He said the same as to the snake, of Eve.
'To Human Race antipathy declare!
Betwixt them and thee be everlasting war!'
But, O, the sequel of the sentence dread!
And whilst you bruise their heel, beware your head!
Nor think thy weakness shall be thy defence!
(The female Scold's protection in offence!)
Sure, 'tis as fair to beat who cannot fight,
As 'tis to libel those who cannot write!
And if thou draw'st thy pen, to aid the law;
Others a cudgel, or a rod, may draw !
If none, with vengeance yet thy crimes pursue,
Or give thy manifold affronts their due;
If limbs unbroken, skin without a stain,
Unwhipped, unblanketed, unkicked, unslain,
That wretched little carcase you retain;
The reason is, not that the World wants eyes;
But thou'rt so mean! They see; and they despise!
When fretful porcupines, with rancorous will,
From mounted backs shoot forth a harmless quill,
Cool the spectators stand; and, all the while,
Upon the angry little monster smile!
Thus 'tis with thee! whilst impotently safe,
You strike unwounding; we unhurt can laugh!
Who but must laugh, this bully when he sees;
A little insect shiv'ring at a breeze!
One overmatched by ev'ry blast of wind,
Insulting and provoking all Mankind!
Is this, the Thing to keep Mankind in awe?
To make those 'tremble, who escape the law'?
Is this, the ridicule to live so long,
The deathless Satire, and immortal Song?
No! Like thy self-blown praise, thy scandal flies;
And, as we're told of wasps, it stings and dies.
If none do yet return th' intended blow;
You, all your safety to our dullness owe!
But whilst that armour, thy poor corpse defends;
'Twill make thy readers few, as are thy friends!
Those who thy nature loathed, yet loved thy Art,
Who liked thy head, and yet abhorred thy heart;
Chose thee, to read; but never to converse:
And scorned in Prose, him whom they prized in Verse!
Even they, shall now their partial error see!
Shall shun thy Writings, like thy company!
And to thy books, shall ope their eyes no more
Than to thy person, they would do their door!
Nor thou the justice of the World disown;
That leaves thee thus, an outcast, and alone!
For though, in Law, to murder be to kill;
In Equity, the murder 's in the will!
Then whilst, with coward hand, you stab a name;
And try, at least, t' assassinate our fame:
Like the first bold Assassin's, be thy lot!
Ne'er be thy guilt forgiven, or forgot!
But as thou hat'st, be hated of Mankind!
And with the emblem of thy crooked mind
Marked on thy back, like CAIN, by GOD's own hand, Wander like him, accursèd, through the land!
YOUNG STREPHON, by his folded sheep,
Sat wakeful on the plains.
Love held his weary eyes from sleep;
While silent in the vale,
The list'ning nightingale
Forgot her own, to hear his strains.
And now the beauteous Queen of Night,
Unclouded and serene,
Sheds on the neighbouring sea her light.
The neighbouring sea was calm and bright.
The Shepherd sung inspired, and blessed the lovely
'While the sky and seas are shining;
See, my FLORA's charms they wear!
Secret Night, my joys divining,
Pleased my amorous tale to hear,
Smiles; and softly turns her Sphere!
While the sky and seas are shining;
See, my FLORA's charms they wear!'
Ah! foolish Shepherd! change thy strain!
The lovely scene, false joys inspires!
For look, thou fond deluded Swain!
Arising storms invade the Main;
The Planet of the night,
Inconstant, from thy sight
Behind a cloud retires!
FLORA is fled! Thou lov'st in vain !
Ah! foolish STREPHON! change thy strain!
Like the morn and ocean smiling,
Does thy easy faith betray!
FLORA ranging,
Like the morn and ocean changing,
More inconstant proves than they!
APOLLO AND DAPHNE.
DAPHNE, the beautiful and coy, Along the winding shore of Peneus flew, To shun Love's tender offered joy; Though 'twas a God that did her charms pursue : While thus APOLLO, in a moving strain, Awaked his lyre; and softly breathed his amorous pain.
'Fairest mortal! stay and hear!
Cannot Love with Music joined
Touch thy unrelenting mind!
Turn thee! Leave thy trembling fear!
Fairest mortal! stay and hear!'
The river's echoing banks, with pleasure did prolong The sweetly measured sounds; and murmured with
DAPHNE fled swifter, in despair,
To shun the God's embrace;
And to the Genius of the place,
She sighed this wondrous prayer.
'Father PENEUS! hear me! aid me!
Let some sudden change invade me!
Fix me rooted on thy shore!
Cease, APOLLO! to persuade me!
I am DAPHNE now no more!'
APOLLO wond'ring stood, to see
The Nymph transformed into a tree! Vain were his lyre, his voice, his tuneful art,
His Passion, and his race divine!
Nor could th' eternal beams, that round his temples shine,
Melt the cold Virgin's frozen heart!
Nature alone can love inspire!
Art is vain to move desire!
If Nature does the Fair incline,
To their own Passion they'll resign!
Nature alone can love inspire!
Art is vain to move desire!
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