Th' expiring antient rear'd his drooping head,
And thank'd his ftars that Hodge had learn'd to read.
Great B, the yonker bauls; O heavenly breath!
What ghoftly comforts in the hour of death!"
What hopes I feel! great C, pronounc'd the boy
The grandfire dies with extafy of joy.
Yet in fome lands fuch ignorance abounds,
Whole parishes scarce know thy useful founds..
Of Effex hundreds fame gives this report,
But fame, I ween, fays many things in fport.
Scarce lives the man to whom thou 'rt quite unknown,
Though few th' extent of thy vaft empire own.
Whatever wonders magic spells can do
On earth, in air, in fea, in fhades below;
What words profound and dark wife Mahomet spoke,
When his old cow an angel's figure took;
What ftrong enchantments fage Canidia knew,
Or Horace fung, fierce monsters to subdue,
O mighty book, are all contain'd in you!
All human arts, and every science meet,
Within the limits of thy single sheet :
From thy vaft root all learning's branches grow,
And all her ftreams from thy deep fountain flow.
And, lo! while thus thy wonders I indite,
Infpir'd I feel the power of which I write ;
The gentler gout his former rage forgets,
Lefs frequent now, and lefs fevere the fits:
Loofe grow the chains which bound my useless feet; Stiffness and pain from every joint retreat ;
Surprizing strength comes every moment on,
I ftand, I step, I walk, and now I run.
Here let me cease, my hobbling numbers stop,
And at thy handle hang my crutches up.
THERSITES; OR, THE LORDLING
THE GRANDSON OF A BRICKLAYER, GREATGRANDSON OF A BUTCHER.
HERSITES of amphibious breed,
Motley fruit of mongrelse
By the dam from Lordlings fprung,
By the fire exhal'd from dung:
Think on every vice in both,
Look on him, and see their growth.
View him on the mother's fide,
Fill'd with falfehood, fpleen, and pride
Pofitive and over-bearing,
Changing ftill, and still adhering,
Spiteful, peevish, rude, untoward :
Fierce in tongue, in heart a coward :
When his friends he most is hard on,
Cringing comes to beg their pardon ;
Reputation ever tearing,
Ever dearest friendship fwearing.
Judgment weak, and paffion ftrong
Always various, always wrong:
Provocation never waits,
Where he loves, or where he hates.
Talks whate'er comes in his head,
Wishes it were all unfaid.
Let me now the vices trace,
From his father's fcoundrel race,
Who could give the looby fuch airs?
- Were they mafons? Were they butchers ?
Herald lend the Muse an answer,
From his atavus and grandfire;
This was dexterous at his trowel,
That was bred to kill a cow well:
Hence the greafy clumsy mien,
In his dress and figure feen:
Hence that mean and fordid foul,
Like his body, rank and foul :
Hence that wild fufpicious peep,
Like a rogue that fteals a fheep:
Hence he learn'd the butcher's guile,
How to cut a throat and smile:
Like a butcher doom'd for life,
In his mouth to wear his knife.
Hence he draws his daily food,
From his tenant's vital blood.
Laftly, let his gifts be try'd,
Borrow'd from the mafon-fide.
Some, perhaps, may think him able
In the ftate to build a Babel;
Could we place him in a station
To deftroy the old foundation.
True, indeed, I should be gladder
Could he learn to mount a ladder.
May he at his latter end
Mount alive, and dead defcend.
In him, tell me, which prevail,
Female vices moft, or male?
What produc'd them, can you tell?
Human race, or imp of hell?
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