Through Modefty, or aukward Shame,
(For which he owns himself to blame)
He found the wifeft Men he could,
Without Respect to Friends, or Blood;
Nor ever acts on private Views,
When he hath Liberty to chufe.

The SHARPER fwore he hated Play,
Except to pass an Hour away:

And, well he might; for to his Coft,
By want of Skill, he always loft:

He heard, there was a Club of Cheats,
Who had contriv'd a thousand Feats;
Could change the Stock, or cog a Dye,
And thus deceive the sharpeft Eye;
No wonder how his Fortune funk,
His Brothers fleece him when he's drunk,

I own the Moral not exact,
Befides, the Tale is falfe in Fact;
And fo abfurd, that could I raise up
From Fields Elyzian, fabling #fop,
I would accufe him to his Face,
For libelling the Four-foot Race.
Creatures of ev'ry Kind but ours

Well comprehend their nat'ral Pow'rs;
While WE, whom Reason ought to fway,
Mistake our Talents ev'ry Day:

The

The Ass was never known so stupid
To act the Part of Tray or Cupid;
Nor leaps upon his Master's Lap,
There to be ftroak'd, and fed with Pap;
As Efop would the World perfuade;
He better understands his Trade:

Nor comes whene'er his Lady whistles,
But carries Loads, and feeds on Thistles.
Our Author's Meaning, I prefume, is
A Creature bipes et implumis;

*

Wherein the Moralift defign'd

A Compliment on Human-kind:
For, here he owns, that now-and-then
+ Beafts may degen'rate into Men.

* A Definition of Man difapproved by all Logicians: Homo eft Animal bipes, implume, erecto vultu.

+ Vide Gulliver in his Account of the Houyhnhnms.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The Verfes on the Death of Dr. SWIFT, written by Himself, being very much enquired after by his Friends, many of whom pretended to have genuine Copies, although he never fuffered any of them to take one; the following was published with Breaks, Dashes, and Triplets, (which the Author never made Ufe of) to disguise his Manner of Writing; by which however they were deceived, although the genuine one was not published until the Year 1739; but, in order to oblige the Reader, we publish the following (although he would not own it); which, the beft Judges allow, hath many fine Strokes of Wit and Humour.

To the READER.

This poetical Account of the Life and Character of the Reverend Dean SWIFT, fo celebrated through the World for his many ingenious Writings, was occafioned by a Maxim of Rochefoucault; and is now publifhed from the Author's laft corrected Copy, being dedicated by the Publisher, To ALEXANDER POPE, of Twickenham, Efquire.

TO

ALEXANDER POPE, Efquire,

OF

Twickenham in the County of Middlefex.

A

S You have been long an intimate Friend of the Author of the following Poem, I thought you would not be displeased with being informed of fome Particulars, how He came to write it, and how I, very innocently, procured a Copy.

It seems, the DEAN, in Converfation with fome Friends, faid, He could guess the Dif course of the World, concerning his Character, after his Death; and thought it might be no improper Subject for a Poem. This happened above a Year before He finished it; for it was written by small Pieces, just as Leifure or Humour allowed Him.

He shewed fome Parts of it to feveral Friends, and when it was compleated, He seldom refused the Sight of it to any Vifiter: So that, probably, it hath been perufed by Fifty Per Jons; which, being against His ufual Practice, many People judged, likely enough, that He had a Defire to make the People of Dublin impatient to see it published, and at the fame Time to disappoint them; for, He never could be M 2

prevailed