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The great and small but rarely mect

On terms of amity complete,

Plebeians muft surrender,

And yield so much to noble folk,
It is combining fire with fmoke,
Obfcurity with splendour.

Some are so placid and ferene
(As Irish bogs are always green)
They fleep secure from waking
And are indeed a bog, that bears
Your unparticipated cares

Unmoved and without quaking.

Courtier and patriot cannot mix
Their heterogeneous politics

Without an effervescence,

Like that of falts with lemon juice, Which does not yet like that produce A friendly coalefcence.

Religion should extinguish ftrife,
And make a calm of human life;

But friends that chance to differ

On points, which God has left at large, How freely will they meet and charge No combatants are stiffer!

To prove at laft

my main intent

Needs no expence of argument,

No cutting and contriving-
Seeking a real friend we feem

To adopt the chymifts golden dream,
With ftill lefs hope of thriving.

Sometimes the fault is all our own,
Some blemish in due time made Know
By trefpafs or omiffion;
Sometimes occafion brings to light
Our friend's defect long hid from fight,
And even from fufpicion.

Then judge yourself, and prove your man. As circumfpectly as you can,

And having made election, Beware no negligence of yours, Such as a friend but ill endures,

Enfeeble his affection.

That fecrets are a facred truft,

That friends fhould be fincere and juft,
That conftancy befits them,

Are obfervations on the cafe,

That favour much of common place,

And all the world admits them.

But 'tis not timber, lead, and ftone,
An architect requires alone

To finish a fine building

The palace were but half complete,

If he could poffibly forget

The carving and the gilding.

The man that hails you Tom or Jack,
And proves by thumps upon your back
How he esteems your merit,

Is fuch a friend, that one had need
Be very much his friend indeed

To pardon or to bear it.

As fimilarity of mind,

Or fomething not to be defined,
Firft fixes our attention;

So manners decent and polite,
The fame we practifed at firft fight,
Muft fave it from declenfion.

Some act upon this prudent plan,
"Say little and hear all you can."
Safe policy, but hateful—

So barren fands imbibe the shower,
But render neither fruit nor flower,
Unpleasant and ungrateful.

The man I truft, if shy to me,
Shall find me as referved as he,
No fubterfuge or pleading
Shall win my confidence again,
I will by no means entertain
A spy on my proceeding.

Thefe famples-for alas! at laft
These are but famples, and a tafte
Of evils yet unmentioned-
May prove the task à task indeed,
In which 'tis much if we fucceed
However well-intentioned.

Pursue the fearch, and you will find
Good fenfe and knowledge of mankind
To be at least expedient,
And after fumming all the reft,
Religion ruling in the breaft

A principal ingredient.

The nobleft Friendship ever fhewn
The Saviour's history makes known,

Though fome have turned and turned it ;
And whether being crazed or blind,
Or feeking with a biased mind,

Have not, it seems, difcerned it.

Oh Friendhip! if my foul forego

Thy dear delights while here below;
To mortify and grieve me,

Alay I myself at last appear
Unworthy, base, and infincere,
Or may my friend deceive me!

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