his force and splendour of colouring, his gravity and sublimity of sentiment, would have rather led him to another model. Nor was his temper less unlike that of Horace, than his talents. What Horace would only smile at, Mr. Pope would treat with the grave severity of Persius; and what Mr. Pope would strike with the caustic lightning of Juvenal, Horace would content himself by turning into ridicule. If it be asked, then, why he took any body at all to imitate, he has informed us in his Advertisement; to which we may add, that this sort of Imitations, which are of the nature of Parody, throws reflected grace and splendour on original wit. Besides, he deemed it more modest to give the name of Imitations to his Satires, than, like Despreaux, to give the name of Satires to Imitations.

IMITATED.

TO MR. FORTESCUE.

P.THERE are, (I scarce can think it, but am told)
There are to whom my Satire seems too bold;
Scarce to wise Peter complaisant enough,
And something said of Chartres much too rough.
2 The lines are weak, another's pleas'd to say;
Lord Fanny spins a thousand such a-day.
Tim'rous by nature, of the rich in awe,

31 come to council learned in the law:

You'll give me, like a friend, both sage and free,
Advice; and (as you use) without a fee.

F. 4I'd write no more.

HOR. LIB. II. SAT. I.

HORATIUS.

TREBATIUS.

5

10

H. SUNT quibus in Satira videar nimis

acer,

et ultra

Legem tendere opus: 2sine nervis altera, quidquid
Composui, pars esse putat, similesque meorum
Mille die versus deduci posse. 3Trebati,

Quid faciam, præscribe.

T. 4Quiescas.

H. Ne faciam, inquis,

P. Not write? but then I think,
And for my soul I cannot sleep a wink.
I nod in company, I wake at night,
Fools rush into my head, and so I write.

F. You could not do a worse thing for your life. 15 Why, if the nights seem tedious---take a wife; 2Or rather, truly, if your point be rest, Lettuce and cowslip wine: probatum est. But talk with Celsus, Celsus will advise

Hartshorn, or something that shall close your eyes. 20 3Or if you needs must write, write Cæsar's praise; 4You'll gain, at least, a knighthood, or the bays. P. What? like Sir 5 Richard, rumbling, rough and fierce,

With arms, and George, and Brunswick, crowd the verse,

Omnino versus ?

T. Aio.

H. Peream male, si non

Optimum erat; verum nequeo dormire.

T. 2 Ter uncti Transnanto Tiberim, somno quibus est opus alto; Irriguumve mero sub noctem corpus habento.

3 Aut, si tantus amor scribendi te rapit, aude Cæsaris invicti res dicere, 4 multa laborum

Præmia laturus.

H. Cupidum, pater optime, vires Deficiunt: 5 neque enim quivis horrentia pilis

25

Rend with tremendous sound your ears asunder,

With gun, drum, trumpet, blunderbuss, and thun

der?

Or nobly wild, with Budgel's fire and force,
Paint angels trembling round his falling horse?

F. Then all your Muse's softer art display,

I

Let Carolina smooth the tuneful lay;
Lull with Amelia's liquid name the Nine,
And sweetly flow thro' all the royal line.

30

P. 2 Alas! few verses touch their nicer ear:

They scarce can bear the Laureate twice a-year;

And justly Cæsar scorns the poet's lays :

35

It is to history he trusts for praise.

F. 3 Better be Cibber, I'll maintain it still, Than ridicule all taste, blaspheme Quadrille, Abuse the City's best good men in metre,

And laugh at peers that put their trust in Peter.

Agmina, nec fracta pereuntes cuspide Gallos,
Aut labentis equo describat vulnera Parthi.

T. Attamen et justum poteras et scribere fortem, Scipiadam ut sapiens Lucilius.

H. Haud mihi deero,
Cum res ipsa feret: 2 nisi dextro tempore, Flacci
Verba per attentam non ibunt Cæsaris aurem ;
Cui male si palpere, recalcitrat undique tutus.

T. 3 Quanto rectius hoc, quam tristi lædere versu
Pantolabum scurram, Nomentanumve nepotem ?

40

Ev'n those you touch not, hate you.

P. What should ail 'em?

F. A hundred smart in Timon and in Balaam: The fewer still you name, you wound the more; Bond is but one, but Harpax is a score.

P. 2 Each mortal has his pleasure: none deny Scarsdale his bottle, Darty his ham-pie;

45

Ridotta sips and dances, till she see

The doubling lustres dance as fast as she;

3 F--- loves the senate, Hockley-hole his brother, Like in all else, as one egg to another.

4 I love to pour out all myself as plain

50

As downright Shippen, or as old Montaigne:
In them, as certain to be lov'd as seen,

The soul stood forth, nor kept a thought within;
In me what spots (for spots I have) appear,
Will prove, at least, the medium must be clear.
In this impartial glass, my Muse intends
Fair to expose myself, my foes, my friends;

55

1 Cum sibi quisque timet, quanquam est intactus, et

odit.

H. 2 Quid faciam? saltat Milonius, ut semel

icto

Accessit fervor capiti, numerusque lucernis.

3 Castor gaudet equis; ovo prognatus eodem,
Pugnis. quot capitum vivunt, totidem studiorum
Millia. 4 me pedibus delectat claudere verba,
Lucili ritu, nostrum melioris utroque.