THAT man must daily wiser grow, Whose search is bent himself to know: Impartially he weighs his scope,

And on firm reason founds his hope ;
He tries his strength before the race,
And never seeks his own disgrace;
He knows the compass, sail and oar,
Or never launches from the shore;
Before he builds computes the cost,
And in no proud pursuit is lost.

He learns the bounds of human sense,
And safely walks within the fence.
Thus, conscious of his own defect,
Are pride and self-importance check'd.

A BEAR of shag and manners rough,
At climbing trees expert enough;
For dextrously, and safe from harm,
Year after year he robb'd the swarm:
Thus, thriving on industrious toil,
He gloried in his pilfer'd spoil.

This trick so swell'd him with conceit,
He thought no enterprise too great.
Alike in sciences and arts,
He boasted universal parts;
Pragmatic, busy, bustling, bold,
His arrogance was uncontroll'd:
And thus he made his party good,
And grew dictator of the wood.

The beasts, with admiration, stare, And think him a prodigious BEAR. Were any common booty got,

'Twas his each portion to allot;

For why he found there might be picking,

Ev'n in the carving of a chicken!

Intruding thus, he by degrees

Claim'd, too, the butcher's larger fees.

And now his over-weening pride

In ev'ry province will preside..
No task too difficult was found,

His blund'ring nose misleads the hound:

In stratagem and subtle arts,
He overrules the fox's parts.

It chanc'd, as on a certain day
Along the bank he took his way,
A boat, with rudder, sail, and oar,
At anchor floated near the shore.
He stopt, and, turning to his train,
Thus pertly vents his vaunting strain :-

What blund'ring puppies are mankind, In ev'ry science always blind!

I mock the pedantry of schools:
What are their compasses and rules?
From me that helm shall conduct learn,
And man his ignorance discern.

So saying, with audacious pride He gains the boat, and climbs the side. The beasts astonish'd line the strand. The anchor's weigh'd, he drives from land: The slack sail shifts from side to side, The boat, untrimm'd, admits the tide. Borne down, adrift, at random tost, His oar breaks short, the rudder's lost. The BEAR, presuming in his skill, Is here and there officious still; Till, striking on the dang'rous sands, Aground the shatter'd vessel stands.

A BEAR of shag and manners rough,
At climbing trees expert enough;
For dext'rously, and safe from harm,
Year after year he robb'd the swarm:
Thus, thriving on industrious toil,
He gloried in his pilfer'd spoil.

This trick so swell'd him with conceit,
He thought no enterprise too great.
Alike in sciences and arts,
He boasted universal parts;
Pragmatic, busy, bustling, bold,
His arrogance was uncontroll'd:
And thus he made his party good,
And grew dictator of the wood.

The beasts, with admiration, stare,
And think him a prodigious BEAR.
Were any common booty got,
'Twas his each portion to allot;

For why?-he found there might be picking,

Ev'n in the carving of a chicken!

Intruding thus, he by degrees

Claim'd, too, the butcher's larger fees.

And now his over-weening pride

In ev'ry province will preside..
No task too difficult was found,

His blund'ring nose misleads the hound:

In stratagem and subtle arts,
He overrules the fox's parts.

It chanc'd, as on a certain day
Along the bank he took his way,
A boat, with rudder, sail, and oar,
At anchor floated near the shore.
He stopt, and, turning to his train,
Thus pertly vents his vaunting strain :-

What blund'ring puppies are mankind, In ev'ry science always blind!

I mock the pedantry of schools:
What are their compasses and rules ?
From me that helm shall conduct learn,
And man his ignorance discern.

So saying, with audacious pride He gains the boat, and climbs the side. The beasts astonish'd line the strand. The anchor's weigh'd, he drives from land: The slack sail shifts from side to side, The boat, untrimm'd, admits the tide. Borne down, adrift, at random tost, His oar breaks short, the rudder's lost. The BEAR, presuming in his skill, Is here and there officious still; Till, striking on the dang'rous sands, Aground the shatter'd vessel stands..