WHILE WEEPING. 7HILE Celia's Tears make forrow bright, The Sun, next those the faireft light, Thus from the Ocean firft did rife: And thus through Mifts we fee the fun, Which else we durft not gaze upon. 5 These filver drops, like morning dew, And blafting lightnings burst away. The Baby in that funny Sphere So like a Phaeton appears, That Heav'n, the threaten'd World to fpare, 10 15 EXACTLY in the tafte of Lopes de Vega, who, fpeaking of a fhepherdefs weeping near the fea-fide, fays, "The ocean advances to collect her tears, and enclosing them in fhells, converts them into pearls." V. E. OF ROCHESTER. THE verfes on Silence are a fenfible imitation of the Earl of Rochefter's on Nothing; which piece, together with his Satire on Man from the fourth of Boileau, and the tenth Satire of Horace, (which in truth is excellent), are the only pieces of this profligate nobleman which modesty or common sense will allow any man to read. Rochefter had much energy in his thoughts and diction; and though the ancient Satirifts often use great liberty in their expreffions, yet, as the ingenious hiftorian obferves, "Their freedom no more resembles the licence of Rochester than the nakedness of an Indian does that of a common prostitute." Pope, in this imitation, has discovered a fund of folid sense, and juft obfervation upon vice and folly, that are very remarkable in a perfon fo extremely young as he was at the time of compofing it. I believe, on a fair comparison with Rochester's lines, it will be found, that although the turn of the Satire be copied, yet it is excelled. That Rochefter fhould write a Satire on Man I am not furprized; it is the business of the libertine to degrade his species, and debafe the dignity of human nature, and thereby deftroy the most efficacious incitements to lovely and laudable actions. But that a writer of Boileau's purity of manners fhould represent his kind in the dark and disagreeable colours he has done, with all the malignity of a difcontented Hobbift, is a lamentable perversion of fine talents, and is a real injury to fociety. It is a fact worthy the attention of those who ftudy the hiftory of learning, that the grofs licentioufnefs and applauded debauchery of Charles the Second's court proved almost as pernicious to the progress of polite literature and the fine arts, that began to revive after the Grand Rebellion, as the gloomy fuperftition, the abfurd cant, and formal hypocrify, that difgraced this nation during the ufurpation of Cromwell. *Hume's Hiftory of Great Britain, vol. ii. p. 434. V. E. OF ROCHESTER. ON SILENCE. I. SILENCE! coeval with Eternity ; Thou wert, ere Nature's felf began to be, 'Twas one vast Nothing, all, and all flept fast in thee. II. Thine was the fway, ere heav'n was form'd, or earth, Ere fruitful Thought conceiv'd creation's birth, Or midwife Word gave aid, and spoke the infant forth. III. Then various elements, against thee join'd, In one more various animal combin'd, And fram'd the clam'rous race of busy Human-kind. IV. The tongue mov'd gently first, and speech was low, Till wrangling Science taught it noise and show, And wicked Wit arose, thy most abusive foe. V. But rebel Wit deferts thee oft' in vain: Loft in the maze of words he turns again, And seeks a furer ftate, and courts thy gentle reign. VI. Afflicted Sense thou kindly doft set free, And routed Reafon finds a fafe retreat in thee. VII. With thee in private modest Dulness lies, And in thy bofom lurks in Thought's disguise; Thou varnisher of Fools, and cheat of all the Wife! VIII. Yet thy indulgence is by both confeft; Folly by thee lies fleeping in the breast, And 'tis in thee at laft that Wisdom feeks for reft. IX. Silence the knave's repute, the whore's good name, The only honour of the wishing dame; The very want of tongue makes thee a kind of Fame. X. But could't thou feize fome tongues that now are free, How Church and State fhould be oblig'd to thee? At Senate, and at Bar, how welcome would'ft thou be? XI. XI. Yet speech ev❜n there, fubmiffively withdraws, From rights of subjects, and the poor man's caufe: Then pompous Silence reigns, and stills the noify Laws. XII. Past services of friends, good deeds of foes, What Fav'rites gain, and what the Nation owes, Fly the forgetful world, and in thy arms repose. XIII. The country wit, religion of the town, The courtier's learning, policy o' th' gown, Are best by thee express'd; and shine in thee alone. XIV. The parfon's cant, the lawyer's fophiftry, Lord's quibble, critic's jeft; all end in thee. All reft in peace at laft, and fleep eternally. U 4 |