AN EPISTLE To the Right Honourable Sir ROBERT WALPOLE.
[]THO' Strength of Genius, by Experience taught,
Gives Thee to found the Depths of human Thought,
To trace the various Workings of the Mind,
And rule the ſecret Springs, that rule Mankind;
(Rare Gifts!) yet, WALPOLE, wilt thou condeſcend
To liſten, if thy unexperienc'd Friend
Can ought of Uſe impart, tho' void of Skill,
And win Attention by ſincere good Will;
For Friendſhip, ſometimes, Want of Parts ſupplies,
The Heart may furniſh what the Head denies.
[4]
As when the rapid Rhone, o'er ſwelling Tides,
To grace old Ocean's Court, in Triumph rides;
Tho' rich his Source, he drains a thouſand Springs,
Nor ſcorns the Tribute each ſmall Riv'let brings.
So thou ſhalt hence abſorb each feeble Ray,
Each Dawn of Meaning, in thy brighter Day;
Shalt like; or where thou can'ſt not like, excuſe,
Since no mean Intereſt ſhall prophane the Muſe:
No Malice wrapp'd in Truth's Diſguiſe, offend,
Nor Flattery taint the Freedom of the Friend.
When firſt a generous Mind ſurveys the Great,
And views the Crowds that on their Fortune wait;
Pleas'd with the Show (tho' little underſtood)
He only ſeeks the Power, to do the Good;
Thinks, 'till he tries, 'tis Godlike to diſpoſe,
And Gratitude ſtill ſprings, where Bounty flows;
That every Grant ſincere Affection wins,
And where our Wants have End, our Love begins:
But thoſe who long the Paths of State have trod,
Learn from the Clamours of the murmuring Crowd;
[5] Which cramm'd, yet craving ſtill, their Gates beſiege,
'Tis eaſier far to give, than to oblige.
This of Thy Conduct ſeems the niceſt Part,
The chief Perfection of the Stateſman's Art,
To give to fair Aſſent a fairer Face,
And ſoften a Refuſal into Grace.
But few there are that can be truly kind,
Or know to fix their Favours on the Mind:
Hence ſome, whene'er they would oblige, offend;
And while they make the Fortune, loſe the Friend:
Still give unthank'd, ſtill ſquander, not beſtow;
For great Men want not, what to give, but how.
The Race of Men that follow Courts, 'tis true,
Think all they get, and more than all their Due:
Still ask, but ne'er conſult their own Deſerts;
And meaſure by their Intereſt, not their Parts.
From this Miſtake, ſo many Men we ſee,
But ill become the Thing they wiſh'd to be;
Hence Diſcontent, and freſh Demands ariſe,
More Power, more Favour in the Great Man's Eyes:
[6] All feel a Want, tho' none the Cauſe ſuſpects,
And hate their Patron, for their own Defects;
Such none can pleaſe, but who reforms their Hearts,
And, when he gives them Places, gives them Parts.
As theſe o'erprize their Worth, ſo ſure the Great
May ſell their Favour at too dear a Rate;
When Merit pines, while Clamour is preferr'd,
And long Attachment waits among the Herd;
When no Diſtinction, where Diſtinction's due,
Marks from the many, the Superior few;
When ſtrong Cabal conſtrains them to be juſt,
And makes them give at laſt—becauſe they muſt
What Hopes that Men of real Worth ſhould prize,
What neither Friendſhip gives, nor Merit buys!
The Man who juſtly o'er the Whole preſides,
His well weigh'd Choice, with wiſe Affections, guides;
Knows when to ſtop with Grace, and when advance,
Nor gives from Importunity, or Chance;
But thinks how little Gratitude is ow'd,
When Favours are extorted, not beſtow'd.
[7]
When ſafe on Shore ourſelves, we ſee the Crowd
Surround the Great, importunate and loud;
Thro' ſuch a Tumult, 'tis no eaſy Task
To drive the Man of real Worth to ask:
Surrounded thus, and giddy with the Show,
'Tis hard for great Men, rightly to beſtow;
From hence ſo few are skill'd, in either Caſe,
To ask with Dignity, or give with Grace.
Sometimes the Great, ſeduc'd by Love of Parts,
Conſult our Genius, but neglect our Hearts;
Pleas'd with the glitt'ring Sparks, that Genius flings,
They lift us cow'ring on their Eagles Wings,
Mark out the Flights, by which themſelves begun,
And teach our dazzled Eyes to bear the Sun;
Till we forget the Hand that made us great,
And grow to envy, not to emulate.
To emulate, a general Warmth implies,
To reach the Virtues, that make great Men riſe;
But Envy wears a mean malignant Face,
And aims not at their Virtues, but their Place.
Such to oblige, how vain is the Pretence?
When every Favour is a freſh Offence,
[8] By which ſuperior Power is ſtill imply'd,
And, while it helps their Fortune, hurts their Pride.
Slight is the Hate, Neglect or Hardſhips breed;
But thoſe, who hate from Envy, hate indeed.
Since ſo perplex'd the Choice; whom ſhall we truſt,
Methinks I hear thee cry, the Brave and Juſt.
The Man by no mean Fears, or Hopes controul'd,
Who ſerves thee from Affection, not for Gold.
Who love the Honeſt, and eſteem the Brave,
Deſpiſe the Coxcomb, but deteſt the Knave,
No Shew of Parts the truly wiſe ſeduce,
To think that Knaves can be of real Uſe.
The Man, who contradicts the publick Voice,
And ſtrives to dignify a worthleſs Choice,
Attempts a Task, that on that Choice reflects,
And lends us Light to point out new Defects.
One worthleſs Man, that gains what he pretends,
Diſguſts a thouſand unpretending Friends:
And ſince no Art can make a Counter paſs,
Or add the Weight of Gold to mimick Braſs;
[9] When Princes to bad Oar their Image join,
They more debaſe the Stamp, than raiſe the Coin.
Be thine the Care, true Merit to reward,
And gain the Good,—nor will that Task be hard;
Souls form'd alike, ſo quick, by Nature blend;
An honeſt Man is more than half thy Friend.
Him no mean Views, or Haſte to riſe, ſhall ſway,
Thy Choice to ſully, or thy Truſt betray:
Ambition here ſhall at due Diſtance ſtand;
Nor is Wit dangerous in an honeſt Hand:
Beſides, if Failings at the Bottom lie,
We view thoſe Failings with a Lover's Eye.
Tho' ſmall his Genius, let him do his beſt;
Our Wiſhes and Relief ſupply the reſt.
Let others barter ſervile Faith for Gold,
His Friendſhip is not to be bought, or ſold:
Fierce Oppoſition he, unmov'd, ſhall face;
Modeſt in Favour, daring in Diſgrace;
To ſhare thy adverſe Fate, alone pretend;
In Power, a Servant; out of Power, a Friend.
[10] Here pour thy Favours in an ample Flood,
Indulge thy boundleſs Thirſt of doing Good:
Nor think that Good to him alone confin'd;
Such to oblige, is to oblige Mankind.
If thus thy mighty Maſter's Steps thou trace,
The Brave to cheriſh, and the Good to grace;
Long ſhalt thou ſtand from Rage and Faction free,
And teach us long to love the King, thro' Thee.
Or, fall a Victim dangerous to the Foe,
And make him tremble, when he ſtrikes the Blow;
While Honour, Gratitude, Affection join
To deck thy Cloſe, and brighten thy Decline;
(Illuſtrious Doom!) the Great when thus diſplac'd,
With Friendſhip guarded, and with Virtue grac'd,
In awful Ruin like Rome's Senate fall,
The Prey, and Worſhip of the wondering Gaul.
No doubt, to Genius ſome Reward is due,
(Excluding that were ſatyrizing You;)
But yet, believe thy undeſigning Friend,
When Truth and Genius for thy Choice contend,
Tho' both have Weight, when in the Balance caſt,
Let Probity be firſt, and Parts the laſt.
[11]
On theſe Foundations if thou durſt be great,
And check the Growth of Folly, and Deceit;
When Party Rage ſhall droop thro' Length of Days,
And Calumny be ripened into Praiſe;
Then future Times ſhall to thy Worth allow,
That Fame which Envy would call Flattery now.
Thus far my Zeal, tho' for the Task unfit,
Has pointed out the Rocks where others ſplit;
By that inſpir'd, tho' Stranger to the Nine,
And negligent of any Fame—but Thine,
I take the friendly, but ſuperfluous Part;
You act from Nature, what I teach from Art.