VIII.

Then tell (dear fav'rite muse)
What ferpent's that which still resorts,

Still lurks in palaces and courts,
Take thy unwonted flight,

And on the terras light.

See where the lies!

See how the rears her head,

And rolls about her dreadful eyes,

To drive all virtue out, or look it dead!

115

120

'Twas fure this bafilifk fent Temple thence, And tho' as fome ('tis faid) for their defence 125 Have worn a cafement o'er their skin,

So he wore his within,

130

Made up of virtue and tranfparent innocence:
And though he oft renew'd the fight,
And almost got priority of fight,
He ne'er could o'ercome her quite,
(In pieces cut, the viper still did reunite),
Till at laft tir'd with lofs of time and ease,
Refolv'd to give himself, as well as country, peace.

IX.

Sing (beloved mufe) the pleafures of retreat,
And in fome untouch'd virgin ftring

Shew the delights thy fifter Nature yields:

135

Sing of thy vales, fing of thy woods, fing of thy fields;

Go publish o'er the plain
How mighty a profelyte you gain !
How noble a reprifal on the great!
How is the mufe luxuriant grown!
Whene'er fhe takes this flight,
She foars clear out of fight;
These are the paradifes of her own.
(The Pegafus, like an unruly horse,

Though ne'er fo gently led

To the lov'd pafture where he us'd to feed,

Runs violently o'er his ufual course).

140

145

Wake

Wake from thy wanton dreams,

Come from thy dear lov'd ftreams,

The crooked paths of wandering Thames.
Fain the fair nymph would stay,
Oft fhe looks back in vain,

Oft 'gainst her fountain does complain,
And fofily fteals in many windings down,
As loath to fee the hated court and town,
And murmurs as the glides away.

X.

In this new happy scene

Are noble fubjects for your learned pen:
Here we expect from you

150

155

160

More than your predeceffor, Adam, knew:
Whatever moves our wonder, or our fport,
Whatever ferves for innocent emblems of the court;
How that which we a kernel see,

(Whofe well compacted forms escape the light,
Unpeirce'd by the blunt rays of fight),
Shall ere long grow into a tree,

165

Whence takes it its incréafe, and whence its birth, Or from the fun, or from the air, or from the earth, Where all the fruitful atoms lie,

How fome goes downward to the root,

Some more ambitious upwards fly,

And from the leaves, the branches, and the fruit.
You ftrove to cultivate a barren court in vain, 175
Your garden's better worth your noble pain,
Here mankind fell, and hence must rise again.
XI.

Shall I believe a spirit fo divine

Was caft in the fame mold with mine?

Why then does Nature fo unjuftly share
Among her elder fons the whole estate,

And all her jewels and her plate?

180

Poor we, cadets of heav'n, not worth her care, Take up at beft with lumber, and the leavings of a

fate;

Some

Some the binds 'prentice to the fpade, 185
Some to the drudgery of a trade,

Some fhe does to Egyptian bondage draw,

Bids us make bricks, yet fends us to look out for ftraw:

Some the condemns for life to try

To dig the leaden mines of deep philofophy: 199
Me fhe has to the mufe's galleys ty'd,

In vain I ftrive to cross this fpacious main,
In vain I tug and pull the oar,

And when I almoft reach the fhore,

Straight the mufe turns the helm, and I launch out

again :

And yet to feed my pride,

195

Whene'er I mourn, ftops my complaining breath, With promife of a mad reverfion after death.

XII.

Then (Sir) accept this worthlefs verfe,
The tribute of an humble mufe,

Tis all the portion of my niggard stars;
Nature the hidden fpark did at my birth infufe,
And kindled firft with indolence and ease,

And fince too oft debauch'd by praife,

Tis now grown an incurable disease :
In vain to quench this foolish fire I try
In wisdom and philofophy;

In vain all wholefome herbs I fow,
Where nought but weeds will grow.

200

205

Whate'er I plant (like corn on barren earth) 210 By an equivocal birth

Seeds, and runs up to poetry.

To

To the ATHENIAN SOCIETY.

GENTLEMEN,

Moor-park, Feb. 14. 1691.

Since every body pretends to trouble you with their fallies, I thought I might claim the privi lege of an Englishman, and put in my share among the reft. Being last year in Ireland, (from whence I returned about half a year ago), I heard only a loofe talk of your fociety, and believed the defign to be only fome new folly juft fuitable to the age, which God knows I little expected ever to produce any thing extraordinary. Since my being in England, having ftill continued in the country, and much out of company, I had but little advantage of knowing any more, till about two months ago paffing through Oxford, a very learned gentleman there first fhewed me two or three of your volumes, and gave me his account and opinion of you. while after, I came to this place upon a vifit to where I have been ever fince, and have seen all the four volumes, with their fupplements! which anfwering my expectation, the perufal has produced what you find inclosed.

Α

As I have been fomewhat inclined to this folly, fo I have feldom wanted fome body to flatter me in it. And for the ode inclofed, I have fent to a perfon of very great learning and honour, and fince to fome others, the best of my acquaintance, (to which I thought very proper to enure it for a greater light); and they have all been pleafed to tell me, that they are fure it will not be unwelcome; and that I fhould beg the honour of you to let it be

printed

printed before your next volume, (which, I think, is foon to be published); it being fo ufual before moft books of any great value among poets; and before its feeing the world, I fubmit it wholly to the correction of your pens.

I intreat therefore one of you would defcend fo fo far as to write two or three lines to me of your pleasure upon it: Which as I cannot but expect from gentlemen, who have fo well fhewn, upon fo many occafions, that greateft character of fcholars, in being favourable to the ignorant; fo I am fure nothing at prefent can more highly oblige me, or make me happier.

I am,

GENTLEMEN,

Your ever most humble ~

and most admiring fervant,

JONATHAN SWIFT.

***

ODE to the ATHENIAN SOCIETY.)

Mor-park, Feb. 14. 1691.

S when the deluge firft began to fall,

A That mighty ebb never to flow again,

(When this huge body's moisture was fo great,
It quite o'ercame the vital heat;

That mountain which was higheft, first of all
Appear'd above the univerfal main,
To blefs the primitive failor's weary fight;
And 'twas perhaps Parnaffus, if in height

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