UM tot fuftineas, & tanta negotia folus,
Res Italas armis tuteris, moribus ornes,
Legibus emendes, in publica commoda peccem,
Si longo fermone morer tua tempora, Cæfar.
Romulus, & Liber pater, & cum Caftore Pollux,
Post ingentia facta, deorum in templa recepti,
Dum terras hominumque colunt genus, afpera bella
Componunt, agros affignant, oppida condunt,
HILST you, my lord, fuch various toils
fuftain,
Prefide o'er Britain's Peers, her laws explain,
With ev'ry virtue ev'ry heart engage,
And live the bright example of the age,
With tedious verfe to trefpafs on your time,
Is fure impertinence, if not a crime.
All the fam'd heroes, ftatefmen, admirals,
Who after death within the facred walls
OF WESTMINSTER with kings have been receiv'd,
Met with but forry treatment, while they liv'd;
And tho' they labour'd in their country's cause,
With arms defended her, and form'd with laws,
Ploravere fuis non refpondere favorem
Speratum meritis: diram qui contudit hydram,
Notaque fatali portenta labore fubegit,
Comperit invidiam fupremo fine domari:
Urit enim fulgore fuo qui prægravat artes,
Infra fe pofitas; extinctus amabitur idem.
• Prefenti tibi maturos largimur honores,
Jurandasque tuum per nomen ponimus aras,
'Nil oriturum alias, nil ortum tale fatentes.
Sed tuus hic populus fapiens & justus in uno,
Te noftris ducibus, te Graiis ante ferendo,
Cætera nequaquam fimili ratione modoque
Eftimat, & nifi quæ terris femota, fuifque
Temporibus defuncta videt, fastidit, & odit.
Sic fautor veterum, ut tabulas peccare vetantes
Quas bis quinque viri fanxerunt, fædera regum
Vel Gabiis, vel cum rigidis æquata Sabinis,
Yet ever mourn'd they till'd a barren foil,
And left the world ungrateful to their toil.
* Ev'n * He, who long the House of Com--ns led, 15 That Hydra dire, with many a gaping head,
Found by experience, to his latest breath,
Envy could only be fubdu'd by death.
• Great men whilft living must expect difgraces,
Dead they're ador'd-when none defire their places. 20
e This common fate, my lord, attends not you,
Above all equal, and all envy too;
With fuch unrivall'd eminence you shine,
That in this truth alone all parties join,
The feat of justice in no former reign
f Was e'er fo greatly fill'd, nor ever can again.
8 But tho' the people are so just to you,
To none befides will they allow their due,
No minifter approve, who is not dead,
Nor till h' has loft it, own he had a head;
Yet fuch refpect they bear to ancient things,
They've fome for former minifters and kings;
Pontificum libros, annofa volumina Vatum,
Dictitet Albano Mufis in monte locutas.
Si quia Græcorum funt antiquiffima quæque
Scripta vel optima, Romani pensantur eadem
Scriptores trutina, non eft quod multa loquamur :
Nil intra eft oleam, nil extra eft in nuce duri:
* Venimus ad fummam fortunæ : pingimus atque
Pfallimus, & luctamur Achivis doctior ipfis,
m Si meliora dies, ut vina, poemata reddit,
Scire velim, pretium chartis quotus arroget annus?
Scriptor abhinc annos centum, qui decidit, inter
Perfectos, veterefne referri debet? an inter
Viles, atque novos? excludat jurgia finis.
" Est vetus, atque probus, centum qui perficit annos ?
Quid qui deperiit minor uno mense, vel anno,
Inter quos referendus erit? veterefne poetas,
An quos & præfens, & poftera refpuet ætas ?
Ifte quidem veteres inter ponetur honeste,
Qui vel menfe brevi vel toto eft junior anno,
Utor permiffo, caudæque pilos ut equinæ
• Paulatim vello, & demo unum, demo etiam unum ; Dum cadat elufus ratione ruentis acervi,
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