Perch'd on the cradle's top he stands,
And thus her folly reprimands.
Whence fprung the vain conceited lie,
That we the world with fools fupply?
What! give our sprightly race away,
For the dull helpless fons of clay!
Befides, by partial fondness shown,
Like you we doat
upon our own.
Where yet was ever found a mother,
Who'd give her booby for another?
And should we change with human breed,
Well might we pafs for fools indeed.
The EAGLE, and the Affembly of ANIMALS.
S JUPITER's all-feeing eye
Survey'd the worlds beneath the sky,
From this small speck of earth were fent,
Murmurs and founds of difcontent;
For ev'ry thing alive complain'd,
That he the hardest life fuftain'd.
JOVE calls his Eagle. At the word
Before him ftands the royal bird.
The bird, obedient, from heav'n's height,
Downward directs his rapid flight;
Then cited ev'ry living thing,
To hear the mandates of his king.
Ungrateful creatures, whence arise
Thefe murmurs which offend the skies?
Why this diforder? say the cause :
For just are Jove's eternal laws.
Let each his discontent reveal,
To yon four Dog I first appeal,
Hard is my lot, the Hound replies,
On what fleet nerves the Greyhound flies!
While I, with weary step and flow,
O'er plains, and vales, and mountains go.
The morning fees my chafe begun,
Nor ends it till the fetting fun.
When (fays the Greyhound) I pursue,
My game is loft, or caught in view;
Beyond my fight the prey's fecure :
The Hound is flow, but always fure.
And had I his fagacious scent,
Jove ne'er had heard my difcontent.
The Lion crav'd the Fox's art;
The Fox, the Lion's force and heart.
The Cock implor'd the Pigeon's flight,
Whose wings were rapid, ftrong, and light:
The Pigeon ftrength of wing despis'd,
And the Cock's matchlefs valour priz'd:
The Fishes wish'd to graze the plain;
The Beafts to skim beneath the main.
Thus, envious of another's state,
Each blam'd the partial hand of Fate.
The bird of heav'n then cry'd aloud,
JOVE bids difperfe the murm'ring croud;
The God rejects your idle prayers.
Would ye, rebellious mutineers,
Entirely change your name and nature,
And be the very envy'd creature ?
What, filent all, and none consent!
Be happy then, and learn content:
Nor imitate the restlefs mind,
And proud ambition of mankind,
The WILD BOAR and the RAM.
Gainst an elm a sheep was ty'd,
The butcher's knife in blood was dy'd :
The patient flock, in filent fright,
From far beheld the horrid fight.
A favage Boar, who near them ftood,
Thus mock'd to fcorn the fleecy brood.
All cowards fhould be ferv'd like you.
See, fee, your murd'rer is in view:
With purple hands, and reeking knife,
He strips the skin yet warm with life :
Your quarter'd fires, your bleeding dams,
The dying bleat of harmless lambs,
Call for revenge. O ftupid race!.
The heart that wants revenge, is bafe.
I grant, an ancient Ram replies,
We bear no terror in our eyes :
Yet think us not of foul so tame,
Which no repeated wrongs inflame;
Infenfible of ev'ry ill,
Because we want thy tufks to kill.
Know, those who violence pursue,
Give to themselves the vengeance due;
For in these maffacres they find
The two chief plagues that waste mankind.
Our skin supplies the wrangling bar,
It wakes their flumb'ring fons to war;
And well revenge may reft contented,
Since drums and parchment were invented.
HE wind was high, the window shakes,
With fudden start the Miser wakes ;
Along the filent room he stalks ;
Looks back, and trembles as he walks!
Each lock and ev'ry bolt he tries,
In ev'ry creek and corner pries,
Then opes the cheft with treasure ftor'd,
And ftands in rapture o'er his hoard.
But now, with fudden qualms poffeft,
He wrings his hands, he beats his breaft.
By confcience ftung, he wildly ftares;
And thus his guilty foul declares.
Had the deep earth her ftores confin'd,
This heart had known fweet peace of mind.
But virtue's fold. Good gods! what price
Can recompenfe the pangs of vice!
O bane of good! feducing cheat!
Can man, weak man, thy power defeat ?
Gold banish'd honour from the mind,
And only left the name behind;
Gold fow'd the world with ev'ry ill;
Gold taught the murd'rer's fword to kill:
"Twas gold inftructed coward-hearts,
In treach❜ry's more pernicious arts.
Who can recount the mischiefs o'er ?
Virtue refides on earth no more!
He spoke, and figh'd. In angry mood,
Plutus, his god, before him stood.
The Mifer trembling, lock'd his cheft;
The Vision frown'd, and thus addreft.
Whence is this vile ungrateful rant ?
Each fordid rafcal's daily cant.
Did I, base wretch, corrupt mankind?
The fault's in thy rapacious mind.
Because my bleffings are abus'd,
Muft I be cenfur'd, curs'd, accus'd?
Ev'n virtue's felf by knaves is made
A cloak to carry on the trade;
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