In artlefs numbers paint th' ambitious Peer

That mounts the box, and fhines a Charioteer:

In ftrains familiar fing the midnight toil

285

Of Camps and Senates difciplin'd by Hayle;
Patriots and Chiefs, whose deep design invades
And carries off the captive King-of Spades!
Let SATIRE here in milder vigour shine,

And gayly graceful sport along the line;
Bid courtly fashion quit her thin pretence,
And fmile each Affectation into fenfe.

290

Not fo when Virtue by her Guards betray'd, Spurn'd from her Throne, implores the Mufe's aid: When crimes, which erft in kindred darkness lay, Rise frontless, and infult the eye of day;

296

Indignant Hymen veils his hallow'd fires,
And white-rob'd Chastity with tears retires;
When rank Adultery on the genial bed

Hot from Cocytus rears her baleful head:

300

When private Faith and public Trust are fold,
And Traitors barter Liberty for Gold:
When fell Corruption dark and deep, like fate,
Saps the foundation of a sinking State:

When Giant-Vice and Irreligion rife,

395

On mountain'd falsehoods to invade the skies: Then warmer numbers glow thro' SATIRE's page, And all her smiles are darken'd into rage:

On eagle-wing the gains Parnaffus' height,

Not lofty EPIC foars a nobler flight:

310

Then keener indignation fires her eye;

Then flash her lightnings, and her thunders fly;

Wide

Wide and more wide her flaming bolts are hurl'd,

Till all her wrath involves the guilty World.

tongue flow

315

320

Yet SATIRE oft affumes a gentler mien,
And beams on Virtue's friends a fmile ferene:
She wounds reluctant; pours her balm with joy;
Glad to commend where Worth attracts her eye,
But chief, when Virtue, Learning, Arts decline,
She joys to fee unconquer'd merit shine;
Where bursting glorious, with departing ray,
True Genius gilds the close of Britain's day:
With joy fhe fees the stream of Roman art
From MURRAY'S
purer to the heart:
Sees YORKE to Fame, ere yet to Manhood known,
And just to ev'ry Virtue but his own:
326
Hears unftain'd CAM with gen'rous pride proclaim
A SAGE'S, CRITIC's, and a POET's name:
Behold, where WIDCOMBE'S happy hills afcend,
Each orphan'd Art and Virtue find a friend:
TO HAGLEY'S honour'd Shade directs her view;
And culls each flow'r, to form a Wreath for You.
But tread with cautious step this dangerous ground,
Befet with faithlefs precipices round:

Truth be your guide: disdain Ambition's call;
And if you fall with Truth, you greatly fall.

330

334

And all your wit, your moft diftinguish'd art,

But makes us grieve you want an honest heart.
Nor think the Mufe by SATIRE's Law confin'd: 345
She yields description of the noblest kind.
Inferior art the Landscape may design,

And paint the purple ev'ning in the line:
Her daring thought effays a higher plan;
Her hand delineates Paffion, pictures Man.
And great the toil, the latent foul to trace,
To paint the heart, and catch internal grace;
By turns bid Vice or Virtue strike our eyes,
Now bid a Wolfey, or a Cromwell rife;

350

Now with a touch more facred and refin❜d,

355

Call forth a CHESTERFIELD's or LONSDALE's mind.

Here fweet or ftrong may ev'ry Colour flow:

Here let the pencil warm, the canvass glow:

Of light and fhade provoke the noble ftrife,
And wake each striking feature into life,

360

PART

PART III.

ΤΗ

'HROUGH Ages thus has SATIRE keenly fhin'd, The Friend to Truth, to Virtue, and Mankind: Yet the bright flame from Virtue ne'er had fprung, And Man was guilty ere the Poet fung.

This Mufe in filence joy'd each better Age,

365

Till glowing crimes had wak'd her into rage.

Truth faw her honeft fpleen with new delight,
And bade her wing her fhafts, and urge their flight.
First on the Sons of Greece the prov'd her art,

And Sparta felt the fierce IAMBIC dart *.
TO LATIUM next, avenging SATIRE flew:
The flaming faulchion rough LUCILIUS † drew;
With dauntless warmth in Virtue's caufe engag'd,
And conscious Villains trembled as he rag❜d.

370

Then sportive HORACE ‡ caught the gen'rous fire; For SATIRE's bow refign'd the founding lyre: 376

NOTES.

* "Archilochum proprio rabies armavit Iambo."
+ "Enfe velut ftricto quoties Lucilius ardens
"Infremuit, rubet auditor cui frigida mens eft
"Criminibus, tacita fudant præcordia culpa."

I "Omne vafer vitium ridenti Flaccus amico
"Tangit, et admiffus circum præcordia ludit,
"Callidus excuffo populum fufpendere naso.”

Each

HOR.

Juv. S. i,

PERS. S. i.

Each arrow polish'd in his hand was feen,

And, as it grew more polifh'd, grew more keen.
His art, conceal'd in ftudy'd negligence,

Politely fly, cajol'd the foes of fense:

380

He feem'd to sport and trifle with the dart,

But while he sported, drove it to the heart.

385

390

In graver strains majestic PERSIUS wrote, Big with a ripe exuberance of thought: Greatly fedate, contemn'd a Tyrant's reign, And lafh'd Corruption with a calm difdain. More ardent eloquence, and boundless rage, Inflame bold JUVENAL'S exalted page, His mighty numbers aw'd corrupted Rome, And fwept audacious Greatness to its doom; The headlong torrent thund'ring from on high, Rent the proud rock that lately brav'd the fky. But lo! the fatal Victor of Mankind! Swoln Luxury!-pale Ruin ftalks behind! As countless Infects from the north-east pour, To blast the Spring, and ravage ev'ry flow'r : So barb❜rous Millions fpread contagious death: The fick'ning Laurel wither'd at their breath. Deep Superftition's night the skies o'erhung, Beneath whofe baleful dews the Poppy fprung. 400 No longer Genius woo'd the Nine to love, But Dulness nodded in the Mufe's grove: Wit, Spirit, Freedom, were the fole offence, Nor aught was held fo dangerous as Senfe.

395

At