In logic he acquir'd fuch knowledge,
You'd fwear him fellow of a college;
Alike to every art, and fcience,
His daring genius bid defiance,
And fwallow'd wifdom, with that hafte,
That cits do cuftards at a feast.
Within the fhelter of a wood,
One ev'ning, as he mufing stood,
Hard by, upon a leafy fpray,
A Nightingale began his lay.
Sudden he ftarts, with anger ftung,
And fcreeching, interrupts the fong.
Pert, bufy thing, thy airs give o'er,
And let my contemplations foar.
What is the mufic of thy voice,
But jarring diffonance, and noife?
Be wife. True harmony, thou'lt find,
Not in the throat, but in the mind;
By empty chirping not attain'd,
But by laborious study gain'd.
Go read the authors Pope explodes,
Fathom the depth of Cibber's odes,
With modern plays improve thy wit,
Read all the learning Henley writ;
And if thou need'ft muft fing, fing then,
And emulate the ways of men;
So fhalt thou grow, like me, refin'd,
And bring improvement to thy kind.
Thou wretch, the little warbler cry'd,
Made up of ignorance and pride,
Afk all the birds, and they'll declare,
A greater blockhead wings not air.
Read o'er thyfelf, thy talents fcan,
Science was only meant for man.
No ufelefs authors me molest,
I mind the duties of my neft;
With careful wing protect my young,
And chear their ev'nings with a fong;
Make fhort the weary trav'llers way,
And warble in the poets, lay..

Y 3

Thus,

Thefe airs thy aukwardnefs impart,
And fhew thee plainly as thou art.
Among thy equals of the flock,
Thou had'ft efcap'd the public mock,
And as thy parts to good conduce,
Been deem'd an honeft hobbling Goose.
Learn hence to ftudy Wisdom's rules;
Know, foppery's the pride of fools;
And ftriving Nature to conceal,
You only her defects reveal.

L

LXXII. The LAWYER and JUSTICE.

OVE! thou divineft good below,
Thy pure delights few mortals know!
Our rebel hearts thy fway difown,
While tyrant luft ufurps thy throne!
The bounteous God of Nature made
The fexes for each other's aid,
Their mutual talents to employ,
To leffen ills, and heighten joy.
To weaker woman he affign'd
That foft'ning gentleness of mind,
That can, by fympathy, impart
Its likenefs, to the rougheft heart,
Her eyes with magic power endu'd,
To fire the dull, and awe the rude.
The rofy fingers on her face
Shed lavish ev'ry blooming grace,
And ftamp'd (perfection to difplay)
His mildeft image on her clay,

Man, active, refolute, and bold,
He fafhion'd in a different mould,
With useful arts his mind inform'd,
His breaft with nobler paffions warm'd;
He gave him knowledge, taste and sense,
And courage, for the fair's defence.

M.

Her

Her frame, refiftlefs to each wrong,
Demands protection from the strong;
To man fhe flies, when fear alarms,
And claims the temple of his arms.

By Nature's Author thus declar'd
The woman's fov'reign, and her guard,
Shall man, by treach'rous wiles invade
The weakness, he was meant to aid?
While beauty, given to infpire
Protecting love, and foft defire,
Lights up a wild-fire in the heart,
And to its own breaft points the dart,
Becomes the fpoiler's bafe pretence
To triumph over innocence?

The wolf, that tears the tim'rous fheep,
Was never fet the fold to keep;
Nor was the tyger, or the pard
Meant the benighted traveller's guard;
But man, the wildeft beaft of prey,
Wears friendship's femblance to betray;
His ftrength against the weak employs,
And where he fhould protect, deftroys.
Paft twelve o'clock, the watchman cry'd,
His brief the ftudious lawyer ply'd;
The all-prevailing fee lay nigh,
The earnest of to-morrow's lye;
Sudden the furious winds arife,
The jarring cafement shatter'd flies;
The doors admit a hollow found,
And rattling from their hinges bound;
When Juftice in a blaze of light,
Reveal'd her radiant form to fight.
The wretch with thrilling horror fhook,
Loofe ev'ry joint, and pale his look; n
Not having feen her in the courts,
Or found her mention'd in reports, i
He afk'd, with fault'ring tongue, her name,
Her errand there, and whence the came?

Stern

Sternly the white rob'd fhade reply'd,
(A crimton glow her vifage dy'd)
Can't thou be doubtful who I am?
Is Justice grown fo ftrange a name?
Were not your courts for justice rais'd?
'Twas there, of old, my altars blaz'd.
My guardian thee I did elect,
My facred temple to protect,

That thou, and all thy venal tribe,
Shouldft fpurn the Goddefs for the bribe?
Aloud the ruin'd client, cries,

Juftice has neither ears nor eyes;

In foul alliance with the bar,

'Gainft me the judge denounces war, And rarely iffues his decree,

But with intent to baffle me.

She paus'd. Her breaft with fury burn'd.
The trembling Lawyer thus return'd:
I own the charge is justly laid,、

And weak th' excufe that can be made;
Yet fearch the fpacious globe, and fee
If all mankind are not like me.

The gown-man, fkill'd in Romish lies,
By faith's falfe glafs deludes our eyes;
O'er confcience rides without controul,
And robs the man to fave his foul.
The doctor, with important face,
By fly defign, mistakes the cafe;
Prescribes, and fpins out the disease,
To trick the patient of his fees.

The foldier, rough with many a scar,
And red with flaughter, leads the war;
If he a nation's truft betray,
The foe has offer'd double pay.

When vice o'er all mankind prevails,
And weighty intereft rules the fcales,
Muft I be better than the rest,
And harbour Juftice in my breaft?

On

On one fide only take the fee,
Content with poverty and thee?

Thou blind to fenfe, and vile of mind,
Th' exafperated Shade rejoin'd;
If virtue from the world is flown,
Will other's frauds excufe thy own?
For fickly fouls the priest was made,
Phyficians, for the body's aid;
The foldier guarded liberty,

Man woman, and the lawyer me.
If all are faithless to their trust,
They leave not thee the less unjust.
Henceforth your pleadings I disclaim,
And bar the fanction of my name;
Within your courts it fhall be read,
That Juftice from the law is fled.

She fpoke; and hid in fhades her face, 'Till Hardwick footh'd her into grace.

LXXIII. The FARMER, the SPANIEL, and the CAT.

W What rude offence alarms you now?

HY knits my dear her angry brow?

I faid that Delia's fair, 'tis true,
But did I fay fhe equall'd you?
Can't I another's face commend,
Or to her virtue's be a friend,
But inftantly your forehead lours,
As if her merit leffen'd yours?
From female envy never free,
All must be blind, because you fee.

Survey the gardens, fields, and bow'rs,
The buds, the bloffoms, and the flow'rs,
Then tell me where the woodbine grows,
That vies in fweetnefs with the rofe ?
Or where the lily's fnowy white,

That throws fuch beauties on the fight?
Yet folly is it to declare,

That thefe are neither fweet nor fair.