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Save just at dinner-then prefers, no doubt,
A Rogue with Ven'fon to a Saint without.

80

Who would not praise Patritio's high defert, His hand unftain'd, his uncorrupted heart, His comprehenfive head! all Int'refts weigh'd, All Europe fav'd, yet Britain not betray'd. He thanks you not, his pride is in Picquette, New-market-fame, and judgment at a Bett. What made (fay Montagne, or more fage Charron!) Otho a warrior, Cromwell a buffoon?

VARIATION S.

After 86. in the former Editions,

Triumphant leaders, at an army's head,
Hemm'd round with glories, pilfer cloth or bread
As meanly plunder as they bravely fought,
Now fave a People, and now fave a groat,

NOTES.

85

VER. 81. Patritio Lord | nite number of his thoughts

G-n.

VER.87.-fay Montagne, or more fage Charron!] Charron was an admirer of Montagne; had contracted a ftrict friendship with him; and has transferred an infi

H

into his famous book De la Sageffe; but his moderating every-where the extravagant Pyrrhonifm of his friend, is the reason why the poet calls him more fage Charron.

A perjur'd Prince a leaden Saint revere,
A godless Regent tremble at a Star?
The throne a Bigot keep, a Genius quit,
Faithlefs thro' Piety, and dup'd thro' Wit?
Europe a Woman, Child, or Dotard rule,
And just her wisest monarch made a fool?
Know, GoD and NATURE only are the same :
In Man, the judgment shoots at flying game,

NOTES.

his death. P

90

96

VER 89. A perjur'd | fume it, was imprisoned till Prince] Louis XI. of France, wore in his Hat a leaden image of the Virgin Mary, which when he swore by, he feared to break his oath. P.

VER. 90. A godless Regent tremble at a Star?] Philip Duke of Orleans, Regent of France in the minority of Louis XV. fuperftitious in judicial aftrology, tho' an unbeliever in all religion. P.

VER. 91. The throne a Bigot keep, a Genius quit,] Philip V. of Spain, who, after renouncing the throne for Religion, refumed it to gratify his Queen; and Victor Amadeus II. King of Sardinia, who refigred the crown, and trying to reaf

VER. 93. Europe a Woman, Child, or Dotard rule, -And just her wifeft monarch made a fool?] The Czarina, the King of France, the Pope, and the abovementioned King of Sardinia.

VER. 95. Know, God and Nature, &c.] By Nature is not here meant any imaginary substitute of God, call'd a Plaftic nature; but his moral laws: And this obfervation was inferted with great propriety and difcretion, in the conclufion of a long detail of the various characters of men: For, from this circumftance, Montagne and others have been bold enough to infinuate, that

A bird of paffage! gone as foon as found,

Now in the Moon perhaps, now under ground.

In vain the Sage, with retrofpective eye,
Would from th'apparent What conclude the Why,
Infer the Motive from the Deed, and fhew,

That what we chanc'd was what we meant to do.
Behold! If Fortune or a Miftrefs frowns,
Some plunge in bus'nefs, others fhave their crowns:
To eafe the Soul of one oppreffive weight, 105
This quits an Empire, that embroils a State:
The fame aduft complexion has impell'd
Charles to the Convent, Philip to the Field.

NOTES.

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derived it from his father Charles V. whofe health the hiftorians of his life tell us, was frequently diforder'd by bilious fevers. But what the author meant principally to observe here was, that this humour made both thefe princes act contrary to their Character; Charles, who was an active man, when he retired into a Convent ; Philip, who was a man of the Clofet, when he gave the battle of St Quintin.

110

Not always actions fhew the man: We find Who does a kindness, is not therefore kind; Perhaps Profperity becalm'd his breast, Perhaps the Wind just shifted from the east : Not therefore humble he who seeks retreat, Pride guides his fteps, and bids him shun the great : Who combats bravely is not therefore brave, He dreads a death-bed like the meanest flave:

Who reafons wifely is not therefore wife,

His pride in Reasʼning, not in Acting lies.

But grant that Actions best discover man ;

115

Take the most strong, and fort them as you can. 12Q
The few that glare each character must mark,

You balance not the many in the dark.
What will you do with such as disagree?
Supprefs them, or miscall them Policy?
Muft then at once (the character to fave)
The plain rough Hero turn a crafty Knave?
Alas! in truth the man but chang'd his mind,
Perhaps was fick, in love, or had not din’d.

NOTES.

VER. 117. Who reafons wifely, &c.] By reafoning is not here meant fpeculating; but deliberating and 3

125

refolving in public counfels; for this inftance is given as one, of a variety of actions.

Afk why from Britain Cæfar would retreat?
Cæfar himself might whifper he was beat.

Why risk the world's great empire for a Punk?
Cæfar perhaps might answer he was drunk.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 129. in the former Editions,

Afk why from Britain Cæfar made retreat?
Cæfar himself would tell you he was beat.
The mighty Czar what mov'd to wed a Punk?
The mighty Czar would tell you he was drunk.

130

Alter'd as above, because Cæfar wrote his Commentaries of this war, and does not tell you he was beat. As Cæfar too afforded an inftance of both cafes, it was thought better to make him the fingle Example.

NOTES.

VER. 130. Cæfar himself | world's great empire for a might whisper he was beat.] Punk?] After the battle of Cæfar wrote his Commenta- Pharfalia, Cæfar pursued his ries, in imitation of the enemy to Alexandria, where Greek Generals, for the en- being infatuated with the tertainment of the world: charms of Cleopatra, instead But had his friend asked him, of pushing his advantages, in his ear, the reason of his and difperfing the relicks of fudden retreat from Britain, the Pharfalian quarrel, havafter fo many fignal victo- ing narrowly escaped the ries, we have caufe to fuf- violence of an enraged peopect, even from his own ple, he brought upon himpublic relation of that mat- felf an unneceffary war, at ter, that he would have a time his arms were most whisper'd he was beat. wanted elsewhere.

VER. 131. Why risque the

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