10

And Gold but fént to keep the Fools in play, 5.
For some to heap, and some to throw away.

But I, who think more highly of our kind,
(And surely, Heav'n and I are of a mind)
Opine, that Nature, as in duty bound,
Deep hid the shining mischief under ground:
But when by Man's audacious labour won,
Flam'd forth this rival to, its Sire, the Sun,
Then careful Heav'n supply'd two forts of Men,
To squander Thefe, and Those to hide agen.

Like Doctors thus, when niuch dispute has past, We find our tenets just the same at last.

16 Both fairly owning, Riches, in effect, No grace of Heav'n or token of th' Elect; Giv'n to the Fool, the Mad, the Vain, the Evil, To Ward, to Waters, Chartres, and the Devil.

20

VER. 20. John WARD, of Hackney, Esq; Member of Parliament, being prosecuted by the Duchess of Buckingham, and convicted of Forgery, was first expelled the House, and then stood in the Pillory on the 17th of March 1727. He was fuspected of joining in a conveyance with Sir John Blunt, to secrete fifty thousand pounds of that Director's Eftaie, forfeited to the South Sea company by Act of Parliament. The Company recovered the fift, thoufard pounds against Ward; but he set up prior conveyances of his real estate to his brother and son, and concealed all his personal, which was computed to be one hundred and fifty thousand pounds. There conveyances being also set aside by a bill in Chancery, Ward was imprisoned, and hazarded the forfeiture of his life, by not giving in his effects 'till the last day, which was that of his examination. During his confinement, his amusement was to give poison to dogs and cats, and see them expire

8. What Nature wants, commodious Geld bestows;

'Tis thus we eat the bread another fows.

by nower or quicker torments. To sum up the worth of this gentleman, at the several æra's of his life. At his standing in the Pillory he was worth above two bundred obousand pounds; at his commitment to Prison, he was wortb one buna dred and fifty thousand; but has been since so far diminished in his reputations as to be thought a worse man'by' fifty or fixty tboufand.

Fr. CHARTRES, a man infamous for all manner of vices. When he was an ensign in the army, he was drummed out of the regiment for a cheat'; he was next banished Brussels, and drummed out of Ghent on the same account. After a huna dred tricks at the gaming-tables, he took to lending of money at exorbitant interest and on great penalties, accumulating premium, interest, and capital into a new capital, and seizing to a minute when the payments became due ; in a word, by a constant attention to the vices, wants, and foll es of mankind, he acquired an immenfe fortvne. His house was a perpetual Bawdy-house. He was twice condemned for rapes, and pardoned; but the last time not without imprironment in Newgate, and large confiscations. He died in Scotland in 1731, aged 62. The populace at his funeral raised a great riot, almost tore the body out of the coftin, and cast dead dogs, etc. into the grave along with it. The following Epitaph contains his character very justly drawn by, Dr. Arbuthnot:

HER'E continueth to rot*
The Body of FRANCIS CHARTRES,
Who, with an INFLEXIBLE CONSTANCY,
and INIMITABLE UNIFORMITY of Life,

PERSISTED,
In spite of Age and INFIRMITIES,
In the Practice of Every HUMAN Vice';

Excepting PRODIGALITY and HyPOCRISY :
His insatiable AVARICE exempted him from the first,

P. But how unequal it bestows, observe,

'Tis thus we riot, while, who low it, starve :

His matchlefs IMPYDENCE from the second.

Nor was ke more singular
im ţhe undeviating Pravity of his Manners,

Than fuccessful
in Accumulating WEALTH ;
For, without TRĄDe or PROFESSION,

Without Trust of PUBLIC MONEY,
And without BRIBE-WORTHY Service,
My acquired, or more properly created,

A MINISTERIAL ESTATE.

He was the only Perfon of his Time, Who could CHEAT without the Mask of HONESTY,

Retain his Primeyal MEANNESS
When possessed of TEN THOUSAND a Year,
And having daily deserved the ĠIBBET for what he did,
Was at last condemned to it for what he could not doing

Oh Indignant Reader !
Think not his Life useless to Mankind !
PROVIDENCE connived at his execrable Deligns,

To give to After-ages
A conspicuous Proof and EXAMPLE,
Of how fmall Estimation is EXORBITANT WEALTH

in the Sight of GOD, By his bestowing it on the most UNWORTHY of ALL MOR TALSO

This gentleman was worth seven thoufand pounds a year estate, in Land, and about one hundred thousand in Money.

Mr. WATERS, the third of these worthies, was a man no way resembling the former in his military, but ex. tremely ro in his civil capacity; his great fortune having been raised by the like diligent attendance on the necessities of others. But this gentleman's history must be deferred till his death, when his wortda may b: known more certainly.

What Nature wants (a phrafe I much distruft) 25
Extends to Luxury, extends to Luft;
Useful, I grant, it serves what life requires,

But dreadful too, the dark Assassin hires :
B. Trade it may help, Society extend.
P. But lures the Pyrate, and corrupts the Friend. 30
B. It raises Armies in a Nation's aid,
P. But bribes a Senate, and the Land's betray'd.
In vain

may Heroes fight, and Patriots rave ; If secret gold fap on from knave to knave. Once, we confefs, beneath the Patriet's cloak, 35 From the crack'd bag the dropping Guinea spoke, And jingling down the back-stairs, told the crew, “ Old Cato is as great a Rogue as you.” Bleft paper-credit ! last and best fupply ! That lends Corruption lighter wings to fly!

40 Gold imp'd by thee, can compass hardest things, Can pocket States, can fetch or carry Kings;

Ver. 34. If secret Gold rap on from knave to knave.] The expresfion is fine, and gives us the image of a place invested, where the approaches are made by communications which support each other ; as the connections among knaves, after they have been taken in by a state engineer, serve to screen and encourage one another's private corruptions.

beneath the Patriot's cloak,] This is a true story, which happened in the reign of William III. to an unsuspected old Patriot, who coming out at the back-door from having been closeted by the King, where he had re. ceived a large bag of Guineas, the bursting of the bag discovered his business there.

Ver. 52. — fetch or carry Kings ;] In our author's time,

VER. 35