To a Friend, who was pleased to approve of the Author's Snarlers and I MPARTIALIST .

Excuse me, 'tis my present Vein,
To amble in poetic Strain ;
The same to me, at any Time,
Whether I scribble Prose or Rhime;
Blunders in both you're sure to meet,
And therefore thus I choose to greet. —
Thanks for your Favour; — I must own,
I'm pleas'd my hectic Prose goes down;
It glads a Stripling's Heart to find,
These snarling Times, one candid Mind,
Who with a partial friendly Eye,
Surveys his first Attempts to fly:
And not like lurking, fell Reviews,
Who thunder out upon his Muse,
And think at once to strike her Mute,
Because she dares their Taste dispute; —
Nor cares to sacrifice her Right,
But thinks and acts from Reason's Light;
To swell these self-blown Bubbles , more
If possible, than heretofore.
Far otherwise, on Candour's Plan,
You judge most like an Englishman;
And think with me, that Lords of Lawn,
Richly deserve the Lash — our Scorn;
And that " Be-crested Villains " ought,
(Thanks for this happy, galling Thought)
To be expos'd to public View,
Label'd Hic niger, — Cave Tu:
'Tis Subject for a better Pen,
To stigmatize these flagrant Men,
I must confess; and yet I'll strive
To keep their Consciences alive:
Without an honest, wholesome Lash,
Lords would become such shameful Trash,
Scarce to be known from vulgar Kind;
And so degenerate in Mind —
But with a little friendly Hint,
Apply'd, repeated thus in Print,
May Act as worthy as they ought,
With ev'ry social Virtue fraught:
I trust they will — for proper Rhimes
Will mend the very worst of Times.
You know my Plan, allow it good —
Sincerely your's is U NDERWOOD .