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And Midas now neglected stands,

With Affes Ears, and dirty Hands.

The FAGGOT.

Written in the Year 1713, when the Queen's Minifters were quarrelling among themselves,

Ο

BSERVE the dying Father speak:

Try Lads, can you this Bundle break;
Then bids the youngest of the Six,
Take up a well-bound Heap of Sticks.
They thought it was an old Man's Maggot
And ftrove by Turns to break the Faggot;
In vain: The complicated Wands
Were much too strong for all their Hands.
See, faid the Sire, how foon 'tis done :
Then, took and broke them one by one.
So ftrong you'll be, in Friendship ty'd ;
So quickly broke, if you divide.
Keep close then Boys, and never quarrel.
Here ends the Fable and the Moral.

THIS Tale may be apply'd in few Words
To Treasurers, Controllers, Stewards,
And others, who in folemn Sort
Appear with flender Wands at Court:
Not firmly join'd to keep their Ground,
But lathing one another round i

While

While wife Men think they ought to fight
With Quarter-Staffs, inftead of White;
Or Constable with Staff of Peace,

Should come, and make the Clatt'ring ceafe;
Which now disturbs the QUEEN and Court,
And gives the Whigs and Rabble Sport.

IN History we never found

*

The Conful's Fafces were unbound:

Thofe Romans were too wife to think on't,
Except to lash fome grand Delinquent.
How would they blush to hear it faid,
The Prætor broke the Conful's Head;
Or, Conful, in his Purple Gown,
Came up, and knock'd the Prætor down.

COME Courtiers: Every Man his Stick: + Lord Treasurer; for once be quick : And, that they may the clofer cling, Take your blue Ribbon for a String. Come trimming § Harcourt; bring your Mace; And squeeze it in, or quit your Place: Difpatch, or elfe that Rafcal || Northey, Will undertake to do it for thee:

And,

* A Bundle of Rods, of small Sticks, carried before the Confuls at Rome.

ROBERT, Earl of OXFORD.

$ Lord Chancellor.

Sir EDWARD NORTHEY, Attorney.General, brought in by the Lord HARCOURT; yet very defirous of the Great Seal.

And, be affur'd, the Court will find him
Prepar'd to leap o'er Sticks, or bind 'em.

To make the Bundle ftrong and safe,
Great Ormonde lend thy Gen'ral's Staff;
And, if the Crofier could be cramm'd in,
A Fig for Lechmere, King, and Hambden.
You'll then defy the strongest Whig,
With both his Hands to bend a Twig;
Though with united Strength they all pull:
From * Somers down to † Craigs and § Walpole.

Lord SOMERS, who had been, at different Times, Lord Chancellor, and Prefident of the Council.

+ Who hath fince been Secretary of State.

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The great Minister who was in chief Power a very longTime.

HORACE.

Epiftle VII. Book I.

Imitated, and addressed to the Earl of OXFORD, in the Year 1713.

HARLEY, the Nation's great Support,

Returning home one Day from Court;

(His Mind with publick Cares poffeft,

All Europe's Bus❜ness in his Breast)

1 Strenuus & fortis, caufifque Philippus agendis

Clarus, ab officiis octavam circiter horam

Dum redit.

I

Obferv'd

Obferv'd a Parson near Whitehall,
Cheap'ning old Authors on a Stall.
The Priest was pretty well in Cafe,
And fhew'd fome Humour in his Face à
Look'd with an easy, careless Mien,
A perfect Stranger to the Spleen:
Of Size, that might a Pulpit fill,
But more inclining to fit ftill.
My Lord, who (if a Man may say't)
Loves Mischief better than his Meat,
Was now difpos'd to crack a Jeft;
And bid Friend Lewis go in queft;
(This Lewis is an arrant Shaver,
And very much in HARLEY'S Favour;)
In queft, who might this Parson be;
What was his Name, of what Degree!
If poffible to learn his Story;
And whether he were Whig or Tory?

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LEWIS his Patron's Humour knows,

Away upon his Errand goes;

And quickly did the Matter fift:
Found out, that this was Dr. St:

25

A Clergyman, of fpecial Note,

For fhunning those of his own Coat;

Confpexit, aut aiunt,

Adrafum quendam vacuâ tonforis in umbrâ
Cultello proprios purgantem leniter ungues.
15. Demetri (puer hic non læve juffa Philippi

Accipiebat) abi, quære, & refer: Unde domo, quis,
Cujus fortunæ, quo fit Patre, quóve Patrono ?

Which

23, 25. Et, redit, & narrat; Volteium nomine Mænam.

Which made his Brethren of the Gown,
Take Care betimes to run him down.

No Libertine, nor over nice;

Addicted to no Sort of Vice;

Went where he pleas'd, faid what he thought;
Not rich; but ow'd no Man a Groat.

In State-Opinions A-la-mode;

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3.5

He hated Wharton like a Toad;

Had giv❜n the Faction many a Wound,

And libell'd all the Junta round :

Kept Company with Men of Wit,
Who often father'd what he writ:

40

His Works were hawk'd in ev'ry Street,
But feldom rofe above a Sheet:

Did very

Of late, indeed, the Paper-Stamp

much his Genius cramp:

And, fince he could not spend his Fire,
He now intended to retire.

45

SAID Harley, I defire to know From his own Mouth, if this be fo: Step to the Doctor ftraight, and fay,

I'd have him dine with me to Day,

50

St feem'd to wonder what he meant,

Nor would believe my Lord had fent;
VOL. II.

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31.

-Tenui cenfu, fine crimine notum,

Et properare loco, & ceffare, & quærere, & uti,
Gaudentem.-

47. Scitari libet ex ipfo quodcunque refers. Dic Ad cœnam veniat. Non fane credere Mana; Mirare fecum tacitus.

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