A fox stept forth before the rest,

Made me with strong defirc pursue And thus the servile throng addrest :

The faireft peach that ever grew." “ How vast his talents, born to rule,

« Strike him not, Jeony, Doris cries, And train'd in virtue's honeft school !

Nor murder wasps like vulgar flies! What clemency his temper supays !

For though he's free (to do him right), How uncorrupt are all his ways !

The creature's civil and polite." Beneath his conduct and command,

In ecstasies away he posts; Rapine shall cease to waste the land.

Where'er he came, the favour boasts; His brain hath stratagem and art;

Brags how her sweetest tea he lips, Prudence and mercy rule his heart.

And frows the sugar on his lips. What blessings must attend the nation

The hint alarm'd the forward cret, Under this good adminiftration."

Sure of success away they flew : He said. A goose who distant stood,

They share the dainties of the day, Harangu'd apart the cackling brood :

Round her with airy music play : “ Whene'er l'hear a knave commend,

And now they flutter, now they reft, He bids me shun his worthy friend.

Now soar again, and skim her breast.
What praise! w,at mighty commendation ! Nor were they banish'd, till the found
But 'twas a fox who spoke th' oration.

That wasps have ftings, and felt the wound,
Foxes this government may prize,
As gentle, plentiful, and wise ;

FABLE IX.
If they enjoy the sweets, 'tis plain

The Bull and the Mastiff
We geese must feel a tyrant reign.
What havock now shall thin our race,

seek you to train your favourite boy? "When every petty clerk in place,

Each caution, every care employ; To prove his taste, and seem pokite,

And, ere you venture to confide,
Will feed on gecse boch noon and night!" Let his preceptor's heart be try'd :

Weigh well his mauners, life, and scope;
FABLE VIII.

On these cepends thy future hope,
Tbe Lady and the Wafp.

As on a time, in peaceful reign,

A bull enjoy'd the Rowery plain, What whispers muft the beauty bear!

A mastiff pass'd; inflam'd with ire, What hourly nonsense haunts her ear!

His eye-balls (not indignant fire. Where'er her eyes dispense their charms, He foam'd, he rag'd with thirst of blood. Impertinence around her swarms.

Spurning the ground, the monarch food, Did not the tender nonsepse strike,

And roar'd aloud : “ Suspend the fight; Contempt and scorn might look dislike;

In a whole skin go fleep to-night : Torbidding airs might thin the place,

Or tell me, ere the battle rage, The Nightest flap a fly can chase :

What wrongs provoke thee to engage? But who can drive the numerous brced?

Is it ambition fires thy breaft, Chase one, another will succeed.

Or avarice, chat ne'er can rest ? Who knows a fool, must know his brother ; From these alone unjustly springs One fop will recommend another :

The world-destroying wrath of kings," And with this plague she's rightly curt.

The surly mastiff thus returns: Because she liften'd to the first.

" Within my bosom glory burns. As Doris, at her toilette's duty,

Like heroes of eternal name, Sat meditating on her beauty,

Whom poets fing, I fight for fame, She now was pensive, now was gay,

The buicher's spirit-firring mind And lull'd the sultry hours away.

To daily war my youth inclin'd; As thus in indolence she lies,

He train'd me to heroic deed, A giddy wasp around her flies.

Taught me to conquer, onto bleed." He now advances, now retires,

“ Curs'd dog, the bull reply'd, no mors Now to her neck and check aspires.

I wonder at thy thirft of gore; Her fan in vain defends her charms;

For thou (beneath a butcher train'd, Swist he returns, again alarms;

Whose hands with cruelty arc stain'd, For by repulse he bolder grew,

His daily murders in thy view)
Perch'd on her lip, and fipt the dew.

Mult, like thy tutor, blood pursue.
She frowns; the frets. ** Good gods! the cries, Take, then, thy fare." With goring wound
Proted me from these teazing flies !

At once he lifes him from the ground:
Of all the plagues that heaven hath sent,

Alost the sprawling hero fties, A wasp is most impertinent."

Mangled die falls, he howls, and dies. The hovering infect thus complain'd: * Am I then fighted, scorn'd, disdain'd?

FABLE X. Can such offence your anger wake? 'Twas beauty caus'd the bold mistake.

The Elepbant end tbe Bookfeller Those cherry lips that breathe persume, 'The man who with undaunted coils Thac check io ripe with youthful bloom, Sails unknown scas to poknown foils,

With various wonders fealls his fight :

E'en keep your money, and be wise ; What stranger wonders does he write!

Leave man on man to criticise : We read, and in description view

For that you ne'er can want a pen Creatures which Adam never knew ;

Among the senseless fons of men. For, when we risk no contradiction,

They unprovok'd will court the fray; It prompts the tongue to deal in fiction.

Envy's a sharper spur than pay. Those things that tarile me or you

No author ever spar'd a brother;
I grant are ftrange; yet may be true.

Wits are game cocks to one another."
Who doubts that clephants are found
For science and for sense renown'd?

FABLE XI.
Borri records their trength of parts,

The Peacock, tbe Turkey, and the Goole.
Extent of thought, and skill in arts;
How they perform the law's decrces,

In beauty faults conspicuous grow ;
And save the state the hangman's fees;

The smallest speck is seen on snow. And how by travel understand

As near a barn, by hunger led, The language of another land.

A peacock with the poultry fed, Let those, who question this report,

All view'd him with an envious eye, To Pliny's ancient page resort.

And mock'd his gaudy pageantry. How learn'd was that sagacious breed !

He, conscious of superior merit, Who now (like them) the Greek can read ? Contemns their bale reviling spirit ; As one of these, in days of yore,

His state and dignity assumes, Rummag'd a shop of learning o'er,

And to the sun displays his plumes, Noc like our modern dealers, minding

Which, like the heavens' o'er-arching Ries, Only the margin's breadth and binding,

Are spangled with a thousand eyes. A book his curious eye detains,

The circling rays, and varied light, Where, with exactest care and pains,

At once confound their dazzled light; Were every beast and bird pourtray'd,

On every tongue detration burns, That e'er the search of man survey'd ;

And malice prompts their spleen by turism Their natures and their powers were wric

“ Mark with what infolence and pride With all the pride of human wit :

The creature akes his haughty stride, The page he with attention spread,

The turkey c.ies. Can spleen contain ? And thus remark'd on what he read:

Sure never bird was half fo vain! “ Man with strong reason is endow'd;

But, were intrinsic merit feca, A bealt scarce instinct is allow'd :

We turkeys have the whiter skin!" But, let this author's worth be try'd,

From congue to tongue they caught abuse; 'Tis plain that neither was his guide.

And next was heard the hilling goose: Can he discern the different natures,

“ What hideous legs! what filthy claws; And weigh the power of other creatures,

I scorn to censure little flaws. Who by the partial work hach shown

Then what a horrid squaling throat ! He knows so little of his own ?

Ev'n owls are frighted at the note." How falsely is the spaniel drawn !

“ True. Those are faults, the peacock criesz Did man from him first learn to fawn?

My scream, my shanks, you may despise; A dog proficient in the trade !

But such blind critics rail in vain. He the chief Aatterer nature made!

What ! overlook my radiant train ! Go, man! the ways of courts discern,

Know, did my legs (your scorn and sport) You'll find a spaniel fill might learn.

The curkey or the goose support, How can the fox's theft and plunder

And did ye scream with harsher found, Provoke his cenfure or his wonder?

Those faults in you had ne'er been found : From courtiers' tricks and lawyers' arts,

To all apparent beauties blind, The fou might well improve his parts.

Each blemish strikes an envious mind. The lion, wolf, and tiger's brood,

Thus in assemblies have I seen He curses, for their thirst of blood.

A nymph of brightest charnis and mien, But is not man to man a prey?

Wake envy in each ugly face,
Beasts kill for hunger, men for pay.”

And buzzing scandal fills the place.
The bookseller, who heard him speak,
And saw him curn a page of Greek,

FABLE XII.
Thought, what a genius have I found !

Cupid, Hymen, ond Plutus. Then thus address’d with bow profound : “ Learn'd Sir, if you'd employ your pen

As Cupid in Cythera's grove Againt the senseless sons of men,

Employ'd the lefser powers of love. Or write the history of Siam ;

Some ihape the bow, or fit the fring, No man is better pay than I am.

Some give the taper shaft its wing, Or, lince you 're learn'd in Greek, let's fee Or turn the polish'd quiver's mould. Something againt the Trinity."

Or head the darts with temper'd gode When wrinkling with a sneer his trunk,

Amid their coil and various casa Friend, quoth the elephant, you're drunk : Thus Hymen, with a sing aiz,

Addreso'd the god : “ Thou purblind chit, Nearer and nearer now he tands,
Of aukward and ill-judging wic.

To feel the praise of patting hands;
If matches are not better made,

Examines every fist for meat, At once I must forswear my trade.

And, though repuls'd, disdains retreat; You send me such ill-coupled folks,

Attack. again with level'd horns, That 'tis a shame to sell them yokes.

And man, that was his terror, scorns. They squabble for a pin, a feather,

Such is the country maiden's fright, And wonder how they came together.

When first a redcoat is in sight; The husband's sullen, dogged, shy,

Behind the door she hides her face, The wife grows flippant in reply:

Next time at distance eyes the lace : He loves command and due restriction ;

She now can all his terrors ftand, And she as well likes contradition :

Nor from his squeeze withdraws her hand, She never slavishly submits;

She plays familiar in his arms, She'll have her will, or have her fits.

And every soldier hath his charms. He this way tugs, she th' other draws ;

From tent to tent she spreads her flame; The man grows jealous, and with cause.

For custom conquers fear and shame.
Nothing can save him but divorce;
And here the wife complains of course.”

FABLE XIV.
“ When, says the boy, had I do
With either your affairs or you?

The Monkey wbo bad seen the World. I never idly spend my darts; You trade in mercenary hearts.

A MONKEY, to reform the times,

Refolu'd to visit foreign climes;
For settlements the lawyer's fee'd;

For men in distant regions roam,
Is my hand witness to the deed ?
If they like cat and dog agree,

To bring politer manners home.

So forth he fares, all toil defies :
Go rail at Plutus, not at me."

Misfortune serves to make us wise.
Plutus appear’d, and said, “ Tis true,
In marriage, gold is all their view ;

At length the treacherous snare was laid; They seek not beauty, wit, or sense,

Poor Pug was caught; to town convey'd; And love is seldom the pretence.

There sold. (How envy'd was his doom, All offer incense at my shrine,

Made captive in a lady's room !) And I alone the bargain sign.

Proud, as a lover, of his chains, How can Belinda blame her fate

He day by day her favour gains

Whene'er the duty of the day
She only ask'd a great estate.
Doris was rich enough, 'tis true;

The toilette calls, with mimic play
Her lord must give her title too :

He twirls her knots, he cracks her fan,

Like And every man, or rich or poor,

any other gentleman. A fortune asks, and asks no more."

In vifits too, his parts and wit, Avarice, whatever shape it bears,

When jests grew dall, were sure to hit, Must Itill be coupled with its cares.

Proud with applause he thought his mind
In every courtly art refin'd;

Like Orpheus, burnt with public zeal,
FABLE XIII,

To civilize the monkey-weal;
The tame Stag.

So watch'd occasion, broke his chain,

And sought his native woods again. As a young stag the thicket past,

The hairy sylvans round him press, The branches held his antlers fait.

Astonish'd at his strut and dress. A clown who saw the captive hung,

Some praise his fleeve, and others glote Across the horns his halter flung.

Upon his lich embroider'd coat, Now safely hamper'd in the cord,

His dapper perriwig commending, He bore the present to his lord.

With the black tail behind depending; His lord was pleas'd; as was the clown,

His powder'd back, above, below, When he was tipp'd with half-a-crown.

Like hoary frosts, or fleecy snow; The ftag was brought before his wife.

But all, with envy and desire, The tender lady begg'd his life.

His fluttering shoulder-knot admire. How sleek's the skin! how speck'd like ermine! Hear and improve, he peruy cries; Sure never creature was so charming!

I come to make a nation wise. At first within the yard confin'd,

Weigh your own worth; support your place, He flies and hides from all mankind;

The next in rank to human race. Now bolder grown, with fix'd amaze,

In cities long I pass'd my days, And diftant awe, presumes to gaze;

Convers’d with men, and learn'd their ways. Munches the linen on the lines,

Their dress, their courtly manners fee; And on a hood or apron dines :

Reform your state, and copy me. He steals my little master's bread,

Seek ye to thrive? In flattery deal: Follows the servants to be led :

Your scorn, your bace, with that conceal

1

Seem only to regard your friends,

Does it not lovers' hearts explain, But use them for your privatc ends.

And drudge to raise the merchant's gain? Stint not to truth the flow of wit;

What now rewards this general use? Be prompe to lie whene'er 'tis fic.

He takes the quills, and eats the goose. Pend all your force to spatter merit;

Man then avoid, detest his ways, Scandal' is conversacion's spirit,

So safety shall prolong your days. Boldly to every thing pretend,

When services are thus acquitted,
And men your talents shall commend.

Be sure we pheasants must be spitted.”.
I knew the great. Observe me right;
So fhall you grow,

FABLE XIV.
like

man, polite. He spoke, and bow'd. With muttering jaws

Tbe Pin and the Needle. The wondering circle grinn'd applause.

A Pin who long had serv'd a beauty, Now, warm d with malice, envy, spite,

Proficient in the toilette's duty, Their mot obliging friends they bite;

Had form'd her fleeve, confin'd her hair, And, fond to copy human ways,

Or given her knot a smarter air, Prad ise new mischiefs all their days.

Now nearest to her heart was plac'd, Thus the dull lad, too tall for school,

Now in her mantua's tail disgrac'd : With travel finishes the fool;

But could the partial fortune blame, Studious of every coxcomb's airs,

Who saw her lovers serv'd the same? He drinks, games, dresses, whores, and swears;

At length from all her honours cast, O’erlooks with scorn all virtuous arts,

Through various turns of life the palt; For vice is fitted to his parts.

Now glitter'd on a taylor's arm,

Now kept a beggar's infant warm;
FABLE XV.

Now, rang'd within a miser's coat,

Contributes to his yearly groat;
The Philosopher and the Pbeafunts.

Now, rais'd again from low approach,

She vilits in the doctor's coach :
Tue fage, awak'd at early day,
Through the deep forest took his way;

Here, there, by various fortune tost,

Ac laft in Gresham hall was lost,
Drawn by the music of the groves,

Charm'd with the wonders of the show,
Along the winding gloom he roves :
From tree to tree the warbling throats

On every side, above, below,
Prolong the sweet alternate nutes :

She now of this or that inquires,

What least was understood admires.
But, where he paft, he terror threw,
The long broke short, the warblers flew;

’l'is plain, each thing so struck her mind,

Her head's of virtuoso kind.
The'thrushes chatter'd with affright,
And nightingales abhorr'd his light:

“ And pray what's this, and this, dear Sir?" All animals before him ran,

A needle,” says th' interpreter. To fhun the hateful light of man.

She knew the name; and thus the fool

Address'd her as a tailor's tool.
Whence is this dread of every creature ?
Fly they our figure, or our nature !

“ A needle with thae filthy stone, As thus he walk'd in neusing thought,

Quite idle, all with rust o'ergrown; His ear imperfect accents caught ;

You better night employ your parts, With cautious step he nearer drew,

And aid the fenipstress in her arts; By the thick hade conceal'd from view.

But tell me how the friendship grew High on the branch a pheasant stood,

Between that paltry flint and you." Around her all her listening brood;

Friend, says the needle, cease to blame; Proud of the blessings of her nest,

I follow real worth and fame. She thus a mother's care express'd.

Know'st thou the loadstone's power and art, “ No dangers here shall circumvent,

That virtue virtues can impart ? Within the woods enjoy cootcnt.

Of all his talents I partake : Sooner the hawk or vulture trust

Who then can such a friend fotfake? Than man, of animals the work.

'Tis I direct the pilot's hand

To thun the rocks and treacherous sand :
In him ingratitude you find,
A vice peculiar to the kind.

By me the distant world is known,

And either India is our own,
The theep whofe annual fleece is dy'd
To guard his health, and serve his pride,

Had I with milliners been bred,
Forc'd from his fold and native plain,

What had I been the guide of thread, Is in the cruel shambles lain.

And drudg'd as vulgar needles do, The fwarms who with industrious skill,

Of no more consequence than you."
His hives with wax and honey fill,

FABLE XVII.
In vain whole summer-days employ'd,
Their stores are sold, the race destroy'd.

The Shepherd's Dog and the Wolf.
What tribute from the goose is paid

A wolf, with hunger fierce and bold, Does not her wing all science aid?

Ravag'd the plains, and thinn'd the fold;

Deep in the wood secure he lay,

He plac'd in view; resolu'd to pieafe, The thefts of night regal'd the day.

Whoever sat he drew from these, In vain the shepherd's wakeful care

From these corrected every feature, Had spread the toils, and watch'd the fnare; And spirited each aukward creature. In vain the dog. pursued his pace,

All things were set; the hour was come The fleeter robber mock'd the chase.

His pallet ready o'er his thumb. As Lightfoot rang'd the forest round,

My lord appear'd; and feated right, By chance his foe's retreat he found.

In proper attitude and light, Let us a while the war suspend,

The painter lock'd, he sketch'd the piece, And reason as from friend to friend.

Then dipt his pencil, talk'd of Greece, “ A truce ?" replies the wolf. 'Tis done. Of Titian's tints, of Guido's air ; The dog the parley thus begun.

Those eyes, my lord, the spirit there “ How can that Itrong intrepid mind

Might well a Raphael's hand require, Attack a weak defencelels kind?

To give them all the native fire; Those jaws should prey on nobler food,

The features, fraught with sense and wity And drink the boar and lion's blood.

You'll grant, are very hard to hit; Great souls with generous pity melt,

But yet with patience you shall view Which coward tyrants never felt.

As much as paint and art can do." How harmless is our fleccy care:

Observe the work. My Lord replied, Be brave, and let thy mercy spare."

“ Till now I thought my mouth was wide; “ Friend, says the wolf, the matter weigh; Besides, my nose is fomewhat long : Nature design'd us beasts of prey ;

Dear Sir, for me, 'uis far too young." As such, when hunger finds a treat,

“ Oh! pardon me, the artist cry'd; "Tis necessary wolves should eat.

In this we painters must decide. If, mindful of the bleating weal,

The piece ev'n common eyes must Arike, Thy bosom burn with real zeal,

I warrant it extremely like." Hence, and thy tyrant lord beseech ;

My Lord examin'd it anew; To him repeat the moving speech :

No looking-glass seem'd half so true. A wolf eats sheep but now and then,

A lady came with borrow'd grace Ten thousands are devour'd by men.

He from his Venus form'd her face. An open foe may prove a curse,

Her lover prais'd the painter's art; But a pretended friend is worse."

So like the picture in his heart!

To every age some charm he lent;
FABLE XVIII.

Ev'n beauties were almost content.
The Painter who pleafed nobody and

every body. Through all the town his art they prais'd;

His custom grew, his price was rais'd. Lest men suspect your tale untrue,

Had he the real likeness fhown, Keep probability in vicw.

Would any man the picture own? The travoller leaping o'er those bounds,

But, when thus happily he wrought, The credit of his book confounds.

Each found the likeness in his thought. Who with his tongue hach armies routed,

FABLE XIX.
Makes even his real courage doubted.
But flattery never seems absurd;

The Lion and the Cub.
The flatter'd always take your word :
Impoflibilities seem just;

How fond are men of rule and place,
They take the strongest praise on trust,

Who court it from the mean and base! Hyperboles, though ne'er so great,

These cannot bear an equal nigh, Will still come short of sell-conceit.

But from superior merit fly. So very like a painter drew,

They love the cellar's vulgar joke, That every eye the picture knew,

And lose their hours in ale and smokc: He hit complexion, feature, air,

There o'er some petty club preside; So just, the life itself was there.

So poor, so palury, is their pride ! No flattery with his colours laid,

Nay, ev'n with fools whole nights will So, To bloom restor'd the faded maid;

In hopes to be supreme in wit. He gave each muscle all its strength;

If these can read, to these I write, The mouth, the chin, the nose's length;

To set their worth in trucst light. His honest pencil touch'd with truth,

A lion cub, of sordid mind, And mark'd the date of age and youth.

Avoided all the lion kind; He loft his friends, his practice fail'd;

Fond of applause he fought the fcaste Truth should not always be revealid :

Of vulgar and ignoble beasts; In dusty piles his pidures lay,

With alles all his time he spent, For no one sent the second pay.

Their clubs perpetual president. Two buttos, fraught with every grace,

He caught their nanners, looks, and airs; A Vepus' and Apollo's face,

An als in every thing but cars!