This was dexterous at his trowel, Lastly, let his gifts be tried, Borrow'd from the mason's side: Some perhaps may think him able In the state to build a Babel; Could we place him in a station To destroy the old foundation. True indeed I should be gladder : Could he learn to mount a ladder : May he at his latter end Mount alive and dead descend! In him tell me which prevail, Female vices most, or male? What produced him, can you tell? Human race or imps of Hell? A FABLE OF THE LION AND OTHER BEASTS.* ONE time a mighty plague did pester To stop the wrath of angry Heaven. *The following poem is transcribed from the Dublin Weekly Journal, Saturday, November 17, 1730. "Many fugitive pieces by Swift and his friends occur in this paper, and, from internal evidence, one is strongly tempted to ascribe the following fables either to the Dean himself, or Sheridan or Delany, under his auspices." And since no one is free from sin, I have done many a thing that's ill Slain many an ox, and, what is worse, They're good for nothing but to eat. Sir, sir, your conscience is too nice, And those being all your subjects born, Thus after him they all confess, They had been rogues, some more, some less; And yet by little slight excuses, They all get clear of great abuses. The Bear, the Tiger, beasts of flight, And all that could but scratch and bite, Nay e'en the Cat, of wicked nature, Confess'd, as he went to a fair, His back half broke with wooden-ware, By a church-yard full of good grass, He ventured in, stoop'd down and eat. [ate.] ON THE IRISH BISHOPS.* 1731. OLD Latimer preaching did fairly describe A bishop, who ruled all the rest of his tribe; And who is this bishop? and where does he dwell? Why truly 'tis Satan, Archbishop of Hell. And He was a primate, and He wore a mitre, Surrounded with jewels of sulphur and nitre. How nearly this bishop our bishops resembles! But he has the odds, who believes and who trembles. Could you see his grim grace, for a pound to a penny, You'd swear it must be the baboon of Kilkenny: † * Occasioned by their endeavouring to get an act to divide the church-livings; which bill was rejected by the Irish House of Commons.-F. See Swift's Considerations on this and the bill for clerical residence. See also his remarkable letter to the Bishop of Clogher, and another to Sheridan. + The Bishop of Ossory. But, this I am sure, the most reverend old dragon Our bishops, puft up with wealth and with pride, spur, In vain for the devil a parson would stir. So the commons unhorsed them; and this was their doom, On their crosiers to ride like a witch on a broom. Though they gallop'd so fast, on the road you may find em, And have left us but three out of twenty behind 'em. Lord Bolton's good grace, Lord Carr, and Lord In spite of the devil would still be untoward : But we can afford you six traitors in seven. What a clutter with clippings, dividings, and cleavings! And the clergy forsooth must take up with their leavings; If making divisions was all their intent, They've done it, we thank them, but not as they meant; * Dr. Theophilus Bolton was Archbishop of Cashell from 1729 to 1744; Dr. Charles Carr, Bishop of Killaloe from 1716 to 1739; and Dr. Robert Howard, Bishop of Elphin, from 1729 to 1740.-N. |