ri 2 Miscellaneous Poems - .

For tho’ in many Things they grofly fail,

Over our Passions still they, so prevail,

That our own Grief by theirs is rock’d asleep;

The Dull are forc’d to feel, the Wife to weep.

Their Beauties imitate,. avoid their Faults.

First on a Plot employ thy careful Thoughts;.

Turn it with Time a thousand several Ways:

This oft alone has giv’n Success to Plays.

Reject that vulgar Error, which appearsSo fair, of making perfect Characters:

There’s no such Thing in Nature, and you’ll drawA faultless Monster, which the World ne’er saw.Some Faults must be, that his Misfortunes drew,

But such as may deserve Compassion too.

Besides the main Design compos’d with Art,

Each moving Scene must be a Plot apart.

Contrive each little Turn, mark ev’ry Place,

As Painters first chaulk out the future Face :

Yet be not fondly your own Slave for this;

But change hereafter what appears amiss.

Think not so much where shining Thoughts to place,As what a Man would fay in such a Cafe.

Neither in Comedy will this suffice,

The Player too, must be before your Eyes ;

And tho’ ’tis Drudgery to stoop so low,

To him you must your utmost Meaning show.

Expose no single Fop ; but lay the LoadMore equally, and spread the Folly broad.

The other Way is vulgar; oft we feeThe Fool derided by as bad as he..

Hawks fly at noble Game ; in this low Way .

A very Owl may prove a Bird of Prey.

Ill Poets so, will one poer Fop devour;

But to collect, like Bees, from ev’ry Flow’s,Ingredients to compose that precious Juice,

Which serves the World for Pleasure and for Use,

In