I no man's property invade ; Corruption 's yet no lawful trade.. Nor would it mighty ills produce, Could I fhame bribery out of use.

I know 'twould eramp moft politicians,
Were they ty'd down to thofe conditions.
"Twould ftint their power, their riches bound,
And make their parts feem lefs profound.
Were they deny'd their proper tools,
How could they lead their knaves and fools ?
Were this the cafe, let's take a view
What dreadful mifchiefs would enfue.
Though it might aggrandize the flate,
Could private luxury dine on plate?
Kings might indeed their friends reward,
But minifters find lefs regard.
Informers, fycophants, and spies,
Would no augment the year's fupplies.
Perhaps, too, tale away this prop,
An annual jobb or two might drop.
Befides, if penfions were deny'd,
Could Avarice fupport its pride?
It might ev'n ministers confound,
And yet the state be fafe and found.
I care pot though 'tis understood;

I only mean my country's good:

And (let who will my freedom blame)

I wish all courtiers did the fame.

Nay, though fome folks the lefs might get,

I with the nation out of debt.

I put no private man's ambition

With public good in competition;
Rather than have our laws defac'd
I'd vote a minifter difgrac'd,

I ftrike at vice, be 't where it will;
And what if great folks take it ill?
I hope corruption, bribery, pention,
One may with deteitation mention ;
Think you the law (let who will take it)
Can (candalam magnatum make it ?
I vent no flander, owe no grudge,
Nor of another's confcience judge:
At him or him I take no aim,
Yet dare againft all vice declaim.
Shall I not cenfure breach of truft,
Because knaves know themselves unjust ?
That fteward, whofe account is clear,
Demands his honour may appear:
Flis actions never thun the light;
He is, and would be prov'd, upright.
But then you think my Fable bears
Allufion, too, to ftate-affairs.

I grant it does; and who 's fo great,

That has the privilege to cheat?

Their fock, and what defray'd the year;
That auditors hall thefe infect,
And public rapine thus be check'd.
For this the folemn day was fet;
The auditors in council met.

35 | The granary-keeper muft explain,
And balance his account of grain.

40

45

He brought (fince he could not refufe them). Some fcraps of paper to amufe them.

An honeft Pifiire, warm with zeal,

In juftice to the public weal,

Thus fpoke: "The nation's hoard is low; From whence does this profufon flow?

I know our annual funds amount;

100

105

Twould lay us open to our foes.

My duty and my well-known zeal

Bid nie our prefent fchemes conceal:

But, on my honour, all th’expence

55

60

(Though vaft) was for the fwarm's defence." 170

They paft th' account as fair and juft,

And voted him implicit trust.

Next year again, the granary drain'd,

He thus his innocence maintain'd.

، Think how our prefent matters far_d, 125 What dangers threat from every hand;

What hofts of turkeys firoll for food,
No farmer's wife but hath her brood.
Confider, when invafon 's near,
Intelligence muft coft us dear;

65 | And, in this ticklifh fituation,

A fecret told betrays the nation ;-
But, on my honour, all th' expence
(Though vaft) was for the fwarm's defence."
Again, without examination,

FABLE V.

THE PEAR IN A BOAT.

To a Coxcomb.

HAT man muft daily wifer grow,

THA

Whofe fearch is bent himfelf to know;
Impartially, he weighs his fcope,
And on firm reafon founds his hope;
He tries his ftrength before the race,
And never fecks his own difgrace;
He knows the compafs, fail, and oar,
Or never launches from the fhore;
Before he builds, computes the coft,
And in no proud purfuit is loft':
He learns the bounds of human fenfe,
And fafely walks within the fence.
Thus, confcious of his own defect,
Are pride and felf-importance check'd,
If then, self-knowledge to pursue,
Direct our life in every view,
Of all the fools that pride can boast,
A Coxcomb claims diftinction moft,

Coxcombs are of all ranks and kind;
They're not to fex or age confin'd,
Or rich, or poor, or great, or finall,
And vanity befots them all.

By ignorance is pride increas'd:

Thofe moft affume, who know the leaft; Their own falfe balance gives them weight, But every other finds them 1 ght.

Not that all Coxcombs' follies ftrike,
And draw our ridicule alike;
To different merits each pretends:
This in love-vanity tranfcends;
That, fmitten with his face and shape,
By drefs diftinguishes the ape;
T' other with learning crams his felf,
Knows books, and all things but himself.
All these are fools of low condition,
Compar'd with Coxcombs of ambition:
For thofe, puff'd up with flattery, dare,
Affume a nation's various care.
They ne'er the groffett praife mifruft,
Their fycophants feem hardly just ;
For thefe, in part alone, atteft

The flattery their own thoughts fuggeft.
In this wide fphere a Coxcomb 's fhown
In other realms befides his own:
The felf-deem'd Machiavel at large
By turns controls in every charge.
Does Commerce fuffer in her rights?
'Tis he directs the naval flights.
What failor dares difpute his fkill?
He'll be an admiral when he will,

I

15

Now, meddling in the foldier's trade, Troops must be hir'd, and levies made, He gives ambassadors their cue, His cobbled treaties to renew; And annual taxes must fuffice The current blunders to difguife. When his crude fchemes in air are loft, And millions fcarce defray the coft, His arrogance (nought undifmay'd) Trufting in felf-fufficient aid, On other rocks mifguides the realm, And thinks a pilot at the helm. He ne'er fufpects his want of skill, But blunders on from ill to ill; And, when he fails of all intent, Blames only unforeseen event. Left you mistake the application, The Fable calls me to relation.

A Bear of fhag and manners rough, At climbing trees expert enough; For dextrously, and fafe from harm, Year after year he robb'd the swarm. Thus thriving on induftrious toil, He glory'd in his pilfer'd spoil.

Were any common booty gat,

This trick fo fwell'd him with conceit,

75

He thought no enterprise too great.

Alike in fciences and arts,

He boafted univerfal parts:

His arrogance was uncontrol'd:

Pragmatic, bufy, buttling, bold,

And thus he made his party good,

And grew dictator of the wood,

The beafts, with admiration, ftare, And think him a prodigious Bear.

"Twas his each portion to allot:

30 He over-rules the fox's parts.

35

It chanc'd, as on a certain day, Along the bank he took his way, A boat, with rudder, fail, and car, At anchor floated near the shore. He ftopt, and, turning to his train,

Thus pertly vents his vaunting strain.

66

In every feience always blind!

100

What blundering puppies are mankind!

The Bear, prefuming on his skill,
Is here and there officious ftill;
Till, ftriking on the dangerous fands,
Aground the fhatter'd veffel stands.
To fee the bungler thus diftreft,
The very fifhes freer, and jeft:
Ev'n gudgeons join in ridicule,
To mortify the meddling fool.
The clamorous watermen appear;
Threats, curfes, oaths, infult his ear:

From wine what fudden friendship fpring! 45
Frankly they talk'd of courts and kings.

"We country-folks (the Clown replies) 120 Could ope our gracious monarch's eyes. The King, (as all our neighbours fay) Might he (God bless him!) have his way, Is found at heart, and means our good, And he would do it if he could.

FABLE VI.

THE SQUIRE AND HIS CUR.

To a Country Gentleman.

Through life difdains a double part:

HE man of pure and fimple heart

He never needs the fercen of lies,
His inward bofom to disguise.
In vain malicious tongues affail;
Let envy fnarl, let flander rail,

From Virtue's fhield (fecure from wound)
Their blunted venom'd fhafts rebound.

So fhines his light before mankind,

His actions prove his honeft mind.

If in his country's caufe he rise,
Debating fenates to advise,
Unbrib'd, unaw'd, he dares impart
The honeft dictates of his heart.
No ministerial frown he fears,
But in his virtue' perfeveres.

But would you play the politician,
Whofe heart's averfe to intuition,
Your lips at all times, nay, your reafon,
Muft be control'd by place and feafon,
What fatefman could his power fupport,
Were lying tongues forbid the court?
Did princely ears to truth attend,
What minifter could gain his end?
How could he raife his tools to place,
And how his honeft foes difgrace?
That politician tops his part,
Who readily can lye with art:
The man's proficient in his trade ;
His power is itrong, his fortune's made.
By that the intereft of the throne
I made fubfervient to his own:
By that, have kings of old, deluded,
All their own friends for his excluded:
By that, his felfifh fchemes purfuing,
He thrives upon the public ruin.

Antiochus, with hardy pace,
Provok'd the dangers of the chace;
And, loft from all his menial train,
Travers'd the wood and pathlefs plain.

A cottage lodg'd the royal guest;

The Parthian clown brought forth his beft, The King unknown his feaft enjoy'd, And various chat the hours employ'd,

*Plutarch.

5

10

50

60

65

Were he in power, we need not doubt him; 55
But, that transferr'd to thofe about him,
On them he throws the regal cares;
And what mind they? Their own affairs.
If fuch rapacious hands he trust,
The best of men may feem unjust.
From kings to coblers 'tis the fame;
Bad fervants wound their mafter's fame.
In this our neighbours all agree :
Would the King knew as much as we !"
Here he ftopt fhort. Repofe they fought,
The Peafant fiept, the monarch thought.
The courtiers learn'd, at early dawn,
Where their loft Sovereign was withdrawn.
The guards' approach our host alarms;
With gaudy coats the cottage fwarms.
The crown and purple robes they bring,
And proftrate fall before the King.
The Clown was call'd; the royal gueft
By due reward his thanks expreft.
The King then turning to the crowd,
Who fawningly before him bow'd,
Thus fpoke. « Since, bent on private gain,
Your counfels first mifled my reign.
Taught and inform'd by you alone,

15 No truth the royal ear hath known,
Till here converfing; hence, ye crew;
For now I know myfelf and you."
Whene'er the royal ear's engroft,
State lyes but little genius coff.
The favourite then fecurely robs,
And gleans a nation by his jobbs.
Franker and bolder grown in ill,
He daily poifons dares infil;
And, as his prefent views fuggeft,

20

25 Inflames and foothes the royal breaft.
Thus wicked minifters opprefs,
When oft' the monarch means redrefs.
Would kings their private fubjects hear,
A minifter muft talk with fear;

30 If honefty oppos'd his views.

He dar'd not innocence accufe;
'Twould keep bimin fuch narrow bound,
He could not right and wrong confound.
Happy were kings, could they disclose

35 Their real friends and real foes!

195

(Hard cafe!) his own ambitious views. When fuch as thefe have vex'd a fiate, Purfued by univerfal hate,

FABLE VII.

Expos'd, their train of fraud is feen;
Truth will at last remove the screen.

A Country 'Squire, by whim directed,
The true ftaunch dogs of chace neglected.
Beneath his board no hound was fed :
His hand ne'er ftroak'd the spaniel's head.
A fnappih Cur, alone careft,
By lies had bauifh'd all the rest.
Yap had his ear; and defamation
Gave him full fcope of conversation,
His fycophants must be preferr'd ;
Room must be made for all his herd:
Wherefore, to bring his fchemes about,
Old faithful fervants all must out.

The Cur on every creature flew
(As other great men's puppies do),
Unlefs due court to him were shown,
And both their face and business known:
No honeft tongue an audience found;
He worried all the tenants round;
For why? he liv'd in conftant fear,

Left truth by chance fhould interfere.
If any ftranger dar'd intrude,
The noify Cur his heels purfued.

115

120

125

130

140

And thus in fecret growls his fear:

"Who knows but Truth, in this difguife,

May fruftrate my best-guarded-lyes?

Should the (thus mak'd) admittance find,

THE COUNTRYMAN AND JUPITER.

To Myfelf.

AVE you a friend (look round and spy)

Ho fond, to prepoffefs & as I?

Your faults, fo obvious to mankind,
My partial eyes could never find!
When by the breath of Fortune blown,
Your airy caftles were oferthrown,
Have I been ever prone to blame,
Or mortify'd your hours with shame?
Was I e'er known to damp your fpirit,
Or twit you with the want of merit?

'Tis not fo ftrange that Fortune's frown
Still perfeveres to keep you down.
Look round, and fee what others do.
Would you be rich and honeft too?
Have you (like thofe the rais'd to place)
Been opportunely mean and bafe?
Have you (as times requir'd) refign'd
Truth, honour, virtue, peace of mind?
If thefe are fcruples, give her o'er ;
Write, practice morals, and be poor.

The gifts of Fortune truly rate, Then tell me what would mend your state. If happiness on wealth were built. Rich rogues might comfort find in guilt. As grows the mifer's hoarded ftore, His fears, his wants, increafe the more. Think, Gay, (what ne'er may be the cafe) Should Fortune take you into grace, Would that your happiness augment? What can fhe give beyond content?

It happen'd in ill-omen'd hour, That Yap, unmindful of his power, Forfook his poft, to love inclin'd; A favourite bitch was in the wind. By her feduc'd, in amorous play, They frik'd the joyous hours away. Thus by untimely love purfuing, Like Antony he fought his ruin.

150

You might not feel one care the lefs.

Might you not then (like others) find

With change of fortune change of mind?

Perhaps, profufe beyond all rule,

You might start out a glaring fool;

For now the 'Squire, unvex'd with noife, An honeft neighbour's chat enjoys. "Be free, fays he; your mind impart;

155

Your luxury might break all bounds:

I love a friendly open heart.

Might fwell your debts: then, luft of play No regal income can defray.

Methinks my tenants fhun my gate;
Why fuch a ftranger grown of late?
Pray tell me what offence they find,
'Tis plain they're not fo well inclin❜d."

"Turn off your Cur (the Farmer cries) Who feeds your ear with daily lyes. His fnarling infolence offends: 'Tis he that keeps you from your friends. Were but that faucy puppy checkt, You'd find again the fame refpect. Hear only him, he 'll fwear it too, That all our hatred is to you. But learn from us your true eЛlate; 'Tis that curs'd Cur alone we hate."

165 Then, from the hirelings in your caufe
Though daily fed with falfe applause,
Could it a real joy impart?
Great guilt knew never joy at heart.
Is happiness your point in view?

170 (I mean th' intrinfic and the true)
She nor in camps or courts refides,
Nor in the humble cottage hides;

The wide hall echoes with his din;

Yet Truth prevail'd; and, with difgrace,

The dog was cudgel'd out of place.

175

Who finds content will find her there. O'erfpent with toil, beneath the fhade, A Peafant refted on his fade.

Sunk is all credit, writs affail,