;

Or Tyber, now no longer Roman, rolls,
Vain of Italian Arts, Italian Souls
To Iles of Fragrance, lilly-filver'd Vales,
Diffufing Languor in the panting Gales;
To Lands of finging or of dancing Slaves,
Love-whifp'ring Woods, and lute-refounding Waves.
But chief her Shrine where naked Venus keeps,
And Cupids ride the Lion of the Deeps.
Led by my Hand, he faunter'd Europe round,
And gather'd every Vice on Chriftian Ground;
Saw every Court, heard every King declare
His royal Senfe of Op'ras and the Fair.
The Stews and Palace equally explor'd,
Intrigu'd with Glory, and with Spirit whor❜d.

1.

This is, to the Shame of our young Gentry be it fpoke, too juft a Defcription of their beginning and finishing their Travels; we have, however, fome Exceptions, and fome young Noblemen who have done an Honour to their Country abroad; and by acquiring a Knowledge of Men, of Commerce, of the Interefts and Tempers of foreign Courts, with the different Policies of different Nations, will be of Service to their Country at home. Lord Halifax in the Houfe of Peers, and feveral Gentlemen in the Commons, are illuftrious Examples for the young British Gentry: Thefe have greatly ferv'd their Country in the Senate, at a Time of Life when moft others employ theirs in Pleafure and Libertinifm...

After the Poets well-tim'd Cenfure on modern Education, he introduces a fhort but excellent Satire on a Sett of People, fome of which you meet with almost in every Family; I mean the Indolents, to whom every Duty of Life, or neceffary Business of it, is a Fatigue ;*

Venice, whofe Arms are a flying Lyon.

Fatigue; on thefe Dulness fheds her Influence: You would be pleas'd at their Defcription. The Goddefs, fays the Poet,

faw a lazy, folling Sort,

Unknown at Church, at Senate, or at Court,
Of ever-liftlefs Loit'rers, that attend

No Caufe, no Truft, no Duty, and no Friend; A
The too, my Paridel, the mark'd thee there,
Stretch'd on the Rack of a too-eafy Chair;
And heard thy everlafting. Yawn.confefs
The Pains, and Penalties of Idlenefs....
She pitied, but her Pity only fhed
Benigner Influence on thy nodding Head...

From this Species of Dulnefs the Author fhifts the Scene, which tho' it has been drawn by other Aus thors, is here reprefented with new Humour, As this Satire was intended to expofe Triflers in Arts and Sciences, and thofe who, thro' Affectation of Knowledge, were the Patrons of them, the Author could not fuffer our modern Antiquaries in Gems and Medals to pafs uncenfur'd. It is incredible what Inventions and Arts are practis'd to make Antiques which fome Perfons of Quality purchase at a high Rate, only because they think they are antique, and they poffefs a little Bit of Copper or Silver, the like of which very few in the World have befides themfelves. As particularly mark'd as the Character of Annius may feem, there are many of them to be feen at Cox's Auctions. The Name was taken from Annius the Monk of Viterbo, famous for many Impofitions and Forgeries of antient Manufcripts and Ine fcriptions; which he was prompted to by mere Va nity, but our Annius had a more fubftantial Motive.

20 2 more Grant - stoda 15 ylic 1 busy ..5

Grant me ftill to cheat! O may thy Cloud ftill cover the Deceit ! -Da, pulchra Laverna,

HOR.

Da mihi fallere

Noctem peccatis & fraudibus objice nubem.

Some read Skill, but that is frivolous, for Annius hath that Skill already; or if he had not, Skill were not wanting to cheat fuch Perfons:

Annius, crafty Seer, with ebon. Wand,

And well-diffembled Em'rald on his Hand,
Falfe as his Gems, and canker'd as his Coins,
Came, cramim'd with Capons, from where Polia
Soft as the wily Fox is feen to creep,

[dines; Where basks on funny Banks the fimple Sheep,

Walks round and round, now prying here, now there; So he, but pious whisper'd firft this Pray'r:

Grant, gracious Goddefs! grant me ftill to cheat, O may thy Cloud ftill cover the Deceit! Thy choicer Mift on this Affembly fhed; But pour them thickest on the nobleft Head: So fhall each Youth, affifted by our Eyes, See other Cafars, other Homers rise; Thro' twilight Ages hunt th' Athenian Fowl,.. Which Calchis Gods and Mortals call an Owl. Now fee an Atys, now a Cecrops clear; : Nay, Mahomet, with Pigeon at his Ear; Be rich in antient Brafs, tho' not in Gold, And keep his Lares, tho' his House be fold in To headlefs Phabe, his fair Bride poftpone; Honour a Syrian Prince before his own; Lord of an Otho, if I vouch it true, Bleft in one Niger, 'till he knows of two.

Thefe Impofitions of our Virtuofi, and the Credulity and Folly of those who become their Dupes,

are

are more ftrongly expos'd by the Author's having made Annius himself confefs the firft, and ridicule the last.

As the Scenery of this Poem changes, and new Characters appear, the ingenious Author has follow'd the dramatick Rule, of fhewing the Humour of each Character the stronger, by fhewing a contraft Character to it. Annius has an opponent Connoifeur in Mummius, a Virtuofo in Syrian Coins and Egyp tian Mummies; but the two Characters which will please you moft, are a Virtuofo Florift, and Virtuofo Butterfly-Fancier; they are defcrib'd among A Tribe, with Weeds and Shells fantastick crown'd. They have a great Cause to try, and appeal to the Goddess:

The firft thus open'a: Hear thy Suppliant's Call, -Great Queen, and Mother of us all!

Fair, from its humble Bed, I rear'd this Flow'r;
Suckled, and chear'd with Air, and Sun, and Show's.
Soft on the Paper Ruff its Leaves I fpread,
Bright with the gilded Bottom tipp'd its Head';
Then thron'd in Glafs, and nam'd it Caroline,
Each Maid cry'd charming! and each Youth divine
Did Nature's Pencil ever blend fuch Rays,
Such vary'd Light in one promifcuous Blaze?
Now proftrate, dead, behold that Caroline!
No Maid cries charming! and no Youth divine!
And, lo! the Wretch whofe vile, whofe infect Luft
Laid this gay Daughter of the Spring in Duft;
O punish him! or to the Elyfian Shades
Difmifs my Soul! where no Carnation fades!

The pathetick Exclamation of the Supplicant is rai fed with a pleafing Air of Solemnity, which is ftill heighten'd by,

VOL. II.

R

He

He ceas'd, and wept.

His Adverfary's plain Behaviour and narrative Speech: are finely contrafted to the Paffions being affected, and the Luxuriancy of Defcription in the foregoing Quotation:

-With Innocence of Mien .

Th'accus'd stood forth, and thus addrefs'd the Queen :
Of all th' enamell'd Race, whofe filv'ry Wing
Waves to the tepid Zephyrs of the Spring,
Or fwims along the fluid Atmosphere,

One brighter fhin'd; this Child of Heat and Air
I faw, and started from its vernal Bow'r

The rifing Game, and chas'd from Flow'r to Flow'r;
It fled, I follow'd; now in Hope, now Pain;
It stopp'd, I ftopp'd; it mov'd, Imov'd again:
At last it fix'd-('twas on what Plant it pleas'd).
And where it fix'd, the beauteous Bird I feiz'd:
Rofe or Carnation was below my Care,
I meddle, Goddefs, only in my Sphere;
I tell the naked Fact without Disguise,
And to excufe it need but fhew my Prize;
Whofe Spoils this Paper offers to your Eye,
Fair, e'en in Death, this peerlefs Butterfly.

After this Contest the Goddess applauds them both; and, in a Speech, fhe recommends it to the Inveftigators of Nature to amuse themselves only in Trifles. -From hence the Author introduces an admirable Satire on Triflers in Philosophy and Religion :

My Sons! (the answer'd) both have done your Live happy both, and long promote our Arts. [Parts: But hear a Mother, when the recommends To your fraternal Care, our fleeping Friends.

The