Pope - 1906 Author:Alexander Pope Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SATIRES AND EPISTLES. To Mr. Fortescue. (horace, i Sat. i.) ADVERTISEMENT. The occasion of publishing these Imitations was the clamour rais'd on some of ... more »my Epistles. An answer from Horace was both more full, and of more dignity, than any I could have made in my own person ; and the example of much greater freedom in so eminent a divine as Dr. Donne, seem'd a proof with what indignation and contempt a Christian may treat vice or folly, in ever so low, or ever so high a station. Both these authors were acceptable to the princes and ministers under whom they lived. The Satires of Dr. Donne I versified, at the desire of the Earl of Oxford, while he was Lord Treasurer, and of the Duke of Shrewsbury, who had been Secretary of State; neither of whom look'd upon a satire on vicious courts as any reflection on those they serv'd in. And indeed there is not in the world a greater error, than that which fools are so apt to fall into, and knaves with good reason to encourage, the mistaking a satirist for a libeller; whereas to a true satirist nothing is so odious as a libeller, for the same reason as to a man truly virtuous nothing is so hateful as a hypocrite. Uni acquus virtuti atque ejus amicis. HERE are, I scarce can think it, but am told, There are, to whom my satire seems too bold : Scarce to wise Peter complaisant enough, And something said of Chartres much too rough. The lines are weak, another's pleas'd to say, Lord Fanny spins a thousand such a day. Tim'rous by nature, of the rich in awe, I come to counsel learned in the law: You'll give me, like a friend both sage and free, Advice; and, as you use, without a fee. 10 F. I'd write no more. P. Not write? but then I think, And for my soul I cannot sleep a wink. I nod in company, I wake at night, Fools ru...« less