ODE TO THE ATHENIAN SOCIETY. Moor Park, Feb. 14, 1 [The noted John Dunton, an author and bookseller, who afterwards encountered the edge of Swift's ridicule, abo year 1690-1, set forth a literary plan, or project, as he it, for an association of wits, to be entitled, The Atheni ciety. According to his own account, the body, thus f was only second to the Royal Society, which led him ju express his admiration, why the "great Sprat did not the age with a second best history of the second best inst for the promotion of learning and removing epidemic rance." If the knowledge of this second best instituti at all inferior to that of their great prototype, their re of communication made some amends; for they propos only to answer curious queries in divinity, physic, law "I have been told, that Dryden having perused these said, Cousin Swift, you will never be a poet;' and th denunciation was the motive of Swift's perpetual malevole Dryden."-JOHNSON. mes, 1706, and a supplement in m Oracle, and professing to contain was valuable in the publications of ed up with admiration to this "O. can only be pardoned by those who raordinary and disproportionate reattained, however unworthily, the egarded by a young man whose inre lead him to estimate the labours heir intrinsic merit, than by their of public notice, to which his own aspire. It cannot, however, be dishe might regret, having offered inine, had no cause to lament the vaint of poetical merit, the Athenian e valuable eulogy than the following not exceed even their deserts.] I. st began to fall, ver to flow again, = moisture was so great, e vital heat; was highest first of all, iversal main, sailor's weary sight! nassus, if in height 13 The eager Muse took wi When war her cloudy When the bright sun o And for a while in heave On the high top of pea And pluck'd a laurel bra that grew, The first of plants after t And thence, with joyf Flew dutifully back ag And made an humble ch And the Dove-Muse is Glad of the victory, yet And now discovers fro A peaceful and a flour No sooner did she la On the delightful stran *The Ode 1 writ to the king 21. To crown the happy conqueror, To shew the flood begins to cease, And brings the dear reward of victory and p II. The eager Muse took wing upon the waves' d When war her cloudy aspect just withdrew When the bright sun of peace began to sh And for a while in heavenly contemplation s On the high top of peaceful Ararat: And pluck'd a laurel branch (for laurel was t that grew, The first of plants after the thunder-storm an And made an humble chaplet for the king. * A peaceful and a flourishing shore: On the delightful strand, * The Ode I writ to the king in Ireland.-SWIFT.-S p. 21. matter of fact is true. A sailo "Answer. Des Cartes has les Though we be of two different factions still Both the good-natur'd and the ill, Yet wheresoe'er you look, you'll always fir matter of fact is true. A sailor on board the fleet, by an accident broke his leg, being in drink, and refusing the a of the surgeon of the ship, called for a piece of new tarpa lay on the deck, which he rolled some turns about his leg, all close with a few hoopsticks, and was able immediately round the ship, never keeping his bed one day. I woul whether the cure is not to be attributed to the emplasti of the tarred cloth bound on strait with the hoopsticks, rather, whether it may not be solved according to the philosophy? "Answer. Des Cartes has less to do with this question pernicus, who, in a drunken fit, by the course of h found out the great secret of the world's turning round might our drunken sailor be inspired with this novel way ing himself. But to the question, If the lesser focil broken, he might not be decumbent one day; the gr head being pretty light) being able to support his body both the bones were broken, he could not stand, unless t ters that were tied round his leg came below his heel, an upon his ham, which would take away that weight the otherwise bear. Besides, the tarpaulin is a good ca which, with a sober and a regular diet, might succeed, is no rule to walk by."-Athenian Oracle, Vol. II. p. It is hardly necessary to point out to the reader, un fied by nature to join the Athenian Society, that the frac have befallen a wooden leg. |