ,what thanks1 what praise1
 if ,peter but supplies1  ,and what a   
solemn face if he denies6  ,grave1 as   
when prisoners shake the head and swear 
',twas only suretyship that brought 'em 
there4  ,his office keeps your parchment
 fates entire1  ,he starves with cold to
 save them from the fire2  ,for you he  
walks the streets through rain or dust1 
,for not in chariots ,peter puts his    
trust2  ,for you he sweats and labours  
at the laws1  ,takes ,god to witness he 
affects your cause1  ,and lies to every 
lord in every thing1  ,like a king's    
favourite--or like a king4  ,these are  
the talents that adorn them all1  ,from 
wicked waters even to godly 99 99  ,not 
more of simony beneath black gowns1     
,nor more of bastardy in heirs to       
crowns4  ,in shillings and in pence at  
first they deal2  ,and steal so little1 
few perceive they steal2  ,till1 like   
the sea1 they compass all the land1     
,from ,scots to ,wight1 from mount to   

,dover strand3  ,and when rank widows   
purchase luscious nights1  ,or when a   
duke to ,jansen punts at ,white's1  ,or 
,city-heir in mortgage melts away2      
,satan himself feels far less joy than  
they4  ,piecemeal they win this acre    
first1 then that1  ,glean on1 and gather
 up the whole estate4  ,then strongly   
fencing ill-got wealth by law1          
,indentures1 covenants1 articles thy    
draw1  ,large as the fields themselves1 
and larger far  ,than civil codes1 with 
all their glosses1 are2  ,so vast1 our  
new divines1 we must confess1  ,are     
fathers of the ,church for writing less4
  ,but let them write for you1 each     
rogue impairs  ,the deeds1 and          
dexterously omits1 ses heires2  ,no     
commentator can more slily pass  ,o'er a
 learned1 unintelligible place2  ,or1 in
 quotation1 shrewd divines leave out    
,those words1 that would against them   
clear the doubt4     ,so ,luther thought
 the ,paternoster long1  ,when doomed to
 say his beads and even-song2  ,but     

having cast his cowl1 and left those    
laws1  ,adds to ,christ's prayer1 the   
,power and ,glory clause4     ,the lands
 are bought2 but where are to be found  
,those ancient woods1 that shaded all   
the ground8  ,we see no new-built       
palaces aspire1  ,no kitchens emulate   
the vestal fire4  ,where are those      
troops of poor1 that thronged of yore   
,the good old landlord's hospitable     
door8  ,well1 ,i could wish1 that still 
in lordly domes  ,some beasts were      
killed1 though not whole hecatombs2     
,that both extremes were banished from  
their walls1  ,carthusian fasts1 and    
fulsome bacchanals2  ,and all mankind   
might that just mean observe1  ,in which
 none e'er could surfeit1 none could    
starve4  ,these as good works1 'tis     
true1 we all allow2  ,but oh6 these     
works are not in fashion now3  ,like    
rich old wardrobes1 things extremely    
rare1  ,extremely fine1 but what no man 
will wear4     ,thus much ,i've said1 ,i
 trust1 without offence2  ,let no ,court

 sycophant pervert my sense1  ,nor sly  
informer watch these words to draw      
,within the reach of treason1 or the    
law4      ,,satire ,,iv4      ,well1 if 
it be my time to quit the stage1  ,adieu
 to all the follies of the age6  ,i die 
in charity with fool and knave1  ,secure
 of peace at least beyond the grave4    
,i've had my purgatory here betimes1    
,and paid for all my satires1 all my    
rhymes4  ,the poet's hell1 its tortures1
 fiends1 and flames1  ,to this were     
trifles1 toys1 and empty names4         
,with foolish pride my heart was never  
fired1  ,nor the vain itch to admire1 or
 be admired2  ,i hoped for no commission
 from his ,grace2  ,i bought no         
benefice1 ,i begged no place2  ,had no  
new verses1 nor new suit to show2  ,yet 
went to ,court6--the ,devil would have  
it so4  ,but1 as the fool that in       
reforming days  ,would go to ,mass in   
jest 7as story says7  ,could not but    
think1 to pay his fine was odd1  ,since 
'twas no formed design of serving ,god2 

,so was ,i punished1 as if full as proud
  ,as prone to ill1 as negligent of     
good1  ,as deep in debt1 without a      
thought to pay1   ,as vain1 as idle1 and
 as false1 as they   ,who live at       
,court1 for going once that way6        
,scarce was ,i entered1 when1 behold6   
there came  ,a thing which ,adam had    
been posed to name2  ,noah had refused  
it lodging in his ,ark1  ,where all the 
race of reptiles might embark3  ,a      
verier monster1 that on ,afric's shore  
,the sun e'er got1 or slimy ,nilus bore1
  ,or ,sloane or ,woodward's wondrous   
shelves contain1  ,nay1 all that lying  
travellers can feign4  ,the watch would 
hardly let him pass at noon1  ,at night1
 would swear him dropped out of the     
moon4  ,one whom the mob1 when next we  
find or make  ,a ,popish plot1 shall for
 a ,jesuit take1  ,and the wise ,justice
 starting from his chair  ,cry3 ,by your
 priesthood tell me what you are8       
,such was the wight2 the apparel on his 
back  ,though coarse1 was reverend1 and 

though bare1 was black3  ,the suit1 if  
by the fashion one might guess1  ,was   
velvet in the youth of good ,queen      
,bess1  ,but mere tuff-taffety what now 
remained2  ,so time1 that changes all   
things1 had ordained6  ,our sons shall  
see it leisurely decay1  ,first turn    
plain rash1 then vanish quite away4     
,this thing has travelled1 speaks each  
language too1  ,and know what's fit for 
very state to do2  ,of whose best phrase
 and courtly accent joined1  ,he forms  
one tongue1 exotic and refined1         
,talkers ,i've learned to bear2 ,motteux
 ,i knew1  ,henley himself ,i've heard1 
and ,budgel too4  ,the doctor's wormwood
 style1 the hash of tongues  ,a pedant  
makes1 the storm of ,gonson's lungs1    
,the whole artillery of the terms of    
war1  ,and 7all those plagues in one7   
the bawling bar3  ,these ,i could bear2 
but not a rogue so civil1  ,whose tongue
 will compliment you to the devil4  ,a  
tongue that can cheat widows1 cancel    
scores1  ,make ,scots speak treason1    

cozen subtlest w999999es1  ,with royal  
favourites in flattery vie1  ,and       
,oldmixon and ,burnet both outlie4      
,he spies me out1 ,i whisper3 ,gracious 
,god6  ,what sin of mine could merit    
such a rod8  ,that all the shot of      
dulness now must be  ,from this thy     
blunderbuss discharged on me6  ,permit  
7he cries7 no stranger to your fame  ,to
 crave your sentiment1 if ----'s your   
name4  ,what speech esteem you most8    
,the ,king's1 said ,i  ,but the best    
words8--,o1 sir1 the dictionary4  ,you  
miss my aim2 ,i mean the most acute     
,and perfect speaker8--,onslow1 past    
dispute4  ,but1 sir1 of writers8        
,swift1 for closer style1  ,but ,ho9999y
 for a period of a mile4  ,why1 yes1    
'tis granted1 these indeed may pass3    
,good common linguists1 and so ,panurge 
was2  ,nay troth the ,apostles 7though  
perhaps too rough7  ,had once a pretty  
gift of tongues enough3  ,yet these were
 all poor gentlemen6  ,i dare  ,affirm1 
'twas travel made them what they were4  

,thus others' talents having nicely     
shown1  ,he came by sure transition to  
his own3  ,till ,i cried out3 ,you prove
 yourself so able1  ,pity6 you was not  
,druggerman at ,babel2  ,for had they   
found a linguist half so good  ,i make  
no question but the tower had stood4    
,obliging sir6 for courts you sure were 
made3  ,why then for ever buried in the 
shade8  ,spirits like you should see and
 should be seen1  ,the ,king would smile
 on you--at least the ,queen4  ,ah1     
gentle sir6 you courtiers so cajole us--
  ,but ,tully has it1 ,nunquam minus    
solus3  ,and as for courts1 forgive me1 
if ,i say  ,no lessons now are taught   
the ,spartan way3  ,though in his       
pictures lust be full displayed1  ,few  
are the converts ,aretine has made2     
,and though the ,court show vice        
exceeding clear1  ,none should1 by my   
advice1 learn virtue there4     ,at this
 entranced1 he lifts his hands and eyes1
  ,squeaks like a high-stretched        
lutestring1 and replies3  ,oh1 'tis the 

sweetest of all earthly things  ,to gaze
 on princes1 and to talk of kings6      
,then1 happy man who shows the tombs6   
said ,i1  ,he dwells amidst the ,royal  
,family2  ,he every day1 from king to   
king can walk1  ,of all our ,harries1   
all our ,edwards talk1  ,and get by     
speaking truth of monarchs dead1  ,what 
few can of the living1 ease and bread4  
,lord1 sir1 a mere mechanic6 strangely  
low1  ,and coarse of phrase--your       
,english all are so4  ,how elegant your 
,frenchmen8  ,mine1 d'ye mean8  ,i have 
but one1 ,i hope the fellow's clean4    
,oh6 sir1 politely so6 nay1 let me die1 
,your only wearing is your ,paduasoy4   
,not1 sir1 my only1 ,i have better      
still1  ,and this you see is but my     
dishabille--4  ,wild to get loose1 his  
patience ,i provoke1  ,mistake1         
confound1 object at all he spoke4  ,but 
as coarse iron1 sharpened1 mangles more1
  ,and itch most hurts when angered to a
 sore2  ,so when you plague a fool1 'tis
 still the curse1  ,you only make the   

matter worse and worse4     ,he past it 
o'er2 affects an easy smile  ,at all my 
peevishness1 and turns his style4  ,he  
asks1 ,what news8  ,i tell him of new   
plays1  ,new eunuchs1 harlequins1 and   
operas4  ,he hears1 and as a still with 
simples in it  ,between each drop it    
gives1 stays half a minute1  ,loth to   
enrich me with too quick replies1  ,by  
little and by little drops his lies4    
,mere household trash6 of birth-nights1 
balls1 and shows1  ,more than ten       
,holinsheds1 or ,halls1 or ,stowes4     
,when the ,queen frowned1 or smiled1 he 
knows2 and what  ,a subtle minister may 
make of that2  ,who sins with whom3 who 
got his pension rug1  ,or quickened a   
reversion by a drug2  ,whose place is   
quartered out1 three parts in four1     
,and whether to a bishop1 or a w999999e2
  ,who having lost his credit1 pawned   
his rent1  ,is therefore fit to have a  
,government2  ,who in the secret1 deals 
in stocks secure1  ,and cheats the      
unknowing widow and the poor2  ,who     

makes a trust or charity a job1  ,and   
gets an ,act of ,parliament to rob2     
,why turnpikes rise1 and now no cit nor 
clown  ,can gratis see the country1 or  
the town2  ,shortly no lad shall chuck1 
or lady vole1  ,but some excising       
courtier will have toll4  ,he tells what
 strumpet places sells for life1  ,what 
'squire his lands1 what citizen his     
wife3  ,and last 7which proves him wiser
 still than all7  ,what lady's face is  
not a whited wall4     ,as one of       
,woodward's patients1 sick1 and sore1   
,i puke1 ,i nauseate--yet he thrusts in 
more3  ,trims ,europe's balance1 tops   
the statesman's part1  ,and talks       
gazettes and post-boys o'er by heart4   
,like a big wife at sight of loathsome  
meat  ,ready to cast1 ,i yawn1 ,i sigh  
and sweat4  ,then as a licensed spy1    
whom nothing can  ,silence or hurt1 he  
libels the great man2  ,swears every    
place entailed for years to come1  ,in  
sure succession to the day of doom2  ,he
 names the price for every office paid1 

,and says our wars thrive ill1 because  
delayed2  ,nay hints1 'tis by connivance
 of the ,court1  ,that ,spain robs on1  
and ,dunkirk's still a port4  ,not more 
amazement seized on ,circe's guests1    
,to see themselves fall endlong into    
beasts1  ,than mine1 to find a subject  
staid and wise  ,already half turned    
traitor by surprise4  ,i felt the       
infection slide from him to me1  ,as in 
the ---- some give it to get free2  ,and
 quick to swallow me1 methought ,i saw  
,one of our giant statutes ope its jaw4 
,in that nice moment1 as another lie    
,stood just a-tilt1 the minister came   
by4  ,to him he flies1 and bows1 and    
bows again1  ,then1 close as ,umbra1    
joins the dirty train4  ,not ,fannius'  
self more impudently near1  ,when half  
his nose is in his ,prince's ear4  ,i   
quaked at heart2 and still afraid1 to   
see  ,all the ,court filled with        
stranger things than he1  ,ran out as   
fast as one that pays his bail  ,and    
dreads more actions1 hurries from a     

jail4     ,bear me1 some god6 oh1       
quickly bear me hence  ,to wholesome    
solitude1 the nurse of sense3  ,where   
,contemplation plumes her ruffled wings1
  ,and the free soul looks down to pity 
kings6  ,there sober thought pursued the
 amusing theme1  ,till fancy coloured   
it1 and formed a dream4  ,a vision      
hermits can to hell transport1  ,and    
forced even me to see the damned at     
,court4  ,not ,dante dreaming all the   
infernal state1  ,beheld such scenes of 
envy1 sin1 and hate4  ,base fear becomes
 the guilty1 not the free2  ,suits      
tyrants1 plunderers1 but suits not me3  
,shall ,i1 the terror of this sinful    
town1  ,care1 if a liveried lord or     
smile or frown8  ,who cannot flatter1   
and detest who can1  ,tremble before a  
noble serving-man8  ,o1 my fair         
mistress1 ,truth6 shall ,i quit thee    
,for huffing1 braggart1 puffed nobility8
  ,thou1 who since yesterday hast rolled
 o'er all  ,the busy1 idle blockheads of
 the ball1  ,hast thou1 oh1 sun6 beheld 

an emptier fort1  ,than such who swell  
this bladder of a ,court8  ,now plague  
on those who show a ,court in wax6  ,it 
ought to bring all courtiers on their   
backs3  ,such painted puppets6 such a   
varnished race  ,of hollow gewgaws1 only
 dress and face6  ,such waxen noses1    
stately staring things--  ,no wonder    
some folks bow1 and think them kings4   
,see6 where the ,british youth1 engaged 
no more  ,at ,fig's1 at ,white's1 with  
felons1 or a bore1  ,pay their last duty
 to the ,court and come  ,all fresh and 
fragrant1 to the drawing-room2  ,in hues
 as gay1 and odours as divine1  ,as the 
fair fields they sold to look so fine4  
,that's velvet for a king6 the flatterer
 swears  ',tis true1 for ten days hence 
'twill be ,king ,lear's4  ,our ,court   
may justly to our stage give rules1     
,that helps it both to fools-coats and  
to fools4  ,and why not players strut in
 courtiers' clothes8  ,for these are    
actors too1 as well as those3  ,wants   
reach all states2 they beg but better   

drest1  ,and all is splended poverty at 
best4  ,painted for sight1 and essenced 
for the smell1  ,like frigates fraught  
with spice and cochinel1  ,sail in the  
ladies3 how each pirate eyes  ,so weak a
 vessel1 and so rich a prize6           
,top-gallant he1 and she in all her     
trim1  ,he boarding her1 she striking   
sail to him3  ,dear ,countess6 you have 
charms all hearts to hit6  ,and ,sweet  
,sir ,fopling6 you have so much wit6    
,such wits and beauties are not praised 
for nought1  ,for both the beauty and   
the wit are bought4  ',twould burst even
 ,heraclitus with the spleen  ,to see   
those antics1 ,fopling and ,courtin3    
,the presence seems1 with things so     
richly odd1  ,the mosque of ,mahound1 or
 some queer ,pagod4  ,see them survey   
their limbs by ,durer's rules1  ,of all 
beau-kind the best proportioned fools6  
,adjust their clothes1 and to confession
 draw  ,those venial sins1 an atom1 or a
 straw2  ,but oh6 what terrors must     
distract the soul  ,convicted of that   

mortal crime1 a hole2  ,or should one   
pound of powder less bespread  ,those   
monkey tails that wag behind their head4
  ,thus finished1 and corrected to a    
hair1  ,they march1 to prate their hour 
before the fair4  ,so first to preach a 
white-gloved chaplain goes1  ,with band 
of lily1 and with cheek of rose1        
,sweeter than ,sharon1 in immaculate    
trim1  ,neatness itself impertinent in  
him4  ,let but the ladies smile1 and    
they are blest3  ,prodigious6 how the   
things protest1 protest3  ,peace1 fools1
 or ,gonson will for ,papists seize you1
  ,if once he catch you at your ,jesu6  
,jesu6     ,nature made every fop to    
plague his brother1  ,just as one beauty
 mortifies another4  ,but here's the    
captain that will plague them both1     
,whose air cries ,arm6 whose very look's
 an oath3  ,the captain's honest1 ,sirs1
 and that's enough1  ,though his soul's 
bullet1 and his body buff4  ,he spits   
fore-right2 his haughty chest before1   
,like battering rams1 beats open every  

door3  ,and with a face as red1 and as  
awry1  ,as ,herod's hangdogs in old     
tapestry1  ,scarecrow to boys1 the      
breeding woman's curse1  ,has yet a     
strange ambition to look worse2         
,confounds the civil1 keeps the rude in 
awe1  ,jests like a licensed fool1      
commands like law4     ,frighted1 ,i    
quit the room1 but leave it so  ,as men 
from jails to execution go2  ,for hung  
with deadly sins ,i see the wall1  ,and 
lined with giants deadlier than 'em all3
  ,each man an ,askapart1 of strength to
 toss  ,for quoits1 both ,temple ,bar   
and ,charing ,cross4  ,scared at the    
grizzly forms1 ,i sweat1 ,i fly1  ,and  
shake all o'er1 like a discovered spy4  
,courts are too much for wits so weak as
 mine3  ,charge them with ,heaven's     
artillery1 bold divine6  ,from such     
alone the great rebukes endure  ,whose  
satire's sacred1 and whose rage secure3 
',tis mine to wash a few light stains1  
but theirs  ,to deluge sin1 and drown a 
,court in tears4  ,however1 what's now  

,apocrypha1 my wit1  ,in time to come1  
may pass for holy writ4                 
,,epilogue ,,to ,,the ,,satires4  ,,in  
,,two ,,dialogues4  ,,written ,,in      
,,mdccxxxviii4      ,,dialogue ,i4      
,fr4 ,not twice a twelvemonth you appear
 in print1  ,and when it comes1 the     
,court see nothing in't4  ,you grow     
correct1 that once with rapture writ1   
,and are1 besides1 too moral for a wit4 
,decay of parts1 alas6 we all must      
feel--  ,why now1 this moment1 don't ,i 
see you steal8  ',tis all from ,horace2 
,horace long before ye  ,said1 ,tories  
called him ,whig1 and ,whigs a ,tory2   
,and taught his ,romans1 in much better 
metre1  ,to laugh at fools who put their
 trust in ,peter4     ,but ,horace1 sir1
 was delicate1 was nice2  ,bubo         
observes1 he lashed no sort of vice2    
,horace would say1 ,sir ,billy served   
the crown1  ,blunt could do business1   
,h-ggins knew the town2  ,in ,sappho    
touch the failings of the sex1  ,in     
reverend bishops note some small        

neglects1  ,and own1 the ,spaniard did a
 waggish thing1  ,who cropped our ears1 
and sent them to the king4  ,his sly1   
polite1 insinuating style  ,could please
 at ,court1 and make ,augustus smile3   
,an artful manager1 that crept between  
,his friend and shame1 and was a kind of
 screen4  ,but 'faith1 your friends will
 soon be sore2  ,patriots there are1 who
 wish you'd jest no more--  ,and where's
 the glory8 'twill be only thought  ,the
 ,great ,man never offered you a groat4 
,go1 see ,sir ,robert--,p4 ,see ,sir    
,robert6--hum--  ,and never laugh--for  
all my life to come8  ,seen him ,i have1
 but in his happier hour  ,of social    
pleasure1 ill-exchanged for power2      
,seen him1 unencumbered with the venal  
tribe1  ,smile without art1 and win     
without a bribe4  ,would he oblige me8  
let me only find  ,he does not think me 
what he thinks mankind4  ,come1 come1 at
 all ,i laugh he laughs1 no doubt2  ,the
 only difference is ,i dare laugh out4  
,f4 ,why1 yes3 with ,scripture still you

 may be free2  ,a horse-laugh1 if you   
please1 at honesty3  ,a joke on ,jekyl1 
or some odd old ,whig  ,who never       
changed his principle1 or wig3  ,a      
patriot is a fool in every age1  ,whom  
all ,lord ,chamberlains allow the stage3
  ,these nothing hurts2 they keep their 
fashion still1  ,and wear their strange 
old virtue1 as they will4  ,if any ask  
you1 ,who's the man1 so near  ,his      
prince1 that writes in verse1 and has   
his ear8  ,why1 answer1 ,lyttelton1 and 
,i'll engage  ,the worthy youth shall   
ne'er be in a rage2  ,but were his      
verses vile1 his whisper base1  ,you'd  
quickly find him in ,lord ,fanny's case4
  ,sejanus1 ,wolsey1 hurt not honest    
,fleury1  ,but well may put some        
statesmen in a fury4     ,laugh1 then1  
at any1 but at fools or foes2  ,these   
you but anger1 and you mend not those4  
,laugh at your friends1 and1 if your    
friends are sore1  ,so much the better1 
you may laugh the more4  ,to vice and   
folly to confine the jest1  ,sets half  

the world1 ,god knows1 against the rest2
  ,did not the sneer of more impartial  
men  ,at sense and virtue1 balance all  
again4  ,judicious wits spread wide the 
ridicule1  ,and charitably comfort knave
 and fool4     ,p4 ,dear sir1 forgive   
the prejudice of youth2  ,adieu         
distinction1 satire1 warmth1 and truth6 
,come1 harmless characters1 that no one 
hit2  ,come1 ,henley's oratory1         
,osborne's wit6  ,the honey dropping    
from ,favonio's tongue1  ,the flowers of
 ,bubo1 and the flow of ,y--ng6  ,the   
gracious dew of pulpit eloquence1  ,and 
all the well-whipped cream of courtly   
sense1  ,that first was ,h--vy's1       
,f---'s next1 and then  ,the ,s--te's1  
and then ,h--vy's once again4  ,o1 come1
 that easy ,ciceronian style1  ,so      
,latin1 yet so ,english all the while1  
,as1 though the pride of ,middleton and 
,bland1  ,all boys may read1 and girls  
may understand6  ,then might ,i sing1   
without the least offence1  ,and all ,i 
sung should be the nation's sense2  ,or 

teach the melancholy muse to mourn1     
,hang the sad verse on ,carolina's urn1 
,and hail her passage to the realms of  
rest1  ,all parts performed1 and all her
 children blessed6  ,so--satire is no   
more--,i feel it die--  ,no ,gazetteer  
more innocent than ,i--  ,and let1 a'   
,god's name1 every fool and knave  ,be  
graced through life1 and flattered in   
his grave4     ,f4 ,why so8 if satire   
knows its time and place  ,you still may
 lash the greatest--in disgrace3  ,for  
merit will by turns forsake them all2   
,would you know when8 exactly when they 
fall4  ,but let all satire in all       
changes spare  ,immortal ,s--k1 and     
grave ,de--re4  ,silent and soft1 as    
saints remove to heaven1  ,all ties     
dissolved and every sin forgiven1       
,these may some gentle ministerial wing 
,receive1 and place for ever near a     
king6  ,there1 where no passion1 pride1 
or shame transport1  ,lulled with the   
sweet nepenthe of a ,court2  ,there1    
where no father's1 brother's1 friend's  

disgrace  ,once break their rest1 or    
stir them from their place3  ,but past  
the sense of human miseries1  ,all tears
 are wiped for ever from all eyes2  ,no 
cheek is known to blush1 no heart to    
throb1  ,save when they lose a question1
 or a job4     ,p4 ,good ,heaven forbid1
 that ,i should blast their glory1  ,who
 know how like ,whig ministers to ,tory1
  ,and1 when three sovereigns died1     
could scarce be vexed1  ,considering    
what a gracious prince was next4  ,have 
,i1 in silent wonder1 seen such things  
,as pride in slaves1 and avarice in     
kings2  ,and at a peer1 or peeress1     
shall ,i fret1  ,who starves a sister1  
or forswears a debt8  ,virtue1 ,i grant 
you1 is an empty boast2  ,but shall the 
dignity of vice be lost8  ,ye gods6     
shall ,cibber's son1 without rebuke1    
,swear like a lord1 or rich out-rake a  
duke8  ,a favourite's porter with his   
master vie1  ,be bribed as often1 and as
 often lie8  ,shall ,ward draw contracts
 with a statesman's skill8  ,or ,japhet 

pocket1 like his grace1 a will8  ,is it 
for ,bond or ,peter 7paltry things7  ,to
 pay their debts1 or keep their faith1  
like kings8  ,if ,blount despatched     
himself1 he played the man1  ,and so    
may'st thou1 illustrious ,passeran6     
,but shall a printer1 weary of his life1
  ,learn1 from their books1 to hang     
himself and wife8  ,this1 this1 my      
friend1 ,i cannot1 must not bear2  ,vice
 thus abused1 demands a nation's care2  
,this calls the ,church to deprecate our
 sin1  ,and hurls the thunder of the    
laws on gin4     ,let modest ,foster1 if
 he will1 excel  ,ten ,metropolitans in 
preaching well2  ,a simple ,quaker1 or a
 ,quaker's wife1  ,outdo ,llandaff in   
doctrine--yea in life3  ,let humble     
,allen1 with an awkward shame1  ,do good
 by stealth1 and blush to find it fame4 
,virtue may choose the high or low      
degree1  ',tis just alike to virtue1 and
 to me2  ,dwell in a monk1 or light upon
 a king1  ,she's still the same1        
beloved1 contented thing4  ,vice is     

undone1 if she forgets her birth1  ,and 
stoops from angels to the dregs of      
earth3  ,but 'tis the ,fall degrades her
 to a w999999e2  ,let greatness own her1
 and she's mean no more2  ,her birth1   
her beauty1 crowds and courts confess2  
,chaste matrons praise her1 and grave   
bishops bless2  ,in golden chains the   
willing world she draws1  ,and hers the 
,gospel is1 and hers the laws1  ,mounts 
the tribunal1 lifts her scarlet head1   
,and sees pale ,virtue carted in her    
stead4  ,lo6 at the wheels of her       
triumphal car  ,old ,england's genius1  
rough with many a scar1  ,dragged in the
 dust6 his arms hang idly round1  ,his  
flag inverted trails along the ground6  
,our youth1 all liveried o'er with      
foreign gold1  ,before her dance3 behind
 her crawl the old6  ,see thronging     
millions to the ,pagod run1  ,and offer 
country1 parent1 wife1 or son2  ,hear   
her black trumpet through the land      
proclaim  ,that not to be corrupted is  
the shame4  ,in soldier1 ,churchman1    

patriot1 man in power1  ',tis avarice   
all1 ambition is no more6  ,see1 all our
 nobles begging to be slaves6  ,see1 all
 our fools aspiring to be knaves6  ,the 
wit of cheats1 the courage of a         
w999999e1  ,are what ten thousand envy  
and adore2  ,all1 all look up1 with     
reverential awe1  ,at crimes that       
'scape1 or triumph o'er the law2  ,while
 truth1 worth1 wisdom1 daily they       
decry--  ,nothing is sacred now but     
villainy4     ,yet may this verse 7if   
such a verse remain7  ,show there was   
one who held it in disdain4             
,,dialogue ,,ii4         ,fr4 ',tis all 
a libel--,paxton 7sir7 will say4        
,p4 ,not yet1 my friend6 to-morrow      
'faith it may   ,and for that very cause
 ,i print to-day4   ,how should ,i fret 
to mangle every line1  ,in reverence to 
the sins of thirty-nine6  ,vice with    
such giant strides comes on amain1      
,invention strives to be before in vain2
  ,feign what ,i will1 and paint it e'er
 so strong1  ,some rising genius sins up

 to my song4     ,f4 ,yet none but you  
by name the guilty lash2  ,even ,guthry 
saves half ,newgate by a dash4  ,spare1 
then1 the person1 and expose the vice4  
,p4 ,how1 sir8 not damn the sharper1 but
 the dice8  ,come on1 then1 satire6     
general1 unconfined1  ,spread thy broad 
wing1 and souse on all the kind4  ,ye   
statesmen1 priests1 of one religion all6
  ,ye tradesmen vile1 in army1 court1 or
 hall1  ,ye reverend atheists--         
,f4 ,scandal6 name them6 who8     ,p4   
,why that's the thing you bid me not to 
do4  ,who starved a sister1 who forswore
 a debt1  ,i never named2 the town's    
inquiring yet4  ,the poisoning dame--   
,f4 ,you mean--           ,p4 ,i don't4 
,f4 ,you do6     ,p4 ,see1 now ,i keep  
the secret1 and not you6  ,the bribing  
statesman--              ,f4 ,hold1 too 
high you go4     ,p4 ,the bribed        
elector--              ,f4 ,there you   
stoop too low4     ,p4 ,i fain would    
please you1 if ,i knew with what2  ,tell
 me1 which knave is lawful game1 which  

not8  ,must great offenders1 once       
escaped the ,crown1  ,like royal harts1 
be never more run down8  ,admit your law
 to spare the knight requires1  ,as     
beasts of nature may we hunt the        
squires8  ,suppose ,i censure--you know 
what ,i mean--  ,to save a bishop1 may  
,i name a dean8     ,f4 ,a dean1 sir8   
no3 his fortune is not made2  ,you hurt 
a man that's rising in the trade4       
,p4 ,if not the tradesman who set up    
to-day1  ,much less the 'prentice who   
to-morrow may4  ,down1 down1 proud      
satire6 though a realm be spoiled1      
,arraign no mightier thief than wretched
 ,wild2  ,or1 if a court or country's   
made a job1  ,go drench a pickpocket1   
and join the mob4     ,but1 sir1 ,i beg 
you 7for the love of vice67  ,the       
matter's weighty1 pray consider twice2  
,have you less pity for the needy cheat1
  ,the poor and friendless villain1 than
 the great8  ,alas6 the small discredit 
of a bribe  ,scarce hurts the lawyer1   
but undoes the scribe4  ,then better1   

sure1 it charity becomes  ,to tax       
directors1 who 7thank ,god67 have plums2
  ,still better1 ministers2 or1 if the  
thing  ,may pinch even there--why lay it
 on a king4     ,f4 ,stop6 stop6        
,p4 ,must satire1 then1 nor rise nor    
fall8  ,speak out1 and bid me blame no  
rogues at all4     ,f4 ,yes1 strike that
 ,wild1 ,i'll justify the blow4     ,p4 
,strike8 why the man was hanged ten year
 ago3  ,who now that obsolete example   
fears8  ,even ,peter trembles only for  
his ears4     ,f4 ,what8 always ,peter8 
,peter thinks you mad2  ,you make men   
desperate if they once are bad3  ,else  
might he take to virtue some years      
hence--     ,p4 ,as ,s---k1 if he lives1
 will love the prince4     ,f4 ,strange 
spleen to ,s---k6              ,p4 ,do  
,i wrong the man8  ,god knows1 ,i praise
 a courtier where ,i can4  ,when ,i     
confess1 there is who feels for fame1   
,and melts to goodness1 need ,i         
,scarb'row name8  ,please let me own1 in
 ,esher's peaceful grove  7,where ,kent 

and ,nature vie for ,pelham's love71    
,the scene1 the master1 opening to my   
view1  ,i sit and dream ,i see my       
,craggs anew6     ,even in a bishop ,i  
can spy desert2  ,secker is decent1     
,rundel has a heart1  ,manners with     
candour are to ,benson given1  ,to      
,berkeley1 every virtue under ,heaven4  
,but does the ,court a worthy man       
remove8  ,that instant1 ,i declare1 he  
has my love3  ,i shun his zenith1 court 
his mild decline2  ,thus ,somers once1  
and ,halifax1 were mine4  ,oft1 in the  
clear1 still mirror of retreat1  ,i     
studied ,shrewsbury1 the wise and great3
  ,carleton's calm sense1 and           
,stanhope's noble flame1  ,compared1 and
 knew their generous end the same2  ,how
 pleasing ,atterbury's softer hour6     
,how shined the soul1 unconquered in the
 tower6  ,how can ,i ,pulteney1         
,chesterfield forget1  ,while ,roman    
spirit charms1 and attic wit3  ,argyll1 
the state's whole thunder born to wield1
  ,and shake alike the senate and the   

field3  ,or ,wyndham1 just to freedom   
and the throne1  ,the master of our     
passions1 and his own8  ,names1 which ,i
 long have loved1 nor loved in vain1    
,ranked with their friends1 not numbered
 with their train2  ,and if yet higher  
the proud list should end1  ,still let  
me say3 ,no follower1 but a friend4     
,yet think not1 friendship only prompts 
my lays2  ,i follow ,virtue3 where she  
shines1 ,i praise3  ,point she to priest
 or elder1 ,whig or ,tory1  ,or round a 
,quaker's beaver cast a glory4  ,i never
 7to my sorrow1 ,i declare7  ,dined with
 the ,man of ,ross1 or my ,lord ,mayor4 
,some in their choice of friends 7nay1  
look not grave7  ,have still a secret   
bias to a knave3  ,to find an honest man
 ,i beat about1  ,and love him1 court   
him1 praise him1 in or out4     ,f4     
,then why so few commended8             
,p4 ,not so fierce6  ,find you the      
virtue1 and ,i'll find the verse4  ,but 
random praise--the task can ne'er be    
done2  ,each mother asks it for her     

booby son1  ,each widow asks it for the 
best of men1  ,for him she weeps1 and   
him she weds again4  ,praise cannot     
stoop1 like satire1 to the ground2  ,the
 number may be hanged1 but not be       
crowned4  ,enough for half the greatest 
of these days  ,to 'scape my censure1   
not expect my praise4  ,and they not    
rich8 what more can they pretend8  ,dare
 they to hope a poet for their friend8  
,what ,richelieu wanted1 ,louis scarce  
could gain1  ,and what young ,ammon     
wished1 but wished in vain4  ,no power  
the muse's friendship can command2  ,no 
power when virtue claims it1 can        
withstand3  ,to ,cato1 ,virgil paid one 
honest line2  ,o let my country's       
friends illumine mine6  ,what are you   
thinking8     ,f4 ',faith1 the thought's
 no sin3  ,i think your friends are out1
 and would be in4     ,p4 ,if merely to 
come in1 sir1 they go out1  ,the way    
they take is strangely round about4     
,f4 ,they too may be corrupted1 you'll  
allow8     ,p4 ,i only call those knaves

 who are so now4  ,is that too little8  
,come1 then1 ,i'll comply--  ,spirit of 
,arnall6 aid me while ,i lie4  ,cobham's
 a coward1 ,polwarth is a slave1  ,and  
,littelton a dark1 designing knave1     
,st4 ,john has ever been a wealthy      
fool--  ,but let me add1 ,sir ,robert's 
mighty dull1  ,has never made a friend  
in private life1  ,and was1 besides1 a  
tyrant to his wife4     ,but pray1 when 
others praise him1 do ,i blame8  ,call  
,verres1 ,wolsey1 any odious name8  ,why
 rail they1 then1 if but a wreath of    
mine1  ,oh1 all-accomplished ,st4 ,john6
 deck thy shrine8     ,what8 shall each 
spur-galled hackney of the day1  ,when  
,paxton gives him double pots and pay1  
,or each new-pensioned sycophant1       
pretend  ,to break my windows1 if ,i    
treat a friend8  ,then wisely plead1 to 
me they meant no hurt1  ,but 'twas my   
guest at whom they threw the dirt8      
,sure1 if ,i spare the minister1 no     
rules  ,of honour bind me1 not to maul  
his tools2  ,some1 if they cannot cut1  

it may be said  ,his saws are toothless1
 and his hatchet's lead4     ,if angered
 ,turenne1 once upon a day1  ,to see a  
footman kicked that took his pay3  ,but 
when he heard the affront the fellow    
gave1  ,knew one a man of honour1 one a 
knave2  ,the prudent general turned it  
to a jest1  ,and begged1 he'd take the  
pains to kick the rest3  ,which not at  
present having time to do--     ,f4     
,hold1 sir6 for ,god's sake where's the 
affront to you8  ,against your worship  
when had ,s---k writ8  ,or ,p--ge poured
 forth the torrent of his wit8  ,or     
grant the bard whose distich all commend
  7,in power a servant1 out of power a  
friend7  ,to ,w---le guilty of some     
venial sin2  ,what's that to you who    
ne'er was out nor in8     ,the priest   
whose flattery be-dropt the ,crown1     
,how hurt he you8 he only stained the   
gown4  ,and how did1 pray1 the florid   
youth offend1  ,whose speech you took1  
and gave it to a friend8     ,p4        
',faith1 it imports not much from whom  

it came2   ,whoever borrowed1 could not 
be to blame1   ,since the whole house   
did afterwards the same4   ,let courtly 
wits to wits afford supply1  ,as hog to 
hog in huts of ,westphaly2  ,if one1    
through ,nature's bounty1 or his        
,lord's1  ,has what the frugal1 dirty   
soil affords1  ,from him the next       
receives it1 thick or thin1  ,as pure a 
mess almost as it came in2  ,the blessed
 benefit1 not there confined1  ,drops to
 the third1 who nuzzles close behind2   
,from tail to mouth1 they feed and they 
carouse3  ,the last full fairly gives it
 to the ,house4     ,f4 ,this filthy    
simile1 this beastly line1  ,quite turns
 my stomach--           ,p4 ,so does    
flattery mine2  ,and all your courtly   
civet-cats can vent1  ,perfume to you1  
to me is excrement4  ,but hear me       
further--,japhet1 'tis agreed1  ,writ   
not1 and ,chartres scarce could write or
 read1  ,in all the courts of ,pindus   
guiltless quite2  ,but pens can forge1  
my friend1 that cannot write2  ,and must

 no egg in ,japhet's face be thrown     
,because the deed he forged was not my  
own8  ,must never patriot1 then1 declaim
 at gin1  ,unless1 good man6 he has been
 fairly in8  ,no zealous pastor blame a 
failing spouse  ,without a staring      
reason on his brows8  ,and each         
blasphemer quite escape the rod         
,because the insult's not on man1 but   
,god8     ,ask you what provocation ,i  
have had8  ,the strong antipathy of good
 to bad4  ,when truth or virtue an      
affront endures1  ,the affront is mine1 
my friend1 and should be yours4  ,mine1 
as a foe professed to false pretence1   
,who think a coxcomb's honour like his  
sense2  ,mine1 as a friend to every     
worthy mind  ,and mine as man1 who feel 
for all mankind4     ,f4 ,you're        
strangely proud4           ,p4 ,so      
proud1 ,i am no slave3   ,so impudent ,i
 own myself no knave3   ,so odd1 my     
country's ruin makes me grave4   ,yes1  
,i am proud2 ,i must be proud to see    
,men not afraid of ,god afraid of me3   

,safe from the ,bar1 the ,pulpit1 and   
the ,throne1  ,yet touched and shamed by
 ridicule alone4     ,o1 sacred weapon  
left for truth's defence1  ,sole dread  
of folly1 vice1 and insolence6  ,to all 
but heaven-directed hands denied  ,the  
muse may give thee1 but the gods must   
guide3  ,reverent ,i touch thee6 but    
with honest zeal1  ,to rouse the        
watchmen of the public weal2  ,to       
virtue's work provoke the tardy hall1   
,and goad the prelate slumbering in his 
stall4  ,ye tinsel insects whom a ,court
 maintains  ,that counts your beauties  
only by your stains1  ,spin all your    
cobwebs o'er the eye of day6  ,the      
muse's wing shall brush you all away2   
,all his ,grace preaches1 all his       
,lordship sings1  ,all that makes saints
 of queens1 and gods of kings4  ,all1   
all but truth1 drops dead-born from the 
press1  ,like the last gazette or the   
last address4     ,when black ambition  
stains a public cause1  ,a monarch's    
sword when mad vain-glory draws1  ,not  

,waller's wreath can hide the nation's  
scar  ,nor ,boileau turn the feather to 
a star4     ,not so1 when diademed with 
rays divine1  ,touched with the flame   
that breaks from ,virtue's shrine1  ,her
 priestless muse forbids the good to    
die1  ,and opes the temple of ,eternity4
  ,there other trophies deck the truly  
brave1  ,than such as ,anstis casts into
 the grave2  ,far other stars than 99   
and 99 99 wear1  ,and may descend to    
,mordington from ,stair3  7,such as on  
,hough's unsullied mitre shine1  ,or    
beam1 good ,digby1 from a heart like    
thine74  ,let envy howl1 while heaven's 
whole chorus sings1  ,and bark at honour
 not conferred by kings3  ,let flattery 
sickening see the incense rise  ,sweet  
to the world1 and grateful to the skies3
  ,truth guards the poet1 sanctifies the
 line1  ,and makes immortal1 verse as   
mean as mine4     ,yes1 the last pen for
 freedom let me draw1  ,when truth      
stands trembling on the edge of law2    
,here1 last of ,britons6 let your names 

be read2  ,are none1 none living8 let me
 praise the dead1  ,and for that cause  
which made your fathers shine  ,fall by 
the votes of their degenerate line4     
,fr4  ,alas6 alas6 pray end what you    
began1  ,and write next winter more     
essays on man4