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'Gainst you and POPE their envy spurt.
The bookfellers alone are hurt.

Good gods! by what a powerful race
(For blockheads may have pow'r and place)
Are scandals rais'd, and libels writ,
To prove your honesty and wit!

Think with yourself: Those worthy men,
You know, have fuffer'd by your pen.
From them you've nothing but your due.
From thence, 'tis plain, your friends are few.
Except myself, I know of none,
Befides the wife and good alone.
To set the cafe in fairer light,
My fable fhall the reft recite ;
Which (tho' unlike our present state)
I for the moral's fake relate.

A Bee, of cunning, not of parts,
Luxurious, negligent of arts,
Rapacious, arrogant, and vain,
Greedy of pow'r, but more of gain,
Corruption fow'd throughout the hive.
By petty rogues the great ones thrive.

As pow'r and wealth his views supply'd,
'Twas feen in overbearing pride.
With him loud impudence had merit;
The Bee of conscience wanted spirit;
And those who follow'd honour's rules,
Were laugh'd to fcorn for fqueamish fools.

Wealth

Wealth claim'd distinction, favour, grace;
And poverty alone was base.

He treated industry with flight,
Unless he found his profit by't.
Rights, laws, and liberties gave way,
To bring his selfish schemes in play.
The swarm forgot the common toil,
To share the gleanings of his fpoil.
While vulgar fouls, of narrow parts,
Waste life in low mechanic arts,
Let us (fays he) to genius born,
The drudg'ry of our fathers fcorn,
The wafp and drone, you must agree,
Live with more elegance than we.
Like gentlemen they sport and play;
No bus'nefs interrupts the day:
Their hours to luxury they give,
And nobly on their neighbours live.

A ftubborn Bee, among the fwarm,
With honeft indignation warm,
Thus from his cell with zeal reply'd.

I flight thy frowns, and hate thy pride.
The laws our native rights protect;
Offending thee, I those respect.
Shall luxury corrupt the hive,
And none against the torrent strive ?
Exert the honour of your race;
He builds his rife on your disgrace.

"Tis

'Tis industry our state maintains.
'Twas honeft toil and honest gains

That rais'd our fires to pow'r and fame.
Be virtuous; fave yourselves from shame.
Know, that in selfish ends pursuing,
You scramble for the public ruin.

He spoke; and, from his cell dismiss'd,
Was infolently scoff'd and hifs'd.
With him a friend or two refign'd,
Difdaining the degen'rate kind.

Thefe drones (fays he) these insects vile,
(I treat them in their proper ftyle)
May for a time oppress the state.
They own our virtue by their hate;
By that our merits they reveal,
And recommend our public zeal;
Difgrac'd by this corrupted crew,
We're honour'd by the virtuous few.

FABLE XI.

The PACK-HORSE and the CARRIER.

TO A YOUNG NOBLEMAN.

BEgin, my Lord, in early youth,

To suffer, nay, encourage truth:
And blame me not for disrespect,
If I the flatt'rer's style reject;

With that, by menial tongues fupply'd,
You're daily cocker'd up in pride.

The tree's distinguish'd by the fruit.
Be virtue then your first pursuit :
Set your great ancestors in view,
Like them deserve the title too ;
Like them ignoble actions scorn:
Let virtue prove you greatly born.

Though with lefs plate their fide-board fhone,
Their confcience always was their own;
They ne'er at levees meanly fawn'd,
Nor was their honour yearly pawn'd;
Their hands, by no corruption ftain'd,
The minifterial bribe disdain'd ;
They ferv'd the crown with loyal zeal,
Yet jealous of the public weal;
They ftood the bulwark of our laws,
And wore at heart their country's cause ;
By neither place or penfion bought,
They spoke and voted as they thought.
Thus did your fires adorn their feat ;
And such alone are truly great.

If you the paths of learning flight,
You're but a dunce in ftronger light;
In foremost rank, the coward, plac'd,
Is more confpicuously difgrac'd.

If you to ferve a paltry end,
To knavish jobs can condescend,

We

We pay you the contempt that's due ;
In that you have precedence too.

Whence had you

this illuftrious name?

From virtue and unblemish'd fame.*
By birth the name alone descends ;
Your honour on yourself depends.
Think not your coronet can hide
Assuming ignorance and pride.
Learning by ftudy must be won,
'Twas ne'er entail'd from fon to fon.
Superior worth your rank requires ;
For that mankind reveres your fires:
If you degen❜rate from your race,
Their merits heighten your disgrace.

A Carrier, ev'ry night and morn,
Would fee his horfes eat their corn.
This funk the hoftler's vails, 'tis true;
But then his horfes had their due.
Were we fo cautious in all cafes,

Small gain would rife from greater places.
The manger now had all its measure;
He heard the grinding teeth with pleasure :
When all at once confufion rung;

They fnorted, jostled, bit, and flung.
A Pack-horse turn'd his head afide,
Foaming, his eye-balls fwell'd with pride.

Good

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