Dadalian arguments but few can trace, But all can read the language of grimace. Hence mighty Ridicule's all-conquʼring hand 215 Shall work Herculean wonders thro' the Land: Bound in the magic of her cobweb chain, You, mighty WARBURTON, shall rage in vain, In vain the tracklefs maze of Truth you scan, And lend th' informing Clue to erring Man: 220 No more shall Reason boast her pow'r divine, Her Base eternal shook by Folly's mine! Truth's facred Fort th' exploded laugh shall win; And Coxcombs vanquish BERKLEY by a grin.
But you, more fage, reject th' inverted rule, 225 That Truth is e'er explor'd by Ridicule : On truth, on falfehood let her colours fall, She throws a dazzling glare alike on all; As the gay Prism but mocks the flatter'd eye, And gives to ev'ry object ev'ry dye.
Beware the mad Advent'rer: bold and blind She hoifts her fail, and drives with ev'ry wind; Deaf as the Storm to finking Virtue's groan, Nor heeds a Friend's deftruction, or her own.
Let clear-ey'd Reason at the helm prefide, Bear to the wind, or ftem the furious tide; Then Mirth may urge, when Reason can explore, This point the way, that waft us glad to shore.
Tho' diftant Times may rife in SATIRE's page, Yet chief 'tis Her's to draw the present Age: 240 With Wisdom's luftre, Folly's fhade contrast, And judge the reigning Manners by the past: Bid Britain's Heroes (awful Shades !) arife, And ancient Honour beam on modern Vice: Point back to minds ingenuous, actions fair, 245 Till the Sons blush at what their Fathers were: Ere yet 'twas beggary the great to trust ; Ere yet 'twas quite a folly to be just; When low-born Sharpers only dar'd a lie,
Or falfify'd the card, or cogg'd the Dye; Ere Lewdnefs the ftain'd garb of Honour wore, Or Chastity was carted for the Whore ;
Vice flutter'd, in the plumes of Freedom drefs'd; Or public Spirit was the public jest.
Be ever, in a juft expreffion, bold, Yet ne'er degrade fair SATIRE to a Scold :-
Let no unworthy mien her form debase, But let her smile, and let her frown with grace: In mirth be temp'rate, temp'rate in her spleen; Nor, while the preaches modefty, obscene. Deep let her wound, not rankle to a fore, Nor call his Lordship, her Grace a —: The Mufe's charms refiftlefs then affail, When wrapt in Irony's tranfparent veil : Her beauties half-conceal'd the more furprize, 265 And keener luftre fparkles in her eyes. Then be your line with fharp encomiums grac'd: Style Clodius honourable, Bufa chaste.
Dart not on Folly an indignant eye : Who e'er discharg'd Artillery on a Fly? Deride not Vice: Abfurd the thought and vain, To bind the Tiger in fo weak a chain. Nay more: when flagrant crimes your laughter
The Knave exults: to fmile is to approve. The Mufe's labour then fuccefs fhall crown, 275 When Folly feels her fmile, and Vice her frown.
Know next what measures to each Theme belong, And fuit your thoughts and numbers to your fong:
On wing proportion'd to your quarry rise,
And stoop to earth, or foar among the fkies. 280 Thus when a modifh folly you rehearse, Free the expreffion, fimple be the verfe. In artless numbers paint th' ambitious Peer, That mounts the box, and fhines a Charioteer : In ftrains familiar fing the midnight toil Of Camps and Senates difciplin'd by Hoyle; Patriots and Chiefs, whofe deep defign invades And carries off the captive King-of Spades! Let SATIRE here in milder vigour fhine, And gayly graceful fport along the line; Bid courtly Fashion quit her thin pretence, And fmile each Affectation into fenfe.
Not fo when Virtue by her Guards betray'd, Spurn'd from her Throne, implores the Mufe's aid: When crimes, which erft in kindred darkness lay, Rife frontlefs, and infult the eye of day;
Indignant Hymen veils his hallow'd fires, And white-rob'd Chastity with tears retires When rank Adultery on the genial bed Hot from Cocytus rears her baleful head: When private Faith and public Truft are fold, And Traitors barter Liberty for gold:
When fell Corruption dark and deep, like fate, Saps the foundation of a finking State:
When Giant-Vice and Irreligion rife,
On mountain'd falfehoods to invade the skies:
Then warmer numbers glow thro' SATIRE'S And all her smilès are darken'd into rage: On eagle-wing the gains Parnaffus' height, Not lofty EPIC foars a nobler flight: Then keener indignation fires her eye;
Then flash her lightnings, and her thunders fly; Wide and more wide her flaming bolts are hurl'd, Till all her wrath involves the guilty World.
Yet SATIRE oft affumes a gentler mien, And beams on Virtue's friends a smile ferene: She wounds reluctant; pours her balm with joy; Glad to commend where Worth attracts her eye. But chief, when Virtue, Learning, Arts decline, She joys to fee unconquer'd merit fhine; 320 Where bursting glorious, with departing ray, True Genius gilds the clofe of Britain's Day: With joy fhe fees the ftream of Roman art
From MURRAY's tongue flow
Sees YORKE to Fame, e'er yet to Manhood known, And just to ev'ry virtue, but his own :
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