With fatal heat impetuous courage glows,
With fatal sweetness elocution flows,
Impeachment ftops the fpeaker's pow'rful breath,
And restless fire precipitates on death.

† But fcarce obferv'd the knowing and the bold,
Fall in the gen'ral maffacre of gold;
Wide-wafting peft! that rages unconfin'd,

And crowds with crimes the records of mankind;
For gold his fword the hireling ruffian draws,
For gold the hireling judge diftorts the laws;
Wealth heap'd on wealth, nor truth nor fafety buys,
The dangers gather as the treasures rife.

Let hift'ry tell where rival kings command,
And dubious title thakes the madded land,
When ftatutes glean the refuse of the fword,
How much more fafe the vaffal than the lord;
Low fculks the hind beneath the rage of pow'r,
And leaves the wealthy traytor in the Tow'r.
Untouch'd his cottage, and his flumbers found,
Tho' confifcation's vultures hover round.

The needy traveller, ferene and gay,

Walks the wild heath, and fings his toil away.
Does envy feize thee! crush th' upbraiding joy,
Increase his riches and his peace destroy,

New fears in dire viciffitude invade,

The ruftling brake alarms, and quiv'ring fhade,

+ Ver. 12

22.

Nor

Nor light nor darkness bring his pain relief,
One fhews the plunder, and one hides the thief.
Yet ftill one gen'ral cry the fkies affails,

And gain and grandeur load the tainted gales;
Few know the toiling statesman's fear or care,
Th' infidious rival and the gaping heir.

Once more, Democritus, arife on earth,
With cheerful wisdom and instructive mirth,
See motley life in modern trappings dress'd,
And feed with varied fools th' eternal jeft:
Thou who couldft laugh where want enchain'd caprice,
Toil crush'd conceit, and man was of a piece;
Where wealth unlov'd without a mourner dy'd ;
And scarce a fycophant was fed by pride;

Where ne'er was known the form of mock debate,
Or feen a new-made mayor's unwieldy state;
Where change of fav'rites made no change of laws,
And fenates heard before they judg'd a cause ;
How wouldft thou shake at Britain's modifh tribe,
Dart the quick taunt, and edge the piercing gibe?
Attentive truth and nature to decry,
And pierce each scene with philofophic eye.
To thee were folemn toys or empty show,

The robes of pleasure and the veils of woe :
All aid the farce, and all thy mirth maintain,
Whose joys are caufelefs, or whofe griefs are vain,

Ver. 23-27. § Ver. 28 55.

Such

Such was the fcorn that fill'd the fage's mind,
Renew'd at ev'ry glance on human kind;
How juft that fcorn ere yet thy voice declare,
Search every state, and canvafs ev'ry pray'r.

* Unnumber'd fuppliants croud Preferment's gate,
Athirst for wealth, and burning to be great;
Delufive Fortune hears th' inceffant call,
They mount, they shine, evaporate, and fall.
On ev'ry stage the foes of peace attend,
Hate dogs their flight, and infult mocks their end.
Love ends with hope, the finking statesman's door
Pours in the morning worshipper no more;
For growing names the weekly fcribbler lies,
To growing wealth the dedicator flies;
From ev'ry room defcends the painted face,
That hung the bright Palladium of the place,
And fmoak'd in kitchens, or in auctions fold,
To better features yields the frame of gold;
For now no more we trace in ev'ry line
Heroic worth, benevolence divine :
The form diftorted juftifies the fall,
And deteftation rids th' indignant wall.

But will not Britain hear the last appeal,
Sign her foes doom, or guard her fav'rites zeal?
Thro' Freedoin's fons no more remonftrance rings,
Degrading nobles and controuling kings;

Ver. 56

107. с

Our

Our fupple tribes reprefs their patriot throats,
And afk no queftions but the price of votes;
With weekly libels and feptennial ale,
Their with is full to riot and to rail.

In full-blown dignity, fee Wolfey ftand,
Law in his voice, and fortune in his hand :
To him the church, the realm, their pow'rs confign,
Thro' him the rays of regal bounty shine,

Still to new heights his reftlefs wishes tow'r,
Claim leads to claim, and pow'r advances pow'r ;
Till conqueft unrefifted ceas'd to please,

And rights fubmitted, left him none to feize.
At length his fov'reign frowns - the train of ftate
Mark the keen glance, and watch the fign to hate.
Where-e'er he turns he meets a stranger's eye,
His fuppliants fcorn him, and his followers fly;
At once is loft the pride of awful ftate,'
The golden canopy, the glitt'ring plate,
The regal palace, the luxurious board,
The liv'ried army, and the menial lord.
With age, with cares, with maladies oppress'd,
He feeks the refuge of monaftic reft.
Grief aids difeafe, remember'd folly ftings,

And his laft fighs reproach the faith of kings.

Speak thou, whofe thoughts at humble peace repine,

Shall Wolfey's wealth, with Wolfey's end be thine?

Or liv'st thou now, with fafer pride content,
The wifeft juftice on the banks of Trent?

For

For why did Wolfey near the fteeps of fate,
On weak foundations raife th' enormous weight?
Why but to fink beneath misfortune's blow,
With louder ruin to the gulphs below?

What gave great Villiers to th' affaffin's knife,
And fix'd difeafe on Harley's closing life?
What murder'd Wentworth, and what exil'd Hyde,
By kings protected, and to kings ally'd?
What but their wifh indulg'd in courts to shine,
And pow'r too great to keep, or to refign?

When first the college rolls receive his name,
The young enthufiaft quits his eafe for fame ;
Through all his veins the fever of renown
Spreads from the ftrong contagion of the gown ;.
O'er Bodley's dome his future labours. fpread,
And § Bacon's manfion trembles o'er his head.
Are these thy; views? proceed, illuftrious youth,
And virtue, guard thee to the throne of Truth!
Yet fhould thy foul indulge the gen'rous heat,
Till captive Science yields her laft retreat;.
Should Reafon guide thee with her brightest ray,
And pour on mifty Doubt,refiftless day;

Should no falfe Kindness-lure to loofe delight,
Nor Praise relax, nor Difficulty fright;

+ Ver. 108

113.

Ver. 114:

134.

§ There is a tradition, that the study of Friar Bacon, built on an arch over the bridge, will fall, when a man greater than

Bacon fhall pass under it.

C 2

Should