Hifs'd from the stage, or hooted from the court,
Their air, their drefs, their politicks, import;
15 Obfequious, artful, voluble, and gay,
On Britain's fond credulity they prey.

No gainful trade their induftry can 'fcape,

16

15 They fing, they dance, clean fhoes, or cure a clap: All sciences a fafting Monfieur knows,

And, bid him go to hell, to hell he goes.

17 Ah! what avails it, that, from flav'ry far,
I drew the breath of life in English air ;
Was early taught a Briton's right to prize,
And lifp the tale of HENRY's victories;
If the gull'd conqueror receives the chain,
And flattery prevails when arms are vain ?

18 Studious to please, and ready to fubmit,
The fupple Gaul was born a parasite :
Still to his int'reft true, where'er he goes,
Wit, brav'ry, worth, his lavish tongue beftows;
In ev'ry face a thousand graces shine,

From ev'ry tongue flows harmony divine.
19 These arts in vain our rugged natives try,
Strain out with fault'ring diffidence a lie,
And get a kick for aukward flattery.

15 Ingenium velox, audacia perdita, fermo

Fromptus.

16 Augur, fchænobates, medicus, magus: omnia novit, Græculus efuriens, in cœlum, jufferis, ibit.

17 Ufque adeo nihil eft, quod noftra infantia cœlum Haufit Aventini?

4 Quid? quod adulandi gens prudentiffima, laudat Sermonem indocti faciem deformis amici ?

19 Hæc eadem licet & nobis laudare: fed illis Creditur.

Befides,

Befides, with juftice, this difcerning age
Admires their wond'rous talents for the stage:
20 Well may they venture on the mimick's art,
Who play from morn to night a borrow'd part;
Practis'd their mafter's notions to embrace,
Repeat his maxims, and reflect his face;
With ev'ry wild abfurdity comply,

And view each object with another's eye;
To shake with laughter ere the jeft they hear,
To pour at will the counterfeited tear;

And, as their patron hints the cold or heat,
To shake in dog-days, in December sweat.
"How, when competitors like thefe contend,
Can furly virtue hope to fix a friend?
Slaves that with ferious impudence beguile,
And lie without a blush, without a smile;
Exalt each trifle, ev'ry vice adore,

Your taste in fnuff, your judgement in a whore;
Can Balbo's eloquence applaud, and fwear
He gropes his breeches with a monarch's air.

For arts like thefe preferr'd, admir'd, carefs'd, They first invade your table, then your breast; Explore your fecrets with infidious art,

22

Watch the weak hour, and ranfack all the heart; Then foon your ill-plac'd confidence repay, Commence your lords, and govern or betray.

20 Natio comoda eft. Rides? majore cachinno

Concutitur, &c.

21 Non fumus ergo pares: melior, qui femper & omni Nocte dieque poteft alienum fumere vultum,

A facie jactare manus: laudare paratus,

Si bene ructavit, fi rectum minxit amicus.

22 Scire volunt fecreta domus, atque inde timeri.

By

23 By numbers here from fhame or cenfure free,

All crimes are fafe but hated poverty.

This, only this, the rigid law pursues,

This, only this, provokes the fnarling Mufe.
The fober trader at a tatter'd cloak

Wakes from his dream, and labours for a joké;
With brifker air the filken courtiers gaze,
And turn the varied taunt a thousand ways.
24 Of all the griefs that harafs the diftrefs'd,
Sure a moft bitter is a fcornful jeft;

Fate never wounds more deep the gen'rous heart,
Than when a blockhead's infult points the dart.
25 Has Heaven referv'd, in pity to the poor,
No pathless wafte, or undifcover'd fhore?
No fecret ifland in the boundless main ?
No peaceful defert yet unclaim'd * by SPAIN ?
Quick let us rife, the happy feats explore,
And bear Oppreffion's infolence no more.
This mournful truth is ev'ry where confefs'd,

26 SLOW RISES WORTH, BY POVERTY DEPRESS'D:/

23

Materiam præbet caufafque jocorum

Omnibus hic idem? fi fœda & fciffa lacerna, &c.

24 Nil habet infelix paupertas durius in fe,

Quam quod ridiculos homines facit.

Debuerant olim tenues migraffe Quirites.

26 Haud facile emergunt, qnorum virtutibus obftat Res angufta domi, fed Romæ durior illis

Conatus.

Omnia Romæ

Cum pretio.

Cogimur, & cultis augere peculia fervis.

*The Spaniards at this time were faid to make claim to fome of our American provinces.

But

But here more flow, where all are flaves to gold,
Where looks are merchandise, and fmiles are fold;
Where won by bribes, by flatteries implor'd,
The groom retails the favours of his lord.

But hark! th' affrighted crowd's tumultuous cries
Roll through the streets, and thunder to the fkies:
Rais'd from fome pleafing dream of wealth and pow'r,
Some pompous palace, or fome blifsful bow'r,
Aghaft you start, and fcarce with aching fight
Suftain th' approaching fire's tremendous light;
Swift from pursuing horrors take your way,
And leave your little ALL to flames a prey;
27 Then thro' the world a wretched vagrant roam,
For where can ftarving merit find a home?
In vain your mournful narrative disclose,
While all neglect, and moft infult your woes.
25 Should Heav'n's juft bolts Orgilio's wealth con-
found,

And spread his flaming palace on the ground,
Swift o'er the land the difmal rumour flies,
And public mournings pacify the fkies;
The laureat tribe in venal verse relate,
How virtue wars with perfecuting fate;

29 With well-feign'd gratitude the penfion'd band Refund the plunder of the beggar'd land.

Ærumnæ cumulus, quod nudum, & fruftra rogantem
Nemo cibo, nemo hofpitio, tectoque juvabit.

28 Si magna Afturici cecidit domus, horrida mater, Pullati proceres.

29

Jam accurrit, qui marmora donet,

Conferat impenfas: hic, &c.

Hic modium argenti.

See!

See! while he builds, the gaudy vaffals come,
And crowd with fudden wealth the rifing dome;
The price of boroughs and of fouls restore;
And raise his treasures higher than before:
Now blefs'd with all the baubles of the great,
The polish'd marble and the fhining plate,
30 Orgilio fees the golden pile aspire,

And hopes from angry Heav'n another fire.

31 Could'st thou refign the park and play content,
For the fair banks of Severn or of Trent;
There might'st thou find fome elegant retreat,
Some hireling fenator's deferted feat;

And stretch thy profpects o'er the fmiling land,
For lefs than rent the dungeons of the Strand;
There prune thy walks, fupport thy drooping flowers,
Direct thy rivulets, and twine thy bowers;
And, while thy grounds a cheap repast afford,
Defpife the dainties of a venal lord:

There ev'ry bush with Nature's mufick rings,
There ev'ry breeze bears health upon its wings;
On all thy hours fecurity fhall fmile,

And bless thine evening walk and morning toil.

32

Meliora, ac plura reponit

Perficus orborum lautiffimus.

31 Si potes avelli Circenfibus, optima Soræ, Aut Fabrateriæ domus, aut Fufinone paratur, Quanti nunc tenebras unum conducis in annum. Hortulus hic.

Vive bidentis amans & culti villicus horti,

Unde epulum poffis centum dare Pythagorais.

Prepare