Beware, ye Debtors, when ye walk, beware,
Be circumfpect; oft with infidious Ken
This Caitiff eyes your Steps aloof, and oft
Lies perdue in a Nook or gloomy Cave,
Prompt to inchant fome inadvertent Wretch
With his unhallowed Touch, So (Poets fing)
Grimalkin to domestic Vermin fworn
An everlasting Foe, with watchful Eye
Lies nightly brooding o'er a chinky Gap,
Protending her fell Claws, to thoughtless Mice
Sure Ruin. So her difembowell'd Webb
Arachne in a Hall, or Kitchen spreads,
Obvious to vagrant Flies: She fecret stands
Within her woven cell; the humming Prey,
Regardless of their Fate, rush on the Toils
Inextricable nor will aught avail
Their Arts, or Arms, or Shapes of lovely Hue;
The Wafp infidious, and the buzzing Drone,
And Butterfly proud of expanded Wings
Diftin&t with Gold, entangled in her Snares,
Üfelefs Resistance make: With eager Strides,
She tow'ring flies to her expected Spoils
Then, with envenomed Jaws the vital Blood
Drinks of reluctant Foes, and to her Cave
Their bulky Carcaffes triumphant drags.
So pafs my days. But when Nocturnal Shades
This world invelop, and th' inclement Air
Perfuades Men to repel benumming Frofts
With pleasant Wines, and crackling Blaze of Wood
Me, lonely fitting, nor the glimmering Light
Of make-weight Candle, nor the joyous Talk
Of loving Friend delights; diftrefs'd, forlorn,
Amidst the Horrors of the tedious Night,
Darkling I figh, and feed with difinal Thoughts
My anxious Mind; or fometimes mournful Verfe
Indite, and fing of Groves and Myrtle Shades,
Or defperate Lady near a purling Stream.
Or Lover pendent on a Willow Tree.
Mean while I labour with eternal Drought,
And restless wish, and rave; my parched Throat
Finds no Relief, nor heavy Eyes Repofe :
But if a flumber haply does invade
My weary Limbs, my Fancy's ftill awake,
Thoughtful of Drink, and eager, in a Dream,
Tipples imaginary. Pots of Ale,
In vain; awake I find the fettled Thirst
Still gnawing, and the pleafing Fantom curfe.
Thus do I live, from Pleasure quite debarr'd,
Nor tafte the Fruits that the Sun's genial Rays
Mature, John-Apple, nor the downy Peach;
Nor Walnut in rough-furrow'd Coat fecure,
Nor Medlar-Fruit, delicious in Decay :
Afflictions great! yet greater ftill remain :
My Galligafkins that have long withstood
The Winter's Fury, and incroaching Frofts,
By Time fubdu'd, (what will not time fubdue !)
An horrid Chafin disclose with Orifice
Wide, difcontinuous; at which the winds
Eurus and Aufler, and the dreadful Force
Of Boreas, that congeals the Cronian Waves,
Tumultuous enter with dire chilling Blafts,
Portending Agues. Thus a well-fraught Ship.
Long fail'd fecure, or thro' th' Ægean Deep,
Or the Ionian, 'till cruifing near
The Lilybean Shore, with hideous Crufh
On Scylla, or Charybdis (dang'rous Rocks !)
She ftrikes rebounding, whence the shatter'd Oak,
So fierce a fhock unable to withstand,
Admits the Sea; in at the gaping Side
The crowding Waves gufh with impetuous Rage;
Refiftlefs, overwhelming; Horrors feize
The Mariners, Death in their Eyes appears,
They ftare, they lave, they pump,they fwear, they pray, (Vain Efforts!) ftill the battering Waves rufh in, Implacable, till delug'd by the Foam,
The Ship finks found'ring in the vaft Abyss.
ALM of my cares, fweet Solace of my Toils,
Hail JUICE benignant! O'er the coftly cups
Of Riot-ftirring Wine, unwholfome Draught,
Let Pride's loofe Sons prolong the waiftful Night;
My fober Ev'ning let the Tankard bless,
WithToaft embrown'd, and fragrant Nutmeg fraught,
While the rich Draught with oft-repeated Whiffs
Tobacco mild improves. Divine repast!
Where no crude furfeit, or intemperate Joys
Of lawless Bacchus reign; but o'er my Soul
A Calm Lethean creeps, in drowsy Trance
Each Thought fubfides, and sweet Oblivion wraps
My peaceful Brain, as if the leaden Rod
Of magic Morpheus o'er mine Eyes had shed
Its opiate Influence. What tho' fore Ills
Opprefs, dire Want of chill-difpelling Coals
Or chearful Candle, (fave the Make-Weight's Glean
Haply remaining) heart-rejoicing ALE
Chears the fad Scene, and every Want fupplies.
Meantime, not mindlefs of the daily task
Of Tutor fage, upon the learned Leaves
Of deep SMIGLECIUS much I mediate ;
While ALE infpires, and lends its kindred aid,
The thought-perplexing Labour to purfue,
Sweet Helicon of Logic! But if Friends
Cogenial call me from the toilfome Page,
To Pot-house I repair, the facred Haunt,
Where, ALE, thy Votaries in full refort,
Hold Rites Nocturnal. In capacious Chair
Of monumental Oak and antique Mould,
That long has stood the Rage of conquering Years
Inviolate, (nor in more ample Chair
Smoaks rofy Juftice, when th' important cause,
Whether of Hen-rooft, or of mirthful Rape,
In all the Majefty of Paunch he tries)
Studious of eafe, and provident, I place
My gladfome Limbs; while in repeated Round
Returns replenish'd, the fucceffive Cup,
And the brifk Fire confpires to genial Joy :
While haply, to relieve the ling'ring Hours
In innocent delight, amusive Putt
On fmooth joint-ftool in emblematic Play
The vain viciffitudes of Fortune shews.
Nor Reckoning, Name tremendous, me difturbs,
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