By innocence and refolution, THE Dean did, by his pen, defeat An infamous deftructive cheat * : To fave them from their evil fate, 465 470 475 In him was held a crime of ftate. 480 As vile and profligate a villain, As modern Scroggs, or old Treffilian t; * One Wood, a hardwareman from England, had a patent for coining copper half-pence for Ireland, to the fum of 108,0001. which in the confequence muft leave that kingdom without gold or filver. Dub. edit. See the Drapier's letters, in vol. iii. + One Whitshed was then Chief Justice. He had fome years before profecuted a printer for a pamphlet writ by the Dean, to perfuade the people of Ireland to wear their own manufactures [vol. iii. p. 3.]. Whitfhed fent the jury down eleven times, and kept them nine hours, until they were forced to bring in a special verdict. He fat as judge afterwards on the trial of the printer of the Drapier's fourth letter [vol. iii. p. 59.]: but the jury, against all he could fay or fwear, threw out the bill. All the kingdom. took the Drapier's part, except the courtiers, or those who expected places. The Drapier was celebrated in many poems and pamphlets. His fign was fet up in most of the streets of Dublin, (where many of them still continue), and in several countrytowns. Dub. edit. Scroggs was Chief Juftice under King Charles II. his judg ment always varied in state-trials, according to directions from court Who long all juftice had difcarded, In exile, with a fteady heart *, He spent his life's declining part; Where folly, pride, and faction fway, 485 Remote from St John †, Pope, and Gay, 490 495 "ALAS, poor Dean! his only scope "Was to be held a misanthrope. 500 "This into genʼral odium drew him, “Which if he lik'd, much good may't de him. "His zeal was not to lafh our crimes, "But discontent against the times: "For had we made him timely offers 305 "To raile his pft, or fill his coffers, "Perhaps he might have truckled down, Like other brethren of his gown. "For party he would scarce have bled: 510. court. Treffilian was a wicked judge, hanged above three hundred years ago. Dub. edit. * In Ireland, which he had reafon to call a place of exile; to which country nothing could have driven him, but the Queen's death, who had determined to fix him in England, in fpite of the Duchefs of Somerfet, &c. Dub. edit. Henry St John, Lord Viscount Bolingbroke. Dub. edit. ! 515 "All fcribbled in the worst of times, "To palliate his friend Oxford's crimes, "To praise Queen Anne, nay more, defend her, "Or libels yet conceal'd from fight, Against the court to fhew his fpight: "Perhaps his travels, part the third; "A he at ev'ry second word Offensive to a loyal ear: "But not one fermon, you may fwear. 520 He knew an hundred pleafing ftories, 525 Was chearful to his dying day, And friends would let him have his way. As for his works in verfe or profe, I own myself no judge of thofe. 530 Nor can I tell what critics thought 'em ; ; To please and to reform mankind: And, if he often mifs'd his aim, 535 The world muft own it, to their shame, He gave the little wealth he had To build a houfe for fools and mad; To fhew, by one fatiric touch, 'No nation wanted it fo much. That kingdom he hath left his debtor, 540 I wish it foon may have a better *. And, fince you dread no farther lashes, 545 To See above, p. 6. To the Earl of PETERBOROW, who commanded the British forces in Spain *. Written in the year 1706. MORDANTO fills the trump of fame, The Chriftian world his deeds proclaim, And prints are crouded with his name. In journeys he outrides the post, Sits up till midnight with his hoft, Talks politics, and gives the toaft. Knows ev'ry prince in Europe's face, From Paris gazette A-la-main, 10 15 Next day the postboy winds his horn, And rides thro' Dover in the morn: Mordanto's landed from Leghorn. This noble Lord had made a most confiderable figure in his day. His character was amiable and uncommon. His life was a continued series of variety. In his public and private conduct he differed from most men. He had vifited all climates, but had ftaid in none. He was a citizen of the world. He conquered and maintained armies without money. His actions and expreffions were peculiar to himself. He was of a vivacity fuperior to all fatigue, and his courage was beyond any conception of danger. He verified, in many inftances, whatever has been faid of romantic heroes. He feems to have been fixed only in his friendships and moral principles. He had a moft true regard and affection for Swift and Pope. The Dean has here described him in a very par ticular manner, but fo justly, that the four laft ftanzas will givea most perfect and complete idea of Lord Peterborow's perfon and military virtue. His wit in the letter, vol. iv. p. 204. is caly and unaffected. At the time when he wrote that letter, he had hung up his helmet and his buckler, and was retired to his ugh and his wheelbarrow, wearied of courts, and difgusted thitatefmen. Orrery. Mordanto gallops on alone, The roads are with his foll'wers ftrown, This breaks a girth, and that a bone : His body active as his mind, Returning found in limb and wind, A skeleton in outward figure, His meagre corpfe, tho' full of vigour, When you have not the leaft fufpicion, Shines in all climates like a star ; Heroic actions early bred in, Ne'er to be match'd in modern reading, The FABLE of MIDA S. Written in the year 1712. IDAS, we are in story told, *MIDAS Turn'd ev'ry thing he touch'd to gold: VOL. VI. Y * The Dean, tho' he did not much change the natural order of words, was yet very exact in his verfification. But it may be remarked, that verfes of eight fyllables are never harmonious, if the accent be placed on the first, and not repeated till the third or fourth. The first, fourth, and eight verfes are, among others, examples |