But only what my Station fits,
And to be kept in my right wits,
Preferve, Almighty Providence!
Juft what you gave me, Competence:
And let me in these fhades compose
Something in Verfe as true as Profe;
Remov'd from all th' Ambitious Scene,
Nor puff'd by Pride, nor funk by Spleen.'
In fhort, I'm perfectly content,
Let me but live on this fide Trent ;
Nor cross the Channel twice a year,
To spend fix Months with Statesmen here.
I muft by all means come to town, 'Tis for the service of the Crown. "Lewis, the Dean will be of use, "Send for him up, take no excuse.” The toil, the danger of the Seas, Great Minifters near think of thefe; Or let it coft five hundred pound, No matter where the money's found, It is but fo much more in debt, And that they ne'er confider'd yet.
"Good Mr. Dean go change your gown,
"Let my Lord know you're come to town.”
O fi urnam argenti fors quae mihi monftret! ut illi,
Thefauro invento qui mercenarius agrum
Illum ipfum mercatus aravit, dives amico
Hercule, fi, quod adeft, gratum juvat! hac prece te oro,
Pingue pecus domino facias, et caetera praeter
Ingenium; utque foles, cuftos mihi maximus adfis.
Ergo ubi me in montes et in arcem ex Urbe removi,
Quid prius illuftrem Satiris Mufaque pedestri ?
Nec mala me ambitio perdit, nec plumbeus Aufter,
Autumnufque gravis,. Libitinae quaeftus acerbae.
Matutine pater, feu Jane libentius audis,
Unde homines operum primos vitaeque labores
I hurry me in haste away,
Not thinking it is Levee-day;
And find his Honour in a Pound,
Hemm'd by a triple Circle round,
Chequer'd with Ribbons blue and green:
How should I thrust myself between ?
Some Wag obferves me thus perplex'd,
And smiling, whispers to the next,
"I thought the Dean had been too proud, "To juftle here among a croud."
Tells me I have more Zeal than Wit,
"So eager to express your love,
"You ne'er confider whom you shove,
"But rudely press before a Duke."
I own, I'm pleas'd with this rebuke,
And take it kindly meant to show
What I defire the world fhould know.
I get a whisper, and withdraw;
When twenty fools I never faw
Come with Petitions fairly penn'd,
Defiring I would stand their friend.
This, humbly offers me his Cafe-
That, begs my int'reft for a Place-
Inftituunt, (fic Dis placitum) tu carminis efto
Principium Romae sponsorem me rapis: Eia,
Ne prior officio quifquam refpondeat, urgue:
Sive Aquilo radit terras, feu bruma nivalem
Interiore diem gyro trahit, ire neceffe eft.
Poftmodo, quod mî obfit, clare certumque locuto,
Lucandum in turba, et facienda injuria tardis.
Quid tibi vis, infane? et quas res agis? improbus urguet
Iratis precibus, tu pulfes omne quod obftat,
Ad Maecenatem memori fi mente recurras.
Hoc juvat, et melli eft; ne mentiar, at fimul atras
Ventum eft Efquilias; aliena negotia centum
A hundred other Men's affairs,
Like bees, are humming in my ears.
"To-morrow my Appeal comes on,
"Without your help the Caufe is gone-
The Duke expects my Lord and you,
About fome great Affair at Two-
"Put my Lord Bolingbroke in mind,
"To get my Warrant quickly fign'd:
"Confider, 'tis my firft requeft.—
Be fatisfy'd, I'll do my beft:
Then presently he falls to teize,
"You may for certain, if you please ;
"I doubt not, if his Lordship knew-
"And, Mr. Dean, one word from you-
'Tis (let me fee) three years and more,
(O&tober next it will be four)
Since HARLEY bid me first attend,
And chofe me for an humble friend;
Would take me in his Coach to chat,
And queftion me of this and that;
As, What's o'clock ?" And, "How's the Wind?”
"Whofe Chariot's that we left behind ?”
Or gravely try to read the lines
Writ underneath the Country Signs;
Or, “Have you nothing new to-day
"From Pope, from Parnell, or from Gay?
Per caput, et circa faliunt latus. Ante fecundam
Rofcius orabat fibi adeffes ad Puteal cras.
De re communi fcribae magna atque nova te
Orabant hodie meminiffes, Quinte, reverti.
Imprimat his cura Maecenas figna tabellis.
Dixeris, Experiar: Si vis, potes, addit; et inftat
Septimus octavo propior jam fugerit annus,
Ex quo Maecenas me coepit habere fuorum
In numero: duntaxat ad hoc, quem tollere rheda
Vellot, iter faciens, et cui concredere nugas
Such tattle often entertains
My Lord and me as far as Stains,
As once a week we travel down
To Windfor, and again to Town,
Where all that paffes, inter nos,
Might be proclaim'd at Charing Crofs.
Yet fome I know with envy fwell,
Because they see me us'd so well:
"How think you of our Friend the Dean?
"I wonder what fome people mean;
"My Lord and he are grown fo great,
"Always together, tête à tête ;
"What, they admire him for his jokes-
"See but the fortune of fome folks!"
There flies about a ftrange report
Of fome exprefs arriv'd at Court;
I'm stopp'd by all the fools I meet,
And catechis'd in ev'ry street.
"You, Mr. Dean, frequent the Great;
"Inform us, will the Emp'ror treat?
"Or do the Prints and Papers lie?"
Faith, Sir, you know as much as I. "Ah Doctor, how you love to jest? "'Tis now no fecret"-I proteft
Hora quota eft? Threx eft Gallina Syro par.
Matutina parum cautos jam frigora mordent :
Et quae rimofa bene deponuntur in aure.
Per totum hoc tempus, fubje&tior in diem et horam
Invidiae nofter, ludos fpectaverit una ;
Luferit in campo: Fortunae filius, omnes.
Frigidus a Roftris manat per compita rumor :
Quicunque obvius eft, me confulit: O bone (nam te
Scire, Deos quoniam propius contingis, oportet)
Num quid de Dacis audifti? Nil equidem. Ut tu
Semper eris derifor! At omnes Di exagitent me,
Ç 2
"When are the Troops to have their pay?"
And, tho' I folemnly declare
I know no more than my Lord Mayor,
They ftand amaz'd, and think me grown
The clofeft mortal ever known.
THUS in a sea of folly tofs'd,
My choiceft Hours of life are loft;
Yet always wishing to retreat,
Oh, could I see my Country Seat!
There leaning near a gentle Brook,
Sleep, or peruse some ancient Book,
And there in sweet oblivion drown
Thofe Cares that haunt the Court and Town.
O charming Noons! and Nights divine!
Or when I fup, or when I dine,
My Friends above, my Folks below,
Chatting and laughing all-a-row,
The Beans and Bacon fet before 'em,
The Grace-cup ferv'd with all decorum :
Each willing to be pleas'd, and pleafe,
And ev❜n the very Dogs at ease!
Sira quicquam. Quid? militibus promiffa Triquetra
Praedia Caefar, an eft Itala tellure daturus?
Jurantem me fcire nihil miratur, ut unum
Scilicet egregii mortalem altique filentî.
Perditur haec inter mifero lux; non fine votis,
O rus, quando ego te afpiciam? quandoque licebit,
Nunc veterum libris, nunc fomno et inertibus horis,
Ducere folicitae jucunda oblivia vitae ?
O quando faba Pythagorae cognata, fimulque
Un&ta fatis pingui ponentur olufcula lardo?
O noctes coenaeque Deûm! quibus ipfe meique,
Ante Larem proprium vefcor, vernafque procaces
Pafco libatis dapibus: cum, ut cuique libido eft,
Siecat inaequales calices conviva, folutus
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