Does not the hound betray our pace,
And gins and guns deftroy our race?
Thieves dread the fearching eye of
And never feel the quiet hour.
Old age (which few of us thall know)
Now puts a period to my woe.
Would you true happiness attain,
Let honefty your pallions rein;
So live in credit and esteem,
And the good name you lost redeem.”
"The counfel's good, a Fox replies,
Could we perform what you advife.
Think what our ancestors have done;
A line of thieves from fon to fon.
To us descends the long difgrace,
And infamy hath mark'd our race.
Though we, like harmless fheep, fhould feed,
Honeft in thought, in word, and deed,
Whatever hen-rooft is decreas'd,
We shall be thought to fhare the feaft.
The change fhall never be believ'd.
A loft good name is ne'er retriev'd.”
Nay, then, replies the feeble Fox,
(But, hark! I hear a hen that clucks)
Go; but be moderate in your food;
A chicken, too, might do me good."
THE SETTING-DOG AND THE PARTRIDGE.
HE ranging Dog the ftubble tries,
And fearches every breeze that flies;
The fcent grows warm; with cautious fear
He creeps, and points the covey near;
The men, in filence, far behind,
Conscious of game, the net unbind.
A Partridge, with experience wife,
The fraudful preparation spies;
She mocks their toils, alarms her brood,
The covey fprings, and feeks the wood;
But, ere her certain wing fhe tries,
Thus to the creeping Spaniel cries :
"Thou fawning flave to man's deceit,
Thou pimp of luxury, fneaking cheat,
Of thy whole fpecies thou difgrace;
Dogs fhould difown thee of their race!
For, if I judge their native parts,
They're born with honest open hearts ;
And, ere they ferv'd man's wicked ends,
Were generous foes, or real friends."
When thus the Dog, with fcornful smile:
"Secure of wing, thou dar'ft revile.
Clowns are to polish'd manners blind;
How ignorant is the ruftic mind !
My worth fagacious courtiers fee,
And to preferment rife, like me.
The thriving pimp, who beauty fets,
Hath oft' enhanc'd a nation's debts:
Friend fets his friend, without regard,
And minifters his fkill reward:
Thus train'd by man, I learnt his ways;
And growing favour feafts my days.”
"I might have guefs'd, the Partridge faid,
The place where you were train'd and fed;
Servants are apt, and in a trice
Ape to a hair their mafter's vice.
You came from court, you fay. Adieu!"
She faid, and to the covey flew.
THE UNIVERSAL APPARITION.
ARAKE, by every paffion rul'd,
With every vice his youth had cool'd;
Difeafe his tainted blood affails;
His fpirits droop, his vigour fails:
With fecret ills at home he pines,
And, like infirm old age, declines.
As, twing'd with pain, he penfive fits,
And raves, and prays, and swears, by fits,
A ghaftly Phantom, lean and wan,
Before him rofe, and thus began:
"My name, perhaps, hath reach'd your ear; Attend, and be advis'd by Care.
Nor love, nor honour, wealth, nor power,
Can give the heart a chearful hour,
When health is loft. Be timely wife:
With health all tafte of pleasure flies."
Thus faid, the Phantom disappears.
The wary counfel wak'd his fears.
He now from all excess abftains,
With phyfic purifies his veins
And, to procure a sober life,
Refolves to venture on a wife.
But now again the Sprite afcends, Where'er he walks, his ear attends, Infinuates that beauty's frail,
Bold thieves, and all the murdering crew;
Alarms him with eternal frights,
Infefts his dream, or wakes his nights.
How fhall he chace this hideous guest?
Power may perhaps protect his reft.
To Power he rofe. Again the Sprite
Befets him morning, noon, and night;
Talks of Ambition's tottering feat,
How Envy perfecutes the great,
Of rival hate, of treacherous friends,
And what difgrace his fall attends.
The court he quits, to fly from Care,
And feeks the peace of rural air:
His groves, his fields, amus'd his hours;
He prun'd his trees, he rais'd his flowers.
But Care again his steps purfues,
Warns him of blafts, of blighting dews,
Of plundering infects, fnails, and rains,
And droughts that ftarv'd the labour'd plains.
Abroad, at home, the Spectre's there;
In vain we feek to fly from Care.
At length he thus the Ghoft addreft: Since thou must be my conftant guest, Be kind, and follow me no more;
For Care, by right, should
THE TWO OWLS AND THE SPARROW.
WO formal Owls together fat, Conferring thus in folemn chat. "How is the modern tafte decay'd ! Where's the refpect to wifdom paid?
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