SINCE this following poem in a manner stole into the world, I could not be surprised to find it uncorrect: though I can no more fay I was a ftranger to its coming abroad, than that I approved of the publisher's precipitation in doing it for a hurry in the execution generally produces a leifure in reflection; fo when we run the fafteft, we ftumble the ofteneft. However, the errors of the printer have not been greater than the candour of the reader and if : could but say the fame of the defects of the author, he would need no justification against the cavils of fome furious critics, who, I am fure, would have been better pleafed if they had met with more faults.

Their grand objection is, that the fury difeafe is an improper machine to recite characters, and recommend the example of prefent writers: but though I had the authority of fome Greek and Latin poets, upon parallel inftances, to juftify the defign; yet that I might not introduce any thing that feemed inconfiftent, or hard, I started this objection myself, to a gentleman, very remarkable in this fort of criticism, who would by no means allow that the contrivance was forced, or the conduct incongruous.

Difcafe is reprefented a fury as well as Envy: fhe is imagined to be forced by an incantation from her recefs; and, to be revenged on the exorcift, mortifies him with an introduction of feveral perfons eminent in an accomplishment he has made fome advances in.

Nor is the compliment lefs to any great genius mentioned there; fince a very fiend, who naturally repines at any excellency, is forced to confefs how happily they have all fucceeded.

Their next objection is, that I have imitated the Lutrin of Monfieur Boileau. I must own, I am proud of the imputation; unless their quarrel be, that I have not done it enough: but he that will give himself the trouble of examining, will find I have copied him in nothing but in two or three lines in the complaint of Moleffe, Canto II. and in one in his first canto; the fenfe of which line is entirely his, and I could wish it were not the only good one in mine.

I have spoke to the most material objections ! have heard of, and shall tell these gentlemen, that for every fault they pretend to find in this poem, I will undertake to fhew them two. One of thefe curious perfons does me the honour to say, he approves of the conclufion of it; but I fuppofe it is upon no other reafon, but because it is the conclufion. However, I fhould not be much concerned not to be thought excellent in an amusement I have very little practifed hitherto, nor perhaps ever fhall again.

Reputation of this fort is very hard to be got, and very eafy to be loft; its purfuit is painful, and its poffeffion unfruitful; nor had I ever attempted any thing in this kind, till finding the animofities among the members of the College of Physicians increafing daily (notwithstanding the frequent exhortations of our worthy prefident to the contrary), I was perfuaded to attempt fomething of this nature, and to endeavour to rally fone of our difaffected members into a fenfe of their duty, who have hitherto moft obftinately oppofed all manner of union; and have continued to upreafonably refractory, that it was thought fit by the College, to reinforce the obfervance of the ftatutes by a bond, which fome of them would not comply with, though none of them had refufed the ceremony of the customary oath; like fome that will trust their wives with any body, but their money with none. I was forry to find there could be any conftitution that was not to be cured without poifon, and that there fhould be a profpect of effecting it by a lefs grateful method than reason and perfuafion.

The original of this difference has been of fome ftanding, though it did not break out to fury and excefs, until the time of erecting the Difpenfary, for the being an apartment in the college, fet up relief of the fick poor, and managed eyer fince with an integrity and difinterest suitable to fo charitable a defign.

If any perfon would be more fully informed about the particulars of fo pious a work, I refer him to a treatise, set forth by the authority of the prefident and cenfors, in the year 1697. It is called,

TO DR. GARTH,

UPON THE

DISPENSARY.

On that fome genius whofe poetic vein
Like Montague's could a just piece sustain,
Would search the Grecian and the Latin ftore,
And thence present thee with the purest ore:
In lafting numbers praife thy whole defign,
And manly beauty of each nervous line:
Shew how your pointed fatire's sterling wit,
Does only knaves or formal blockheads hit;
Who're gravely dull, infipidly ferene,
And carry all their wildom in their mien;
Whom thus expos'd, thus ftripp'd of their disguise,
None will again admire, moft will defpife!
Shew in what noble verse Naffau you fing,
How fuch a poet's worthy fuch a king!
When Somers' charming eloquence you praife,
How loftily your tuneful voice you raife!
But my poor feeble mufe is as unfit

To praife, as imitate what you have writ.
Artists alone fhould venture to commend
What Dennis can't condemn, nor D. yden mend:
What muft, writ with that fire and with that ease,
The beaux, the ladies, and the critics, pleafe.
C. BOYLE.

TO

MY FRIEND THE AUTHOR, DESIRING MY OPINION OF HIS POEM.

Ask me not, friend, what I approve or blame;
Perhaps I know not why I like, or damn;
I can be pleas'd; and I dare own I am.
I read thee over with a lover's eye;
Thou haft no faults, or I no faults can fpy;
Thou art all beauty, or all blindness 1.
Critics and aged beaux of fancy chafte,
Who ne'er had fire, or else whofe fire is past,

Muft judge by rules what they want force to

tale.

I would a poet, like a mistress, try,
Not by her hair, her hand, her nose, her eye;
But by fome nameless power, to give me joy.
The nymph has Grafton's, Cecil's, Churchill's
charms,

If with refiftless fires my foul fhe warms,
With balm upon her lips, and raptures in her arms.
Such is thy genius, and fuch art is thine,
Some fecret magic works in every line;
We judge not, but we feel the power divine.
Where all is juft, is beauteous, and is fair,
Distinctions vanish of peculiar air.

Loft in our pleasure, we enjoy in you
Lucretius, Horace, Sheffield, Montague.
And yet 'tis thought, fome critics in this town,
By rules to all, but to themfelves, unknown,
Will damn thy verse, and justify their own.
Why let them damn: were it not wondrous hard
Facetious Mirmil* and the city bard,

So near ally'd in learning, wit, and skill,
Should not have leave to judge, as well as kill?
Nay, let them write; let them their forces join,
And hope the motley piece may rival thine.
Safely defpife their malice, and their toil,
Which vulgar ears alone will reach, and will
defile.

Be it thy generous pride to pleafe the beft,
Whofe judgment, and whofe friendship, is a teft.
With learned Hans thy healing cares be join'd;
Search thoughtful Ratcliffe to his inmoft mind;
Unite, reftore your arts, and fave mankind:
Whilst all the busy Mirmils of the town
Envy our health, and pine away their own.
Whene'er thou would'st a tempting mufe engage:
Judicious Walth can best direct her rage.
To Summers and to Dorfet too fubmit,
And let their stamp immortalize thy wit.
| Confenting Phoebus bows, if they approve,
And ranks thee with the foremost bards above,
Whilst these of right the deathlefs laurel fend,
Be it my humble bufinefs to commend
The faithful, honest man, and the well-natur'd
friend.

ΤΟ

MY FRIEND DR. GARTH,

THE AUTHOR OF THE DISPENSARY.

To praise your healing art would be in vain;
The health you give, prevents the poet's pen.
Sufficiently confirm'd is your renown,
And I but fill the chorus of the town.
That let me wave, and only now admire
The dazzling rays of your poetic fire :
Which its diffufive virtue does dispense,
In flowing verfe, and elevated sense.
The town, which long has fwallow'd foolish
Which poetafters every where rehearse,
Will mend their judgment now, refine their taste,
And gather up th' applause they threw in waste.
The play-house fhan't encourage false fublime,
Abortive thoughts, with decoration-1 byme.

[verfe,

The fatire of vile fcribblers fhall appear On none, except upon themfelves, fevere: While yours contemns the gall of vulgar fpite; And when you seem to fmile the most, you bite. THO. CHEEK.

ΤΟ

MY FRIEND,

UPON THE DISPENSARY.

As when the people of the northern zone Find the approach of the revolving fun,

Pleas'd and reviv'd, they fee the new-born light,

And dread no more eternity of night:

Thus we, who lately, as of fummer's heat,
Have felt a dearth of poetry and wit,
Once fear'd, Apollo would return no more
From warmer climes to an ungrateful fhore.
But you, the favourite of the tuneful nine,
Have made the god in his full luftre fhine;
Our night have chang'd into a glorious day;
And reach'd perfection in your first effay.
So the young eagle, that his force would try,
Faces the fun, and towers it to the fky.

Others proceed to art by flow degrees,
Aukward at firft, at length they faintly pleafe;
And ftill, whate'er their firft efforts produce,
'Tis an abortive, or an infant mufe:
Whilft yours, like Pallas, from the head of Jove,
Steps out full-grown, with nobleft pace to move.
What ancient poets to their fubjects owe,
Is here inverted, and this owes to you:
You found it little, but have made it great,
They could defcribe, but you alone create.

Now let your mufe rife with expanded wings, To fing the fate of empires and of kings; Great William's victories fhe'll next rehearse, And raise a trophy of immortal verse : Thus to your art proportion the defign, And mighty things with mighty numbers join, A fecond Namur, or a future Boyne.

H. BLOUNT.

i