STANZA S

W Hene'er my foolish bent to publick good,

Or fonder zeal for fome mifguided prince,
Shall make my dang'rous humour understood,
For changing minifters for men of sense:

When vainly proud to fhew my publick care,
And ev'n afham'd to fee three nations fool'd,
I fhall no longer bear a wretched share
In ruling ill, or being over-rul'd:

Then, as old letchers in a winter's night
To yawning hearers all their pranks disclose;
And what decay deprives them of delight,
Supply with vain endeavours to impose:

Juft fo fhall I as idly entertain

Some stripling patriots, fond of feeming wife; Tell, how I ftill cou'd great employments gain, Without concealing truths, or whifp'ring lyes;

Boaft of fucceeding in my country's caufe

Ev'n against some almost too high to blame; Whom, when advanc'd beyond the reach of laws, I oft have ridicul'd to fenfe and shame:

Say, I refifted the most potent fraud;
But friendless merit openly approv'd;
And that I was above the being aw'd

Not only by my prince, but thofe he lov'd:

Who knows but my example then may please
Such noble, hopeful fpirits as appear
Willing to flight their pleasures, and their ease,
For fame and honour? till at last they hear,

After much trouble borne, and danger run,

The crown affifted, and my country ferv'd; Without good fortune I had been undone, Without a good eftate I might have starv'd.

The Election of a POET LAUREAT

A

in 1719.

Famous affembly was fummon'd of late: [ftate; To crown a new Laureat came PHOEBUS in With all that MONTFAUCON himself could defire, His bow, laurel, harp, and abundance of fire.

At Bartlemew-Fair ne'er did bullies fo justle,
No country election e'er made fuch a buftle:
From garret, mint, tavern, they all post away,
Some thirsting for fack, fome ambitious of bay.

All came with full confidence, flush'd with vain hope, From CIBBER and DURFEY, to PRIOR and POPE. PHOEBUS fmil'd on thefe laft, but yet ne'ertheless, Said, he hop'd they had got enough by the prefs.

With a huge mountain-load of heroical lumber, Which from TONSON to CURLL ev'ry prefs had groan'd under;

Came BL-E, and cry'd, Look, all these are my lays; But at prefent I beg you'd but read my ESSAYS.

Lampooners and criticks rufh'd in like a tide,
Stern DENNIS and GILDON came first side by side.

e

APOLLO Confefs'd that their lashes had stings,
But beadles and hangmen were never chose kings.

STEEL long had fo cunningly manag'd the town,
He could not be blam'd for expecting the crown:
APOLLO demurr'd as to granting his wish,
But wifh'd him good luck in his project of fish.

Lame CONGREVE, unable fuch things to endure,
Of APOLLO begg'd either a crown or a cure;
To refufe fuch a writer, APOLLO was loth,
And almost inclin'd to have granted him both.

When BUCKINGHAM came, he scarce car'd to be feen,
Till PHOEBUs defir'd his old friend to walk in:
But a laureat peer had never been known;
The commoners claim'd that place as their own.

Yet if the kind God had been ne'er fo inclin'd
To break an old rule, yet he well knew his mind,
Who of fuch preferment would only make sport,
And laugh'd at all fuitors for places at court.

Notwithstanding this law, yet LANSDOWN was nam'd,

But APOLLO with kindness his indolence blam'd; And faid he would chufe him, but that he should fear, An employment of trouble he never could bear.

A* prelate for wit and for eloquence fam'd, APOLLO foon mifs'd, and he needs not be nam'd;

* Dr. Atterbury, bishop of Rochester.

Since amidst a whole bench, of which fome are fo bright, No one of them shines fo learn'd and polite.

TO SHIPPEN, APOLLO was cold with respect,
Since he for the state could the muses neglect:
But faid, in a greater affembly he fhin'd,
And places were things he had ever declin'd.

TR-P, Y
-G and VANBRUGH expected reward,
For fome things writ well; but APOLLO declar'd,
That one was too flat, the other too rough,

And the third fure already had places enough.

Pert B

-LL came next, and demanding the bays, Said, Those works must be good, which had ADDI. SON's praise;

But APOLLO reply'd, Child EUSTACE, 'tis known, Most authors will praise whatsoever's their own.

Then PH- -PS came forth, as starch as a Quaker,
Whose simple profession's a Pastoral-maker;
APOLLO advis'd him from playhouse to keep,
And pipe to nought elfe but his dog and his sheep.

H-HES, F-TON, and G-y, came laft in the train, Too modeft to ask for the crown they would gain: PHOEBUS thought them too bashful, and faid they would need

More boldness, if ever they hop'd to fucceed.

APOLLO, now driv'n to a curfed quandary,
Was wishing for SWIFT, or the fam'd lady MARY: