THE ART OF POLITICS, IN IMITATION OF HOR A CE'S ART OF POETRY, IF to a human face Sir James fhould draw A gelding's mane, and feathers of maccaw; A lady's bofom, and a tail of cod, Who could help laughing at a fight so odd? (a) Juft fuch a monfler, Sirs, pray think before ye, When you behold one man both Whig and Tory. (a) Humano capiti cervicem pictor equinam Not Fingentur Not more extravagant are drunkard's dreams, Than low church politics with high church schemes. Painters, you'll fay, may their own fancies use, And free-born Britons may their party chufe;' That's true, I own: but can one piece be drawn For dove and dragon, elephant and fawn? (b) Speakers profefs'd, who gravity pretend, With motely fentiments their speeches blend; Begin like patriots, and like courtiers end. Some love to roar, the conftitution's broke, And others on the nation's debts to joke; Some rail, (they hate a common wealth fo much,) Whate'er the fubject be, against the Dutch; While others, with more fashionable fury", Begin with turnpikes, and conclude with Fleury; Some, Fingentur fpecies. Pictoribus atque poetis Quidlibet audendi femper fuit æqua poteflas; Scimus, & hane veniam petimufque damusque viciffim: Sed non ut placidis coeant immitia, non ut Serpentes avibus geminentur, tigribus agni. (b) Inceptis gravibus, plerumque, & magna professis, Purpureus late qui fplendeat unus & alter Auitur pannus; cum lucus & ara Dianæ, Aut properantis aquæ per amanos ambitus agros, Aut fumen Rhenum, aut pluvius defcribitur arcus ; Sed nunc non erat his locus: & fortaffe cupreffum Some, when th' affair was Blenheim's glorious battle Declaim'd against importing Irish cattle. But from whate'er fide you take your name, you, Like Anna's motto, always be the fame. (c) Outsides deceive, 'tis hard the truth to know Parties from quaint denominations flow, As Scots and Irish antiquaries fhow. The Low are faid to take Fanatics parts, The High are bloody Papifts in their hearts. Caution and fear to highest faults have run; In pleafing both the parties, you please none. Who in the house affects declaiming airs, Whales in Change alley paints, in Fish ftreet, bears. Some metaphors, fome handkerchiefs display, These peep in hats, while those with buttons play, And make me think it repetition-day; There Scis fimulare: quid hoc, fi fractis enatat expes Navibus, are dato qui pingitur? amphora capit Inftitui, currente rota cur urceus exit ? Denque fit quidvis, fimpiex duntaxat & unum. (c) Decipimur fpecie recti; brevis effe laboro, Obfcurus fio; fectantem lævia, nervi Deficiunt animique: profeffus grandia, turget. Qui variare cupit rem prodigaliter unam, Delphinum fylvis appingit, Auctibus aprum. In vitium ducit culpa fuga, fi caret arte. Emilium circa ludum faber imus & ungnes Exprimet,& molles imitabitur ore capillos; Infelix There knights haranguing hug a neighb'ring poft, And are but Quorum orators at most. Sooner than thus my want of fenfe expofe, I'd deck out bandy-legs with gold cluck't hofe, (d) Ye weekly writers, of feditious news, Take care your fubjects artfully to chufe: Write panegyric ftrong, or boldly rail, You cannot mifs preferment,—or a jail. Wrap up your poifon well, nor fear to say What was a lie last night is truth to day; S Το Infelix operis fumma, quia ponere totum Nefciet; ego me, fi quid componere curem, Non magis effe velim, quam pravo vivere nafo Spectandum nigri oculus, nigreque capillo. (d) Sumite materiam veftris, qui fcribitis, æquam Viribus; & verfate diu, quid ferre recufent, Quid valeant humeri: cui lecta potenter erit res; Nec facundia deferet hunc, nec lucidus ordo. Ordinis hæc virtus erit & Venus, aut ego fallor, Ut jam nunc dicat, jam nunc dehentia dici : Pleraque differet, & præfens in tempus omitiat. Dixeris egregie, notum fi callida verbum Reddiderit junctura novum ; fi forte neceffe eft Judiciis *All Mr Heydegger's letters came directed to him from abroad, A Monfieur, Monfieur Heydegger, Surintendant de plaifirs d' Angleterre. Tell this, fink that, arrive at Ridpath's praise, Saving fome double meaning in reserve; In ftate affairs ufe not the vulgar phrase, Talk words scarce known in good queen Befs's days. New terms let war or traffic introduce, And try to bring perfuading fhips in ufe. Coin words in coining ne'er mind common fense, Provided the original be French. () Like fouth-fea flock, expreffions rife and fall King Edward's words are now no words at all. Did ought your predeceffor's genius cramp? Sure ev'ry reign may have its proper stamp. All fublunary things of death partake; What alteration does a cent'ry make? (e) Indiciis monftrare recentibus abdita rerum; licuit, femperque licebit, Signatum præfente nota producere nomen. Regis |