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Wild as his land, in native deferts bred,
By luft incited, or by malice led,

The villain Arab, as he prowls for prey,

Oft marks with blood and wafting flames the way; Yet none fo cruel as the Tartar foe,

To death inur'd, and nurft in fcenes of woe.

He said, when loud along the vale was heard A fhriller fhriek, and nearer fires appear'd: The frighted shepherds, thro' the dews of night, Wide o'er the moonlight hills renew'd their flight.

THE

THE

SPLENDID SHILLING.

BY MR. J. PHILIPS.

This is reckoned the best parody of Milton in our language it has been an hundred times imitated, without fuccefs. The truth is, the first thing in this way must preclude all future attempts; for nothing is so eafy as to burlesque any man's manner, when we are once fhewed the way.

H

APPY the man, who, void of cares and ftrife,
In filken, or in leathern, purse, retains
A Splendid Shilling: he nor hears with pain
New oysters cry'd, nor fighs for chearful ale;
But, with his friends, when nightly mists arise,
To Juniper's Magpye, or Town-Hall* repairs:
Where, mindful of the nymph whose wanton eye
Transfix'd his foul, and kindled amorous flames,
Cloe, or Philips; he each circling glass
Wisheth her health, and joy, and equal love.
Mean while, he fmokes, and laughs at merry tale,
Or Pun ambiguous, or Conundrum quaint.

But I, whom griping penury furrounds,

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And hunger, fure attendant upon want,
With scanty offals, and fmall acid tiff,
(Wretched repast!) my meagre corps fuftain:
Then folitary walk, or doze at home
In garret vile, and with a warming puff
Regale chill'd fingers; or from tube as black
As winter chimney, or well-polifh'd jet,
Exhale Mundungus, ill-perfuming scent:
Not blacker tube, nor of a shorter fize
Smokes Cambro-Briton (vers'd in pedigree,
Sprung from Cadwalador and Arthur, kings
Full famous in romantic tale) when he
O'er many a craggy hill and barren cliff,
Upon a cargo of fam'd Ceftrian cheese,
High over-fhadowing rides, with a defign
To vend his wares, or at th' Arvonian mart,
Or Maridunum, or the antient town
Yclip'd Brechinia; or where Vaga's stream
Encircles Ariconium, fruitful foil!

Whence flow nectareous wines, that well may vie
With Maffic, Setin, or renown'd Falern.

Thus, while my joyless minutes tedious flow,
With looks demure, and filent pace, a Dun,
Horrible monster! hated by gods and men,
my aërial citadel afcends,

Το

With vocal heel thrice thundering at my gate,
With hideous accent thrice he calls; I know
The voice ill-boding, and the folemn found.
What should I do? or whither turn? amaz'd,
Confounded, to the dark recefs I fly

Of

Of woodhole; ftrait my bristling hairs erect
Thro' fudden fear; a chilly sweat bedews
My fhudd'ring limbs, and (wonderful to tell!)
My tongue forgets her faculty of speech;
So horrible,he feems! his faded brow

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Entrench'd with many a frown, and conic beard,.
And spreading band, admir'd by modern faints,
Difaftrous acts forebode; in his right hand
Long scrolls of paper folemnly he waves,
With characters and figures dire inscrib'd,
Grievous to mortal eyes; (ye gods, avert
Such plagues from righteous men) behind him ftalks
Another monster not unlike himself,

Sullen of afpect, by the vulgar call'd

A Catchpole; whose polluted hands the Gods
With force incredible, and magic charms,
First have endu'd, if he his ample palm
Should, haply, on ill-fated fhoulder lay
Of debtor, ftrait his body, to the touch
Obfequious, (as whilom knights were wont)
To fome inchanted caftle is convey'd,
Where gates impregnable, and coercive chains
In durance ftri&t detain him, till, in form
Of money, Pallas fets the captive free.

Beware, ye debtors, when ye walk, beware,
Be circumfpect; oft, with infiduous ken,
This caitiff eyes your fteps aloof, and oft
Lies perdue in a nook or gloomy cave,
Prompt to inchant fome inadvertent wretch
With his unhallow'd touch. So (poets fing)
Grimalkin

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