Intruding thus, he by degrees

Claim'd too the butcher's larger fees.

And now his over-weaning pride
In ev'ry province will prefide.

No talk too difficult was found:

His blund'ring nose misleads the hound.
In ftratagem and fubtle arts,

He over-rules the fox's parts.

It chanc'd, as, on a certain day,
Along the bank he took his way,
A boat, with rudder, fail, and oar,
At anchor floated near the shore.
He ftopt, and turning to his train,
Thus pertly vents his vaunting ftrain.
What blund'ring puppies are mankind,
In ev'ry science always blind!

I mock the pedantry of schools.

What are their compaffes and rules?
From me that helm shall condu& learn,

And man his ignorance difcern.

So faying, with audacious pride,

He gains the boat, and climbs the fide.

The beafts aftonifh'd line the ftrand.

The anchor's weigh'd, he drives from land:

The

The flack fail fhifts from fide to fide;
The boat untrim'd admits the tide.
Borne down, adrift, at random tost,
His oar breaks fhort, the rudder's loft.
The Bear, prefuming in his fkill,
Is here and there officious ftill;
Till, ftriking on the dang'rous fands,
A-ground the fhatter'd veffel ftands.
To fee the bungler thus diftreft,
The very fishes fneer and jeft.
Ev'n gudgeons join in ridicule,

To mortify the meddling fool.

The clam'rous watermen appear;

Threats curfes, oaths, infult his ear:

Seiz'd, thresh'd, and chain'd, he's dragg'd to land; Derifion fhouts along the ftrand.

FABLE

FABLE VI.

The SQUIRE and his CUR.

то A COUNTRY

GENTLEMAN.

HE man of pure and fimple heart

THE

Through life difdains a double part.
He never needs the fcreen of lies
His inward bofom to disguise.
In vain malicious tongues affail;
Let envy faarl, let flander rail,
From virtue's fhield (fecure from wound)
Their blunted venom'd fhafts rebound.
So fhines his light before mankind,
His actions prove his honest mind.
If in his country's cause he rise,
Debating fenates to advise,
Unbrib'd, unaw'd, he dares impart
The honeft dictates of his heart.

No minifterial frown he fears,

But in his virtue perfeveres.

But would you play the politician,

Whofe heart's averse to intuition,

Your

Your lips at all times, nay, your reason
Muft be controul'd by place and season.
What statesman could his pow'r support,
Were lying tongues forbid the court?
Did princely ears to truth attend,
What minifter could gain his end?
How could he raife his tools to place,
And how his honeft foes difgrace?
That politician tops his part,

Who readily can lie with art :
The man's proficient in his trade;
His pow'r is ftrong, his fortune's made.
By that the int'reft of the throne
Is made fubfervient to his own:

By that have kings of old, deluded,
All their own friends for his excluded.
By that, his felfish fchemes pursuing,
He thrives upon the public ruin.

*ANTIOCHUS, with hardy pace,

Provok'd the dangers of the chace;
And, loft, from all his menial train,

Travers'd the wood and pathlefs plain.

#PLUTARCH,

A cot

A cottage lodg'd the royal gueft;

The PARTHIAN clown brought forth his best.
The king unknown his feaft enjoy'd,
And various chat the hours employ'd.
From wine what fudden friendship fprings!
Frankly they talk'd of courts and kings.
We country-folks (the clown replies)
Cou'd ope our gracious monarch's eyes.
The king, (as all our neighbours fay)
Might he (God bless him!) have his way,
Is found at heart, and means our good,
And he would do it, if he cou'd.

If truth in courts were not forbid,

Nor kings nor fubjects would be rid.
Were he in pow'r we need not doubt him:
But that transferr'd to those about him,
On them he throws the regal cares:
And what mind they? Their own affairs.
If fuch rapacious hands he truft,
The best of men may feem unjust.
From kings to cobblers 'tis the fame :
Bad fervants wound their mafter's fame.
In this our neigbours all agree:
Would the king knew as much as we.

Here