A. Thus men whofe thoughts contemplative have dwelt, On fituations that they never felt, Start up fagacious, cover'd with the dust And prate and preach about what others prove, As if the world and they were hand and glove. Leave kingly backs to cope with kingly cares, They have their weight to carry, fubjects their's; Poets, of all men, ever leaft regret Increafing taxes and the nation's debt. Could you contrive the payment, and rehearse No bard, howe'er majeftic, old or new, To turn the course of Helicon that way; 3 The leathern ears of stock-jobbers and jews, A. Vouchfafe. A. Vouchsafe, at least, to pitch the key of rhime To themes more pertinent, if lefs fublime. When minifters and minifterial arts, Patriots who love good places at their hearts, Gen'rals who will not conquer when they may, Firm friends to peace, to pleasure, and good pay, Though difcontent alone can find out where, ear as mute as if a fyren fung. Or tell me if you can, what pow'r maintains A Briton's fcorn of arbitrary chains? 1 That were a theme might animate the dead, And move the lips of poets caft in lead. B. The cause, tho' worth the fearch, may yet elude Conjecture and remark, however fhrewd. They take, perhaps, a well-directed aim, Lib'ral Lib'ral in all things elfe, yet nature here Winter invades the spring, and often pours A chilling flood on fummer's drooping flow'rs, Thus with a rigor, for his good defign'd, She rears her fav'rite man of all mankind. A mind well lodg'd, and mafculine of course. And keeps alive his fierce but noble fires. He bears it with meek manlinefs of foul, To him that treads upon his free-born toe, One One step beyond the bound'ry of the laws Is feldom felt, though fometimes feen and heard Born in a climate fofter far than our's, Not form'd like us, with fuch Herculean pow'rs, We never feel th' alacrity and joy With which he shouts and carols, Vive le Roy, Vigilant Vigilant over all that he has made, And fill with difcontent a British isle. A. Freeman and slave then, if the cafe be fuch, Stand on a level, and you prove too much. If all men indifcriminately fhare, His foft'ring pow'r and tutelary care, As well be yok'd by defpotifm's hand, As dwell at large in Britain's charter'd land. B. No. Freedom has a thousand charms to show, That flaves, howe'er contented, never know. The mind attains beneath her happy reign, The growth that nature meant she should attain. Op'ning and wider op'ning on her view, She ventures onward with a profp'rous force, Religion, |