An Epigram by T. B.

Ulferit antarctus radienti Cancer Olympo,
Nefcio certe Annus, fed puto Cancer erat.
Grandinis inde ruit crepitantis faxeus imber,
Decidit hinc tacite mobile vellus aque.
Sive fuas Tempus fugitivum perdidit alas,
Aut vellet veri dicere Bruma, Vale.

TH

Thus merrily turn'd over a Glafs.

HE Crab does oft the tufted Ring poffefs,
And crawls unfeen about the heavenly Place
From whofe foft Banks the whizzing Waters fall,
And Show'rs of Love perform the Dev'l and all..
But when old Time has ftretch'd the Channel wide,
And ftopp'd the Flux of the refreshing Tide,
'Tis Drudg'ry then, in fuch a Pool to fail,
One Moment makes us glad to fay, Farewel.

Mr. Brown's Extempore Verfion of two Verfes out of Martial, occafion'd by a clamourous Dun, who vow'd he wou'd not leave him 'till he had ber Money.

Exte, nihil debet; nihil debes, Sexte, fatemur;
Debet enim fi quis folvere, Sexte, poteft.

Sextus thou nothing ow'ft, nothing I fay; He fomething owes that fomething has to pay.

An Epigram by Mr. THO BROWN.

De Parnaffo.

Hæbe, Pater Fatum, moderator, Phœbe, dierum,

Poi pariter radiis ingeniog,

Cernis ut incaffam miferis, tua Turba, Poete,

Carpimus incertam per tua Regna Viam,

At tuus ille, Annis natus melioribus, alto
Vertice Parnaffi regnat Homerus ovans:
Nofq; fatigatos & vincere fumma parentes
Aonio prohibet figere colle pedem.

Sic ego. Sic Divus; Convitia mitte jocofa.
Mitte leves Curas, vana Querela tua eft.
Regna colunt unam nôfti terreftria Regem,
Odit rivales Imperialis apex.

Parnaffufq; meus, genuo licet Ethera clivo,
Dividat, ac Reges non capit ille duos.

•Thus Paraphras'd.

Phoebus! Father of the rhiming Crowd, Doom'd to be poor, yet deftin'd to be proud Bright Ruler both of Poetry and Light;~ 'Tis true, you give us Wit, but ftarve us by't. Behold us ftruggling in those flipp'ry Ways, Which leads from Profit to the Hopes of Praife; That tempting Shadow which fuch Swarms pursue, Tho' footh'd by many, merited by few; Yer oft by Fools and Flatterrers enjoy'd, And to the more Deserving still deny'd : But thy Son Homer liv'd in better Days, And fhone in Wit, as glorious as thy Rays With Honour juftly climb'd the lofty Hill, And rul'd with Joy the facred Pinacle; Where none his ancient Title muft difpnte, Or after him prefume to fet a Foot, Infpir'd by thefe, he took fo vaft a Flight, That modern Ages ne'er could reach his Height.. His Works forbid us to molest his Reign,

A

And fhew that all Attempts would prove in vains.&
Yet fince all Ages have their certain Best,
And one has Right to tow'r above the reft;
God-like, from Cares exempt, I'll fit at Eafe,
And jeft with humane Follies as I please:
Ne'er pine in vain, or languish o'er my Wants,
But leave to wbining Coxcombs fuch Complaints.
And as no earthly Monarch will admit

A rival Prince in his Imperial Seat;

So o'er Parnaffus will I reign as King,
And whilft the envious Criticks rail, I'll fing.
The bending Arch of Heav'n fhall be my Crown,
And thus, unequal'd, will I rule alone,
'Till more afpiring Wit fhall juftly claim
Apollo's Kingdom, and furmount my Fame.

etecteatertententie teatententsutseksakseteaterks FABLE S.

The Fable of the Bat and the Birds. In Imitation of that of the Buzzard in the Hind and Panther. In the Year 1689.

N ancient Times, as learned fop fhows,
Nawcient as letra a tal war arole:

But whether this from State-Intrigues did flow,
Or to fome Church-Pretence its Birth did owe,
Or Depredations made, concerns us not to know.
Weighty, you may be fure, the Caufe was thought,
which fuch an univerfal Tumult wrought.
Picqueering Parties firft began the Fray,

A fad Prefage of the enfuing Day.

At laft the War was folemnly proclaim'd,

}

The Hour of Fighting fet, and both the Leaders nam'd,
The foolish Bat, a Bird obfcure and base,
The Scorn and Jeft of all the feather'd Race;
Or by fantaftick Fears and Scruples led,
Or by Ambition mov'd, his Party fled,
Joyn'd with the Beafts, and, eager to engage,
With popular Harangues urg'd on a feeble Rage.
As Fortune wou'd, on an ill-fated Day
The Beasts drew out their Forces in Array:
The diff'rent Kinds their Grudges laid afide,
And for the common Safety now provide,
Ev'n their old Piques, and warm Difputes forgot,
The Hind and Panther joyn'd upon the Spot;
And by one mutual League of Friendship held,
Prepare for the rough Bufinefs of the Field.

When

When lo! the Birds in num'rous Bands appear,
And with repeated Criesattack the Rear ;

Give a fierce Charge, and back, like Parthians, fly,
To repoffefs the patrimonial Sky;

Then straight descending, with redonbl'd Might
They spend their Fury, and renew the Fight.
Pale Victory, all trembling and difmay'd,
With doubtful Wings the Purple Scene furvey'd.
At laft, propitious to her feather'd Kind,
Declar'd her Favour, and the Scale inclin❜d.
Whole Hecatombs the cover'd Field possest,
And gave their Foes at once a Triumph and a Feaft.
Their flaughter'd Young the Rachel-Dams deplor'd,

(Lord.

And many a widow'd Cow mourn'd o'er her horned
The gen'rous Eagle (fo his Stars ordain)
Chaces th' affrighted Lyon from the Plain :
Their General gone, the reft like Lightning fly,
A cheap unfighting Herd not worth the Victory.
And now the Birds with eager Haste pursue,
Thro' Lanes and devious Tracts, the fcatter'd Crew:
Among the reft, befet with Dangers round,
The trembling Bat was in a Cellar found:
'Tis Pity Fame ne'er chronicl'd his Taker,
But all Records agree they found him in Long-Acre.
Percht on a Pole, they brought him to the Bar,
Where the full Houfe fat talking of the War.
Strait at the Sight a various Noife began,

Which thro' the fpacious Hall and neighb'ring Lobby

(ran.

Eeach Member in the publick Mirth concurr'd,
And droll'd upon the poor Apoftatizing Bird.
First, Parrot Settle open'd wide his Throat,
Next, Cuckow Rimer, always in a Note;
And Peacock Chetwood, of the Clergy Kind;
But his Poetick Feet difgrac'd the Train behind.
And Creech and Norris, Blackbirds of Renown;
And Corm'rant Higden, for Devouring known.
Nay, to augment the Hardship of his Woes,
Owl Durfy clapt his Wings, and hooted in the Clofe.

When

When now their Raillery began to fpare, (And faith 'twas too much for one Bird to bear) The Eagle order'd Silence in the Room,

And

thus,aloud,pronounc'd the fhiv'ring Lubber's Doom. Beaft of a Bird, thus to defert thy Friends,

And join the common Foe, for bafe ungen'rous Ends,
What Punishment can fuit fo black a Crime?

Hear then, and ftand accurft to all fucceeding Time.
From all our Diets be thou first expell'd,

Or those in flow'ry Groves, or those in Steeples heldj-
When our gay Tribes in youthful Pomp appear,
To join in Nuptial Bands, and meet the fmiling Year :-
Nay more, to make thee mortify and grieve,
To Buzzard Shadwell we thy Places give;
Him we appoint Hiftorian of our State,
And Poet-Laureat of the Woods create.

Out-law'd our Realms, and banish'd from the Light,
Be thou for ever damn'd to steal Abroad by Night.

T

The Fable of the Horfe and the Stag,

I.

HE Horn-arm'd Stag deny'd the Horse

The Privilege of the Common,

'Till ftarv'd, for Want of equal Force, He begg'd Aflistance from Man.

II.

For why? Refolv'd at any Rate
To get his Share of Pafture;
He rather chofe to champ the Bit,
Than leave the Stag fole Mafter.
III.

With Man aftride, he march'd to fight
A Foe that durft not face him;
For he, with Strangeness of the Sight,
Was frighted from his Grazing.

IV. Nor