How shall he chase this hideous guest?
Power may perhaps protect his reft;

To pow'r he rose. Again the sprite
Besets him morning, noon and night,
Talks of ambition's tott'ring feat,

How envy perfecutes the great,

Of rival hate, of treach'rous friends,
And what disgrace his fall attends.

The court he quits to fly from Care,
And feeks the peace of rural air:
His groves, his fields amus'd his hours,
He prun'd his trees, he rais'd his flowers;
But Care again his steps pursues,

Warns him of blafts, of blighting dews,

Of plund'ring infects, fnails and rains,
And droughts that starve the labour'd plains.

Abroad, at home, the spectre's there:

In vain we seek to fly from Care.

At

At length he thus the ghost addrest. Since thou must be my constant guest,

Be kind, and follow me no more,

For Care by right should go

before.

FABLE

T

FABLE XXXII.

The two O w Ls and the SPARROW.

WO formal Owls together fate,

Conferring thus in folemn chat. How is the modern tafte decay'd! Where's the respect to wisdom paid?

Our

Our worth the Grecian fages knew,

They gave our fires the honour due,

They weigh'd the dignity of fowls,

And pry'd into the depth of owls.
Athens, the feat of learned fame,
With gen'ral voice rever'd our name;
On merit title was conferr'd,

And all ador'd th' Athenian bird.

Brother, you reason well, replies

The folemn mate, with half-fhut

eyes;

Right. Athens was the feat of learning,

And truly wisdom is difcerning.

Befides, on Pallas' helm we fit,

The type and ornament of wit:
But now, alas, we're quite neglected,
And a pert fparrow's more respected.

A Sparrow, who was lodg'd befide,
O'erhears them footh each other's pride,

And

And thus he nimbly vents his heat.

Who meets a fool muft find conceit. I grant, you were at Athens grac'd, And on Minerva's helm were plac'd,

But ev'ry bird that wings,the sky,

Except an owl, can tell

you why.

From hence they taught their schools to know

How falfe we judge by outward show,

That we should never looks esteem,

Since fools as wife as you might seem.

Would

ye contempt and scorn avoid, Let your vain-glory be destroy'd; Humble your arrogance of thought,

Purfue the ways by nature taught, ye find delicious fare,

So fhall

And grateful farmers praise your care,
So fhall fleek mice your chafe reward,
And no keen cat find more regard.

FABLE