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Th' infulted Sea with humbler Thoughts he gains,
A fingle Skiff to speed his Flight remains;
Th' incumber'd Oar fcarce leaves the dreaded Coaft
Through purple Billows and a floating Hoft.
The bold Bavarian, in a luckless Hour,
Tries the dread Summits of Cefarean Pow'r,
With unexpected Legions burfts away,

And fees defenceless Realms receive his Sway;
Short Sway! fair Auftria spreads her mournful
Charms,

The Queen, the Beauty, fets the World in Arms;
From Hill to Hill the Beacons roufing blaze,
Spreads wide the Hope of Plunder and of Praife:
The fierce Croatian, and the wild Huffar,
And all the Sons of Ravage crowd the War;
The baffled Prince in Honour's flatt'ring Bloom
Of hafty Greatness finds the fatal Doom,
His Foes Derifion, and his Subjects blame,
And steals to Death from Anguish and from Shame.
Enlarge (m) my Life with Multitude of Days,
In Health, and Sickness, thus the Suppliant prays;
Hides from himself his State, and fhuns to know,
That Life protracted, is protracted Woe.
Time hovers o'er, impatient to destroy,
And shuts up all the Paffages of Joy:

In vain their Gifts the bounteous Seafons pour,
The Fruit autumnal, and the vernal Flow'r,
With liftless Eyes the Dotard views the Store,
He views, and wonders that they please no more;
Now pall the tastelefs Meats, and joyless Wines,
And Luxury with Sighs her Slave refigns.
Approach, ye Minstrels, try the foothing Strain,
And yield the tuneful Lenitives of Pain:
No Sounds, alas, would touch th' impervious Ear,
Tho' dancing Mountains witness Orpheus near,

(1) Ver. 188-288.

Nor

Nor Lute nor Lyre his feeble Pow'r attend,
Nor fweeter Mufick of a virtuous Friend,
But everlasting Dictates crowd his Tongue,
Perversely grave, or pofitively wrong.

The ftill returning Tale, and ling'ring Jeft,
Perplex the fawning Niece and pamper'd Gueft,
While growing Hopes fcarce awe the gath 'ring Sneer,
And fcarce a Legacy can bribe to hear;

The watchful Guests ftill hint the laft Offence,
The Daughter's Petulance, the Son's Expence,
Improve his heady Rage with treach'rous Skill,
And mould his Paffions till they make his Will.
Unnumber'd Maladies his Joints invade,
Lay Siege to Life, and prefs the dire Blockade ;
But unextinguifh'd Av'rice ftill remains,
And dreaded Loffes aggravate his Pains ;
He turns, with anxious Heart and crippled Hands,
His Bonds of Debts, and Mortgages of Lands;
Or views his Coffers with fufpicious Eyes,
Unlocks his Gold, and counts it till he dies.
But grant, the Virtues of a temp'rate Prime,
Bless with an Age exempt from Scorn or Crime;
An Age that melts in unperceiv'd Decay,
And glides in modeft Innocence away;
Whofe peaceful Day Benevolence endears,
Whofe Night congratulating Confcience chears;
The gen'ral Fav'rite as the gen'ral Friend;
Such Age there is, and who could wish its End?
Yet ev'n on this her Load Misfortune flings,
To prefs the weary Minutes flagging Wings:
New Sorrow rifes as the Day returns,
A Sifter fickens, or a Daughter mourns.
Now kindred Merit fills the fable Bier,
Now lacerated Friendship claims a Tear.
Year chases Year, Decay purfues Decay,
Still drops fome Joy from with'ring Life away;
New Forms arife, and different Views engage,
Superfluous lags the Vet'ran on the Stage,

Till pitying Nature figns the laft Release,
And bids afflicted Worth retire to Peace.

But few there are whom Hours like these await,
Who fet unclouded in the Gulphs of Fate.
From Lydia's Monarch fhould the Search descend,
By Solon caution'd to regard his End,

In Life's laft Scene what Prodigies surprise,
Fears of the Brave, and Follies of the Wife?
From Marlb'rough's Eyes the Streams of Dotage flow,
And Swift expires a Driv❜ler and a Show.

The (n) teeming Mother, anxious for her Race,
Begs for each Birth the Fortune of a Face:
Yet Vane could tell what Ills from Beauty spring;
And Sedley curs'd the Form that pleas'd a King.
Ye Nymphs of rofy Lips and radiant Eyes,
Whom Pleasure keeps too busy to be wife,
Whom Joys with foft Varieties invite,
By Day the Frolick, and the Dance by Night,
Who frown with Vanity, who fmile with Art,
And afk the latest Fashion of the Heart,

What Care, what Rules your heedlefs Charms fhall

fave,

Each Nymph your Rival, and each Youth your Slave?
Againft your Fame with Fondnefs Hate combines,
The Rival batters, and the Lover mines.
With diftant Voice neglected Virtue calls,
Lefs heard and-lefs, the faint Remonftrance falls;
Tir'd with Contempt, fhe quits the flip'ry Reign,
And Pride and Prudence take her Seat in vain.
In crowd at once, where none the Pafs defend,
The harmless Freedom, and the private Friend.
The Guardians yield, by Force fuperior ply'd;
By Int'reft, Prudence; and by Flattery, Pride.
Now Beauty falls betray'd, defpis'd, distress'd,
And hifling Infamy proclaims the reft.

VOL. II.

(n) Ver. 289-345·

Y

Where

Where (0) then fhall Hope and Fear their Objects find?

Muft dull Sufpence corrupt the stagnant Mind?
Must helpless Man, in Ignorance sedate,
Roll darkling down the Torrent of his Fate?
Muft no Diflike alarm, no Wishes rise,
No Cries attempt the Mercies of the Skies?
Enquirer, ceafe; Petitions yet remain,

Which Heav'n may hear, nor deem Religion vain.
Still raife for Good the fupplicating Voice,

But leave to Heav'n the Measure and the Choice.
Safe in his Pow'r, whofe Eyes difcern afar
The fecret Ambush of a fpecious Pray'r.
Implore his Aid, in his Decifions reft,
Secure whate'er he gives, he gives the best.
Yet when the Sense of facred Prefence fires,
And ftrong Devotion to the Skies afpires,
Pour forth thy Fervours for a healthful Mind,
Obedient Paffions and a Will refign'd;

For Love, which fcarce collective Man can fill;
For Patience Sov'reign o'er tranfmuted Ill;
For Faith, that panting for a happier Seat,
Counts Death kind Nature's Signal of Retreat :
Thefe Goods for Man the Laws of Heav'n ordain,
Thefe Goods he grants, who grants the Pow'r to

gain;

With thefe celeftial Wisdom calms the Mind,
And makes the Happiness she does not find.

(0) Ver. 346-366

THE

THE

BATTLE OF THE WIGS.

IN THREE PARTS.

Dabiturque LICENTIA fumpta pudenter.-HOR.

T

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HOUGH the Writer of the following little

Piece has chosen to call it An Additional Canto to Dr. Garth's Poem of the Difpenfary, he by no Means pretends to afpire to an Imitation of that Work, much lefs would he prefume to affect a Rivalfhip with the ingenious Author. The Subject being in fome Measure fimilar, he was induced to make Ufe of this Title.

The Difputes, at prefent fubfifting between the Fellows and Licentiates of the College of Phyficians, concerning their refpective Rights, feemed to be no improper Topic for an innocent Laugh. Nothing that thould in the leaft offend any Individual, is intended by it. No Character is defigned to be perfonally pointed out. As to the common Sarcafm, The Killing of Numbers of Patients,' fays Dr. Garth, is fo trite a Piece of Raillery, that it ought not to make any Impreffion.'

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It is difficult, and perhaps in fome Degree prefumptuous, to attempt following, in a confined Walk, the Steps of any Author of Eminence. If

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