Spare not, good Jove, his lordship's fight, "We ne'er fhall-reft, if he can write."
Hold, hold-cries Jove, a moment ftay;
You know not, fools, for what you pray
Your malice, fhooting in the dark,
Has driv'n the arrow o'er the mark.
Deaf, dumb, and blind, ye filly folk!
Is all this rancour for a joke?
Shall I be pander to your hate,
And mortals teach to rail at fate?
To mend a little your condition,
I'll grant one third of your petition;
He shall be deaf, and you be free
From his keen, brilliant repartée,
Which, like high-temper'd, polish'd steel,
Will quicker wound than you can feel :
With fear, with weakness we comply,
But ftill what malice afks, deny:
How would APOLLO, HERMES, fwear,
Should I give ear to all your pray❜r,
And blast the man, who from his birth
Has been their fav'rite care on earth?
What, tie his tongue, and cloud his fight,
That he no more can talk than write!
I can't indulge your foolish pride,
And punish all the world befide.
ANSWER, BY LORD CHESTERFIELD.
GARRICK, I've read your Fool's Petition,
And thank you for the compofition;
Tho' few will credit all you say,
Yet, 'tis a friendly part you play ;
A part which you perform with ease,
Whate'er you act is fure to please.
But give me leave, on this occafion,
To make one little observation :
Though no good reason is affign'd,
At least not any I can find,
Why I should be deaf, dumb, or blind;
Yet fince it was resolv❜d above,
By this fame fool-obeying Jove,
I must not speak, or hear, or see,
Surely to foften the decree,
He might have left the choice to me.
Were that the cafe, I would difpenfe
With fight, and wit, and eloquence,
Still to retain my fav'rite fenfe;
For grant, my friend, we would admit
What some may doubt, that I have wit;
What are the mighty pow'rs of speech,
What useful purpose do they reach!
When vain and impotent you fee,
Ev'n down from Socrates to me,
All the bons-mots that e'er were said
To mend the heart, or clear the head;
Fools will be fools, fay what we will,
And rascals will be rascals still.
But rather I your case would be in,
Say you, than lofe the pow'r of fecing;
The face of nature you will fay
Is ever chearful, ever gay,
And beauty, parent of delight,
Muft always charm the ravish'd fight.
This choice perhaps I might commend,
But here, you have forgot, my friend,
That Nature's face, and Beauty's heav'n,
Lofe all their charms at seventy-seven ;
The brighteft fcenes repeated o'er,
As well you know, will please no more;
The prospect's darken'd o'er with age,
The drama can no more engage,
We wish, with you, to quit the stage.
In fhort, it is a point I'm clear in,
The beft of fenfes is, our hearing;
Happy who keeps it ftill, and he
Who wants muft mourn the lofs like me ;
For though I little should regret
The table's roar where fools are met,
The flatt'ring tribe who fing or fay
The lies or tattle of the day;
Still have I caufe for difcontent,
Still lofe what most I muft lament,
The converfe of a chofen few,
The luxury of hearing yoy.
SENT THE FOLLOWING LINES TO A NOBLEMAN, WHO ASKED HIM, IF HE DID NOT IN. TEND BEING IN PARLIAMENT.
MORE than content with what my laboure
Of public favour though a little vain ;
Yet not fo vain my mind, fo madly bent,
To wish to play the fool in parliament;
In each dramatic unity to err;'
Miftaking time, and place, and character;
Were it my fate to quit the mimic art,
I'd “ ftrut, and fret," no more in any part;
No more in public scenes would I engage,
Or wear the cap and mask on any stage.
may they, Wentworth, call thee young: What hear and feel! fift right from wrong,
And to a wretch be kind!
Old statesmen would reverse your plan
Sink, in the minister, the man,
And be both deaf and blind.
If thus, my lord, your heart o'erflows,
Know you, how many mighty foes
Such weakness will create you?
Regard not what Fitzherbert fays,
For tho' you gain each good man's praise,
We older folks fhall hate you.
You should have sent, the other day,
Garrick, the player, with frowns away;
Your fmiles but made him bolder;
Why would you hear his ftrange appeal
Which dar'd to make a statesman feel?
I would that you were older,
|