Each parent fprung. -A. What fortune, pray?
P. Their own;

And better got, than Beftia's from the throne
Born to no pride, inheriting no ftrife
Nor marrying difcord in a noble wife
Stranger to civil and religious rage

The good man walk'd innoxious through his age
No courts he law, no fuits would ever try
Nor dar'd an oath, nor hazarded a lie
Unlearn'd he knew no fchoolman's fubtile art,
No language, but the language of the heart.
By nature honeft, by experience wife
Healthy by temp'rance, and by exercise;
His life, though long, to fickness past unknown
His death was inftant, and without a groan
O grant me, thus to live, and thus to die!
Who fprung from kings fhall know lefs joy than I.
O friend, may each domeftic blifs be thine!
Be no unpleafing melancholy mine:
Me, let the tender office long engage,
To rock the crodle of repofing age,

With lenient arts extend a mother's breath,
Make Languor fmile, and smooth the bed of Death
Explore the thought, explain the afking eye,
And keep a while one parent from the fky!
On cares like these if length of days attend,
May Heav'n, to blefs thofe days, preferve my friend,
Preferve him focial, cheerful, and ferene

And just as rich as when he ferv'd a Queen!
A. Whether that bleffing be deny'd or giv'n
Thus far was right, the reft belongs to Heav'n.

Pope.

Swift.

Swift.

(Schwerlich läßt sich diesem satirischen Schriftsteller, in Rücksicht auf den ganzen Umfang seiner Talente, auf die Fruchtbarkeit und Stärke seines Wiges, auf die Mannich faltigkeit der Darstellungsart, und besonders auf die glück lichste Anwendung der Ironie, irgend ein andrer an die Scite sezen. Von der zahlreichen Menge seiner Schriften, des ren Sammlung an die dreißig Bände beträgt, ist, wie bes kannt, der größte Theil prosaisch, und in mancherlei Formen abgefaßt, auch haben die meisten derselben nahe Beziehung auf die damaligen Zeitumstände. Aber auch seine Gedichte find fast alle satirisch; und aus diesen habe ich nur folgendes zur Probe gewählt, dessen erfte Hälfte &sopische Fabel, und die zweite, Ausführung der daraus gezognen Lehre ist: daß der Mensch gemeiniglich gegen seine Fehler blind ist, und sich, selbst beim Geständniß derselben, gerade von den auf fallendsten frei spricht. Neber das Leben und den Charaks ter dieses merkwürdigen Mannes haben der Graf Orrery, Dr. Hawkesworth, Dr. Johnson, und Hr. Sheridan, umständlich geschrieben.)

THE BEASTS CONFESSION

W

HEN Beafts could speak, (the Learned say
They ftill can do fo every day.)

It feems, they had religion then,
As much as now we find in men.

It happen'd when a plague broke out,

(Which therefore made them more devout)
The king of brutes (to make it plain,
Of Quadrupeds I only mean)
By proclamation gave command,
That ev'ry fubject in the land

Should to the Prieft confefs their fins;
And thus the pious Wolf begins:

Good

Good Father, I must own with fhame,
That often I have been to blame!
I must confefs, on Friday laft,
Wretch that I was, I broke my faft:
But, I defy the bafest tongue

To prove I did my neighbour wrong:
Or ever went to feek my food
By Rapine, theft, or thirft of blood,

The afs approaching next, confefs'd
That in his heart he lov'd a jeft;
A Wag he was, he needs must own,
And could not let a Dunce alone:
Sometimes his friend he would not spare,
And might perhaps be too fevere :
But yet, the worst that could be faid,
He was a wit both born and bred;
And, if it be a fin or fhame,

Nature alone must bear the blame:
One fault he hath, is forry for't,
His ears are half a foot to fhort;
Which could he to the ftandard bring.
He'd fhew his face before the king.
Then, for his voice, there's none disputes
That he's the nightingale of brutes.

The Swine with contrite heart allow'd
His fhape and beauty made him proud:
In diet was perhaps too nice,
But gluttony was ne'er his vice:
In ev'ry turn of life content,
And meekly took what Fortune fent:
Inquire thro' all the parish round,
A better neighbour ne'er was found!
His vigilance might fome displease;
'Tis true, he hated floth jike peas.

The mimik Ape began his chatter,
How evil tongues his life befpatter:
Much of the cens'ring world complain'd
Who faid, his gravity was feign'd:

Swift.

Swift. Indeed, the ftrictness of his morals
Engag'd him in an hundred quarrels:
He faw and he was griev'd to fee't,
His zeal was fometimes indifcreet:
He found, his virtues too fevere
For our corrupted times to bear:
Yet, fuch a lewd licentious age
Might well excufe a ftoick's rage.

The Goat advanc'd with decent pace,
And first excuf'd his youthful face;
Forgiveness begg'd, that he appear'd
('Twas Nature's faults) without a beard.
'Tis true, he was not much inclin'd
To fondness for the female kind;
Not, as his enemies object,
From chance, or natural defect;
Not by his frigid constitution;
But, thro' a pious refolution;
For he had made a holy vow
Of chastity, as monks do now;
Which he refolv'd to keep for ever hence
As ftrictly too, as doth his Reverence.

Apply the tale, and you fhall find
How juft it fuits with human kind.
Some faults we own: but, can you guess?
Why? Virtues carry'd to excefs,
Wherewith our vanity endows us,
Though neither foe nor friend allows us.
The lawyer fwears; you may rely on't,
He never fqueez'd a needy Client:
And, this he makes his conftant rule;
For which his brethren call him fool;
His confcience always was fo nice,
He freely gave the poor advice;
By which he loft, he may affirm,
A hundred fees laft eafter term.
While others of the learned robe
Would break the patience of a Job,

No

The Doctor, if you will believe him,
Confefs'd a fin, and God forgive him:
Call'd up at midnight, ran to fave
A blind old beggar from the grave::
But, fee how Satan fpreads his inares;
He quite forgot to fay his pray'rs
He cannot help it for his heart,
Sometimes to act the parfon's part;
Quotes from the Bible many a sentence
That moves his patients to repentance:
And, when his med'cines do no good,
Supports their minds with heav'nly food.
At which, however well intended,
He hears the clergy are offended;

And

Swift.