The Worthy court her, and the Worthless fear; Who fhun her piercing eye, that eye revere. Her awful voice the Vain and Vile obey, And ev'ry foe to Wisdom feels her sway. 104 Smarts, Pedants, as the fmiles, no more are vain; Defponding Fops refign the clouded cane: Scorn'd by the Crowd, fecks refuge with the Wife; IMITATIONS. VER. 110. From poys'nous Vice, etc] Alluding to these Lines of Mr. Pope; In the nice Bee what Art fo fubtly true From poys'nous Herbs extracts a healing Dew? Undaunted ftorms the batt'ry of his pride, And awes the Brave that Earth and Heav'n defy'd. But with the friends of Vice, the foes of SATIRE, All truth is Spleen; all just reproof, Ill-nature. Well may they dread the Mufe's fatal skill; Well may they tremble when she draws her quill: Her magic quill, that, like ITHURIEL's spear, 135 Reveals the cloven hoof, or lengthen'd ear: Bids Vice and Folly take their natʼral shapes, Turns Ducheffes to ftrumpets, Beaux to apes; Drags the vile Whisp'rer from his dark abode, 'Till all the Dæmon starts up from the toad. 140 O fordid maxim, form'd to fkreen the vile, That true good-nature ftill muft wear a smile! In frowns array'd her beauties ftronger rife, When love of Virtue wakes her fcorn of Vice: Where Justice calls, 'tis Cruelty to fave; 145 And 'tis the Law's good-nature hangs the Knave. 150 Scarce more the friend of Man, the wife must own, Ev'nALLEN's bounteous hand,thanSATIRE'sfrown: This to chaftife, as That to blefs, was giv'n; Alike the faithful Minifters of Heav'n. Oft in unfeeling hearts the fhaft is spent: 155 Tho' strong th' example, weak the punishment. They leaft are paid, who merit fatire moft; Folly the Laureat's, Vice was Chartres' boast : Then where's the wrong, to gibbet high the name Of Fools and Knaves already dead to fhame? 160 Oft SATIRE acts the faithful Surgeon's part; Gen'rous and kind tho' painful is her art: With caution bold, fhe only ftrikes to heal; Tho' folly raves to break the friendly steel. Then fure no fault impartial SATIRE knows, 165 Kind ev'n in Vengeance, kind to Virtue's foes, Whofe is the crime, the fcandal too be theirs : The Knave and Fool are their own Libellers. D PART II. ARE nobly then: But confcious of As ever warm and bold be ever juft: Nor court applaufe in thefe degen'rate days: But chief, be fteady in a noble end, And fhew Mankind that Truth has your 170 yet a friend. Tis mean for empty praise of wit to write, 175 As Foplings grin to show their teeth are white: To brand a doubtful folly with a smile, Or madly blaze unknown defects, is vile: 'Tis doubly vile, when, but to prove your art, You fix an arrow in a blameless heart. 180 O loft to honour's voice, O doom'd to shame, That name, than liberty, than life more dear! With rage retorted, wing the deadly dart; 190 With caution next, the dang'rous pow'r apply ; An eagle's talon asks an eagle's eye : 195 Let SATIRE then her proper object know, Who therefore fmil'd, because they saw a Fool; We therefore fee a Fool, because we fmile. Lo, gay 205 211 And courts the fpruce Freethinker and the Beau. |