LETTER to Sir GEORGE ETHEREDGE.
O you who live in chill degree,
As map informs, of fifty-three,
And do not much for cold atone,
By bringing thither fifty-one,
Methinks all climes should be alike,
From tropic e'en to pole artique ;
Since you have such a constitution
As no where suffers diminution.
You can be old in grave debate,
And young in love-affairs of state;
And both to wives and husbands show
The vigor of a plenipo.
Like mighty miffioner you come
"Ad Partes Infidelium."
A work of wond'rous merit fure,
So far to go, so much t'endure;
And all to preach to German dame,
Where found of Cupid never came.
Less had you done, had you been fent
As far as Drake or Pinto went,
For cloves or nutmegs to the line-a,
Or e'en for oranges to China.
That had indeed been charity;
Where love-fick ladies helpless lie,
Chapt, and for want of liquor dry.
But you have made your zeal appear
Within the circle of the Bear.
What region of the earth's so dull,
That is not of your labors full?
Triptolemus (so sung the Nine)
Strew'd plenty from his cart divine.
But spite of all these fable-makers,
He never fow'd on Almain acres :
No, that was left by fate's decree,
To be perform'd and sung by thee.
Thou break'ft thro forms with as much ease
As the French king thro articles,
In grand affairs thy days are spent,
In waging weighty compliment,
With fuch as monarchs reprefent.
They, whom such vast fatigues attend,
Want fome foft minutes to unbend,
To shew the world that now and then
Great ministers ar mortal men.
Then Rhenish rummers walk the round;
In bumpers ev'ry king is crown'd;
Besides three holy mitred Hectors,
And the whole college of Electors.
No health of potentate is funk,
That pays to make his envoy drunk,
These Dutch delights, I mention'd last,
Suit not, I know, your English taste :
For wine to leave a whore or play
Was ne'er your excellency's way.
Nor need this title give offence,
For here you were your excellence,
For gaming, writing, speaking, keeping,
His excellence for all but fleeping.
Now if you tope in form, and treat,
'Tis the four fauce to the fsweet meat,
The fine you pay for being great.
Nay, here's a harder impofition,
Which is indeed the court's petition,
That setting worldly pomp afide,
Which poet has at font deny'd,
You would be pleas'd in humble way
To write a trifle call'd a Play.
This truly is a degradation,
But would oblige the crown and nation
Next to your wife negotiation.
For cloves or nutmegs to the line-a,
Or e'en for oranges to China.
That had indeed been charity;
Where love-fick ladies helpless lie,
Chapt, and for want of liquor dry.
But you have made your zeal appear
Within the circle of the Bear.
What region of the earth's so dull,
That is not of your labors full?
Triptolemus (so sung the Nine)
Strew'd plenty from his cart divine.
But spite of all these fable-makers,
He never fow'd on Almain acres :
No, that was left by fate's decree,
To be perform'd and sung by thee.
Thou break'ft thro forms with as much ease
As the French king thro articles,
In grand affairs thy days are spent,
In waging weighty compliment,
With fuch as monarchs reprefent.
They, whom such vast fatigues attend,
Want fome foft minutes to unbend,
To shew the world that now and then
Great minifters ar mortal men.
Then Rhenish rummers walk the round;
In bumpers ev'ry king is crown'd;
Besides three holy mitred Hectors,
And the whole college of Electors.
No health of potentate is funk,
That pays to make his envoy drunk.
These Dutch delights, I mention'd last,
Suit not, I know, your English taste :
For wine to leave a whore or play
Was ne'er your excellency's way.
Nor need this title give offence,
For here you were your excellence,
For gaming, writing, speaking, keeping,
His excellence for all but fleeping.
Now if you tope in form, and treat,
'Tis the four fauce to the sweet meat,
The fine you pay for being great.
Nay, here's a harder impofition,
Which is indeed the court's petition,
That setting worldly pomp afide,
Which poet has at font deny'd,
You would be pleas'd in humble way
To write a trifle call'd a Play.
This truly is a degradation,
But would oblige the crown and nation
Next to your wife negotiation.
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