Dr. Johnson's Works: Life, Poems, and Tales Part 7

See! while he builds, the gaudy va.s.sals come, And crowd with sudden wealth the rising dome; The price of boroughs and of souls restore; And raise his treasures higher than before.

Now bless'd with all the baubles of the great, The polish'd marble and the s.h.i.+ning plate, [gg]Orgilio sees the golden pile aspire, And hopes from angry heav'n another fire.

[hh]Could'st thou resign the park and play, content, For the fair banks of Severn or of Trent; There might'st thou find some elegant retreat, Some hireling senator's deserted seat; And stretch thy prospects o'er the smiling land, For less than rent the dungeons of the Strand; There prune thy walks, support thy drooping flowers, Direct thy rivulets, and twine thy bowers; [K] And, while thy grounds a cheap repast afford, Despise the dainties of a venal lord: There ev'ry bush with nature's musick rings; There ev'ry breeze bears health upon its wings; On all thy hours security shall smile, And bless thine evening walk and morning toil.

[ii]Prepare for death, if here at night you roam, And sign your will, before you sup from home.

[kk] Some fiery fop, with new commission vain, Who sleeps on brambles, till he kills his man; Some frolick drunkard, reeling from a feast, Provokes a broil, and stabs you for a jest.

[ll]Yet e'en these heroes, mischievously gay, Lords of the street, and terrours of the way; Flush'd, as they are, with folly, youth, and wine; Their prudent insults to the poor confine; Afar they mark the flambeau's bright approach, And shun the s.h.i.+ning train, and golden coach.

[mm]In vain, these dangers past, your doors you close, And hope the balmy blessings of repose; Cruel with guilt, and daring with despair, The midnight murd'rer bursts the faithless bar; Invades the sacred hour of silent rest, [L]And leaves, unseen, a dagger in your breast.

[nn]Scarce can our fields, such crowds at Tyburn die, With hemp the gallows and the fleet supply.

Propose your schemes, ye senatorian band, Whose ways and means[M]support the sinking land: Lest ropes be wanting in the tempting spring, To rig another convoy for the king[N].

[oo]A single gaol, in Alfred's golden reign, Could half the nation's criminals contain; Fair justice, then, without constraint ador'd, Held high the steady scale, but sheath'd the sword [D]; No spies were paid, no special juries known, Blest age! but ah! how different from our own!

[pp]Much could I add,--but see the boat at hand, The tide, retiring, calls me from the land: [qq] Farewell!--When youth, and health, and fortune spent, Thou fly'st for refuge to the wilds of Kent; And, tir'd, like me, with follies and with crimes, In angry numbers warn'st succeeding times; Then shall thy friend, nor thou refuse his aid, Still foe to vice, forsake his Cambrian shade; In virtue's cause, once more, exert his rage, Thy satire point, and animate thy page.

FOOTNOTES

[a]

Quamvis digressu veteris confusus amici, Laudo, tamen, vacuis quod sedem figere c.u.mis Destinet atque unum civcm donare Sibyllae.

[b]

--Ego vel Prochytam praepono Suburae.

Nam quid tam miserum, tam solum vidimus, ut non Deterius credas horrere incendia, lapsus Tectorum a.s.siduos, ae mille pericula saevae Urbis et Augusto recitantes mense poetas

[c]

Sed dum tota domus reda componitur una, Subst.i.tit ad veteres arcus--

[d]

Hic tunc Umbricius; Quando artibus, inquit, honestis Nullus in urbe locus, nulla emolumenta laborum, Res hodie minor est, here quam fuit, atque eadem eras Deteret exiguis aliquid: proponimus illue Ire, fatigatas ubi Daedalus exuit alas, Dum nova canities,--

[e]

--et pedibus me Porto meis, nullo dextram subeunte bacillo.

[f]

Cedamus patria: vivant Artorius istic Et Catulus: maneant, qui nigrum in candida vertunt.

[g]

Queis facile est aedem conducere, flumina, portus, Siccandam eluviem, portandum ad busta cadaver,-- Munera nunc edunt.

[h]

Quid Romae faciam? Mentiri nescio: librum, Si malus est, nequeo laudare et poscere:--

[i]

--Ferre ad nuptam, quae mitt.i.t adulter, Quae mandat, norunt alii; me nemo ministro Fur erit, atque ideo nulli comes exeo,--

[Transcriber's note: There is no Footnote [j]]

[k]

Quis nune diligitur, nisi conscius?-- Carus erit Verri, qui Verrem tempore, quo vult, Acuusare potest.--

[l]

--Tanti tibi non sit opaci Omnis arena Tagi, quodque in mare volvitur aurum, Ut somno careas--

[m]

Quae nunc divitibus gens acceptissima nostris Et quos praecipue fugiam, properabo fateri.

[n]

--Non possum ferre, Quirites, Graecam urbem:--

[o]

Rusticus ille tuus sumit trechedipna, Quirine, Et ceromatico fert niceteria collo.

[p]

Ingenium velox, audacia perdita, sermo Promptus--

[q]

Augur, schoen.o.bates, medicus, magus: omnia novit.

Graeculus esuriens in coelum, jusseris, ibit.

[r]

Usque adeo nihil est, quod nostra infantia coelum Hausit Aventinum?--

[s]

Quid? quod adulandi gens prudentissima laudat Sermonem indocti, faciem deformis amici?

[t]

Haec eadem licet et n.o.bis laudare: sed illis Creditur.--

[u]

Natio comoeda est. Rides? majore cachinno Coneut.i.tur, &c.

[Transcriber's note: There is no Footnote [v] or Footnote [w]]

[x]

Non sumus ergo pares: melior, qui semper et omni Nocte dieque potest alienum sumere vultum, A facie jactare ma.n.u.s, laudare paratus, Si bene ructavit, si r.e.c.t.u.m minxit amicus.--

[y]

Scire volunt secreta domus atque inde timeri.

[z]

--Materiam praebet causasque jocorum Omnibus hic idem, si foeda et scissa lacerna, &c.

[aa]

Nil habet infelix paupertas durius in se, Quam quod ridiculos homines facit.--

[bb]

--Agmine facto, Debuerant olim tenues migra.s.se Quirites.

[cc]

Haud facile emergunt, quorum virtutibus obstat Res angusta domi; sed Romae; durior illis Conatus:-- --Omnia Romaae c.u.m pretio.-- Cogimur, et cultis augere peculia servis.

[dd]

--Ultimus autem Aerumnae c.u.mulus, quod nudum et frustra rogautem Nemo cibo, nemo hospitio tectoque juvabit.