110
Epistles.
And the rash fool who scorn'd the beaten road
Dares quake at thunder and confess his God.
The brainless stripling who expell'd the Town
Damn'd the stiff college and pedantick gown,
Aw'd by thy name is dumb, and thrice a-week 25
Spells uncouth Latin and pretends to Greek.
A saunt'ring tribe! such born to wide estates
With Yea and No in senates hold debates;
At length despis'd each to his fields retires,
First with the dogs, and king amidst the squires; 30
From pert to stupid sinks supinely down,
In youth a coxcomb and in age a clown.
Such readers scorn'd, thou wingst thy daring flight
Above the stars and treadst the fields of light:
Fame heav'n and hell are thy exalted theme, 35
And visions such as Jove himself might dream;
Man sunk to slavery tho' to glory born,
Heav'n's pride when upright, and deprav'd his scorn.
Such hints alone could British Virgil lend,
And thou alone deserve from such a friend: 40
A debt so borrow'd is illustrious shame,
And fame when shar'd with him is double fame.
So flush'd with sweets by Beauty's queen bestow'd
With more than mortal charms Æneas glow'd;
Such gen'rous strifes Eugene and Marlb'rough try,
And as in glory so in friendship vie. 46
Permit these Lines by thee to live—nor blame
A Muse that pants and languishes for fame,
Dares quake at thunder and confess his God.
The brainless stripling who expell'd the Town
Damn'd the stiff college and pedantick gown,
Aw'd by thy name is dumb, and thrice a-week 25
Spells uncouth Latin and pretends to Greek.
A saunt'ring tribe! such born to wide estates
With Yea and No in senates hold debates;
At length despis'd each to his fields retires,
First with the dogs, and king amidst the squires; 30
From pert to stupid sinks supinely down,
In youth a coxcomb and in age a clown.
Such readers scorn'd, thou wingst thy daring flight
Above the stars and treadst the fields of light:
Fame heav'n and hell are thy exalted theme, 35
And visions such as Jove himself might dream;
Man sunk to slavery tho' to glory born,
Heav'n's pride when upright, and deprav'd his scorn.
Such hints alone could British Virgil lend,
And thou alone deserve from such a friend: 40
A debt so borrow'd is illustrious shame,
And fame when shar'd with him is double fame.
So flush'd with sweets by Beauty's queen bestow'd
With more than mortal charms Æneas glow'd;
Such gen'rous strifes Eugene and Marlb'rough try,
And as in glory so in friendship vie. 46
Permit these Lines by thee to live—nor blame
A Muse that pants and languishes for fame,
