But from his fear and apprehenfion,
Which always mars his best intention,
Can ne'er addrefs with proper ease
The very person he would please.
Now poets, when these nymphs refuse,
Strait go a courting to the mufe.
But ftill fome difference we find
'Twixt goddeffes and human kind;
The mufes' favours are ideal,
The ladies' fcarce, but always real.
The poet can, with little pain,
Create a mistress in his brain,
Heap each attraction, every grace
That fhould adorn the mind or face,
On Delia, Phyllis, with a fcore
Of Phylliffes and Delias more.
Or as the whim of paffion burns,
Can court each frolic mufe by turns;
Nor fhall one word of blame be faid,
Altho' he take them all to bed.
The mufe detefts coquettry's guilt,
Nor apes the manners of a jilt.
Jilt! O difhoneft hateful name, Your fex's pride, your fex's fhame,
Which often bait their treacherous hook
With smile endearing, winning look,
And wind them in the easy heart
Of man, with most ensnaring art,
Only to torture and betray
The wretch they mean to caft
No doubt 'tis charming pleasant angling
To fee the poor fond creatures dangling,
Who rush like gudgeons to the bait,
And gorge the mischief they should hate,
Yet fure fuch cruelties deface
Your virtues of their faireft grace.
And pity, which in woman's breast,
Should swim at top of all the rest,
Muft fuch infidious fport condemn,
Which play to you, is death to them,
So have I often read or heard, Though both upon a trav❜llers word, (Authority may pass it down,
So, vide TRAVELS, by ED. BROWN)
At METZ, a dreadful engine ftands,
Form'd like a maid, with folded hands,
Which finely dreft, with primmest grace,
Receives the culprit's firft embrace;
F 4
But at the fecond (difmal wonder!)
Unfolds, clafps, cuts his heart asunder.
You'll fay, perhaps, I love to rail, We'll end the matter with a tale.
A Robin once, who lov'd to ftray,
And hop about from fpray to spray,
Familiar as the folks were kind,
Nor thought of mischief in his mind,
Slight favours make the bold presume,
Would flutter round the lady's room,
And careless often take his ftand
Upon the lovely Flavia's hand.
The nymph, 'tis faid, his freedom sought,
-In fhort, the trifling fool was caught;
And happy in the fair one's grace,
Would not accept an Eagle's place.
And while the nymph was kind as fair,
Wish'd not to gain his native air.
But thought he bargain'd to his cost,
To gain the liberty he loft.
Till at the laft, a fop was feen, A parrot, drefs'd in red and green,
Who could not boast one genuine note,
But chatter'd, fwore and ly'd-by rote.
"Nonsense and noise will oft prevail,
"When honour and affection fail."
The lady lik'd her foreign guest,
For novelty will please the best;
And whether it is lace or fan,
Or filk, or china, bird or man,
None fure can think it wrong, or ftrange,
That ladies fhould admire a change.
The Parrot now came into play,
The Robin! he had had his day,
But could not brook the nymph's difdain,
So fled-and ne'er came back again.
COBLER OF TISSINGTON'S LETTER
то DAVID GARRICK, ESQ. 1761,
My predeceffors often use
To coble verfe as well as fhoes;
AS PARTRIDGE (vide SWIFT's disputes)
Who turned BOOTES into boots,
Ah!-PARTRIDGE!-I'll be bold to fay
Was a rare scholar in his day;
He'd tell you when t'wou'd rain, and when
The weather would be fine agen;
Precisely when your bones should ache,
And when grow found, by th' almanack,
For he knew ev'ry thing, d'ye fee,
By what d'ye call't, astrology,
And skill'd in all the starry fyftem,
Foretold events, and often mift 'em.
And then it griev'd me fore to look
Juft at the heel-piece of his book,
Where stood a man, Lord blefs my heart!
(No doubt by matthew maticks art,)
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