Seem only to regard your friends,
But ufe them for your private ends.
Stint not to truth the flow of wit;,
Be prompt to lie when'er 'tis fit.
Bend all your force to fpatter merit ;
Scandal is converfation's fpirit.
Boldly to every thing pretend,
And men your talents fhall commend.
I knew the great. Obferve me right;
So fhall you grow, like man, polite.

He fpoke, and bow'd. With muttering jaws The wondering circle grinn'd applaufe.

Now, warm'd with malice, envy, fpite, Their moft obliging friends they bite;

And, fond to copy human ways,

Practise new mifchiefs all their days.

60

Thus the dull lad, too tall for school,

With travel finishes the fool;

Studious of every coxcomb's airs,

165

For vice is fitted to his parts.

FABLE XV.

THE Sage, awak'd at early day,

Through the deep foreft took his way;
Drawn by the mufic of the groves,
Along the winding gloom he roves :
From tree to tree the warbling throats
Prolong the fweet alternate notes;
But, where he past, he terror threw,
The fong broke fhort, the warblers flew ;
The thrushes chatter'd with affright,
And nightingales abhorr'd his fight;
All animals before him ran,

To fhun the hateful fight of man.
Whence is this dread of every creature?
Fly they our figure, or our nature!

As thus he walk'd in mufing thought,
His ear imperfect accents caught;
With cautious ftep he nearer drew,
By the thick fhade conceal'd from view.
High on the branch a pheasant stood,
Around her all her liftening brood;
Proud of the bleflings of her neft,
She thus a mother's care exprefs'd.

"No dangers here fhall circumvent,
Within the woods enjoy content.
Sooner the hawk or vulture truft
Than man, of animals the worft.

In him ingratitude you find,

A vice peculiar to the kind.

The fheep whofe annual fleece is dy'd

To guard his health, and ferve his pride,
Forc'd from his fold and native plain,
Is in the cruel thambles flain.
The fwarms who with induftrious skill,
His hives with wax and honey fill,
In vain whole fummer-days employ'd,
Their stores are fold, the race destroy'd.

THE PIN AND THE NEEDLE.

A PIN who long had serv'd a beauty,
Proficient in the toilette's duty,

Had form'd her fleeve, confin'd her hair,
Or given her knot a smarter air,
Now nearest to her heart was plac'd,
Now in her manteau's tail difgrac'd:
But could the partial Fortune blame,
Who faw her lovers ferv'd the same ?

At length from all her honours cait,
Through various turns of life the past;
Now glitter'd on a taylor's arm,
Now kept a beggar's infant warm;
Now, rang'd within a mifer's coat,
Contributes to his yearly groat;
Now, rais'd again from low approach,
She vifits in the doctor's coach:

5 Here, there, by various fortune toft, At latt in Grefham-hall was loft. Charm'd with the wonders of the show,

On every fide, above, below,

"Friend, fays the Needle. ceafe to blame; 35 I follow real worth and fame.

25 Know'st thou the loadstone's power and art, That virtue's virtues can impart?

Of all his talents I partake:

Who then can fuch a friend forfake?
'Tis I direct the pilot's hand

40

30 To fhun the rocks and treacherous fand:

By me the diftant world is known,

And either India is our own.

Had I with milliners been bred,

45

What had I been? the guide of thread,

35 And drudg'd as vulgar Needles do,

Of no more confequence than you."

AWOLF, with hunger fierce and bold,
Ravag'd the plains, and thinn'd the fold;
Deep in the wood fecure he lay,
The thefts of night regal'd the day.
In vain the shepherd's wakeful care
Had fpread the toils, and watch'd the snare;
In vain the Dog purfued his pace,
The Alester robber mock'd the chace.

As Lightfoot rang'd the foreft round,
By chance his foe's retreat he found.

Let us a while the war fufpend,
And reafon as from friend to friend."
"A truce?" replies the Wolf.
The Dog the parley thus begun.
"How can that ftrong intrepid mind
Attack a weak defencelef's kind?
Thofe jaws fhould prey on nobler food,
And drink the boar's and lion's blood.
Great fouls with generous pity melt,
Which coward tyrants never felt.
How harmless is our fleecy care!
Be brave, and let thy mercy fpare."

"Friend, fays the Wolf, the matter weigh;
Nature defign'd us beafts of prey;
As fuch, when hunger finds a treat,
"Tis neceffary wolves fhould eat.
If, mindful of the bleating weal,
Thy bofom burn with real zeal,
Hence, and thy tyrant lord befeech
To him repeat the moving speech:
A Wolf eats fheep but now and then,
Ten thousands are devour'd by men.
An open foe may prove a curfe,
But a pretended friend is worse.^

до

His honeft pencil touch'd with truth, And mark'd the date of age and youth. He loft his friends, his practice fail'd; Truth fhould not always be reveal'd: In duity piles his pictures lay, For no one fent the second pay. Two buftos, fraught with every grace, A Venus' and Apollo's face, He plac'd in view; refolv'd to please, 5 Whoever fat he drew from these, From these corrected every feature, And fpirited each aukward creature. All things were fet; the hour was come, His palette ready o'er his thumb. My lord appear'd; and feated right, In proper attitude and light,

The Painter look'd, he fketch'd the piece,
Then dipt his pencil, talk'd of Greece,
Of Titian's tints, of Guido's air;

15 Thofe eyes, my Lord, the fpirit there Might well a Raphael's hand require, To give them all the native fire;

20

The features, fraught with fenfe and wit, You'll grant, are very hard to hit;

30

EST men fufpect your tale untrue, Keep probability in view.

To every age fome charm he lent;

Ev'n beauties were almoft content.

The traveller leaping o'er thofe bounds,
The credit of his book confounds.

Who with his tongue hath armies routed,

Makes even his real courage doubted.

But flattery nevfems abfurd;

The flatter'd always take your word:
Impoffibilities feem just;

They take the strongest praise on trust.
Hyperboles, though ne'er fo great,
Will still come short of felf-conceit.
So very like a Painter drew,"
That every eye the picture knew ;
He hit complexion, feature, air,
So juft, the life itself was there.
No flattery with his colours laid,
To bloom reftor'd the faded maid;

He gave each mufcle all its ftrength;
The mouth, the chin, the nofe's length;

5

10

Would any man the picture own?
But, when thus happily he wrought,
Each found the likeness in his thought.

So poor, fo paltry, is their pride!

Nay, ev'n with fools whole nights will fit,
In hopes to be fupreme in wit.
If thefe can read, to thefe I write,

20 To fet their worth in trueft light.

A Lion-cub, of fordid mind,

Avoided all the lion kind;

Fond of applaufe he fought the feafts Of vulgar and ignoble beasts;

With alles all his time he spent,

Their club's perpetual prefident.

He caught their manners, locks, and airs;
An afs in every thing but ears!
If e'er his Highness meant to joke,
They grinn'd applaufe before he spoke ;
But at each word what fnouts of praise!
Good gods! how natural he brays!

Elate with flattery and conceit,
He feeks his royal fire's retreat;
Forward and fond to fhow his parts,
His Highness brays; the Lion ftarts.
"Puppy that curs'c vociferation
Betrays thy life and converfation:
Coxcombs, an ever-noify race,
Are trumpets of their own difgrace."

"Why fo fevere? the Cub replies;

Our fenate always held me wife."

"How weak is pride! returns the fire:

35

All fools are vain when fools admire!

But know, what ftupid affes prize, Lions and noble beafts defpife."

THE RAT-CATCHER AND CATS.

THE rats by night such mischief did, Betty was every morning chid:

They undermin'd whole fides of bacon,
Her cheese was fapp'd, her tarts were taken;
Her pafties, fenc'd with thickeft pafte,

FABLE XX.

THE OLD HEN AND THE COCK.

RESTRAIN your child; you'll foon believe
The text which fays we fprung from Eve.
As an old Hen led forth her train,
And feem'd to peck to fhow the grain,
She rak'd the chaff, the fcratch'd the ground,
And glean'd the fpacious yard around.

A giddy chick, to try her wings,

On the well's narrow margin fprings,

And prone the drops. The mother's breaft All day with forrow was pofleft.

A Cock the met; her fon fhe knew ; And in her heart affection grew.

"My fon, fays fhe, I grant your years Have reach'd beyond a mother's cares. I fee you vigorous, ftrong, and bold; I hear with joy your triumphs told. "Tis not from Cocks thy fate 1 dread; But let thy ever-wary tread Avoid yon' well; that fatal place. Is fure perdition to our race. Print this my counfel on thy breast: To the juft gods Ileave the reft."

He thanked her care; yet day by day His bofom burn'd to difobey, And every time the well he faw, Scorn'd in his heart the foolish law: Near and more near each day he drew, And long'd to try the dangerous view. "Why was this idle charge? he cries; Let courage female fears defpife. Or did the doubt my heart was brave, And therefore this injunction gave:

5

10

Were all demolish'd and laid wafte:
She curs'd the Cat, for want of duty,
Who left her foes a conftant booty.

An Engineer, of noted skill,
Engag'd to stop the growing ill.

From room to room he now furveys
Their haunts, their works, their fecret ways;
Finds where they 'scape an ambuscade,
And whence the nightly fally's made.

An envious Cat from place to place,
Unfeen, attends his filent pace:
She faw that, if his trade went on,
The purring race must be undone ;
So fecretly removes his baits,
And every ftratagem defeats.

Again he fets the poifon'd toils
And Pufs again the labour foils.

"What foe (to fruitrate my designs)

1

"In every age and clime, we fee, Two of a trade can ne'er agree. Each hates his neighbour for encroaching: 'Squire ftigmatizes 'fquire for poaching; Beauties with beauties are in arms,

And scandal pelts each other's charms ;
Kings, too, their neighbour-kings dethrone,
In hope to make the world their own:
But let us limit our defires,

Nor war like beauties, kings, and 'fquires ;
For though we both one prey pursue,
There's game enough for us and you."

FABLE XXII.

THE GOAT WITHOUT A BEARD.

"TIS certain that the modifh paffions

Defcend among the crowd like fashions. Excufe me, then, if pride, conceit, (The manners of the fair and great) I give to monkeys, affes, dogs, Fleas, owls, goats, butterflies, and hogs, I fay that these are proud: what then? I never said they equal men.

A Goat (as vain as Goat can be)
Affected fingularity:

Whene'er a thymy bank he found,
He roll'd upon the fragrant ground,
And then with fond attention flood,
Fix'd o'er his image in the flood.

"I hate my frowzy beard, he cries,
My youth is loft in this difguife.
Did not the females know my vigour,
Well might they loath this reveled figure."

Refolv'd to smooth his fhaggy face, He fought the barber of the place. A flippant monkey, fpruce and smart, Hard-by, profefs'd the dapper art: His pole with pewter-bafons hung, Black rotten teeth in order ftrung, Rang'd cups, that in the window stood, Lin'd with red rags to look like blood; Did well his threefold trade explain, Who fhav'd, drew teeth, and breath'd a vein.

The Goat he welcomes with an air, And feats him in his wooden chair: Mouth, nofe, and cheek. the lather hides; Light, fmooth, and fwift, the razor glides. "I hope your custom, Sir, fays Pug. Sure never face was half fo fmug !"

The Goat, impatient for applaufe,
Swift to the neighbouring hill withdraws.
The shaggy people grinn'd and star'd.
"Heigh. day! what's here? without a beard!
Say, Brother, whence the dire difgrace?
What envious hand hath robb'd your face?"
When thus the fop, with fmiles of fcorn,
"Are beards by civil nations worn?"

Ev'n Muscovites have mow'd their chins.
Shall we, like formal Capuchins,
Stubborn in pride, retain the mode,
And bear about the hairy load?

FABLE XXIII.

THE OLD WOMAN AND HER CATS.

WHO friendship with a knave hath made,
Is judg'd a partner in the trade.

5 The matron, who conducts abroad
A willing nymph, is thought a bawd;
And, if a modeft girl is feen
With one who cures a lover's spleen,
We guess her not extremely nice,
And only wish to know her price.

'Tis thus that on the choice of friends
Our good or evil name depends.

A wrinkled hag, of wicked fame,
Befide a little fmoaky flame

15 Sat hovering, pinch'd with age and froft;
Her thrivel'd hands, with veins embofs'd,
Upon her knees her weight fuftains,
While palfy fhook her crazy brains:
She mumbles forth her backward prayers,
20 An untam'd fcold of fourfcore years.

About her fwarm'd a numerous brood
Of Cats, who, lank with hunger, mew'd.
Teaz'd with their cries, her choler grew,
And thus fhe fputter'd. "Hence, ye crew!
25 Fool that I was, to entertain

Such imps, fuch fiends, a hellish train!
Had ye been never hous'd and nurs'd,

I for a witch had ne'er been curs'd. To you I owe that crowds of boys 30 Worry me with eternal noise;

Straws laid across my pace retard,

ΤΟ

15

20

25

The horseshoe's nail'd (each threshold's guard); 30
The stunted broom the wenches hide,
For fear that I should up and ride;

35 They ftick with pins my bleeding feat,
And bid me fhow my fecret teat."

"To hear you prate, would vex a faint ; 35
Who hath most reason of complaint?
Replies a Cat. "Let's come to proof.

40 Had we ne'er starv'd beneath your roof,
We had, like others of our race,
In credit liv'd as beafts of chace.
'Tis infamy to serve a hag;

Cats are thought imps, her broom a nag; 45 And boys against our lives combine,

Becaufe 'tis faid your Cats have nine."

FABLE XXIV.

THE BUTTERFLY AND THE SNAIL,

ALL upftarts, infolent in place,

Remind us of their vulgar race.
As in the funfhine of the morn
A butterfly (but newly born)
Sat proudly perking on a rose,
With pert conceit his bofom glows i
His wings all glorious to behold)
Bedropt with azure, jet, and gold,
Wide he difplays; the fpangled dew
Reflects his eyes and various hue.

His now-forgotten friend, a fnail,
Beneath his houfe, with flimy trail,
Crawls o'er the grafs; whom when he spies,
In wrath he to the gardener cries:

"What means yon' peafant's daily toil, From choaking weeds to rid the foil? Why wake you to the morning's care? Why with new arts correct the year? Why grows the peach with crimfon hue? And why the plumb's inviting blue? Were they to feast his tafte defign'd, That vermin of voracious kind! Crush then the flow, the pilfering race, So purge thy garden from difgrace.

What arrogance! the Snail reply'd ; How infolent is upstart pride! Hadft thou not thus, with infult vain, Provok'd my patience to complain, I had conceal'd thy meaner birth, Nor trac'd thee to the fcum of earth: For fcarce nine funs have wak'd the hours, To fwell the fruit, and paint the flowers, Since I thy humbler life survey'd, In bafe, in fordid guife array'd; A hideous infect, vile, unclean, You drag'd a flow and noisome train; And from your spider-bowels drew Foul film, and spun the dirty clue. I own my humble life, good friend; Snail was I born, and Snail shall end. And what's a Butterfly? at best He's but a caterpillar dreft; And all thy race (a numerous feed) Shall prove of caterpillar breed."

FABLE XXV.

THE SCOLD AND THE PARROT.

THE hufband thus reprov'd his wife:

"Who deals in flander, lives in ftrife. Art thou the herald of disgrace, Denouncing war to all thy race; Can nothing quell thy thunder's rage, Which (pares nor friend, nor fex, nor age? That vixen tongue of your's, my Dear, Alarms our neighbours far and near. Good Gods! 'tis like a rolling river, That murmuring flows, and flows for ever!

ASNEAKING Cur, the mafter's fpy,
Rewarded for his daily lye,

With fecret jealoufies and fears

40 Set all together by the ears.
Poor Pufs to-day was in difgrace,
Another Cat fupply'd her place;

The Hound was beat, the Maftiff chid,
The Monkey was the room for bid;
Each to his dearest friend grew thy,
And none could tell the reafon why.
A plan to rob the house was laid:
The thief with love feduc'd the maid,
Cajol'd the Cur, and ftroak'd his head,
And bought his fecrecy with bread;
He next the Maftiff's honour try'd,
Whofe honeft jaws the bribe defy'd;
He ftretch'd his hand to proffer more;
The furly dog his fingers tore.

Swift ran the Cur; with indignation
The Matter took his information.

5 Hang him, the villain's curs'd," he cries; And round his neck the halter ties.

The Dog his humble fuit preferr'd,
And beg'd in juftice to be heard.
The mafter fate. On either hand
10 The cited Dogs confronting ftand;