Behold enthusiast Virtue glow! Do you, my heroine prude, do so? Mediocrity. When you pursue your humdrum prosing, (Mediocrity.) Το gross and multitudinous ear, Bright offspring keen of Wisdom sheer ; Mediocrity. And of the powers that be,* meanwhile, Their plots you can nor pierce nor foil; Mediocrity. Archbishop thus, or Chancellor, Commander of the Forces,-or To Cabinet perhaps you soar, Mediocrity. Thus pamper'd, you grow self-sufficient ; But are, soi-disant, all-efficient ; Mediocrity. * This was written, years ago; and then seen by many :-a fact which I state, from my regard to truth, and not by way of "making toad-eating bow" to the now existing Powers. Let me say, in passing, see Metaphysic Rambles, Dialogue the Third, page 96, and foot of page 95; from which it may be collected, that the view disclosed by this stanza was taken by its author in 1793. To Talent grow quite supercilious, Which makes said Talent rather bilious; To find itself so under-rated, Dulness so pompous and elated, Fortune so partial to thick-pated Mediocrity. Mediocrity. For, of such coarse grained second rate, Our peddling Ministers of State, There slighted, slandered, starved, and pined, Leave empires to thy conduct blind, So is our politic drama cast, Where last is first, and first is last 'Twas not aye so, in eras past, Mediocrity. Mediocrity, Of Pitt, and Canning, Fox, and Burke : Bide what there might, there did not lurk * I spell by ear-this word of dubious orthography and derivation. No general rule without exceptions. Some of the most prosperous tenantry, and best cultivated ground in Ireland, (for example in the North,) will be found to be the property of excellent Absentee Landlords. We must fell thee; or thou wilt fell us : Me diocrity. With eulogy commenced my lays; Poor Mediocrity! Then lay thee down, encomiast pen: The crisis calls aloud for Men ; Not Mediocrity. * Allusion to a well-known anecdote. |