See thronging Millions to the Pagod run, Hear her black Trumpet thro' the Land proclaim, See, all our Fools afpiring to be Knaves! The Wit of Cheats, the Courage of a Whore, 165 At Crimes that 'fcape, or triumph o'er the Law: 64 Yet may this Verfe (if fuch a Verse remain) Show, there was one who held it in difdain. 170 VER. 165. The Wit of Cheats, the Courage of a Whore,-Are bat ten thousand envy and adore:] And no wonder, for the it of Cheats being the evafion of Juftice, and the Courage of a Whore the contempt for reputation; these emancipate men from the two tyrannical reftraints upon free spirits, fear of punishment, and dread of frame. EPILOGUE TO THE SATIRE S. Written in MDCCXXXVIII. DIALOGUE II. Fr. "T IS all a Libel-Paxton (Sir) will fay it may; And for that very cause I print to day. Feign what I will, and paint it e'er so strong, F. Yet none but you by name the guilty lash: 10 Ev'n Guthry faves half Newgate by a Dash. Spare then the Perfon, and expose the Vice. 16 P. How, Sir! not damn the Sharper, but the Dice? 20 P. See, now I keep the Secret, and not you! The bribing Statesman-F. Hold, too high you go. P. The brib'd Elector-F. There you ftoop too low. 25 P. I fain would pleafe you, if I knew with what; Tell me, which Knave is lawful Game, which not? VER. 11. Ev'n Guthry.] The Ordinary of Newgate, who publishes the memoirs of the Malefactors, and is often prevailed upon to be fo tender of their reputation, as to fet down no more than the initials of their name. VER. 13. How, Sir! not damn the Sharper, but the Dice?} The liveliness of the reply may excufe the bad reasoning; otherwife the dice, tho' they rhyme to vice, can never stand for it, which his argument requires they fhould do. For the dice are only the inftruments of fraud; but the question is not, whether the inftrument, but whether the act committed by it, should be expofed, instead of the perfon. Muft great Offenders, once escap'd the Crown, F. A Dean, Sir? no: his Fortune is not made, You hurt a man that's rifing in the Trade. 30 35 P. If not the Tradesman who fet up to day, Much lefs the 'Prentice who to morrow may. Down, down, proud Satire! tho' a Realm be spoil'd, Arraign no mightier Thief than wretched Wild; Or, if a Court or Country's made a job, Go drench a Pick-pocket, and join the Mob. But, Sir, I beg you (for the Love of Vice!) The matter's weighty, pray confider twice; Have you lefs pity for the needy Cheat, 40 The poor and friendless Villain, than the Great? 45 VER. 29. like Royal Harts, etc.] Alluding to the old Gamelaws, when our Kings spent all the time they could spare from human flaughter, in Woods and Forefts. VER. 35. You burt a man that's rifing in the Trade.] For, as the reasonable De la Bruyere obferves, "Qui ne fait être un ERASME, doit penser à être Evêque.” VER. 39. wretched Wild,] Jonathan Wild, a famous Thief, and Thief-Impeacher, who was at laft caught in his own train and hanged. VER. 42. for the love of Vice] We must confider the Poet as here directing his discourse to a follower of the new fyftem of Politics, That private vices are publick benefits. SCRIBL. Alas! the fmall Difcredit of a Bribe Scarce hurts the Lawyer, but undoes the Scribe. Then better sure it Charity becomes To tax Directors, who (thank God) have Plums; May pinch ev'n there-why lay it on a King. 50 P. Muft Satire, then, nor rife nor fall? Speak out, and bid me blame no Rogues at all. F. Yes, ftrike that Wild, I'll juftify the blow. P. Strike? why the man was hang'd ten years ago: Who now that obfolete Example fears? Ev'n Peter trembles only for his Ears. 56 F. What always Peter? Peter thinks you mad, You make men defp'rate, if they once are bad: Elfe might he take to Virtue fome years hence-60 P. As S---k, if he lives, will love the PRINCE. F. Strange fpleen to S---k! P. Do I wrong the Man? God knows, I praise a Courtier where I can. When I confefs, there is who feels for Fame, And melts to Goodness, need I SCARB'ROW name? 65 VER. 51. why lay it on a King.] He is serious in the foregoing fubjects of fatire; but ironical here, and only alludes to the common practice of Minifters, in laying their own miscarriages on their mafters. VER. 57. Ev'n Peter trembles only for bis ears.] Peter had, the year before this, narrowly escaped the Pillory for forgery: and got off with a fevere rebuke only from the bench. VER. 65. Starb'row] Earl of, and Knight of the Garter, |