The woman's blind, the Mother cries,
I fee wit fparkle in his eyes.
Lord! Madam, what a fquinting leer!
No doubt the Fairy hath been here.
Juft as the fpoke, a pigmy Sprite
Pops through the key-hole, fwife as light,
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 fprightly race away,
For the dull, helplefs fons of clay?
Befides, by partial fondness fhown,
Like you, we doat upon our own.
Where yet was ever found a mother,
Who'd give her booby for another?
And fhould we change with human breed,
Well might we país for fools indeed.
▼. The EAGLE and the ASSEMBLY of ANIMALS.
S Jupiter's all-feeing eye
A Survey the worlds beneath the sky,
From this fmall fpeck of earth were fent
Murmurs and founds of discontent;
For every thing alive complain'd
That he the hardeft life fuftain'd.
Jove calls his Eagle. At the word,
Before him ftands the royal bird.
The bird, obedient, from heaven's height
Downward directs his rapid flight;
Then cited every living thing,
To hear the mandates of his king.
Ungrateful creatures, whence arife
Thefe murmurs which offend the skies?
Why this diforder? fay the caufe,
For juft are Jove's eternal laws:
Let each his difcontent 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 ftep and flow,
O'er plains, and vales, and mountains go;
The morning fees my chace begun,
Nor ends it till the fetting fun.
When (fays the Greyhound) I purfue,
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 fcent,
Jove ne'er had heard my discontent.
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 defpis'd,
And the Cock's matchlefs valour priz'd.
The Fishes wifh'd to graze the plain,
The beafts to fkim beneath the main.
Thus, envious of another's ftate,
Each blam'd the partial hand of Fate.
The Bird of Heav'n then cry'd aloud,
Jove bids difperfe the murm'ring crowd,
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 confent!
Be happy then, and learn content;
Nor imitate the restless mind,
And proud ambition of mankind.
VI. The WILD BOAR and the RAM.
GAINST an elm a fheep 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 ftrips the fkin yet warm with life:
Your quarter'd fires, your bleeding dams,
The dying bleat of harmlefs lambs,
Call for revenge. O ftupid race!
The heart that wants revenge is base.
I grant, an ancient Ram replies,
We bear no terror in our eyes;
Yet think us not of foul fo tame,'
Which no repeated wrongs inflame,
Infenfible of every ill,
Because we want thy tufks to kill.
Know, those who violence purfue
Give to themfelves the vengeance due;
For in thefe maffacres they find
The two chief plagues that waste mankind.
Our skin fupplies the wrangling bar,
It wakes their flumb'ring fons to war:
And well revenge may reft contented,
Since drums and parchment were invented.
VII. The MISER and PLUTUS.
HE wind was high,-the window fhakes,
With fudden start the Miser wakes;
Along the filent room he stalks,
Looks back, and trembles as he walks;
Each lock and every bolt he tries,
In every 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 stares,
And thus his guilty foul declares :-
Had the deep earth her ftores confin'd,
This heart had known sweet peace of mind.
But virtue's fold. Good Gods what price
Can recompence the pangs of vice?
O bane of good! feducing cheat!
Can man, weak man, thy pow'r defeat?
Gold banish'd honour from the mind,
And only left the name behind :
Gold fow'd the world with every 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 fpoke, 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 addrefs'd:-
Whence is this vile, ungrateful rant?
Each fordid rafcal's daily cant :
Did I, bafe 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;
And pow'r, when lodg'd in their poffeffion,
Grows tyranny, and rank oppreffion.
Thus when the villain crams his cheft,
Gold is the canker of the breaft:
'Tis av'rice, infolence, and pride,
And ev'ry shocking vice befide.
But when to virtuous hands 'tis given,
It bleffes, like the dews of heaven;
Like heaven, it hears the orphan's cries,
And wipes the tears from widows eyes.
Their crimes on Gold fhall Mifers lay,
Who pawn'd their fordid fouls for pay?
Let bravoes then, when blood is fpilt,
Upbraid the paffive sword with guilt.
VIII. The LION, the Fox, and the GEESE.
A Lion, tir'd with ftate affairs,
Quite fick with pomp, and worn with cares,
Refolv'd (remote from noife and strife)
In peace to pafs his latter life.
It was proclaim'd, the day was fet;
Behold the gen'ral council met.
The Fox was viceroy nam'd. The crowd
To the new regent humbly bow'd:
Wolves, Bears, and mighty Tigers bend,
And ftrive who moft fhall condefcend.
He ftraight affumes a folemn grace,
Collects his wisdom in his face;
The crowd admire his wit, his fenfe,
Each word hath weight and confequence;
The flatt'rer all his art difplays:
He who hath pow'r is fure of praife.
A Fox ftept forth before the reft,
And thus the fervile throng addreft:-
How vaft his talents, born to rule,
And train'd in Virtue's honest school!
What clemency his temper fways !
How uncorrupt are all his ways!
Beneath his conduct and command
Rapine fhall cease to wafte the land;
His brain hath ftratagem and art,
Prudence and mercy rule his heart.
What bleffings must attend the nation,
Under this good administration!
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