TWO RIDDLE S.

FIRST PRINTED IN THE EXAMINER, MDCCX.

SPHINX

IX was a monfter that would eat

Whatever stranger she could get;

Unless his ready wit disclos'd
The fubtle Riddle she propos'd.
Oedipus was refolv'd to go,

And try what strength of parts would do.
Says Sphinx, on this depends your fate;
Tell me what animal is that,

Which has four feet at morning bright,
Has two at noon, and three at night?
'Tis man, faid he, who weak by nature,
At first creeps, like his fellow creature,
Upon all four; as years accrue,
With sturdy steps he walks on two;
In age, at length, grows weak and fick,
For his third leg adopts a fstick.

Now, in your turn, 'tis juft, methinks,
You should refolve me, Madam Sphinx.
What greater ftranger yet is he,

Who has four legs, then two, then three;
Then lofes one, then gets two more,

And runs away at last on four?

EPI

EPIGRAM,

EXTEMPOR E. *

I STOOD, Sir, patient at your feet,

Before your elbow-chair;

But make a bishop's throne your feat,
I'll KNEEL before you there,

• This epigram is printed from a pamphlet published in 1751, intitled, "The friendly and honeft Advice of an "old Tory to the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge." 8vo. from whence alfo is extracted the following account of the occafion which gave birth to it. "In the year 1712, my "old friend Matthew Prior, who was then Fellow of St. "John's, and who not long before had been employed by "the Queen as her plenipotentiary at the court of France, "came to Cambridge; and the next morning paid a vifit "to the master of his own college. The mafter loved "Mr. Prior's principles, had a great opinion of his abili“ties, and a refpect for his character in the world; but ❝ther, he had a much greater respect for himself. He there"fore kept his seat himself, and let the queen's ambassador "ftand, who immediately on his return wrote the above "epigram."

One

One only thing can keep you down,
For your great foul too mean;

You'd not, to mount a bishop's throne,

Pay HOMAGE to the Queen.

NELL AND JOHN.

WHEN Nell, given o'er by the Doctor, was

dying,

And John at the chimney ftood decently crying; 'Tis in vain, faid the woman, to make fuch ado, For to our long home we must all of us go!

True, Nell, reply'd John; but, what yet is the worst For us that remain, the best always go first: Remember, dear wife, that I said so last year,

When you loft your white heifer, and I my brown

mare!

BIBO

BIBO AND CHARON.

WHEN

HEN Bibo thought fit from the world to re-
treat,

As full of champagne as an egg 's full of meat,
He wak'd in the boat; and to Charon he faid,
He would be row'd back, for he was not yet dead.
Trim the boat, and fit quiet, stern Charon reply'd:
You may have forgot, you was drunk when you dy'd.

WIVES BY THE DOZEN.

O DEATH! how thou spoil'ft the best project

of life!

Said Gabriel, who ftill, as he bury'd one wife,

For the fake of her family, marry'd her coufin; And thus, in an honeft collateral line,

He still marry'd on till his number was nine,

Full forry to die till he made up his dozen.

FA

FATA L LOV E.

POOR Hal caught his death, ftanding under a

spout,

Expecting till midnight, when Nan would come out, But fatal his patience, as cruel the dame,

And curs'd was the weather that quench'd the man's flame.

Whoe'er thou art, that read ft thefe moral lines, Make love at home, and go to bed betimes.

SAILOR 'S WIFE.

QUOTH Richard in jeft, looking wiftly at Nelly,

Methinks, child, you feem fomething round in the belly!

Nell answer'd him snappishly, how can that be, When my husband has been more than two years at

fea?

"Thy hufband! quoth Dick': why that matter was carry'd

Moft fecretly, Nell; I ne'er thought thou wert marry'd!

VOL. II.

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