Nor think yourself fecure in doing wrong By telling nofes with a party ftrong.

Be rich; but of your wealth make no parade; At least, before your master's debts are paid, Nor in a palace, built with chargeimmenfe, Prefume to treat him at his own expence. Each farmer in the neighbourhood can count,

To what your lawful perquifites amount. The tenants poor,the hardness of the times, Are ill excufes for a fervant's crimes. With intereft, and a premium paid befide, The master's preffing wants must be fupply'd ;

With hafty zeal behold the steward come y his own credit to advance the fum; Who, while th' unrighteous mammon is his friend,

Maywell conclude his pow'rwill never end. A faithful treas'rer! what could he do more?

Helends my lord, what was my lord's before.

The law foftrictly guards the monarch's health,

That no phyfician dares prefcribe by

ftealth:

The

The council fit; approvethe doctor's skill; And give advice, before he gives the pill, But the ftate emp'ric acts a fafer part; And while he poisons, wins the royal heart.

But how can I describe the ray'nous

breed?

Then let me now by negatives proceed,

Suppose your lord a trusty servant fend On weighty bus nefs to fome neighb'ring friend :

Prefume not, Gay, unless you ferve a drone, To countermand his orders by your own.

Should fome imperious neighbour fink the boats,

And drain the fifb-ponds, while your mafter

doats;

Shall he upon the ducal rights intrench, Because he brib'd you with a brace of tench?

Nor from your lord his bad condition hide To feed his luxury, or foothe his pride. Nor at an under rate his timber fell, And with an oath affure him; all is well.

Or

Orfwear it rotten*; and with humble airs Request it of him to compleat your fairs. Nor when a mortgage lies on half his lands, Come with a purse of guineas in your hands.

Have Peter Waters always in your mind; That rogue of genuine myfterial kind Can half the peerage by his arts bewitch; Starve twenty lords to make one fcoundrel rich:

And when he gravely has undone a score, Is humbly pray'd to ruin twenty more†. A dexterous fteward, when his tricks are found,

Husb-money sends to all the neighbours round;

His mafter, unfufpicious of his pranks, Pays all the coft, and gives the villain thanks.

And should a friend attempt to fet him right,

His lordship would impute it all to spight; Would love his fav'rite better than before, And truft his honefty just so much more,

Thefe lines are thought to allude to fome ftory concerning a great quantity of mahogany declared rotten,and

n applied by Somebody to

wainscots, ftairs, door-cafes,

etc.

+He had practifed this trade for many years with fuccess,

Thus

Thus families like realms with equal fate Are funk by premier minifters of ftate.

Some, when an heir fucceeds, go boldly

on,

And, as they robb'd the father, robb'd the fon.

A knave, who deep embroils his lord's affairs,

Will foon grow neceffary to his heirs.
His policy confifts in fetting traps,
In finding ways and means, and stopping
gaps:

He knows a thousand tricks whene'erhe pleafe,

Though not to cure, yet palliate each disease.

In either cafe an equal chance is run; For keep, or turn him out my lord's undone.

You want a hand to clear a filthy fink; No cleanly workman can endure the ftink. A ftrong dilemma in a desperate case! To act with infamy, or quit the place.

A bungler thus, who scarce the nail can hit,

With driving wrong will make the pannel fplit:

Nor

Nor dares an abler workman undertake To drive a fecond, left the whole should break.

In ev'ry court the parallel will hold; And kings, like private folks, were bought and fold.

The ruling rogue, who dreads to be cafhier'd,

Contrives, as he is hated, to be fear'd: Confounds accounts, perplexes all affairs; For vengeance more embroils, than skill repairs.

So robbers (and their ends are just the same) To 'fcape enquiries leave the boufe in flame.

I knew a brazen minister of state. Who bore for twice ten years the public

hate.

In every mouth the question most in vogue Was, when will they turn out this odious rogue?

A juncture happen'd in his highest pride: While he went robbing on,old mafter died. We thought there now remain'd no room to doubt;

His work is done, the minifter muft out. The court invited more than one or two; Will you,Sir Spencer? or, will you, or you?

But