Plate XIV. Vol. III. facing p-273. N.Blakey inv.& del». Who sees pale Mammon pine amidst his Store, Sees but a backward Steward for the Poor; This Year a Reservoir, to keep and spare; The next, a Fountain, spouting thro his Heir Ep: on Riches. EPISTLE III. HO fhall decide, when Doctors dif P. WHO agree, And foundest Cafuifts doubt, like you and me? You hold the word, from Jove to Momus giv'n, That Man was made the standing jeft of Heav'n; COMMENTARY. EPISTLE III.] This epiftle was written after a violent outcry against our Author, on a fuppofition that he had ridiculed a worthy nobleman merely for his wrong tafte. He justified himself upon that article in a letter to the Earl of Burlington; at the end of which are thefe words: "I have learnt that "there are some who would rather be wicked than ridicu"lous; and therefore it may be fafer to attack vices than "follies. I will therefore leave my betters in the quiet pof"feffion of their idols, their groves, and their high places, "and change my fubject from their pride to their meannefs, "from their vanities to their miferies; and as the only cer"tain way to avoid misconstructions, to leffen offence, and "not to multiply ill natured applications, I may probably, "in my next, make ufe of real names instead of fictitious ❝ones." P. VER. I. Who fhall decide, &c.] The addrefs of the introduction (from Ver. 1 to 21.) is remarkable: The Poet reprefents himself, and the noble Lord, his friend, as in a free con NOTES. VER. 3. Momus giv'n.] Amongst the earliest abuses of reason, one of the firft was to cavil at the ways of Providence. But as, in thofe times, every vice as well as virtue, had its Patron-God, MOмUS came to be at the head of the old Freethinkers. Him, the Mythologists very ingenioufly made the And Gold but fent to keep the fools in play, 5 For fome to heap, and fome to throw away. But I, who think more highly of our kind, (And furely, Heav'n and I are of a mind) Opine, that Nature, as in duty bound, Deep hid the fhining mischief under ground: 10 COMMENTARY. verfation, philofophizing on the final caufe of Riches; and it proceeds by way of dialogue, which moft writers have employed to hide the want of method; our Author uses it only to foften and enliven the drynefs and feverity of it. You (fays the Poet) -"hold the wold from Jove to Momus giv'n,- As much as to fay, "You, my Lord, hold the subject we are upon, as fit only for SATIRE; I, on the contrary, esteem it a cafe of Philofophy, and profound ETHICS: But as we both agree in the main Principle, that Riches were not given fr the reward of Virtue, but for very different purposes (See Efay on Man, Ep. iv.) let us compromise the matter, and confider the subject both under your idea and mine in conjunc tion, i e. Satyrically and Philofophically."-And this, in fact, we shall find to be the true character of this poem, which is a Species peculiar to itself; and partakes equally of the na NOTES. Son of Sleep and Night; and fo, confequently, half-brother to Duliefs. But having been much employed, in after ages, by the Greek Satyrifts, he came at last to pass for a Wit: and under this Idea, he is to be confidered in the place before us. VER. 9. Opine,] A term facred to controverfy and high debate. VER. ib.-that Nature, as in duty bund.] This, though ludicrously, is yet exactly, expressed; to fhew, that, by Nature, the Poet meant, not the God of nature, but the inftrument and fubiitute of his providence. But when by Man's audacious labour won, 16 No grace of Heav'n or token of th' Elect; COMMENTARY. ture of his Ethic Epiftles and of his Satires, just as the best pieces of Lucian arofe from a combination of the Dialogues of Plato, and the Scenes of Aristophanes. This it will be neceffary to carry with us, if we would fee either the wit or the reafoning of this epiftle in their true light. NOTES. VER. 12. Flam'd forth this rival to its Sire, the Sun,] The rival of its Sire in its brightnefs, and in its power of drawing mankind into error and delufion; the two firft idols of the world, natural and moral, being the Sun and Gold. VER. 20. JOHN WARD of Hackney, Efq; Member of Parliament, being profecuted by the Duchefs of Buckingham, and convicted of Forgery, was firft expelled the House, and then flood on the pillory on the 17th of March, 1727. He was fufpected of joining in a conveyance with Sir John Blunt, to fecrete fifty thoufand pounds of that Director's Estate, forfeited to the South-Sea company by Act of Parliament. The Company recovered the fifty thousand pounds against Ward; but he fet up prior conveyances of his real eftate to his brother and fon, and concealed all his perfonal, which was computed to be one hundred and fifty thoufand pounds Thefe conveyances being alfo fet afide by a bill in Chancery, Ward B. What Nature wants, commodious Gold bestows, 'Tis thus we eat the bread another fows. COMMENTARY. VER. 21. What Nature wants, &c.] Having thus fettled the terms of the debate, before he comes to the main question, the Uje of Riches, it was neceffary to discuss a previous one, whether, indeed, they be, upon the whole, useful to mankind NOTES. was imprisoned, and hazarded the forfeiture of his life, by not giving in his effects till the laft day, which was that of his examination. During his confinement, his amusement was to give poifon to dogs and cats, and fee them expire by flower or quicker torments. To fum up the worth of this gentleman, at the feveral æra's of his life; At his ftanding in the Pillory, he was worth above two hundred thousand pounds; at his commitment to Prifon, he was worth one hun dred and fifty thoufand; but has been fince fo far diminished in his reputation, as to be thought a worse man by fifty or fixty thousand. P. FR. CHARTRES, a man infamous for all manner of vices. When he was an enfign in the army, he was drummed out of the regiment for a cheat; he was next banished Bruffels, and drummed out of Ghent, on the fame account. After a hundred tricks at the gaming-tables, he took to lending of money at exorbitant intereft and on great penalties, accumulating premium, intereft, and capital into a new capital, and feizing to a minute when the payments became due; in a word, by a conftant attention to the vices, wants, and follies of mankind, he acquired an immenfe fortune. His house was a perpetual bawdy-houfe. He was twice condemned for rapes, and pardoned; but the laft time not without imprifonment in Newgate, and large confifcations. He died in Scotland in 1731, aged 62. The populace at his funeral raised a great riot, almoft tore the body out of the coffin, and caft dead dogs, &c. into the grave along with it. The following Epitaph contains his character very juftly drawn by Dr. Arbuthnot: |