Or should Dan be by Sherry o'erta'en,
Then Dan would be poor Sherridane ;
'Tis hard then he should be decry'd
By Dan with Sherry by his fide.
But, if the cafe must be so hard,
That faces fuffer by a card,
Let criticks censure, what care I?
Back-biters only we defy,
Faces are free from injury.

MR. ROCHFORT'S REPLY.

YOU fay your face is better hung

Than ours - by what? by nose or tongue?

In not explaining, you are wrong

to us, Sir.

Because we thus must state the cafe,

That you have got a hanging face,

Th' untimely end 's a damn'd disgrace

of noofe, Sir.

But yet be not cast down: I fee
A weaver will your hangman be;

You 'll only hang in tapestry

And then the ladies, I suppose,

with many.

Will praife your longitude of nose,

For latent charms within your cloaths,

}

dear Danny.

Thus

Thus will the fair of every age
From all parts make their pilgrimage,
Worship thy nose with pious rage

of love, Sir.

All their religion will be spent
About thy woven monument,
And not one orifon be fent

to Jove, Sir.

You the fam'd idol will become,

As gardens grac'd in ancient Rome,

By matrons worship'd in the gloom

O happy Dan! thrice happy sure!
Thy fame for ever shall endure,
Who after death can love secure

of night.

at fight.

So far I thought it was my duty
To dwell upon thy boafted beauty;
Now I'll proceed a word or two t'ye

To that part where you carry on
This paradox, that rock and stone

In your opinion are all one.

in answer

How can, Sir,

A man of reasoning so profound

So stupidly be run aground,

As things so differently to confound

t' our senses?

Except you judg'd them by the knock

Of near an equal hardy block :
Such an experimental stroke

convinces.

Then might you be, by dint of reason, A proper judge on this occafion; "Gainft feeling there 's no difputation,

is granted.

Therefore to thy superior wit,
Who made the trial, we fubmit;
Thy head to prove the truth of it

we wanted.

In one affertion you 're to blame,
Where Dan and Sherry 's made the fame,
Endeavouring to have your name

refin'd, Sir.

You 'll fee most grofsly you mistook,
If you confult your spelling-book,
(The better half you say you took)

you 'll find, Sir,

S, H, E, she - and R, I, ri,

Both put together make Sherry,

D, A, N, Dan - makes up the three

Dan is but one, and Sherri two,

fyllables.

Then, Sir, your choice will never do;

Therefore I've turn'd, my friend, on you

A

DR. DELANY'S REPLY.

SSIST me, my Muse, whilft I labour to limn him:
Credite, Pisones, ifti tabulæ perfimilem.
You look and you write with so different a grace,
That I envy your verse, though I did not your face.
And to him that thinks rightly, there's reason enough,
Caufe one is as fmooth as the other is rough.

But much I'm amaz'd you should think my design
Was to rhyme down your nose, or your harlequingrin,
Which you yourself wonder the de'el should malign.
And if 'tis so strange, that your monstership's crany
Should be envy'd by him, much less by Delany.
Though I own to you, when I confider it stricter,
I envy the painter, although not the picture.
And justly the 's envy'd, fince a fiend of Hell
Was never drawn right but by her and Raphael.

}

Next, as to the charge, which you tell us is true, That we were inspir'd by the subject we drew. Inspir'd we were, and well, Sir, you knew it, Yet not by your nose, but the fair-one that drew it: Had your nose been the Muse, we had ne'er been inspir'd, Though perhaps it might justly've been faid we were fir'd. As to the division of words in your staves, Like my countryman's horn-comb, into three halves, I meddle not with 't, but presume to make merry, You call'd Dan one half, and t'other half Sherry: Now if Dan 's a half, as you call 't o'er and o'er, Then it can't be deny'd that Sherry's two more. VOL. I.

R

For

For pray give me leave to fay, Sir, for all you,
That Sherry 's at least of double the value.

But perhaps, Sir, you did it to fill up the verse :
So crouds in a concert (like actors in farce)

}

Play two parts in one, when scrapers are scarce.
But be that as 'twill, you 'll know more anon, Sir,
When Sheridan sends to Merry Dan answer.

SHERIDAN'S REPLY.

THREE merry lads you own we are;
'Tis very true, and free from care,

But envious we cannot bear,

For, were all forms of beauty thine,
Were you like Nereus foft and fine,
We should not in the least repine,

believe, Sir.

or grieve, Sir.

Then know from us, most beauteous Dan,
That roughness best becomes a man;
'Tis women should be pale and wan,

and taper.

And all your trifling beaux and fops,
Who comb their brows and fleek their chops,

Are but the offspring of toy-shops,

17

meer vapour.

We know your morning-hours you pafs
To cull and gather out a face;
Is this the way you take your glass ?

Forbear it.
Thofe