The Author having been told by an intimate Friend, that the Duke of Queenfberry had employed Mr. Gay to infpect the Accounts and Management of his Grace's Receivers and Stewards, (which, however, proved afterwards to be a Mistake) writ to Mr. Gay the following Poem.

How

Written in the Year 1731.

OW could you, Gay, difgrace the Mufes
Train,

To ferve a tastelefs C-rt, twelve Years in vain?
Fain would I think, our * Female Friend fincere,
Till B-, the Poet's Fae poffefs'd her Ear.
Did Female Virtue e'er fo high afcend,
To lose an Inch of Favour for a Friend?

SAY, had the Court no better Place to chuse
For thee, than make a dry Nurfe of thy Mufe?
How cheaply had thy Liberty been fold,
To fquire a || Royal Girl of two Years old!
In Leading-ftrings her Infant-steps to guide;
Or, with her Go-cart, amble Side by Side,

BUT, † princely Douglass, and his glorious Dame, Advanc'd thy Fortune, and preferv'd thy Fame.

Mrs. HRD, now C fs of S

LK.

Nor,

Mr. GAY was appointed Gentleman-Ufher to one of the

Princeffes, which he refufed.

+ The Duke of QUEENSBERRY,

Nor, will

your nobler Gifts be mifapply'd, When o'er your Patron's Treasure you prefide. The World shall own, his Choice was wife and just, For, Sons of Phabus never break their Trust.

NOT Love of Beauty less the Heart inflames Of Guardian Eunuchs to the Sultan Dames, Their Paffions not more impotent and cold, Than thofe of Poets to the Luft of Gold. With Paan's pureft Fire his Favourites glow; The Dregs will serve to ripen Ore below; His meanest Work: For, had he thought it fit, That, Wealth fhould be the Appenage of Wit, The God of Light could ne'er have been so blind, To deal it to the worst of human-kind.

BUT, let me now, for I can do it well, Your Conduct in this new Employ foretell.

AND firft: To make my Obfervation right,
I place a STATESMAN full before my Sight.
A bloated Mr in all his Geer,

With fhameless Vifage, and perfidious Leer.
Two Rows of Teeth arm each devouring Jaw;
And, Oftrich-like, his all digefting Maw.
My Fancy drags this Monfier to my View,
To fhew the World his chief Reverse in you.
Of loud unmeaning Sounds, a rapid Flood
Rolls from his Mouth in plenteous Streams of Mud;
With thefe, the C-t and S-te-house he plies,
Made up of Noife, and Impudence, and Lies.

Now,

Now, let me fhew how B- and you agree,
You ferve a * potent Prince, as well as He.
The Ducal Coffers, trusted to your Charge,
Your honest Care may fill; perhaps enlarge.
His Vaffals eafy, and the Owner bleft;
They pay a Trifle, and enjoy the rest.
Not fo a Nation's Revenues are paid:
The Servants Faults are on the Master laid,
The People with a Sigh their Taxes bring;
And curfing B-, forget to bless the

NEXT, hearken Gay, to what thy Charge requires,

With Servants, Tenants, and the neighb'ring Squires.
Let all Domesticks feel your gentle Sway:

Nor bribe, infult, nor flatter, nor betray.
Let due Reward to Merit be allow'd;

Nor, with your KINDRED half the Palace crowd.
Nor, think your self secure 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 Charge immenfe,
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 Servant's Crimes:

* A Title given to every Duke by the Heralds.

With

With Int'reft, and a Præmium paid befide,
The Master's preffing Wants must be supply'd;
With hafty Zeal, behold the Steward come,
By his own Credit to advance the Sum;

Who, while th' unrighteous Mammon is his Friend,
May well conclude his Pow'r will never end.
A faithful Treaf'rer! What could he do more?
He lends my Lord, what was my Lord's before.

THE Law fo ftrictly guards the Monarch's
Health,

That no Physician dares prescribe by Stealth:
The Council fit; approve the Doctor's Skill;
And give Advice before he gives the Pill.
But, the State-Emp'ric acts a fafer Part;
And while he poisons, wins the Royal Heart.

BUT, how can I defcribe the rav'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 footh his Pride.

Nor,

Nor, at an under Rate his Timber fell;
And, with an Oath, affure him; all is well.
Or, *fwear it rotten; and with humble Airs,
Request it of him to compleat your Stairs,
Nor, when a Mortgage lies on half his Lands,
Come with a Purfe of Guineas in your Hands.

HAVE Peter Walters always in your Mind; † That Rogue of genuine ministerial Kind:

Can half the Peerage by his Arts bewitch;
Starve twenty Lords to make one Scoundrel rich:
And, when he gravely has undone a Score,

Is humbly pray'd to ruin Twenty more.

A DEXT'ROUS Steward, when his Tricks are found,

Hub money fends to all the Neighbours round: His Mafter, unfufpicious of his Pranks,

Pays all the Cost, and gives the Villain Thanks ;
And, fhould 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 juft fo much more.
Thus Families, like R-ms, with equal Fate,
May fink by premier Minifters of State.

SOME,

*These Lines are thought to allude to fome Story concerning a great Quantity of Mohoganny, declared rotten, and then ap plied by fome Body to Wainfcots, Stairs, Door-Cafes, &c.

+ He hath practifed this Trade for many Years, and ftill continues it with Succefs; and after he hath ruined one Lord, is carnestly follicited to take another. A Cant Word.