But declar'd that no Bard should this honour inherit,.
Till the reft had agreed he surpass'd them in merit..
Now this, you'll allow, was a difficult cafe,
For each Bard believ'd he'd a right to the place;
So, finding th' affembly grow warm in debate,
He put them in mind of his Phaëton's fate :
'Twas urg'd to no purpose; disputes higher rose,
Scarce Phoebus himfelf could their quarrels compofe;;
Till at length he determin'd that every Bard
Should (each in his turn) be patiently heard.

First, one who believ'd he excell'd in tranflation, Founds his claim on the doctrine of man's tranfmigration: "Since the foul of great Milton was given to me, "I hope the convention will quickly agree."

"Agree!" quoth Apollo:

"from whence is this fool?

"Is he just come from reading Pythagoras at school? "Be gone! Sir, you 've got your fubfcriptions in time,. "And given in return neither reafon nor rhyme."

To the next, fays the God, " Though now I won't ❝ chufe you,

"I'll tell you the reason for which I refufe you:
"Love's goddess has oft' to her parents complain'd
"Of my favouring a Bard who her empire difdain'd
"That, at my inftigation, a poem you writ,

"Which to beauty and youth preferr'd judgement and ❝ wit;

“That, to make you a Laureat, I gave the first voice,, "Infpiring the Britons t'approve of my choice.

Jove fent her to me, her power to try;

"The Goddefs of Beauty what God can deny ?

**She

“She forbids your preferment; I grant her defire. "Appease the fair Goddess: you then may rise higher.” The next that appear'd had good hopes of fucceeding, For he merited much for his wit and his breeding. 'Twas wife in the Britons no favour to show him, He else might expect they should pay what they owe him. And therefore they prudently chose to discard The Patriot, whose merits they would not reward. The God, with a fmile, bad his favourite advance, "You were fent by Aftræa her Envov to France : "You bent your ambition to rife in the state; "I refuse you, because you could stoop to be great.” Then a Bard who had been a fuccefsful Tranflator. "The Convention allows me a Verfificator."

Says Apollo, "You mention the least of your merit;
"By your works it appears you have much of my
"spirit.

"I esteem you so well, that, to tell you the truth,
"The greatest objection against you's your youth:
"Then be not concern'd you are now laid aside;
"If you live, you
fhall certainly one day prefide."
Another, low bending, Apollo thus greets,

"Twas I taught your fubjects to walk through the "ftreets."

"You taught them to walk! why, they knew it before: "But give me the Bard that can teach them to foar. "Whenever he claims, 'tis his right, I'll confefs, "Who lately attempted my ftyle with fuccefs; "Who writes like Apollo has most of his fpirit, And therefore 'tis just I distinguish his merit ;

"Who

"Who makes it appear, by all he has writ,
"His judgement alone can fet bounds to his wit;
"Like Virgil correct, with his own native cafe,
"But excels even Virgil in elegant praise;

"Who admires the ancients, and knows 'tis their due, "Yet writes in a manner entirely new;

"Though none with more ease their depths can explore, "Yet whatever he wants he takes from my ftore; "Though I'm fond of his virtues, his pride I can fee, “In scorning to borrow from any

but me;

"It is owing to this, that, like Cynthia, his lays "Enlighten the world by reflecting my rays."

This faid, the whole audience foon found out his drift: The convention was fummon'd in favour of Swift.

The RUN upon the BANKERS. 1720.

TH

HE bold encroachers on the deep
Gain by degrees huge tracts of land,
Till Neptune, with one general sweep,
Turns all again to barren strand.
The multitude's capricious pranks
Are faid to represent the feas ;
Which, breaking bankers and the banks,
Refume their own whene'er they please.

Money, the life-blood of the nation,
Corrupts and ftagnates in the veins,
Unless a proper circulation

Its motion and its heat maintains.

Becaufe

Becaufe 'tis lordly not to pay,
Quakers and aldermen in state
Like peers have levees every day
Of duns attending at their gate.
We want our money on the nail;
The banker's ruin'd if he pays :
They seem to act an ancient tale;
The birds are met to ftrip the jays.
Riches, the wifest monarch fings,

"Make pinions for themselves to fly :”
They fly like bats on parchment wings,
And geefe their filver plumes fupply.
No money left for fquandering heirs!
Bills turn the lenders into debtors:
The wifh of Nero now is theirs,

"That they had never known their letters."

Conceive the works of midnight hags,
Tormenting fools behind their backs:
Thus bankers o'er their bills and bags
Sit fqueezing images of wax.
Conceive the whole enchantment broke
The witches left in open air,
With power no more than other folk,
Expos'd with all their magic ware.

So powerful are a banker's bills,

Where creditors demand their due; They break up counters, doors, and tills, And leave the empty chefts in view.

Thus when an earthquake lets in light

Upon the god of gold and hell, Unable to endure the fight,

He hides within his darkest cell.

As when a conjurer takes a lease
From Satan for a term of years,
The tenant's in a difmal cafe,
Whene'er the bloody bond appears.

A baited banker thus defponds,
From his own hand forefees his fall;
They have his foul, who have his bonds;
'Tis like the writing on the wall.

How will the caitiff wretch be fcar'd,
When firft he finds himself awake

At the laft trumpet unprepar'd,

And all his grand account to make!

For in that universal call

Few bankers will to Heaven be mounters;
They 'll cry, "Ye shops, upon us fall!
"Conceal and cover us, ye counters !"

When other hands the scales fhall hold,
And they in men and angels' fight
Produc'd with all their bills and gold,
"Weigh'd in the balance, and found light!"

The