Ör, Conful in his Purple Gown,

Came up, and knock't the Prætor down.

COME Courtiers: Every Man his Stick: * Lord-Treasurer; for once be quick: And, that they may the clofer' cling, Take your blue Ribbin for a String. Come trimming 5 Harcourt; bring your Mace; And squeeze it in, or quit your Place: Dispatch; or else that Rafcal† Northey, Will undertake to do it for thee: And, be affurd, the Court will find him Prepar'd to leap o'er Sticks, or bind 'em.

To make the Bundle ftrong, and fafe, Great Ormonde lend thy Gen'ral's Staff: And, if the Crofter could be cramm'd in, A Fig for Lechmere, King, and Hambden.

* Robert Earl of Oxford. 9 Lord Chancellor.

Sir Ed

ward Northey, Attorney-General, brought in by the Lord Bar

court; yet very defirous of the Great Seal:

You'll then defy the ftrongest Whig,

With both his Hands to bend a Twig;

Though with united Strength they all pull,

From † Sommers down to ** Craigs and †† Walpole. tt

† Lord Sommers, who had been, at different Times, Lord Chancellor and Prefident of the Council. *** Who bath fince been Secretary of State. tt The great Minifter now in chief Power.

HORACE,

EPISTLE VII. BOOK I.

Imitated, and addreffed to the Earl of Oxford, in the Year 1713.

H

ARLEY, the Nation's great Support,

Returning home one Day from Court;

(His Mind with publick Cares poffeft,

All Europe's Bus'ness in his Breast.)

1. Strennuus & fortis, caufifque Philippus agendis

Clarus, ab officiis c&tavam circiter boram

Dum redit.

Ob

Obferv'd a Parfon near Whitehall,

Cheap'ning old Authors on a Stall.
The Prieft was pretty well in Cafe,
And fhew'd fome Humour in his Face;
Look'd with an easy, careless Mien,
A perfect Stranger to the Spleen;
Of Size that might a Pulpit fill,
But more inclining to fit ftill.

My Lord, who (if a Man may fay't)
Loves Mischief better than his Meat,
Was now difpos'd to crack a Jeft;
And bid Friend Lewis go in queft;
(This Lewis is an arrant Shaver,
And very much in HARLEY'S Favour;
In queft, who might this Parson be;
What was his Name, of what Degree:
If poffible, to learn his Story;

And whether he were Whig, or Tory?

5.

-Confpexit, ut aiunt,

Adrafum quendam vacua tonforis in umbrâ
Cultello proprios purgantem leniter ungues.
15. Demetri (puer hic non lave jula Philippi
Accipiebat) abi, quere, & refer: Unde domo, quis,
Cujus fortuna, quo fit Patre, quove Patrono?

LEWIS his Patron's Humour knows,

Away upon his Errand goes;

And quickly did the Matter fift;

Found out that this was Dr. St :
A Clergyman of Special Note,

For fhunning thofe of his own Coat;

Which made his Brethren of the Gown,

Take Care betimes to run him down.

No Libertine, nor over-nice;

Addicted to no Şort of Vice;

Went where he pleas'd, faid what he thought;

Not rich; but ow'd no Man a Groat.

25

3.9

23, 25. It, redit, & narrat, Volteium nomine Manam.

31.

Tenui cenfu, fine crimine notum,

Et properare loco, & ceffare, & quærere, & uti,

Gaudentem.

And fince he could not spend his Fire,
He now intended to retire.

SAID Harley, I defire to know
From his own Mouth, if this be fo:

Step to the Doctor ftraight, and say,
I'd have him dine with me To-day.

45

50

S- -t feem'd to wonder what he meant,
Nor would believe my Lord had fent;

So never offer'd once to stir;

But coldly faid, Your Servant, Sir.

Does he refuse me? HARLEY cry'd,

55

He does, with Infolence and Pride.

SOME few Days after, HARLEY fpies
The Doctor faften'd by the Eyes
At Charing Cross, among the Rout,
Where painted Monsters dangle out.

47. Scitari libet ex ipfo quodcunque refers. Dic Ad cœnam veniat. Non fane creders Mæna; Mirari fecum tacitus.

54. Benigne, Refpondet.

55. Negat ille mihi?

56. Negat improbus, & te

Negligit, aut horret.

57.

Volteium mane Philippus,

Vilia vendentem tunicato fcruta popello,

Occupat, & falvere jubet prior.

бо

He