Whose own example strengthens all his laws;
And is himself that great Sublime he draws.

Thus long fucceeding Critics juftly reign'd,
Licenfe reprefs'd, and useful laws ordain'd.
Learning and Rome alike in empire grew ;
And Arts ftill follow'd where her Eagles flew;
From the fame foes, at laft, both felt their doom,
And the fame age faw Learning fall, and Rome.
With Tyranny, then Superftition join'd,

As that the body, this enflav'd the mind;
Much was believ'd, but little understood,
And to be dull was conftrued to be good;
A fecond deluge Learning thus o'er-ran,
And the Monks finish'd what the Goths began.
At length Erasmus, that great injur'd name,
(The glory of the Priesthood, and the shame!)
Stem'd the wild torrent of a barbarous age,
And drove those holy Vandals off the stage.

But fee! each Mufe, in Leo's golden days,

Starts from her trance, and trims her wither'd bays,
Rome's ancient Genius, o'er its ruins fpread,

680

685

690

695

Shakes off the dust, and rears his reverend head. 700 Then Sculpture and her sister-arts revive;

Stones leap'd to form, and rocks began to live;

VARIATIONS.

With

Ver. 689. All was believ'd, but nothing understood. Between ver. 690 and 691. the Author omitted thefe

two:

Vain Wits and Critics were no more allow'd,

When none but Saints had license to be proud.

With sweeter notes each rifing Temple rung;
A Raphael painted, and a Vida fung.
Immortal Vida: on whofe honour'd brow
The Poet's bays and Critic's ivy grow:
Cremona now fhall ever boast thy name,
As next in place to Mantua, next in fame!

705

But foon, by impious arms from Latium chac'd, Their ancient bounds the banish'd Mufes pafs'd; 710 Thence Arts o'er all the northern world advance, But Critic-learning flourish'd most in France: The rules a nation, born to serve, obeys; And Boileau still in right of Horace sways.

But we, brave Britons, foreign laws despis'd,

715

And kept unconquer'd, and unciviliz’d;

Fierce for the liberties of wit, and bold,

We still defy'd the Romans, as of old.
Yet fome there were, among the founder few
Of those who lefs prefum'd, and better knew,
Who durft affert the juster ancient cause,
And here reftor'd Wit's fundamental laws.
Such was the Muse, whose rules and practice tell,
"Nature's chief Master-piece is writing well.”
Such was Rofcommon, not more learn'd than good,
With manners generous as his noble blood;
To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known,
And every author's merit but his own.

Such late was Walsh--the Mufe's judge and friend,

Who juftly knew to blame or to commend;

VARIATION.

Ver. 723, 724. These lines are not in ed. 1.

720

730

Το

735

To failings mild, but zealous for defert;
The clearest head, and the fincerest heart.
This humble praise, lamented fhade! receive,
This praise at least a grateful Muse may give :
The Mufe, whofe early voice you taught to fing,
Prefcrib'd her heights, and prun'd her tender wing,
(Her guide now loft) no more attempts to rise,
But in low numbers fhort excurfions tries:
Content, if hence th' unlearn' their wants may view,
The learn'd reflect on what before they knew:
Careless of cenfure, nor too fond of fame;
Still pleas'd to praise, yet not afraid to blame;
Averse alike, to flatter or offen‹1;

Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend.

740

THE

THE

RAPE OF THE LOCK.

AN

HEROI-COMICAL POEM.

Written in the Year м DCC XII.

"Nolueram, Belinda, tuos violare capillos; Sed juvat, hoc precibus me tribuiffe tuis." MART.

Ir appears by the Motto, that the following Poem was written or published at the Lady's request. But there are fome further circumstances not unworthy relating. Mr. Caryl (a gentleman who was Secretary to Queen Mary, wife of James II. whofe fortunes he followed into France, author of the Comedy of " Sir Solomon Single," and of feveral tranflations in Dryden's Mifcellanies) originally propofed the subject to him, in a view of putting an end, by this piece of ridicule, to a quarrel that was rifen between two noble families, thofe of Lord Petre and of Mrs. Fermor, on the trifling occafion of his having cut off a lock of her hair. The Author fent it to the Lady, with whom he was acquainted; and she took it so well as to give about copies of it. That firft sketch (we learn from one of his Letters) was written in lefs than a fortnight, in 1711, in two Cantos only, and it was so printed; first, in a Miscellany of Bern. Lintot's, without the name of the Author. But it was received fo well, that he made it more confiderable the next year, by the addition of the machinery of the Sylphs, and extended it to five Cantos. We shall give the reader the pleasure of seeing in what manner these additions were inferted, fo as to feem not to be added, but to grow out of the Poem. See Canto I. ver. 19, &c.

This infertion he always esteemed, and justly, the greatest effort of his skill and art as a Poet.