Trifles ... with several others, not more Considerable. The second edition. By R. Dodsley |
 | I. |
ON Good and Ill-Nature. |
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| II. |
 | Trifles |  |
ON Good and Ill-Nature.
To Mr. Pope.
In virtue's cause to draw a daring pen,
Defend the good, encounter wicked men:
Freely to praise the virtues of the few,
And boldly censure the degenerate crew.
To scorn, with equal justice, to deride
The poor man's worth, or sooth the great one's pride;
All this was once good-nature thought, not ill;
Nay, some there are so odd to think so still.
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Are with new virtue, new politeness grac'd.
Good-nature now has chang'd her honest face,
For smiling flattery, compliment, grimace:
Fool grins at fool, each coxcomb owns his brother,
And thieves and sharpers compliment each other.
To such extent good-nature now is spread,
To be sincere is monstrously ill-bred:
An equal brow to all is now the vogue,
And complaisance goes round from rogue to rogue.
If this be good—'tis gloriously true,
The most ill-natur'd man alive, is YOU.
| Trifles | |