VII.

DR. SWIFT.'

THE HAPPY LIFE OF A COUNTRY PARSON.

PARSON, these things in thy possessing
Are better than the Bishop's blessing.
A Wife that makes conserves; a Steed
That carries double when there's need:
October store, and best Virginia,'
Tithe-Pig, and mortuary Guinea:'
Gazettes sent gratis down, and frank'd,
For which thy Patron's weekly thank'd :'
A large Concordance, bound long since:
Sermons to Charles the First, when Prince;
A Chronicle of ancient standing;

A Chrysostom to smooth thy band in.
The Polyglot-three parts,-my text,
Howbeit, likewise-now to my next.
Lo here the Septuagint,-and Paul,
To sum the whole, -the close of all."

He that has these, may pass his life,
Drink with the 'Squire, and kiss his wife
On Sundays preach, and eat his fill;
And fast on Fridays-if he will;

;

Toast Church and Queen, explain the News,
Talk with Church-Wardens about Pews,

Pray heartily for some new Gift,

And shake his head at Doctor S-t.

1 First published in the "Miscellanies as an Imitation of Martial. 2 i.e., October ale and shag tobacco. 3 The Burial fee.

Compare Dunciad i. 231, and note. The allusion to Bland would

10

15

20

seem to show that this Imitation must have been written about the same time as the "Dunciad."

He here imitates what he calls in the Second Versification of Donne, Swift's closer style.'

EPIGRAMS AND INSCRIPTIONS.

EPIGRAMS AND INSCRIPTIONS.
AND

FROM THE GRUB STREET JOURNAL.'

I.

EPIGRAM

OCCASIONED BY SEEING SOME SHEETS OF DR. BENTLEY'S EDITION OF
MILTON'S "PARADISE LOST."

Din Milton's prose, O Charles, thy death defend ??
A furious foe unconscious proves a friend.

On Milton's verse does Bentley comment ?-Know
A weak officious friend becomes a foe.

While he but sought his author's fame to further,
The murderous critic has aveng'd thy murder.

II.

EPIGRAM.

SHOULD D-s' print, how once you robb'd your brother
Traduc'd your monarch, and debauch'd your mother;
Say, what revenge on D-s can be had;
Too dull for laughter, for reply too mad?

1 "The Grub Street Journal" was begun in 1730, and continued till 1738. Pope disclaimed all connection with it (see Epistle to Arbuthnot, v. 378), but he certainly wrote in it under the signature "A.," as appears from the Epitaph on Mr. Digby,

which was published in it, and as might easily be guessed from the subjects and the style of many of the following epigrams.

2 In the Defensio pro Populo Anglicano, 1649. 3 i.e., Dennis.