Beauties and bards have equal pride,
With both all rivals are decry'd.
Who praises Lefbia's eyes and feature,
Muft call her fifter aukward creature ;
For the kind flattery 's fure to charm,
When we fome other nymph difarm.
As in the cool of early day
A Poet fought the fweets of May,
The garden's fragrant breath afcends,
And every ftalk with odour bends;
A Rofe he pluck'd, he gaz'd, admir'd,
Thus finging, as the Mufe infpir'd:
Go, Rofe, my Chloe's bofoin grace;
"How happy fhall I
"Might I fupply that envy'd place "With never-fading love!,
"There, Phoenix-like, beneath her eye,
“Involv'd in fragrance, burn and die.
"Know, hapless Flower! that thou fhalt find 25.
"More fragrant Rofes there;
"I fee thy withering head reclin'd "With envy and defpair!
"One common fate we both muft prove; "You die with envy, I with love."
An angry Rofe, who grew befide.
Of all mankind you should not flout us;
What can a Poet do without us?
In every love-fong Roses bloom;
We lend you colour and perfume:"
Does it to Chloe's charms conduce,
To found her praise on our abuse?
Muft we, to flatter her, be made
To wither, envy, pine, and fade ?
THE CUR, THE HORSE, AND THE SHEPHERD'S DOG.
HE lad of all-fufficient merit
With modefty ne'er damps his fpirit;
Prefuming on his own deferts,
On all alike his tongue exerts;
His noify jokes at random throws,
And pertly fpatters 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 fometimes paid in kind
Or, if they canker in the breast,
He makes a foe who makes a jeft..
A village Cúr, of fuappifh race,
The perteft puppy of the place,
Imagin'd that his treble throat
Was bleft with Mufic's fweeteft note;
In the mid road he, baking lay,
The yelping nuifance of the way;
For not a creature pafs'd along,
But had a fample of his fong.
Soon as the trotting Steed he hears,
He starts, he cocks his dapper ears;
Away he fcowers, affaults his hoof;
Now near him fnarls, now barks aloof;
With thrill 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-ceafing tongue,
Upon the paffing traveller fprung.
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 purfued his way.
A Shepherd's Dog, who faw the deed,
Detefting the vexatious breed,
Befpoke him thus: "When coxcombs prate,
They kindle wrath, contempt, or hate;
Thy teazing tongue had judgement ty'd,
Thou hadst not like a puppy dy'd."
THE COURT OF DEATH.
DEATH, on a folemn night of state,
In all his pomp of terror fate:
Th' attendants of his gloomy reign,
Diseases dire, a ghaftly train!
A voice thus thunder'd from the throne:
"This night our minifter we name,
Let every fervant fpeak his claim;
Merit fhall bear this ebon wand."
All, at the word, ftretch'd forth their hand.
Fever, with burning heat poffeft, Advanc'd, and for the wand addrest.
"I to the weekly bills appeal,
Let thofe exprefs my fervent zeal;
On every flight occafion near,
With violence I perfevere."
Next Gout appears with limping pace,
Pleads how he thifts from place to place;
From head to foot how fwift he flies,
And every joint and finew plies;
Still working when he feems fuppreft,
A moft tenacious stubborn guest.
A haggard spectre from the crew
Crawls forth, and thus afferts his due :
“'Tis I who taint the sweeteft joy,
And in the fhape of Love deftroy
My thanks, funk eyes, and nofelefs face,
Prove my pretenfion to the place."..
Stone urg'd his ever-growing force;
And, next, Confumption's meagre corfe,
With feeble voice, that fcarce was heard,,
Broke with fhort coughs, his fuit preferr'd:
"Let none object my lingering way,
I gain, like Fabius, by delay;
Fatigue and weaken every foe
By long attack, fecure, though flow."
Plague reprefents his rapid power,
Who thinn'd a nation in an hour.
All spoke their claim, and hop'd the wand. Now expectation hush'd the band;
When thus the Monarch from the throne:
"Merit was ever modeft known.
What, no Phyfician speak his right!
None here! but fees their toils requite.
Let then Intemperance take the wand,
Who fills with gold their zealous hand.
You, Fever, Gout, and all the reft,
(Whom wary men, as foes, deteft)
Forego your claim; no more pretend ;
Intemperance is esteem'd a friend;
He fhares their mirth, their focial joys,
And as a courted guest destroys.
The charge on him muft justly fall,
"Who finds employment for you all.”
THE GARDENER AND THE HOG.
GARDENER, of peculiar taste, 'On a young Hog his favour plac'd, Who fed not with the common herd; His tray was to the hall preferr'd.
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