In every job to have a share, Perhaps I may allow the Dean Had too much satire in his vein; And seem'd determin'd not to starve it, Because no age could more deserve it. Yet malice never was his aim; He lash'd the vice, but spar'd the name, Where thousands equally were meant ; Those who their ignorance confest, "He knew a hundred pleasing stories, AN EPISTLE TO TWO FRIENDS.* TO DR. HELSHAM.† SIR, Nov. 23, at night, 1731, WHEN I left you, I found myself of the grapes juice sick; I'm so full of pity, I never abuse sick; And the patientest patient ever you knew sick : Captain Butler made some in the church black and blue sick. Dean Cross, had he preach'd, would have made us all pew-sick. Are not you, in a crowd when you sweat and you stew, sick? Lady Santry got out of the church when she grew sick, Nor is old Nanny Shales, whene'er she does brew, sick. * This medley (for it cannot be called a poem) is given as a speci men of those bagatelles for which the Dean hath perhaps been too severely censured. H. Richard Helsham, M. D. Professor of Physic and Natural Philosophhy in the University of Dublin. See the Preface to Delany on Polygamy, N. Suppose me dead; and then suppose Where, from discourse of this and that, "The Dean, if we believe report, Nor, can I tell what critics thought 'em; To cure the vices of mankind: Expos'd the fool, and lash'd the knave. "He never thought an honour done him And only chose the wise and good; No flatterers; no allies in blood: 1 "With princes kept a due decorum; "Had he but spar'd his tongue and pen, He might have rose like other men: * Dr. Delany, in the close of his eighth letter, after having enume. rated the friends with whom the Dean lived in the greatest intimacy, very handsomely applies this passage to himself. H. In 1713, the queen was prevailed with, by an address from the house of lords in England, to publish a proclamation, promising three hundred pounds to discover the author of a pamphlet, called, "The Public Spirit of the Whigs;" and in Ireland, in the year 1724, Lord Carteret, at his first coming into the government, was prevailed on to issue a proclamation for promising the like reward of three hundred pounds to any person who would discover the author of a pamphlet, called, "The Drapier's Fourth Letter, &c." written against that destructive project of coining halfpence for Ireland; but in neither kingdom was the Dean discovered. H: But power was never in his thought, And pitied those who meant the wound: To merit well of humankind: Nor made a sacrifice of those Who still were true, to please his foes: While they pursu'd each other's ruin, He left the court in mere despair.* "And, oh! how short are human schemes! Here ended all our golden dreams. What St. John's skill in state affairs, What Ormond's valour, Oxford's cares, * Queen Anne's ministry fell to variance from the first year afterits commencement: Harcourt the chancellor, and the secretary Bolingbroke, were discontented with the treasurer Oxford, for his too great mildness to the whigs; this quarrel grew higher every day until the queen's death. The Dean, who was the only person that endeavoured to reconcile them, found it impossible; and thereupon retired into Berkshire, about ten weeks before that event. H. In the height of the quarrel between the ministers, the queen died, Aug. 1, 1714. H. On the queen's demise, the whigs were restored to power, which they excrcised with the utmost rage and revenge; impeached and banished the chief leaders of the church party, and stripped all their adherents of what employments they had. H. |