A FAREWELL TO LONDON.

IN THE YEAR 1715.

DEAR, damn'd, diftracting town, farewell!

Thy fools no more I'll teize: This year in peace, ye critics, dwell, Ye harlots, fleep at ease!

To drink and droll be Rowe allow'd
Till the third watchman's toll;
Let Jervafe gratis paint, and Frowde
Save three-pence and his foul.

Farewell Arbuthnot's raillery
On every learned fot;

And Garth, the best good Chriftian he,
Altho' he knows it not.

Lintot, farewell! thy bard muft go;
Farewell, unhappy Tonfon!
Heaven gives thee for thy lofs of Rowe,
Lean Philips*, and fat Johnfont.

NOTES.

Why

Elsewhere called "Macer."

+ Probably the friend of Wilkes; he wrote fixteen dramatic pieces of indifferent merit. See Cibber's Life.

Why should I stay? Both parties* rage;
My vixen mistress † fqualls;
The wits in envious feuds engage:
And Homer (damn him!) calls.

The love of arts lies cold and dead
In Hallifax's urn;

And not one Muse of all he fed,
Has yet the grace to mourn.

My friends, by turns, my friends confound,
Betray, and are betray'd:

Poor Yrs fold for fifty pounds,

And B Il is a jade.

---

Why make I friendships with the great,
When I no favour feek?

Still idle, with a busy air,

Deep whimfies to contrive

The gayeft valetudinaire,

Most thinking rake alive.

Solicitous

NOTES.

Whigs, and Tories; or rather the Jacobites: for this was written the year of the rebellion.

+ I think he means Terefa Blount, his first flame, who never would fubmit to his jealoufies and humours.

3

Solicitous for other ends,

Tho' fond of dear repofe; Careless or drowsy* with my friends, And frolick with my foes.

Luxurious lobster-nights, farewell †,
For fober, ftudious days!
And Burlington's delicious meal,
For fallads, tarts, and pease!

NOTES.

He is faid once to have fallen asleep at his own table, when the Prince of Wales was in company.

And now farewell each dainty difb,
With fundry forts of fugar'd wine!
Farewell, I fay, fine flesh and fish,

To please this dainty mouth of mine!
I now, alas! must leave all these,

And make good cheer with bread and cheese!

It is curious that Nicholas Breton, an obfcure writer of verses 1577, makes nearly the fame complaint in his Poem called "Farewell to Town." See Ellis' Specimens, vol. ii. page 270.

Adieu

"In fpight of fears, of mercy fpight,
My genius ftill must rail, and write.

Hafte to thy Twick'nham's fafe retreat,
And mingle with the grumbling great ;
There, half devour'd by fpleen, you'll find
The rhyming bubbler of mankind;

There (objects of our mutual hate)
We'll ridicule both church and state."

Сс

VOL. 11.

Warton had here introduced, as Pope's, an abusive addrefs to Bolingbroke; I have omitted it, because I cannot think Pope would write these lines of himself:

386

Adieu to all but Gay alone

Whose foul, fincere and free, Loves all mankind, but flatters none, And fo may ftarve with me.

MISCELLANIES.

NOTES.

66

Gay was the favourite of Pope, and was received into his utmost confidence; a friendship was formed between them, which lasted to their feparation by death. JOHNSON.

He mentions Gay again, in his Prologue to the Satires, verse 256, with all the pathetic fenfibility of the tenderest friendship, in ftrains of supreme excellence :

-They left me GAY;
Left me to fee neglected Genius bloom,
Neglected die, and tell it on his tomb;
Of all thy blameless life the fole return

My verfe, and QUEENSB'RY weeping o'er thy urn!"

WAKEFIELD.

The following Lines were fung by Durastanti when
She took her leave of the English Stage. The Words
were in Hafte put together by Mr. POPE, at the
Requeft of the Earl of PETERBOROW.

G

ENEROUS, gay, and gallant nation,
Bold in arms, and bright in arts;
Land fecure from all invasion,

All but Cupid's gentle darts!
From your charms, oh who would run?
Who would leave you for the fun?

Happy foil, adieu, adieu!

Let old charmers yield to new.

In arms, in arts, be ftill more fhining;

All your joys be still encreasing;

All your tastes be still refining;

All your jars for ever ceasing:

But let old charmers yield to new :-
Happy foil, adieu, adieu!

NOTES.

• Duraftanti was brought to England by Handel, to fing at the Opera, 1721. She was fo great a favourite at Court, that the King stood godfather to one of her children.