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dreffing-room? Muft you there, either each man in particular fubfcribe to decrees, or all in general make them? How will you be able to bear female power, armed with your own authority, which now, when it is with• out arms, and fubjected to you by laws and cuftoms, you can hardly contain within reafonable bounds? Do not think I fpeak this, as if I did fear any fuch thing from our Queen, who is the choiceft and modeftest of all women; but because I think it bafe and unfeemly for us, who have all things yet in our own hands, to place the hope of our fafety, which we may owe to ourselves, only in another's power; efpecially fince both divine and human laws, the custom of our ancestors, nay, and the confent of all nations throughout the whole world, make for us. It is true, fome nations have endured women to be their fovereigns; but they were not elected to that dignity by fuffrages, but were caft upon them by their birth; but never any people, who had freedom of vote, when there was plenty of able men to chufe, did ever prefer women before them. And therefore, moft eminent patriots, I advife, and earneftly intreat you, that, according to the laws of our country, and the customs of our ancestors, we chufe one; or, if you think fit, more; the best, out of the nobleft and best, who may undertake the regency, till the King arrive at that ftrength both of bo dy and mind, as to be able to manage the government himfelf. And I pray God to blefs your proceedings in this affair.

POETRY.

267

POETRY.

[From Mr. GAY's Fables.]

IN TR O D UCTION.
The SHEPHERD and the PHILOSOPHERS-

RE

EMOTE from cities liv'd a Swain,
Unvex'd with all the cares of gain:
His head was filver'd o'er with age;
And long experience made him fage.
In fummer's heat and winter's cold
He fed his flock, and penn'd the fold.
His hours in chearful labour flew ;
Nor envy nor ambition knew::
His wifdom and his honeft fame
Through all the country rais'd his name.
A deep Philofopher (whose rules

Of moral life were drawn from schools)
The Shepherd's homely cottage fought,
And thus explor'd his reach of thought.
Whence is thy learning? Hath thy toil
O'er books confum'd the midnight-oil?
Haft thou old Greece and Rome furvey'd,
And the vaft fenfe of Plato weigh'd?
Hath Socrates thy foul refin'd ;
And haft thou fathom'd Tully's mind?
Or, like the wife Ulyffes, thrown,
By various fates, on realms unknown,
Haft thou through many cities ftray'd;
Their customs, laws, and manners weigh'd?"

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The Shepherd modeftly reply'd,
I ne'er the paths of learning, try'd:
Nor have I roam'd in foreign parts,
To read mankind, their laws and arts;
For man is practis'd in disguise;
He cheats the most difcerning eyes.
Who by that fearch fhall wifer grow,
When we ourselves can never know?
The little knowledge I have gain'd,
Was all from fimple nature drain'd:
Hence my life's maxims took their rife;
Hence grew my fettled hate to vice.
The daily labours of the bee
Awake my foul to induftry.

Who can observe the careful ant,
And not provide for future want?
My dog (the truftieft of his kind)
With gratitude inflames my mind:
I mark his true, his faithful way,
And in my service copy Tray.
In conftancy, and nuptial love,
I learn my duty from the dove.
The hen; who from the chilly air,
With pious wing, protects her care;
And ev'ry fowl that flies at large,
Inftructs me in a parent's charge.
From nature too I take my rule,
To fhun contempt and ridicule.
I never with important air
In converfation overbear.

Can grave and formal pafs for wife,
When men the folemn owl despise?
My tongue within my lips I rein;
For who talks much, muft talk in vain.
We from the wordy torrent fly,
Who listens to the chatt'ring pye?

Nor

Nor would I, with felonious fleight,
By stealth invade my neighbour's right.
Rapacious animals we hate;

Kites, hawks, and wolves, deferve their fate...
Do not we juft abhorrence find

Against the toad and ferpent kind?
But envy, calumny and fpite,
Bear ftronger venom in their bite...
Thus ev'ry object of creation

Can furnish hints to contemplation;
And from the most minute and mean
A virtuous mind can morals glean.

Thy fame is juft, the Sage replies;
Thy virtue proves thee truly wife..
Pride often guides the author's pen,
Books as affected are as men:
But he who ftudies nature's laws,-
From certain truth his maxims draws;
And thofe, without our fchools, fuffice
To make men moral, good, and wife.

To the Duke of CUMBERLAND;

FABLE I.

The Lyon, the TYGER. and the TRAVELLER.

A Ccept, young Prince, the moral lay,

And in thefe tales mankind furvey.

With early virtues plant your breast,
The fpecious arts of vice deteft. -
Princes, like beauties, from their youth,
Are ftrangers to the voice of truth.
Learn to contemn all praife betimes;
For flattery's the nurfe of crimes :

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Friendship by fweet reproof is shown,
(A virtue never near a throne).
In courts fuch freedom must offend;
There none prefumes to be a friend.
To thofe of your exalted station
Each courtier is a dedication:
Muft I too flatter like the reft,
And turn my morals to a jest?
The Mufe difdains to fteal from those
Who thrive in courts by fulfome profe.
But fhall I hide your real praife,
Or tell you what a nation fays?
They in your infant-bofom trace
The virtues of your royal race;
In the fair dawning of your mind
Difcern you gen'rous, mild, and kind:
They fee you grieve to hear diftrefs,
And pant already to redrefs.

Go on, the height of good attain:
Nor let a nation hope in vain.
For hence we juftly may prefage
The virtues of a riper age.

True courage fhall your bofom fire,
And future actions own your fire.
Cowards are cruel; but the brave
Love mercy, and delight to fave.

A Tyger, roaming for his prey,
Sprung on a Trav'ler in the way;
The proftrate game a Lion fpies,
And on the greedy tyrant flies.

With mingled roar refounds the wood, Their teeth, their claws diftil with blood; Till, vanquish'd by the Lion's ftrength, The fpotted foe extends his length.

The

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