in a poem called The Praife of Satire, had fome lines like these *:

He who can push into a midnight fray His brave companion, and then run

away,

Leaving him to be murder'd in the

street,

Then put it off with fome buffoon con

ceit;

Him, thus difhonour'd, for a wit you

own,

And court him as top fidler of the

town.

This was meant of Rochester, and drew from him thofe furious verfes; to

*

I quote from

memory.

which

Thou canst hurt no man's fame with thy ill word;

Thy pen is full as harmless as thy fword.

Of the fatire against Man, Rochester can only claim what remains when all Boileau's part is taken away.

In all his works there is fprightliness and vigour, and every where may be found tokens of a mind which study might have carried to excellence; and what more can be expected from a life spent in oftentatious contempt of regularity, and ended before the abilities of many other men began to be displayed?

Poema

Janus adeft, feftæ pofcunt fua dona Kalendæ, Munus abeft feftis quod poffim offerre Kalendis. Siccine Caftalius nobis exaruit humor?

Ufque adeò ingenii noftri eft exhaufta facultas, Immunem ut videat redeuntis janitor anni? Quod nufqua eft, potius nova per vestigia quærā.

Ecce autem partes dum fefe verfat in omnes Invenit mea Mufa NIHIL, ne defpice munus.

Huc animum, huc igitur vultus adverte benignos: Res nova narratur quæ nulli audita priorum, Aufonii & Graii dixerunt cætera vates,

Aufoniæ indictum NIHIL eft Græcæque Ca

E cœlo quacunque Ceres fua profpicit arva, Aut genitor liquidis orbem complectitur ulnis Oceanus, NIHIL interitus & originis expers. Immortale NIHIL, NIHIL omni parte beatum. Quòd fi hinc majestas & vis divina probatur, Num quid honore deûm, num quid dignabimur

aris?

Confpectu lucis NIHIL eft jucundius almæ,
Vere NIHIL, NIHIL irriguo formofius horto,
Floridius pratis, Zephyri clementius aura;

In bello fanctum NIHIL eft, Martifque tu

multu:

Juftum in pace NIHIL, NIHIL eft in fœdere

tutum.

Felix cui NIHIL eft, (fuerant hæc vota Tibullo),
Non timet infidias: fures, incendia temnit :
Sollicitas fequitur nullo fub judice lites.

Ille ipfe invictis qui fubjicit omnia fatis
Zenonis fapiens, NIHIL admiratur & optat.
Socraticique gregis fuit ifta fcientia quondam,

Scire NIHIL, ftudio cui nunc incumbitur uni.
Nec quicquam in ludo mavult didiciffe juventus,
Ad magnas quia ducit opes, & culmen honorum.
Nofce NIHIL, nofces fertur quod Pythagorea
Grano hærere fabæ, cui vox adjuncta negantis.
Multi Mercurio freti duce vifcera terræ

Pura liquefaciunt fimul, & patrimonia mifcent,
Arcano inftantes operi, & carbonibus atris,
Qui tandem exhaufti damnis, fractique labore,
Inveniunt atque inventum NIHIL ufque requirunt.
Hoc dimetiri non ulla decempeda poffit:

Nec numeret Libycæ numerum qui callet arena :.
Et Phoebo ignotum NIHIL eft, NIHIL altius aftris.
Túque, tibi licet eximium fit mentis acumen,
Omnem in naturam penetrans, & in abdita re-

Pace tua, Memmi, NIHIL ignorare videris.

Sole tamen NIHIL eft, & puro clarius igne.

Tange NIHIL, dicefque NIHIL fine corpore

tangi.

Cerne