My worth fagacious courtiers fee,
And to preferment rife, like me.
The thriving pimp, who beauty fets,
Hath oft' enhanc'd a nation's debts :
Friend fets his friend, without regard;
And minifters his fkill reward.
Thus train'd by man, I learnt his ways,
And growing favour feasts my days.
I might have guefs'd, the Partridge faid,
The place where you were train'd and fed:-
Servants are apt, and in a trice
Ape to a hair their master's vice.
You came from court, you say. Adieu,
She faid, and to the covey flew.
The Univerfal APPARITION.
Rake, by ev'ry paffion rul'd,
With ev'ry vice his youth had cool'd;
Disease his tainted blood affails;
His fpirits droop, his vigour fails:
With fecret ills at home he pines,
And, like infirm old age, declines.
As, twing'd with pain, he penfive fits,
And raves, and prays, and fwears by fits;
A ghaftly phantom, lean and wan,
Before him rofe, and thus began.
My name perhaps hath reach'd your ear;
Attend, and be advis'd by Care.
Nor love, nor honour, wealth, nor pow'r,
Can give the heart a chearful hour,
When health is loft Be timely wife:
With health all taste of pleasure flies.
Thus faid, the phantom disappears.
The wary counsel wak'd his fears:
He now from all excefs abftains,
With phyfick purifies his veins ;
And, to procure, a sober life,
Refolves to venture on a wife.
But now again the Sprite afcends,
Where e'er he walks his ear attends ;
Infinuates that beauty's frail,
'That perfeverance must prevail s
With jealoufies his brain inflames,
And whispers all her lover's names.
In other hours the reprefents
His houfhold charge, his annual rents,
Increasing debts, perplexing duns,
And nothing for his younger fons.
Strait all his thought to gain he turns,
And with the thirst of lucre burns.
But when poffefs'd of fortune's ftore,
The Spectre haunts him more and more
Sets want and misery in view,
Bold thieves, and all the murd'ring crew;
Alarms him with eternal frights,
Infefts his dreams, or wakes his nights;
How shall he chafe this hideous guest?
Power may perhaps protect his reft.
To pow'r he rofe. Again the Sprite
Befets him morning, noon, and night;
Talks of Ambition's tott'ring feat,
How Envy perfecutes the great,
Of rival hate, of treach'rous friends,
And what difgrace his fall attends.
The court he quits to fly from Care,
And feeks the peace of rural air:
His groves, his fields, amus'd his hours;
He prun'd his trees, he rais'd his flowers.
But Care again his steps pursues ;
Warns him of blafts, of blighting dews,
Of plund'ring infects, fnails, and rains,
And droughts that ftarve the labour'd plains.
Abroad, at home, the Spectre's there :
In vain we seek to fly from Care.
At length he thus the Ghost addreft.
Since thou must be my conftant guest,
Be kind, and follow me no more;
For Care by right should go before.
The two OWLS and the SPARROW.
WO formal Owls together fat,
thus to
Conferring thus in folemn chat.
How is the modern tafte decay'd!
Where's the refpect to wifdom paid?
Our worth the Grecian fages knew ;
They gave our fires the honour due;
They weigh'd the dignity of fowls,
And pry'd into the depth of Owls.
Athens the feat of learned fame,
With gen❜ral voice rever'd our name;
On merit title was conferr'd,
And all ador'd th' Athenian bird.
Brother, you reafon well, replies
The folemn mate, with half-fhut eyes;
Right. Athens was the feat of learning,
And truly wisdom is difcerning.
Befides, on Pallas' helm we fit,
The type
and ornament of wit:
But now, alas! we're quite neglected,
And a pert Sparrow's more respected.
A Sparrow, who was lodg'd befide,
O'erhears them footh each other's pride,
And thus he nimbly vents his heat.
Who meets a fool must find conceit.
I grant, you were at Athens grac'd,
And on Minerva's helm were plac'd;
But ev'ry bird that wings the sky,
Except an Owl, can tell you why.
From hence they taught their schools to know
How false we judge by outward show;
That we should never looks esteem,
Since fools as wife as you might seem.
Would you contempt and scorn avoid,
Let your vain-glory be destroy'd;
Humble your arrogance of thought,
Pursue the ways by nature taught;
So shall you find delicious fare,
And grateful farmers praise your care;
So fhall fleek mice your chace reward,
And no keen cat find more regard.
The COURTIER and PROTEUS.
Hene'er a courtier's out of place,
The country shelters his difgrace ;.
Where, doom'd to exercife and health,
His house and gardens own his wealth.
He builds new schemes, in hope to gain
The plunder of another reign;
Like PHILIP's fon would fain be doing,
And fighs for other realms to ruin.
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