To the AUTHOR

OF THE

POLITE PHILOSOPHER.

Velat materna tempora myrto.

VIRG.

HEN Vice the Shelter of a Mafk difdain'd,
When Folly triumph'd, and a Nero reign'd,

Petronius rofe, fatyric, yet polite,

And shew'd the glaring Monster full in Sight;
To public Mirth expos'd th' Imperial Beast,
And made his wanton Court the common Jeft..

In your correcter Page his Wit we fee,
And all the Roman Lives reftor'd in thee;
So is the Piece proportion'd to our Times;
For ev'ry Age diverfifies its Crimes;

And Vice, with Proteus Art, in one conceals
What in the next more boldly it reveals ;
In diff'rent Shapes drives on the lashing Trade,
And makes the World one changing Masquerade.

The griping Wretch, whofe Av'rice robs the Town, To gain his Point, a holy Look puts on; To Earth directs his Hands, to Heav'n his Eyes, And, with a fhew of Grace, defrauds and lyes.

Th' ambitious Courtier, but for diff'rent Ends,
With feeming Zeal the Public Good defends.
Th' Enthusiast thinks to him the Standard giv'n
Of Truth divine, the Mafter key of Heav'n.
The Pettifogger fee'd, supports the Cause,
Howe'er unjust, and wrefts the injur'd Laws.
To Courage, Bullies; Fops to Wit pretend ;
And all can proftitute the Name of Friend.
Yet tho' Men want but Eyes to see the Cheat,
They choose to wink, and help their own Deceit.
The Herd of Fools refign themselves a Prey,
Which every Knave pursues his private Way.

The Question, Forrester, is fomething hard; How fhall the wife the motly Scene regard? While Men ourselves, can we unmov'd stand by? Pain'd while we fimile? or guiltless fhall we cry? Humanity to Grief wou'd give the Rule; But ftronger Reason fides with Ridicule.

O! that thy Work, inftructive, but refin'd, The pleafing Image of your easy Mind; (Which, like the Statues wrought by Phidian Art, Is one fair whole, complete in every Part,) May cure the lighter Follies of the Age, Cool Bigot Zeal, and foften Party Rage; Expofe Ill-nature, Pedantry o'ercome, Strike Affectation dead, and Scandal dumb; Reftore free Converse to its native Light, And teach Mankind with Eafe to grow polite.

Then

Then round thy Brow the Myrtle Garland twine, The grateful Recompence of Toils like thine: Secure in all you write or do, to please ;

Join Wit with Sense, with Understanding, Ease.
Already here your just Applauses rife,

And the Belles read you with transported Eyes.
Some in the sweetest Notes repeat thy Lays;
Others harmonious, speak the Author's Praise :
All to approve, with equal Zeal conspire ;
What more can Fortune give?—or you defire ?

As Paris, loft in paffionate Surprise,
To Love's refiftlefs Queen affign'd the Prize:
So while you Beauty treat with fuch Regard,
The lovely Theme fhall be your best Reward;
Venus fhall from the Shepherd's Debt be free;
And, by the fav'rite Fair, repay the Debt to thee.

THE

POLITE PHILOSOPHER.

M

ETHOD requires, that, in my Entrance on this Work, I should explain the Nature of that Science to which I have given the Name of POLITE PHILOSOPHY: And though I am not very apt to write methodically, yet I think it becomes me, on this Occafion, to fhew that Title is fomewhat à propos.

my

Folks who are skilled in Greek, tell us, that Philofophy means no more than the Love of Wisdom; and I, by the Adjunction of polite, would be understood to mean that Sort of Wisdom, which teaches Men to be at Peace in themfelves, and neither by their Words or Behaviour to disturb the Peace of others.

Academical Critics may, perhaps, expect that I fhould at least quote fome Greek Sage or other, as the Patron of that kind of Knowledge, which I am about to restore; and as I pique myself on obliging every Man in his Way, I fhall put them in mind of one ARISTIPPUS, who was Profeffor of Polite Philofophy at Syracufe, in the Days of the famous King Dionyfius, in whofe Favour he ftood higher than even

Plato