Chesterfield exhibited a “statuary wit” which Pope despised, when the statue of Nash was placed, a full length, between the busts of Newton and Pope himself. The epigram is well known, but it is worth repeating:—
“This statue placed the busts between,
Adds to the satire strength;
Wisdom and Wit are little seen,
But Folly at full length.”
This is neat, and also original. The idea was applied by the Paris wits in an epigram on the group in Paris which represented the equestrian figure of Louis XV. on a pedestal, the angles of the upper slab of which were supported by bronze caryatides, representing Faith, Temperance, Prudence, and Justice. The cardinal virtues thus placed gave good point to the epigram, which said:—
“Oh, la belle statue! le beau piédestal!
Les Vertus sont à pied, le Vice est à cheval!”
As long as Nash exhibited splendour in his outward man, the public homage never failed him. Literary musicians, literary cooks, and biographical highwaymen dedicated their works to him. Was he sick? the entire army of poetasters invoked the Muse to give him ease. For all of which they looked for their respective guineas.
He had too another set of worshipers, who used to congregate about him at his favourite tavern, to listen to his favourite stories,—few and not well told,—to which they had listened till they could themselves have narrated them backwards. He recounted them ever à propos des bottes, and he was the hero of every one of them. Therein he shows as outdoing Fortunatus and all his servants. He was the swiftest runner, the most expert swimmer, the best swordsman, and—“Upon my soul, it’s true! D—n me! hem! egad!”