"I own my humble life, good friend;
"Snail was I born, and fnail fhall end.
"And what's a butterfly? At best
"He's but a caterpillar drest;
"And all thy race (a num'rous feed)
"Shall prove of caterpillar breed."
Throughout the whole of the foregoing lines you must give your utterance and manner a certain degree of contempt, and mark those places in which any term or epithet is used that keeps up that effect.
A SNEAKING cur, the master's spy,
Rewarded for his daily lie,
With fecret jealousies and fears,
Set all together by the ears.
Poor Pufs to-day was in difgrace,
Stop a little after the word "Pufs."
Another cat fupplied her place;
The hound was beat, the maftiff chid;
The monkey was the room forbid:
Each to his dearest friend grew fhy,
And none could tell the reason why.
A plan to rob the house was laid:
Make a stop after "plan," as if a comma.
The thief with love feduc'd the maid;
Cajol'd the cur, and ftrok'd his head,
And bought his fecrecy with bread.
He next the maftiff's honour tried,
Whofe honeft jaws the bribe defied;
He ftretch'd his hand to proffer more;
The furly dog his fingers tore.
Swift ran the cur; with indignation
The mafter took his information.
Hang him, the villain's curft, he cries,
And round his neck the halter ties.
The dog his humble fuit preferr'd,
And begg'd in juftice to be heard.
The mafter fat. On either hand
The cited dogs confronting stand.
The cur the bloody tale relates,
And, like a lawyer, aggravates.
"Judge not, unheard," the maftiff cried,
"But weigh the cause on either fide.
"Think not that treach'ry can be just;
"Take not informers' words on trust.
"They ope their hand to ev'ry pay,
And you and me by turns betray."
He spoke; and all the truth appear'd,
The cur was hang'd, the mastiff clear'd.
THE SICK MAN AND THE ANGEL.
THIS fable, although the lines are of the fame short meafure, and appear to run lightly from the pen, you
muft however, in reading it, blend a good deal of the ferious and folemn, as the fubject, it will be feen, requires it.
"IS there no hope?" the fick man said;
The filent doctor fhook his head,
And took his leave with figns of forrow,
Defpairing of his fee to-morrow.
When thus the man, with gafving breath:
Now alter your voice to greater folemnity.
"I feel the chilling wound of death.
"Since I must bid the world adieu,
"Let me my former life review.
"I grant, my bargains well were made,
"But all men overreach in trade;
" 'Tis felf-defence in each profeffion:
"Sure felf-defence is no tranfgreffion.
"The little portion in my hands,
"By good fecurity on lands
"Is well increas'd. If, unawares,
"My juftice to myself and heirs,
"Hath let my debtor rot in jail,
"For want of good fufficient bail;
If I, by writ, or bond, or deed,
"Reduc'd a family to need,
"My will hath made the world amends;
"My hope on charity depends.
"When I am number'd with the dead,
"And all my pious gifts are read,
"By heav'n and earth 'twill then be known,
"My charities were amply shown.”
In reading most of the preceding lines, you found, no doubt, a regular, ferious tone, look, and manner, neceffary. More folemnity for certain parts is now indifpenfable.
An angel came. "Ah, friend!" he cried,
"No more in flatt'ring hope confide.
"Can thy good deeds in former times
"Outweigh the balance of thy crimes?
"What widow or what orphan prays
"To crown thy life with length of days?
"A pious action's in thy pow'r,
"Embrace with joy the happy hour.
"Now, while you draw the vital air,
"Prove your intention is fincere.
"This inftant give a hundred pound:
"Your neighbours want, and you abound."
"But why fuch hafte?" the fick man whines;;
"Who knows as yet what Heav'n designs?
"Perhaps I may recover still;
"That fum and more are in my will."
"Fool!" fays the vifion, "now 'tis plain
"Your life, your foul, your heav'n, was gain.
"From ev'ry fide, with all your might,
"You fèrap'd, and fcrap'd beyond your right;
"And after death would fain atone,
"By giving what is not your own."
"While there is life, there's hope," he cried; "Then why fuch hafte?" so groan'd, and died.
The last part of the laft line folemnly impreffive, and in fuch a manner to convince the hearer that the fable is completely concluded. This compofition is one of the beft of Mr. Gay's, and has an excellent effect, when read with tafte and difcrimination.
THE FOX AT THE POINT OF DEATH.
THROUGH the remainder of the Fables we shall admit into this volume, the reader must discriminate, and exercife his judgment in reading them, without receiving many observations from us, as we conceive, from what we have already faid on the proper manner fuch productions fhould be perused in general, that he may, by this time, proceed with ease to himself, and pleasure to those who are his hearers.
A FOX, in life's extreme decay,
Weak, fick, and faint, expiring lay;
All appetite had left his maw,
And age difarm'd his mumbling jaw.
His num'rous race around him ftand,
To learn their dying fire's command:
He rais'd his head with whining moan,
And thus was heard the feeble tone:
"Ah! fons! from evil ways depart;
"My crimes lie heavy on my heart.
"See, fee, the murder'd geefe appear!
"Why are thofe bleeding turkeys there?
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