So faid, a ponderous trap he brought,
And in the fact poor Pufs was caught.
"Smuggler, fays he, thou fhalt be made
A victim to our lofs of trade."

The captive Cat, with piteous mews,
For pardon, life, and freedom fues.
"A fifter of the fcience fpare;
One intereft is our common care."
"What infolence! the Man reply'd ;
Shall Cats with us the game divide?
Were all your interloping band
Extinguifh'd, or expell'd the land,
We Rat-catchers might raife our fees,
Sole guardians of a nation's cheese !"
A Cat, who faw the lifted knife,
Thus fpoke, and fav'd her fifter's life.
"In every age and clime, we fee,

Two of a trade can ne'er agree.

Each hates his neighbour for encroaching ;
'Squire ftigmatizes 'fquire for poaching;
Beauties with beauties are in arms,
And fcandal pelts each other's charms;
Kings, too, their neighbour-kings dethrone,
In hope to make the world their own:
But let us limit our defires,

Not war like beauties, kings, and 'fquires ;
For, though we both one prey pursue,
There's game enough for us and you."

FABLE

FABLE

XXII..

THE GOAT WITHOUT A BEARD..

IS certain that the modish paffions

"TIS

Defcend among the crowd like fashions..

Excufe me, then, if pride, conceit,

(The manners of the fair and great)
I give to monkeys, affes, dogs,

Fleas, owls, goats, butterflies, and hogs..
I say that these are proud: what then?
I never faid they equal men.

A Goat (as vain as Goat can be)

Affected fingularity :

Whene'er a thymy bank he found,
He roll'd upon the fragrant ground,.
And then with fond attention stood,
Fix'd o'er his image in the flood.

5

"I hate my frowzy beard, he cries,

15

My youth is loft in this difguife.
Did not the females know my vigour,

Well might they loath this reverend figure.”-
Refolv'd to fmooth his flaggy face,
He fought the barber of the place.
A flippant monkey, fpruce and fmart,,
Hard-by, profefs'd the dapper art;
His pole with pewter-bafons hung,
Black rotten teeth in order firung,

F. 2

22.

Rang'd

Rang'd cups, that in the window ftood,
Lin'd with red rags, to look like blood;
Did well his threefold trade explain,

Who fhav'd, drew teeth, and breath'd a vein,
The Goat he welcomes with an air,
And feats him in his wooden chair:

Mouth, nofe, and cheek, the lather hides;
Light, finooth, and swift, the razor glides.
"I hope your cuftom, Sir, fays Pug.
Sure never face was half so smug!"

The Goat, impatient for applaufe,
Swift to the neighbouring hill withdraws.
The fhaggy people grinn'd, and star'd.

་་

Heigh-day! what's here? without a beard!
Say, Brother, whence the dire difgrace?
What envious hand hath robb'd your face?"
When thus the fop, with fmiles of scorn,
"Are beards by civil nations worn?

Ev'n Mufcovites have mow'd their chins.
Shall we, like formal Capuchins,

25

30

33

40

Stubborn in pride, retain the mode,

45

And bear about the hairy load?

Whene'er we through the village stray,
Are we not mock'd along the way,

Infulted with loud fhouts of fcorn,

By boys our beards difgrac'd and torn ?”

50

"Were you no more with Goats to dwell,

Brother, I grant you reafon well,"

Replies a bearded chief." Befide,

If boys can mortify thy pride,

How

How wilt thou ftand the ridicule

Of our whole flock? Affected fool!"
Coxcombs, diftinguifh'd from the reft,
To all but coxcombs are a jeft.

THE OLD WOMAN AND HER CATS.

WHO friendship with a knave hath made,

Is judg'd a partner in the trade.

The matron, who conducts abroad
A willing nymph, is thought a bawd;
And, if a modeft girl is feen

With one who cures a lover's spleen,
We guess her not extremely nice,

And only wish to know her price.

'Tis thus that on the choice of friends

Our good or evil name depends.

A wrinkled hag, of wicked fame,

Befide a little fmoaky flame

Sate hovering, pinch'd with age and frost;
Her fhrivel'd hands, with veins emboss'd,

Upon her knees her weight fuftains,
While palfy fhook her crazy brains:
She mumbles forth her backward prayers,
An untam'd fcold of fourscore years.
About her fwarm'd a numerous brood
Of Cats, who, lank with hunger, mew'd.

F 3

55

5

10

15

20

Teaz'd

Teaz'd with their cries, her choler grew,
And thus fhe fputter'd. "Hence, ye crew!
Fool that I was, to entertain

Such imps, fuch fiends, a hellish train!
Had ye been never hous'd and nurs'd,
I for a witch had ne'er been curs'd.
To you I owe that crowds of boys
"Worry me with eternal noife;

Straws laid across my pace retard,

25

The horsethoe's nail'd (each threshold's guard); 30
The ftunted broom the wenches hide,
For fear that I fhould up and ride;
They stick with pins my bleeding seat,
And bid me show my fecret teat."

"To hear you prate, would vex a saint;
Who hath moft reafon of complaint ?"
Replies a Cat. "Let's come to proof.
Had we ne'er ftarv'd beneath your roof,
We had, like others of our race,
In credit liv'd as beafts of chace.
"Tis infamy to ferve a hag;

Cats are thought imps, her broom a nag;
And boys against our lives combine,
Becaufe 'tis faid your Cats-have nine.”

35

FABLE