This aged, fickly, faplefs Thorn

Which must alas no longer stand; Behold! the cruel Dean in Scorn Cuts down with facrilegious Hand,

Dame Nature, when the faw the Blow,
Aftonish'd gave a dreadful Shriek;

And Mother Tellus trembled fo
She scarce recover'd in a Week.

The Silvan Pow'rs with Fear perplex'd,
In Prudence and Compaffion fent
(For none could tell whofe Turn was next)
Sad Omens of the dire Event.

The Magpye, lighting on the Stock,
Stood chatt'ring with inceffant Din;
And with her Beak gave many a Knock
To rouze and warn the Nymph within,

The Owl forefaw in penfive Mood,
The Ruin of her antient Seat;
And fled in Hafte with all her Brood,

To feek a more fecure Retreat.

Laft

Laft trotted forth the gentle Swine,

To ease her Itch against the Stump, And difmally was heard to whine,

All as she scrubb'd her měazly Rump.

The Nymph, who dwells in every Tree;
(If all be true that Poets chant)
Condemn'd by Fate's fupreme Decree,
Must die with her expiring Plant.

Thus, when the gentle Spina found
The Thorn committed to her Care,
Receive its laft and deadly Wound,
She fled and vanish'd into Air.

But from the Root a difmal Groan
First issuing, ftruck the Murd'rer's Ears

And in a fhrill revengeful Tone,

This Prophecy he trembling hears.

"Thou chief Contriver of my Fall,
"Relentless Dean! to Mischief born,
"My Kindred oft' thine Hide fhall gall;
Thy Gown and Caflock oft be torn.

86

" And

"And thy confed'rate Dame, who brags

"That the condemn'd me to the Fire, Shall rent her Petticoats to Rags,

"And wound her Legs with ev'ry Bry'r.

Nor thou, Lord * Arthur, fhalt escape: "To thee I often call'd in vain,

"Against that Affaffin in Crape,

"Yet thou could'ft tamely fee me flain.

"Nor, when I felt the dreadful Blow,
"Or chid the Dean, or pinch'd thy Spouse:

Since you could fee me treated fo,

"An old Retainer to your House.

"May that fell Dean, by whofe Command
"Was form'd this Machi'villian Plot,
Not leave a Thistle on thy Land;
"Then who will own thee for a Scot.

"Pigs and Fanaticks, Cows, and Teagues
"Through all thy Empire I foresee,
"To tear thy Hedges join in Leagues,
"Sworn to revenge my Thorn and me:

Sir Arthur Achefon

And

And thou the Wretch ordain'd by Fate, "Neal Gaghagan, Hibernian Clown, "With Hatchet blunter than thy Fate,

"To hack my hallow'd Timber down;

"When thou, fufpended high in Air,

Dy'ft on a more ignoble Tree,

(For thou shalt fteal thy Landlord's Mare)
"Then bloody Caitif think on me.

JOAN cudgels NE D.

Written in the Year 1723:

OAN cudgels Ned, yet Ned's a Bully:
Will cudgels Bess, yet Will's a Cully.
Dye Ned and Befs; give Will to Joan,
She dares not say, her Life's her own.
Dye Joan and Will; give Befs to Ned,
And ev'ry Day the combs his Head.
* O

JOAN cudgels Ned,

This

This Poem was printed fome Years ago,

and it should

feem by the late Failure of two Bankers to be Somewhat prophetick, it was therefore thought fit to be reprinted.

The Run upon the Bankers.

Written in the Year 1720.

1.

HE bold Encroachers on the Deep,

TH

Gain by Degrees huge Tracts of Land,

"Till Neptune with one gen'ral Sweep,

Turns all again to barren Strand,

II.

The Multitude's capricious Pranks
Are faid to represent the Seas;

Breaking the Bankers and the Banks,

Refume their own whene'er they please.

Money;