University of Virginia Library

Scriblerian Epigrams

On Mr Pope drawing D: Swifts Picture.

One authour has anothers head begun
Lett no man say it might be better don
For since they both are Witts Ime very glad
To find he has not drawn him twice as bad.

After the French Manner

As Pope who gathers mony to translate
With Gay the Shepheard Writer mett of late.
Says Pope, your Ecclogues wont come out wth speed
For Phillips to reprieve him Tonson feed.
Indeed the story may be true, says Gay,
For Your Subscriptions give him powr to pay.

A Impromptu like Martial.

Gays gon out early, how comes it to pass?
Not that he has buisness, but thinks that he has

On a certain Poets Judgement between Mr Pope & Mr Philips don in an Italian air

Upon a time, and in a place,
With Pan Apollo playd,
Grave Midas sat to Judge ye case,
And Pan ye Victour made.
The Rustick to his Fauns withdrew;
Whilst on ye silver wing
Sweet Phœbus for Parnassus flew
To hear his Homer sing.
Yet ere he went to Midas said,
Ile fitt you for your Jears,
So took two leaves from off his head,
And stuck them in his ears.
Tis hence he thinks the bays his own,
And hence it comes to pass
That as we think his ears are grown
We sooner find the Ass.

To Mistress ------.

Hadst thou but livd before ye Gods were dead
That Heathens ownd ye world might thus have said.
“If any settled seat ye Muses use
“Thou art that seat or art thy self a Muse.

On Platina Prosperus Spiriteus

The Man whose Judgement Joynd with force of Witt
The lives of Popes & lives of Heroes writt
Who sung true Pleasure showd ye Golden mean
And taught Wild Youth to shun ye Lovers pain
Who wrote all this—Who more than this designd
All fine impressions of Celestial mind
That Man that Platina so lately fled
From earth to silent Darkness is not dead
Evn Death is here restraind ye stroke he gives
has killd the man ye Writer ever lives.

Jac: Faber Stapul: by J: Scaliger.

a Nations praise thine ample glory be
or let the Nation find its praise in thee.

By Simon Vallambert. Erasmus

Here Great Erasmus resteth all of thine
That Death can touch or Monument confine
Thy Hope and Virtue soard ye lofty sky
Round ye wide world thy Fame & Knowledge fly
Those meet rewards above and these below.
Thus seek Erasmus. What has Death to show?

[Once Pope under Jevais resolvd to adventure]

Once Pope under Jevais resolvd to adventure
& from a Good Poet Pope turnd an ill painter
So from a Good Painter Charles Jervais we hope
May turn an ill Poet by living with Pope
Then Each may perform the true parts of a friend
While each will have something to blame or commend

out of Greek

The things that Mortals love are mortal too
& swiftly transient fleet before the view
Or if with man a longer while they stay
Man swiftly transient fleets himself away.

An Epitaph desird on one Wheeler

My name is Wheeler here I ly
Because I happend for to dy
life wheeld me in death wheeld me out
how strangely things are wheeld about.