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Contemns each furly Academic foe,

And courts the fpruce Freethinker and the Beau.
Dadalian arguments but few can trace,

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But all can read the Language of grimace.
Hence mighty Ridicule's all-conquʼring hand
Shall work Herculean wonders thro' the Land;
Bound in the magic of her cobweb chain,
You, mighty WARBURTON, fhall rage in vain,
In vain the tracklefs maze of Truth You scan,
And lend th' informing Clue to erring Man :
No more fhall Reafon boaft her pow'r divine,
Her Bafe eternal fhook by Folly's mine!
Truth's facred Fort th' exploded laugh fhall win;
And Coxcombs vanquish BERKLEY by a grin.

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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 Prifm 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.

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Let clear-ey'd Reason at the helm prefide,

Bear to the wind, or ftem the furious tide;

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Then Mirth may urge, when Reason can explore,
This point the way, that waft us glad to shore.

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Tho' diftant Times may rife in SATIRE's page,
Yet chief 'tis Her's to draw the present Age:
With Wifdom's luftre, Folly's fhade contraft,
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 lye,
Or falfify'd the card, or cogg'd the dye;

Ere Lewdness the stain'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 just 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;

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255.

In mirth be temp'rate, temp'rate in her spleen;
Nor, while fhe preaches modefty, obscene.
Deep let her wound, not rankle to a fore,
Nor call his Lordship, her Grace a-:
The Mufe's charms refiftless then affail,
When wrapt in Irony's transparent veil:

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Her beauties half-conceal'd the more furprize, 265 And keener luftre fparkles in her eyes.

Then be your line with sharp encomiums grac❜d:

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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 Tyger in fo weak a chain.

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Nay more: when flagrant crimes your laughter move, The Knave exults: to fmile is to approve.

The Mufe's labour then fuccess shall crown, When Folly feels her smile, and Vice her frown.

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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 skies. 280 Thus when a modish folly you rehearse,

Free the expreffion, fimple be the verse.

In artless numbers paint th' ambitious Peer
That mounts the box, and fhines a Charioteer :
In strains familiar fing the midnight toil
Of Camps and Senates difciplin'd by Hoyle;
Patriots and Chiefs, whofe deep design 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 sense.

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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 frontless, and infult the eye of day;

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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 :

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When private Faith and publick 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,

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On mountain'd falfe-hoods to invade the Skies: Then warmer numbers glow thro' SATIRE's page, And all her fmiles are darken'd into rage;

On eagle-wing she gains Parnaffus' height,
Not lofty EPIC foars a nobler flight:

Then keener indignation fires her eye;

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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.

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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 shine; Where bursting glorious, with departing ray, True Genius gilds the close of Britain's Day: With joy the fees the stream of Roman art From MURRAY's tongue flow purer to the heart: Sees YORKE to Fame, e'er yet to Manhood known, And just to ev'ry virtue, but his own: 326 Hears unftain'd CAM with generous pride proclaim A SAGE'S, CRITIC's, and a POET's name: Beholds, where WIDCOMBE's happy hills ascend, Each orphan'd Art and Virtue find a friend: TO HAGLEY's honour'd Shade directs her view; And culls each flow'r, to form a Wreath for You.

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But tread with cautious ftep this dang'rous ground, Befet with faithlefs precipices round:

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