THE DEAN'S COMPLAINT, TRANSLATED AND ANSWERED.

DOCTOR.

DEAF, giddy, helpless, left alone.

ANSWER.

Except the first, the fault's your own.

DOCTOR.

To all my friends a burden grown.

ANSWER.

Because to few you will be shown.
Give them good wine, and meat to stuff,
You may have company enough.

DOCTOR.

No more I hear my church's bell,
Than if it rang out for my knell.

ANSWER.

Then write and read, 'twill do as well.

DOCTOR.

At thunder now no more I start,
Than at the rumbling of a cart.

ANSWER.

Think then of thunder when you f―t.

DOCTOR.

Nay, what's incredible, alack!

No more I hear a woman's clack.

ANSWER.

A woman's clack, if I have skill,

Sounds somewhat like a throwster's mill;
But louder than a bell, or thunder;
That does, I own, increase my wonder.

4

EPIGRAM

EPIGRAM BY MR. BOWYER.

IN SYLLABAM LONGAM IN VOCE VERTIGINOSUS* À D. SWIFT CORREPTAM.'

MUSARUM antistes, Phœbi numerosus alumnus,
Vix omnes numeros Vertiginosus habet.
Intentat charo capiti vertigo ruinam :

Oh! servet cerebro nata Minerva caput.
Vertigo nimium longa est, divine poeta ;
Dent tibi Pierides, donet Apollo, brevem.

EPIGRAM BY MR. BOWYER.

66

INTENDED TO BE PLACED UNDER THE HEAD OF
GULLIVER, 1733.

HERE learn, from moral truth and wit refined,
How vice and folly have debased mankind;
Strong sense and humour arm in virtue's cause;
Thus her great votary vindicates her laws :
While bold and free the glowing colours strike;
Blame not the picture, if the picture 's like."

* See page 441.

INSCRIPTION,

INSCRIPTION,

BY DEAN SMEDLEY*. 1729.

Reverendus Decanus, JONATHAN SMEDLEY,
Theologia instructus, in Poesi exercitatus,
Politioribus excultus literis ;

Parce pius, impius minime;
Veritatis Indagator, Libertatis Assertor;
Subsannatus multis, fastiditus quibusdam,
Exoptatus plurimis, omnibus amicus,
Auctor hujus sententiæ, PATRES SUNT VETULÆ.
Per laudem et vituperium, per famam atque infamiam;
Utramque fortunam, variosque expertus casus,
Mente sana, sano corpore, volens, lætusque,
Lustris plus quam xi numeratis,

Ad rem familiarem restaurandam augendamque, Et ad Evangelium Indos inter Orientales prædicandum, Greve, idibus Februarii, navem ascendens, Arcemque Sanctipetens Georgii,vernale per æquinoxium, Anno Eræ Christiana MDCCXXVIII,

Transfretavit,

Fata vocant-revocentque precamur.

* See a translation of this inscription, vol. VII, page 418.

BOUTS

BOUTS RIMES*.

ON SIGNORA DOMITILLA.

OUR schoolmaster may rave i' th' fit
Of classick beauty hæc & illa,
Not all his birch inspires such wit
As th' ogling beams of Domitilla.

Let nobles toast, in bright champaign,
Nymphs higher born than Domitilla;
I'll drink her health, again, again,

In Berkeley's tar, or sars'parilla.

At Goodman's Fields I've much admired

The postures strange of monsieur Brilla;
But what are they to the soft step,
The gliding air, of Domitilla?

Virgil has eternized in song

The flying footsteps of Camilla:
Sure, as a prophet, he was wrong;

He might have dream'd of Domitilla.

Rhimes disposed in order, which are given to a poet, together with a subject, on which he is obliged to make verses, using the same words, and in the same order. The extravagance of a poet, named du Lot, gave occasion to this invention, about the year 1649. The most odd, out of the way rhimes were chosen; and every one endeavoured to fill them up as exactly as possible.—Mr. Addison, in the Spectator, No. 60, adduces them as an instance of the decay of wit and learning among the French; and observes, that this piece of false wit has been finely ridiculed by Mr. Sarasin in "La Defaite des Bouts Riméz."

Great

Great Theodose condemn'd a town

For thinking ill of his Placilla;
And deuse take London ! if some knight
O' th' city wed not Domitilla.

Wheeler, sir George, in travels wise,
Gives us a medal of Plantilla ;
But O! the empress has not eyes,

Nor lips, nor breast, like Domitilla.

Not all the wealth of plunder'd Italy,
Piled on the mules of king At-tila,
Is worth one glove (I'll not tell a bit a lie)
Or garter, snatch'd from Domitilla.

Five years a nymph at certain hamlet,
Y-cleped Harrow of the Hill, a-

-bus'd much my heart, and was a damn'd let To verse-but now for Domitilla.

Dan Pope consigns Belinda's watch

To the fair sylphid Momentilla,

And thus I offer up my catch

To th' snow. white hands of Domitilla.

HORACE,