In fhort, no Scythian, Moor, or Thracian born,
But 16 in that Town which Arms and Arts adorn,
Shall he be plac'd above me at the Board,
In Purple cloath'd, and lolling like a Lord?
Shall he before me fign, whom t'other Day
A fmall-craft Veffel hither did convey:

Where flow'd with Prunes, and retten Figs, he lay?
How little is the Privilege become

Of being born a Citizen of Rome!
The Greeks get all by fulsom Flatteries;
A most peculiar Stroke they have at Lies.
They make a Wit of their infipid Friend;
His Blobber-lips and Beetle-brows commend:
His long Crane-Neck, and narrow Shoulders praises
You'd think they were defcribing Hercules.

A creaking Voice for a clear Treble goes;
Tho' harfher than a Cock that Treads and Crows.
We can as grofly Praife; but to our Grief,
No Flatt'ry but from Grecians gains Belief.
Befides thefe Qualities, we must agree
They Mimick better on the Stage than we:
The Wife, the Whore, the Shepherdefs they Play,
In fuch a Free, and fuch a Graceful way,
That we believe a very Woman shown,
And fancy fomething underneath the Gown.
But not 17 Antiochus, nor Stratocles,
Our Ears and ravish'd Eyes can only please:
The Nation is compos'd of fuch as these.
All Greece is one Comedian: Laugh, and they..
Return it louder than an Afs can bray :

}

16 But in that Town, &e. 17 Antiochus and Stratocles,

He means Athens; of which, Pallas the Goddefs of Arms and Axte was Patronefs.

two famous Grecian Mimicks, orActors, in the Poet's time.

Grieve,

Grieve, and they Grieve; if you Weep filently,
There seems a filent Echo in their Eye:
They cannot Mourn like you, but they can Cry.
Call for a Fire, their Winter Cloaths they take:
Begin but you to fhiver, and they shake:

In Froft and Snow, if you complain of Heat,
They rub th'unfweating Brow, and swear they sweat.
We live not on the Square with such as these.
Such are our Betters who can better please:
Who Day and Night are like a Looking-Glafs;
Still ready to reflect their Patron's Face.
The Panegyrick Hand, and lifted Eye,
Prepar❜d for fome new Piece of Flattery.
Ev'n Naftiness Occafions will afford;
They praise a belching, or well-piffing Lord.
Befides, there's nothing Sacred, nothing free
From bold Attempts of their rank Letchery.
Thro' the whole Family their Labours run;
The Daughter is debauch'd, the Wife is won;
Nor 'scapes the Bridegroom, or the blooming Son.
If none they find for their lewd Purpose fit,
They with the Walls and very Floors commit.
They fearch the Secrets of the House, and fo
Are worshipp'd there, and fear'd for what they know.
And, now we talk of Grecians, cast a view
On what, in Schools, their Men of Morals do;
A rigid 18 Stoick his own Pupil flew :
A Friend, againft a Friend of his own Cloth
Turn'd Evidence, and murther'd on his Oath.
What Room is left for Romans in a Town

}

Where Grecians Rule, and Cloaks controul the Gown? Some 19 Diphilus, or fome Protogenes,

Look sharply out, our Senators to feize:

18 A Rigid Stoick, &c. Pu- 19 Diphilus, and Protogenes, blius Ignatius, a Stoick, falfly &c. were Grecians living in accus'd Bareas Sorenus, as Ta-Rome.

citus tells us.

C 3

Engrofs

In fhort, no Scythian, Moor, or Thracian born,
But 16 in that Town which Arms and Arts adorn,
Shall he be plac'd above me at the Board,
In Purple cloath'd, and lolling like a Lord?
Shall he before me fign, whom t'other Day
A fmall-craft Veffel hither did convey:

Where flow'd with Prunes, and retten Figs, he lay?
How little is the Privilege become

Of being born a Citizen of Rome!
The Greeks get all by fulfom Flatteries;
A most peculiar Stroke they have at Lies.
They make a Wit of their infipid Friend;
His Blobber-lips and Beetle-brows commend:
His long Crane-Neck, and narrow Shoulders praise;
You'd think they were defcribing Hercules.

A creaking Voice for a clear Treble goes;
Tho' harfher than a Cock that Treads and Crows.
We can as grofly Praise; but to our Grief,
No Flatt'ry but from Grecians gains Belief.
Befides thefe Qualities, we must agree
They Mimick better on the Stage than we:
The Wife, the Whore, the Shepherdess they Play,
In fuch a Free, and fuch a Graceful way,
That we believe a very Woman shown,
And fancy fomething underneath the Gown.
But not 17 Antiochus, nor Stratocles,
Our Ears and ravish'd Eyes can only please:
The Nation is compos'd of fuch as these.
All Greece is one Comedian: Laugh, and they.
Return it louder than an Afs can bray:

1

}

}

16 But in that Town, &e. 17 Antiochus and Stratocles,

He means Athens of which, Pallas the Goddess of Arms and Arts was Patronefs.

two famous Grecian Mimicks, orActors, in the Poet's time.

Grieve,

Grieve, and they Grieve; if you Weep filently,
There feems a filent Echo in their Eye:
They cannot Mourn like you, but they can Cry.
Call for a Fire, their Winter Cloaths they take:
Begin but you to fhiver, and they shake:

In Froft and Snow, if you complain of Heat,
They rub th'unfweating Brow, and swear they sweat.
We live not on the Square with such as these.
Such are our Betters who can better please:
Who Day and Night are like a Looking-Glafs;
Still ready to reflect their Patron's Face.
The Panegyrick Hand, and lifted Eye,
Prepar'd for fome new Piece of Flattery.
Ev'n Naftiness Occafions will afford;
They praise a belching, or well-piffing Lord.
Befides, there's nothing Sacred, nothing free
From bold Attempts of their rank Letchery.
Thro' the whole Family their Labours run;
The Daughter is debauch'd, the Wife is won;
Nor 'scapes the Bridegroom, or the blooming Son.
If none they find for their lewd Purpose fit,
They with the Walls and very Floors commit.
They fearch the Secrets of the House, and fo
Are worshipp'd there, and fear'd for what they know..
And, now we talk of Grecians, cast a view
On what, in Schools, their Men of Morals do;
A rigid 18 Stoick his own Pupil slew:
A Friend, against a Friend of his own Cloth
Turn'd Evidence, and murther'd on his Oath.
What Room is left for Romans in a Town

}

Where Grecians Rule, and Cloaks controul the Gown? Some 19 Diphilus, or fome Protogenes,

Look sharply out, our Senators to feize:

18 A Rigid Stoick, &c. Pu- 19 Diphilus, and Protogenes, blius Ignatius, a Stoick, falfly &c. were Grecians living in accus'd Bareas Sorenus, as Ta-Rome.

citus tells us.

C 3

Engrofs

Engrofs 'em wholly, by their native Art,
And fear'd no Rivals in their Bubbles Heart:
One Drop of Poison in my Patron's Ear,
One flight Suggeftion of a fenfelefs Fear,
Infus'd with Cunning, ferves to ruin me:
Difgrac'd and banish'd from the Family,
In vain forgotten Services I boaft;

My long Dependance in an Hour is left.
Look round the World, what Country will appear,
Where Friends are left with greater Ease than here?
At Rome (nor think me partial to the Poor)
All Offices of ours are out of Door:

In vain we rise, and to the Levees run;
My Lord himself is up, before, and gone:
The Prætor bids his Lictors mend their pace,
Left his Colleague out-ftrip him in the Race:
The Childish Matrons are, long fince, awake;
And, for Affronts, the tardy Vifits take.

'Tis frequent, here, to see a free-born: Son
On the left-hand of a rich Hireling run :
Because the wealthy Rogue can throw away,
For half a Brace of Bouts, a Tribune's Pay:
But
you, poor Sinner, tho' you love the Vice,
And like the Whore, demurr upon the Price;
And, fsighted with the wicked Sum, forbear
To lend a Hand, and help her from the Chair.
Produce a Witness of unblemish'd Life,
Holy as Numa, or as Numa's Wife,

Or

him who bid th' unhallow'd Flames retire, And snatch'd the trembling Goddess from the Fire: The Question is not put how far extends

His Piety, but what he yearly spends:

20 Or him who bid, &c. Lucius Metellus the High-Prieft; who when the Temple of Vefta

was on Fire, fav'd the Palladium.