When me, you poorly, Vain Rich Friend! upbraid,
With my Debt to you, you your self have Paid:
When Benefactors grudge once their Good Deed,
From Obligations their Oblig'd are freed;
Boasting about, what thou hast done for me,
Thou pay'st thy self my Debt, else due to thee;
Your Pride, at my Fame's Cost, you gratifie,
In your own Coin, with your own Vanity;
You, (when my Gratitude you from me take,
By saying it, I for your Kindness lack;)
Become my Debtor, of my Creditor,
Make my Debt less your Boon, as boasted more;
Take, for your Base Pelf, my Good Name, away,
Which with more Money lent, you can't repay;
So, since thy Money I can't Pay to thee,
A better Thing, you for it, take from me;
For your Bad Debt, take away my Good Name,
Bring me to th' Punishment of Debtors Shame,
For Money lent me, rob me of my Fame;
Wrong to me, by grudg'd, boasted Kindness do,
More in my Debt, than I in yours to grow;
Then Satisfaction must I have from you,
For having wrong'd me with your Benefit,
Lent me, but to upbraid me more with it,
Till me you from all Obligation quit;
Your Love's Delay, seems but your base Distrust
Of me, that I shou'd to you prove unjust;
Wrong to my Faith, your Trusting me has done,
Since you your Diffidence in me have shown;
You, by your Censure of my Truth to you,
Cancel my Obligation to you so;
Upbraiding me with what y'ave done, you hint,
That of your Kindness done me, you repent;
Or, that I did not merit it from you,
By which I'm quit from all you did, or do
For me; nay since your Friendship you repent,
Or brag of, you forbid Acknowledgment;
By your grudg'd Kindness you have to me done,
You Rob me of your Honour, by your Loan,
Have giv'n me Credit, till you leave me none;
Who shou'd thy Boasted Kindness done to me,
In vain acknowledge to Mankind and thee;
Which you your self, to all Mankind made known,
To my Disparagement, as soon as done;
So gave me no Time to acknowledge it,
Who did, in Gratitude, my Thanks omit;
Since I, with more Thanks, had less Grateful grown,
To seem to think, you, but for Thanks alone,
The Kind Things, which you did for me, had done;
'Twere Ill to you, (for Good done me) to do,
'Twere thankfully, indeed, to injure you;
Thus I conceal'd your Kindness gratefully,
Lest that I shou'd offend your Modesty;
Since we the truly Generous repay,
But best, as least we of their Bounty say;
As much more sure is made that Benefit,
The less Thanks, or Praise, Donors seek for it,
Which when bragg'd of, th' Oblig'd, from Thanks are quit;
So you, by Bragging what you did for me,
Me, from my Obligation to you, free;
Since Bragging of your Generosity
To me, seems to suppose ungen'rously,
That I your Kindness done me, wou'd deny;
For when Men call the World to Witness, to
The Kind, Great, Good Things to their Friends they do,
Of their Friend's Gratitude they show Distrust,
Which then sure makes it Reas'nable, nay Just;
Such Kindness, but for Ostentation done,
Or Thanks, an Obligation is, on none,
Is thought, not for one's Friend's sake, but one's own;
For when we Reck'nings keep, for Kindness paid,
Our Generosity turns Selfish-Trade;
Reck'nings are only kept by Trucking Jews ,
Whose Gift their Selfishness, not Kindness shews,
Whose Good Deed, rather is their Trade, than Loan;
Not so much to their Friends Use, as their own;
A Bargain, rather than a Benefit,
Done but for more, that may be gain'd by it;
Since those Good Deeds most Mercenary seem,
Which we do Friends, not for Respect to them,
But to get by them all the World's Esteem;
When Benefits, we, like the Sun, shou'd do,
And like it, nothing of 'em seem to know,
To grow like it, by them more glorious so;
Not as the Lawyer, or Physician wou'd,
Who to Mankind, but selfishly do Good;
Estates, Lives, save for their own Livelihood.