For should you give him once the reins,
High up in air he'll turn your brains;
And if you should his fury check,
'Tis ten to one he breaks your neck.

DR. SWIFT wrote the following Epigram on one DELACOURT'S complimenting CARTHY, a Schoolmaster, on his Poetry.

EPIGR A M.

CARTHY, you say, writes well—his genius true;
You pawn your word for him-he'll vouch for you.
So two poor knaves, who find their credit fail,
To cheat the world, becomes each other's bail.

WRITTEN BY DR. SWIFT,

ON HIS OWN DEAFNESS.

VERTIGINOSUS*, inops, surdus, male gratus

amicis ;

Non campana sonans, tonitru non ab Jove missum, Quod mage mirandum, saltem si credere fas est, Non clamosa meas mulier jam percutit aures.

* The second syllable "Vertiginosus" is here made short by the dean; perhaps the more expressive of the malady it describes, as "steteruntque coma" in Virgil.

BOWYER.

THE

THE DEAN'S COMPLAINT, TRANSLATED AND ANSWERED.

DOCTOR.

DEAF, giddy, helpless, left alone.

ANSWER.

Except the first, the fault's your own.

DOCTOR.

To all my friends a burden grown.

ANSWER.

Because to few you will be shown.
Give them good wine, and meat to stuff,
You may have company enough.

DOCTOR.

No more I hear my church's bell,
Than if it rang out for my knell.

ANSWER.

Then write and read, 'twill do as well.

DOCTOR.

At thunder now no more I start,

Than at the rumbling of a cart.

A woman's clack, if I have skill,

Sounds somewhat like a throwster's mill;
But louder than a bell, or thunder;
That does, I own, increase my wonder.

4

EPIGRAM

EPIGRAM BY MR. BOWYER.

• IN SYLLABAM LONGAM IN VOCE VERTIGINOSUS* À D. SWIFT CORREPTAM.'

MUSARUM antistes, Phœbi numerosus alumnus,

Vix omnes numeros Vertiginosus habet. Intentat charo capiti vertigo ruinam :

Oh! servet cerebro nata Minerva caput. Vertigo nimium longa est, divine poeta ; Dent tibi Pierides, donet Apollo, brevem.

EPIGRAM BY MR. BOWYER.

INTENDED TO BE PLACED UNDER THE HEAD OF
GULLIVER, 1733.

HERE learn, from moral truth and wit refined, How vice and folly have debased mankind; Strong sense and humour arm in virtue's cause; Thus her great votary vindicates her laws : While bold and free the glowing colours strike; Blame not the picture, if the picture 's like."

* See page 441.

INSCRIPTION,

INSCRIPTION,

BY DEAN SMEDLEY*. 1729.

Reverendus Decanus, JONATHAN SMEDLEY,
Theologia instructus, in Poesi exercitatus,
Politioribus excultus literis ;

Parce pius, impius minime;
Veritatis Indagator, Libertatis Assertor;
Subsannatus multis, fastiditus quibusdam,
Exoptatus plurimis, omnibus amicus,
Auctor hujus sententiæ, PATRES SUNT VETULÆ.
Per laudem et vituperium, per famam atque infamiam;
Utramque fortunam, variosque expertus casus,
Mente sana, sano corpore, volens, lætusque,
Lustris plus quam xi numeratis,

Ad rem familiarem restaurandam augendamque, Et ad Evangelium Indos inter Orientales prædicandum, Greva, idibus Februarii, navem ascendens, Arcemque Sanctipetens Georgii,vernale peræquinoxium, Anno Æræ Christianæ MDCCXXVIII,

Transfretavit,

Fata vocant-revocentque precamur.

See a translation of this inscription, vol. VII, page 418.

BOUTS

BOUTS RIMÉS*.

ON SIGNORA DOMITILLA.

OUR schoolmaster may rave i' th' fit
Of classick beauty hæc & illa,
Not all his birch inspires such wit
As th' ogling beams of Domitilla.

Let nobles toast, in bright champaign,
Nymphs higher born than Domitilla;
I'll drink her health, again, again,
In Berkeley's tar, or sars'parilla.

At Goodman's Fields I've much admired

The postures strange of monsieur Brilla;

But what are they to the soft step,
The gliding air, of Domitilla?

Virgil has eternized in song

The flying footsteps of Camilla:
Sure, as a prophet, he was wrong;

He might have dream'd of Domitilla.

Rhimes disposed in order, which are given to a poet, together with a subject, on which he is obliged to make verses, using the same words, and in the same order. The extravagance of a poet, named du Lot, gave occasion to this invention, about the year 1649. The most odd, out of the way rhimes were chosen ; and every one endeavoured to fill them up as exactly as possible.—Mr. Addison, in the Spectator, No. 60, adduces them as an instance of the decay of wit and learning among the French; and observes, that this piece of false wit has been finely ridiculed by Mr. Sarasin inLa Defaite des Bouts Riméz."

Great