But Cupid with a Satyr comes;

Both softly to the cradle creep;

Both stroke her hands, and rub her gums
While the poor child lay fast asleep.

Then Cupid thus: "This little maid

Of love shall always speak and write;" "And I pronounce," the Satyr said,

"The world shall feel her scratch and bite."

Her talent she display'd betimes;

For in twice twelve revolving moons, She seem'd to laugh and squall in rhymes, And all her gestures were lampoons.

At six years old, the subtle jade

Stole to the pantry-door, and found The butler with my lady's maid:

And you may swear the tale went round.

She made a song, how little miss

Was kiss'd and slobber'd by a lad: And how, when master went to p—, Miss came, and peep'd at all he had.

At twelve, a wit and a coquette;

Marries for love, half whore, half wife; Cuckolds, elopes, and runs in debt;

Turns authoress, and is Curll's for life.

both zealously engaged in the same political cause. But wits are not famous for discriminating between friends and enemies.---Scott.

Her common-place book all gallant is,
Of scandal now a cornucopia;
She pours it out in Atalantis,

Or memoirs of the New Utopia.

THE FABLE OF MIDAS.'

MIDAS, we are in story told,

Turn'd every thing he touch'd to gold:
He chipp'd his beard; the pieces round
Glitter'd like spangles on the ground:
A codling, ere it went his lip in,

Would straight become a golden pippin:
He call'd for drink; you saw him sup:
Potable gold in golden cup:
His empty paunch that he might fill,
He suck'd his victuals through a quill.
Untouch'd it pass'd between his grinders,
Or't had been happy for gold-finders:
He cock'd his hat, you would have said
Mambrino's helm adorn'd his head;
Whene'er he chanced his hands to lay
On magazines of corn or hay,
Gold ready coin'd appear'd instead
Of paltry provender and bread;
Hence, by wise farmers we are told

This cutting satire upon the Duke of Marlborough was written about the time when he was deprived of his employments.

Old hay is equal to old gold:

And hence a critic deep maintains,
We learn'd to weigh our gold by grains.
This fool had got a lucky hit;

And people fancied he had wit.
Two gods their skill in music tried,
And both chose Midas to decide:
He against Phoebus' harp decreed,
And gave it for Pan's oaten reed:
The god of wit, to show his grudge,
Clapt asses' ears upon the judge;
A goodly pair, erect and wide,
Which he could neither gild nor hide.
And now the virtue of his hands
Was lost among Pactolus' sands,
Against whose torrent while he swims,
The golden scurf peels off his limbs:
Fame spreads the news, and people travel
From far to gather golden gravel ;
Midas, exposed to all their jeers,
Had lost his art, and kept his ears.
This tale inclines the gentle reader
To think upon a certain leader;
To whom from Midas down descends
That virtue in the fingers' ends.
What else by perquisites are meant,
By pensions, bribes, and three per cent.?

The Duke of Marlborough was accused of having received large sums, as perquisites, from the contractors, who furnished bread, forage, &c. to the army.---Scott.

By places and commissions sold,
And turning dung itself to gold?
By starving in the midst of store,
As t'other Midas did before?

None e'er did modern Midas choose
Subject or patron of his muse,
But found him thus their merit scan,
That Phoebus must give place to Pan:
He values not the poet's praise,
Nor will exchange his plums for bays.
To Pan alone rich misers call;
And there's the jest, for Pan is ALL.
Here English wits will be to seek,
Howe'er, 'tis all one in the Greek.

Besides, it plainly now appears
Our Midas, too, has asses' ears:
Where every fool his mouth applies,
And whispers in a thousand lies;
Such gross delusions could not pass
Through any ears but of an ass.

But gold defiles with frequent touch,
There's nothing fouls the hand so much;
And scholars give it for the cause
Of British Midas' dirty paws;

Which, while the senate strove to scour,
They wash'd away the chemic power.'
While he his utmost strength applied,

The result of the investigations of the House of Commons was the removal of the Duke of Marlborough from his command, and all his employments.---Scott.

To swim against this popular tide,
The golden spoils flew off apace;
Here fell a pension, there a place :
The torrent merciless imbibes
Commissions, perquisites, and bribes ;

By their own weight sunk to the bottom;
Much good may 't do them that have caught 'em!
And Midas now neglected stands,
With asses' ears, and dirty hands.

TOLAND'S INVITATION TO DISMAL,

TO DINE WITH THE CALF'S HEAD CLUB.

Imitated from Horace, Lib. i. Epist. 5.

TOLAND, the Deist, distinguished himself as a party writer in behalf of the Whigs. He wrote a pamphlet on the demolition of Dunkirk, and another called "The Art of Reasoning," in which he directly charged Oxford with the purpose of bringing in the Pretender. The Earl of Nottingham, here, as elsewhere, called Dismal from his swarthy complexion, was bred a rigid High-Churchman, and was only induced to support the Whigs, in their resolutions against a peace, by their consenting to the bill against occasional conformity. He was so distinguished for regularity, as to be termed by Rowe

The sober Earl of Nottingham,

Of sober sire descended.

From these points of his character, we may estimate the severity of the following satire, which represents this pillar of High-Church principles as invited by the infidel and republican Toland to solemnize the 30th January, by attending the Calves' Head Club.-Scott.