His invocation thus begun : Parent of light, all-seeing Sun, Prolific beam, whose rays dispense The various gifts of Providence, Accept our praise, our daily prayer, Smile on our fields, and bless the year. A Cloud, who mock'd his grateful tongue, The day with sudden darkness hung: With pride and envy swell'd, aloud A voice thus thunder'd from the cloud. Weak is this gaudy God of thine, Whom I at will forbid to shine. Shall I nor vows nor incense know? Where praise is due, the praise bestow. With fervent zeal the Persian mov'd, Thus the proud calumny reprov'd:
It was that God, who claims my prayer, Who gave thee birth, and rais'd thee there: When o'er his beams the veil is thrown, Thy stibstance is but plainer shown. A passing gale, a puff of wind Dispels thy thickest troops combined. The gale arose; the vapour tost (The sport of winds) in air was lost; The glorious orb the day refines. Thus envy breaks, thus merit shines.
A FABLE.~~~~(GAY)
THOSE who in quarrels interpose Must often wipe a bloody nose.
A Mastiff, of true English blood, Lov'd fighting better than his food; When dogs were snarling for a bone, He long'd to make the war his own, And often found (when two contend) To interpose obtain'd his end. He glory'd in his limping pace; The scars of honour seam'd his face; In ev'ry limb a gash appears,
And frequent fights retrench'd his ears.
As, on a time, he heard from far Two dogs engag'd in noisy war, Away he scours, and lays about him, Resolv'd no fray should be without him. Forth from his yard a tanner flies, And to the bold intruder cries- A cudgel shall correct your manners: Whence sprung this cursed hate to tanners? While on my dog you vent your spite, Sirrah! 'tis me, you dare not bite. To see the battle thus perplex'd With equal rage a butcher, vex'd, Hoarse-screaming from the circled crowd, To the curs'd Mastiff cries aloud: Both Hockley-hole and Marybone The combats of my dog have known. He ne'er, like bullies coward-hearted, Attacks in public, to be parted.
Think not, rash fool, to share his fame;
Be his the honour or the shame.
Thus said, they swore, and rav'd like thunder; Then dragg'd their fasten'd dogs asunder; While clubs and kicks, from ev'ry side, Rebounded from the Mastiff's hide.
All reeking now with sweat and blood, A while the parted warriors stood, Then pour'd upon the meddling foe; Who, worried, howl'd and sprawl'd below. He rose; and limping from the fray, By both sides mangled, sneak'd away.
The TURKEY and the ANT.
A FABLE-(GAY)
IN other men we faults can spy,,
And blame the mote that dims their eye,, Each little speck and blemish find, To our own stronger errors blind..
A Turkey, tir'd of common food,. Forsook the barn and sought the wood; Behind her ran an infant-train,
Collecting here and there a grain.
Draw near, my birds, the mother cries, This hill delicious fare supplies; Behold the busy Negro race,
See, millions blacken all the place! Fear not.
Like me with freedom eat; An Ant is most delightful meat. How bless'd, how envy'd were our life, Could we but 'scape the poult'rer's knife! But man, curs'd man, on turkeys preys, And Christmas shortens all our days. Sometimes with oysters we combine, Sometimes assist the sav'ry chine: From the low peasant to the lord, The Turkey smokes on ev'ry board. Sure men for gluttony are curs'd, Of the sev'n deadly sins the worst.
An Ant, who climb'd beyond her reach, Thus answer'd from the neighb'ring beech: Ere you remark another's sin,
Bid thy own conscience look within; Controul thy more voracious bill,
Nor for a breakfast nations kill.
The FATHER and JUPITER.
A FABLE.--(GAY.)
THE Man to Jove his suit preferr'd; He begg'd a wife. His prayer was heard. Jove wonder'd at his bold addressing: For how precarious is the blessing!
A wife he takes. And now for heirs Again he wearies heav'n with prayers. Jove nodes assent. Two hopeful boys And a fine girl reward his joys.
Now, more solicitous he grew, And set their future lives in view. He saw that all respect and duty
Were paid to wealth, to power, and beauty. Once more, he cries, accept my prayer;
Make my lov'd progeny thy care. Let my first hope, my fav'rite boy,
All fortune's richest gifts enjoy.
My next with strong ambition fire: May favour teach him to aspire; Till he the step of pow'r ascend, And courtiers to their idol bend. With ev'ry grace, with ev'ry charm, My daughter's perfect features arm. If heav'n approve, a Father bless'd. Jove smiles, and grants his full request. The first, a miser at the heart, Studious of ev'ry griping art,
Heaps hoards on hoards with anxious pain, And all his life devotes to gain. He feels no joy, his cares increase, He neither wakes nor sleeps in peace; In fancy'd want (a wretch complete) He starves and yet he dares not eat. The next to sudden honours grew: The thriving art of courts he knew : He reach'd the height of power and place; Then fell, the victim of disgrace.
Beauty with early bloom supplies His daughter's cheek, and points her eyes. The vain coquette each suit disdains, And glories in her lovers' pains. With age she fades, each lover flies. Contemn'd, forlorn, she pines and dies. When Jove the Father's grief survey'd, And heard him Heav'n and Fate upbraid; Thus spoke the God: By outward show, Men judge of happiness and woe: Shall ignorance of good and ill Dare to direct th' eternal Will? Seek virtue; and, of that possest, To Providence resign the rest.
The CUR, the HORSE, and the SHEPHERD'S Dog,
THE lad of all-sufficient merit With modesty ne'er damps his spirit; Presuming on his own deserts, On all alike his tongue exerts; His noisy jokes at random throws, And pertly spatters friends and foes
In wit and war the bully race Contribute to their own disgrace. Too late the forward youth shall find That jokes are sometimes paid in kind; Or if they canker in the breast, He makes a foe who makes a jest.
A village cur, of snappish race, The pertest puppy of the place, Imagin'd that his treble throat
Was bless'd with music's sweetest note; In the mid road he basking lay,
The yelping nuisance of the way; For not a creature past along But had a sample of his song.
Soon as the trotting steed he hears. He starts, he cocks his dapper ears; Away he scours, assaults his hoof; Now near him snarls, now barks aloof; With shrill impertinence attends; Nor leaves him till the village ends. It chanc'd, upon his evil day, A Pad came pacing down the way: The Cur, with never-ceasing tongue, Upon the passing traveller sprung. The horse, from scorn provok'd to ire, Flung backward; rolling in the mire, The puppy howl'd, and bleeding lay ;- The Pad in peace, pursu'd his way.
A shepherd's dog, who saw the deed, Detesting the vexatious breed, Bespoke him thus: When coxcombs prate, They kindle wrath, contempt, or hate; Thy teazing tongue had judgment.ty'd, Thou hadst nat, like a Puppy, dy'd.
The Doe and the Fox.
TO A LAWYER.
A FABLE.-(GAY) ›
I KNOW you Lawyers can, with ease, Twist words and meanings as you please; That language, by your skill made pliant; Will bend to favour ev'ry client; That 'tis the fee directs the sense, To make out either side's pretence.
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