Forward, and fond to fhow his parts, His highness brays,-the Lion starts. Puppy! that curs'd vociferation Betrays thy life and converfation; Coxcombs, an ever-noify race, Are trumpets of their own difgrace. Why fo fevere? the Cub replies, Our fenate always held me wife. How weak is pride! returns the fire, All fools are vain, when fools admire! But know what ftupid affes prize, Lions and noble beafts defpife.
The OLD HEN and the COCK.'
ESTRAIN your child: You'll foon believe The text which fays, we fprung from Eve. As an old Hen led forth her train,
And feem'd to peck to fhow the grain, She rak'd the chaff, fhe fcratch'd the ground, And glean'd the fpacious yard around. A giddy chick, to try her wings, On the well's narrow margin fprings, And prone the drops. The mother's breaft All day with forrow was poffeft.
A Cock fhe met,-her fon fhe knew, And in her heart affection grew.
My fon, fays fhe, I grant your years Have reach'd beyond a mother's cares; I fee you vig'rous, ftrong, and bold, I hear with joy your triumphs told; 'Tis not from Cocks thy fate I dread: But let thy ever-wary tread
Avoid yon well; that fatal place Is fure perdition to our race. Print this my council on thy breaft; To the juft Gods I leave the reft.
He thank'd her care; yet day by day His bofom burn'd to difobey;
And every time the well he faw, Scorn'd in his heart the foolish law; Near and more near each day he drew, And long'd to try the dang'rous view. Why was this idle charge? he cries; Let courage females fears defpife. Or did the doubt my heart was brave, And therefore this injunction gave; Or does her harveft ftore the place, A treasure for her younger race ? And would fhe thus, my fearch prevent? I ftand refolv'd, and dare th' event.
Thus faid, he mounts the margin's round, And pries into the depth profound. He ftretch'd his neck; and from below. With ftretching neck advanc'd a foe; With wrath his ruffled plumes he rears, The foe with ruffled plumes appears; Threat anfwer'd threat, his fury grew, Headlong to meet the war he flew; But when the wat'ry death he found, He thus lamented as he drown'd:
I ne'er had been in this condition, But for my mother's prohibition.
XXII. The RAT-CATCHER and the CATS.
HE Rats by night fuch mifchief did, Betty was every morning chid:
They undermin'd whole fides of bacon, Her cheese was fapp'd, her tarts were taken, Her pafties, fenc'd with thickest paste, Were all demolish'd and laid wafte; She curs'd the cat for want of duty, Who left her foes a constant booty.
An Engineer of noted fkill, Engag'd to top the growing ill.
From room to room he now furveys Their haunts, their works, their fecret ways; Finds where they 'fcape an ambuscade, And whence the nightly fally's made.
An envious Cat, from place to place, Unfeen, attends his filent pace; She faw, that if his trade went on, The purring race must be undone So, fecretly removes his baits, And every ftratagem defeats.
Again he fets the poifoned toils, And Pufs again the labour foils. What foe (to fruftrate my defigns) My schemes thus nightly countermines? Incens'd, he cries, this very hour The wretch fhall bleed beneath my power. So faid. A pond'rous trap he brought, And in the fact poor Pufs was caught. Smuggler, fays he, thou fhalt be made A victim to our lofs of trade.
The captive Cat, with piteous mews, For pardon, life, and freedom, fues: A fifter of the fcience fpare,
One intereft is our common care. What infolence! the man reply'd, Shall Cats with us the game divide ? Were all your interloping band Extinguish d, or expell'd the land, We Rat-catchers might raife our fees, Sole guardians of a nation's cheese! A Cat, who faw the lifted knife, Thus fpoke, and fav'd her fifter's life. In every age and clime we fee, Two of a trade can ne'er agree;
Each hates his neighbour for encroaching; Squire ftigmatizes fquire for poaching;
Beauties with beauties are in arms,
And scandal pelts each other's charms; Kings too their neighbour Kings dethrone, In hope to make the world their own. But let us limit our defires,
Not war like beauties, kings, and fquires; For tho' we both one prey pursue, There's game enough for us and you.
XXIII. The GOAT without a Beard.
IS certain that the modifh paffions Defcend among the crowd like fashions. Excufe me then, if pride, conceit, (The manners of the fair and great) I give to monkeys, affes, dogs,
Fleas, owls, goats, butterflies, and hogs. I fay that thefe are proud. What then? I never faid they equal men.
A Goat (as vain as goat could be) Affected fingularity:
Whene'er a thymy bank he found, He roll'd upon the fragrant ground, And then with fond attention ftood, Fix'd o'er his image in the flood.
I hate my frowzy beard, he cries, My youth is loft in this difguife; Did not the females know my vigour, Well might they loath this rev'rend figure. Refolv'd to fmooth his fhaggy face, He fought the barber of the place. A flippant monkey, fpruce and smart, Hard by profefs'd the dapper art; His pole with pewter bafons hung, Black rotten teeth in order ftrung, Rang'd cups, that in the window stood, Lin'd with red rags, to look like blood,
Did well his threefold trade explain, Who fhav'd, drew teeth, and breath'd a vein. The Goat he welcomes with an air, And feats him in his wooden chair: Mouth, nofe, and cheek, the lather hides, Light, fmooth, and fwift, the razor glides. I hope your custom, Sir, fays Pug: Sure never face was half fo fmug! The Goat, impatient for applause, Swift to the neighb'ring hill withdraws; The fhaggy people grinn'd and star'd.
Heighday! what's here? without a beard; Say, brother, whence the dire disgrace? What envious hand hath robb'd your face? When thus the fop, with fmiles of fcorn: Are beards by civil nations worn?
Ev'n Mufcovites have mow'd their chins. Shall we, like formal Capuchins, Stubborn in pride, retain the mode, And bear about the hairy load?
Whene'er we through the village stray, Are we not mock'd along the way? Infulted with loud fhouts of fcorn, By boys our beards difgrac'd and torn? Were you no more with goats to dwell, Brother, I grant you reafon well, Replies a bearded chief. Befide, If boys can mortify thy pride, How wilt thou ftand the ridicule Of our whole flock? affected fool! Coxcombs, diftinguish'd from the reft, To all but coxcombs are a jest.
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