So Patriots, in the time of Peace and Ease,

Forget the Fury of the late Disease.

On dangers past, serenely think no more,

And curse the Hand that heal'd the Wound before.
Arm therefore, gallant Friends, 'tis Honour's Call,

Or let us boldly Fight, or bravely Fall.

265

To this the Session seem'd to give Consent,
Much lik'd the War, but dreaded much th' Event.
At length, the growing Diff'rence to compose,
Two Brothers, nam'd Ascarides, arose.

270

Both had the Volubility of Tongue,

In Meaning faint, but in Opinion strong.

275

To speak they both assum'd a like Pretence,

The Elder gain'd his just Pre-eminence;

Thus he: 'Tis true, when Priviledge and Right

Are once invaded, Honour bids us Fight.

But e'er we once engage in Honour's Cause,

280

First know what Honour is, and whence it was.

Scorned by the Base, 'tis courted by the Brave,

The Heroe's Tyrant, and the Coward's Slave.
Born in the noisie Camp, it lives on Air;
And both exists by Hope and by Despair.
Angry when e'er a Moment's Ease we gain,
And reconcil'd at our Returns of Pain.

285

It lives, when in Death's Arms the Heroe lies,
But when his Safety he consults, it dies.

Bigotted to this Idol, we disclaim

Rest, Health, and Ease, for nothing but a Name.

24

1

264 Patriots || times 265 Disease: 1-4.6 266--267 Imaginary
Dangers they create, And loath th' Elixir which preserv'd the
State. 1-4. 6
269 Kein neuer Abschnitt 1 269 boldly Fight, ] bravely
fight Wi
270 consent, 1-4 273 Brothers' || Ascarides 1 277 But
th'Elder | Preeminence; 1-2
-4
278 Thus ] Then || Privi-
lege $-4. 6
280-291 fehlen in 1-3

280 e're

4

4

Original, but Nature's Grave; * 284 noisy *

282 T is Pride's 286 e're + 290-291

fehlen in

290

Then let us, to the Field before we move,
Know, if the Gods our Enterprize approve.
Suppose th' unthinking Faculty unvail
What we, thro' wiser Conduct, wou'd conceal;
Is 't Reason we shou'd quarrel with the Glass
That shews the monstrous Features of our Face?
Or grant some grave Pretenders have of late
Thought fit an Innovation to create;

Soon they'll repent, what rashly they begun ;
Tho' Projects please, Projectors are undone.
All Novelties must this Success expect,
When good, our Envy; and when bad, Neglect;
If Reason cou'd direct, e'er now each Gate
Had born some Trophy of Triumphal State.
Temples had told how Greece and Belgia owe
Troy and Namur to Jove and to Nassau.

Then since no Veneration is allow'd,
Or to the real, or th' appearing Good;
The Project that we vainly apprehend,
Must, as it blindly rose, as vilely end.
Some Members of the Faculty there are,
Who Int'rest prudently to Oaths prefer.

295

300

305

310

Our Friendship with feign'd Airs they poorly court,
And boast their Politicks are our Support.

315

Them we'll consult about this Enterprize,

And boldly Execute what they Advise.

292 Kein neuer Abschnitt 1-4 || Then ] But 3-3 But tho the fatal Field before we fly, 1 293 We'll first reflect, and then consider why. 1 294 unveil, 1 296 Glass, 1. 3-4 300 begun, 14 303 neglect.1 304-307 If things of Use were valu'd, there had been

[seen.

Some Work-house [Work-house,'] where the Monument is
Or if the Voice of Reason cou'd be heard,
E're this, Triumphal Arches had appear'd. 1-4

308 Kein neuer Abschnitt 1—1 309 real 1
poorly a servile Air they 1-4. 6 vain Airs they
their Clandestine Arts are our Support. 1-4. 6

314 feign'd Airs they poorly 9 315 And 316 Enterprise,

1-4

But from below (while such Resolves they took)
Some Aurum Fulminans the *Fabrick shook.
The Champions, daunted at the Crack, retreat,
Regard their Safety, and their Rage forget.

So when at Bathos Earth's big Offspring strove
To scale the Skies, and wage a War with Jove;
Soon as the Ass of old Silenus bray'd,
The trembling Rebels in Confusion fled.

*The Room th' Apothecaries meet in, is over the Laboratory.

1

320 Champions 1 || crack 1 322 So strove1 So when at Bathos all 323 To scale ] T'invade 1—4. 6

318 Kein neuer Abschnitt 1-4
thus at Bathos, when the Gyants
the Gyants [Giants ] strove 2—4. 6
324 confusion 1-4

320

325

The Dispensary.

Canto IV.

Not far from that frequented Theater,

Where wand'ring Punks each Night at Five repair;
Where Purple Emperors in Buskins tread,
And rule imaginary Worlds for Bread;
Where Bently, by Old Writers, wealthy grew,
And Briscoe lately was undone by New:
There triumphs a Physician of Renown,
To none, but such as rust in Health, unknown.
None e'er was plac'd more fitly to impart
His known Experience, and his healing Art.
When Bur-ss deafens all the listning Press
With Peals of most Seraphick Emptiness;
Or when Mysterious F-n mounts on high,
To preach his Parish to a Lethargy:
This Esculapius waits hard by, to ease
The Martyrs of such Christian Cruelties.

Long has this darling Quarter of the Town,
For Lewdness, Wit, and Gallantry been known.

All Sorts meet here, of whatsoe'er Degree,
To blend and justle into Harmony.

The Criticks each advent'rous Author scan,

And praise or censure as They like the Man.

The Weeds of Writings for the Flow'rs They cull:
So nicely Tasteless, so correctly Dull!

The Politicians of Parnassus prate,

And Poets canvass the Affairs of State;

20

25

The Cits ne'er talk of Trade and Stock, but tell
How Virgil writ, how bravely Turnus fell.
The Country Dames drive to Hippolito's,
First find a Spark, and after lose a Nose.

The Lawyer for Lac'd Coat the Robe does quit,
He grows a Mad-man, and then turns a Wit.
And in the Cloister pensive Strephon waits,
"Till Chloe's Hackney comes, and then retreats;
And if th' ungenerous Nymph a Shaft lets fly
More fatally than from a sparkling Eye,
Mirmillo, that fam'd Opifer, is nigh.

The trading Tribe oft thither throng to Dine,
And want of Elbow-room supply in Wine.
Cloy'd with Variety, they surfeit there,
Whilst the wan Patients on thin Gruel fare.

'T was here the Champions of the Party met,
Of their Heroick Enterprize to treat.

Each Heroe a tremendous Air put on,

30

335

40

And stern Mirmillo in these Words begun:

"T is with Concern, my Friends, I meet you here;

No Grievance you can know, but I must share.

21-22 fehlen in 1-3 23-24 fehlen in 1—4. 6 27 ne're | Trade, 1 31 lac'd 1.6 35 th' ung'nerous W1 38 Th' Apothecaries [Apo

thecaries] thither throng to Dine, 1–4. 6

39

|| Kein neuer Abschnitt 1-4

- room supply] -room's supply'd 1-4. 6 46 concern, 1-4

40 Variety 1

1

45