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VII.

What a pother has here been with Wood and his brass,
Who would modeftly make a few halfpennies pals! 56
The patent is good, and the precedent's old,
For Diomede changed his copper for gold:
But, if Ireland despise

The new halfpennies,

With more fafety to rob on the road I advise:
For Bluefkin's fharp penknife hath fet thee at eafe;
And ev'ry man round me may rob, if he please.

PROMETHEUS.

On Wood * the patentee's Irish halfpence.

A

Written in the year 1724.

I.

S when the 'fquire and tinker, Wood,
Gravely confulting Ireland's good,

Together mingled in a mass

Smith's duft, and copper, lead, and brass;
The mixture thus by chymic art
United close in ev'ry part,
In fillets roll'd, or cut in pieces,
Appear'd like one continued fpecies;
And by the forming engine ftruck,
On all the fame impreffion ftuck:

So, to confound this hated coin,
All parties and religions join ;
Whigs, Tories, Trimmers, Hanoverians,
Quakers, Confermifis, Prefbyterians,
Scotch, Irish, English, French unite,

With equal intreft, equal Spite;

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* See an account of Wood's project in the Drapier's letters, vol. iii.

Together mingled in a lump,
Do all in one opinion jump;
And ev'ry one begins to find
The fame impreffion on his mind.

A ftrange event! whom gold incites
To blood and quarrels, bras unites :
So, goldfmiths fay, the coarfeft ftuff
Will ferve for folder well enough:
So by the kettle's loud alarm
The bees are gather'd to a swarm:
So by the brazen trumpet's blufter

Troops of all tongues and nations mufter:
And fo the harp of Ireland brings

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Whole crouds about its brazen firings.

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II.

THERE is a chain let down from Jove,

But faften'd to his throne above,

So ftrong that from the lower end,
They fay, all human things depend.

This chain, as antient poets hold,

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When Jove was young, was made of gold.

Prometheus once this chain purloin'd,

Diffolv'd, and into money coin'd;

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Jove stood amaz'd; but, looking round,
With much ado the cheat he found;

'Twas plain he could no longer hold

The world in any chain but gold;

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* A great lady was said to have been bribed by Wood.

And to the god of wealth his brother,

Sent Mercury to get another.

PROMETHEUS on a rock is laid, Ty'd with a chain himself had made,

On icy Caucafus to shiver,

While vultures eat his growing liver.

III.

YE pow'rs of Grubftreet, make me able Discreetly to apply this fable;

Say, who is to be understood

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By that old thief Prometheus? WOOD.
For Jove, it is not hard to guess him;
I mean his Majesty, God bless him.

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This thief and blacksmith was fo bold,
He strove to steal that chain of gold,
Which links the subject to the King,
And change it for a brazen ftring.
But fure, if nothing else must pass
Between the King and us, but brass,
Altho' the chain will never crack,
Yet our devotion may grow flack.

BUT Jove will foon convert, I hope,
This brazen chain into a rope;
With which Prometheus fhall be ty'd,
And high in air for ever ride;
Where, if we find his liver grows,

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70

75

For want of vultures, we have crows.

*STREPHON AND FLAVIA.

7ITH ev'ry lady in the land

WITH

Soft Strephon kept a pother;

One year he languifh'd for one hand,
And next year for the other.

Yet when his love the fhepherd told

To Flavia fair and coy, ̈

Referv'd, demure, than fnow more cold,
She fcorn'd the gentle boy...

Late at a ball he own'd his pain:

She blush'd, and frown'd, and swore,
With all the marks of high disdain,
She'd never hear him more.
The fwain perfifted still to pray,
The nymph ftill to deny ;

At laft fhe vow'd she would not ftay;

He fwore the should not fly.

Enrag'd, she call'd her footman strait,
And rush'd from out the room,
Drove to her lodging, lock'd the gate,
And lay with Ralph at home..

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THIS

NN A.

Written in the year 1712.

HIS day (the year I dare not tell)
Apollo play'd the midwife's part;

Into the world Corinna fell,

And he endow'd her with his art.

But Cupid with a Satyr comes;

Both foftly to the cradle creep;

Both ftroke her hands, and rub her gums,
While the poor child lay faft afleep.
Then Cupid thus: This little maid
Of love fhall always peak and write :
And I pronounce (the Satyr faid)

The world all feel her fcratch and bite.

Her talent fhe difplay'd betimes;

For in twice twelve revolving moons

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She feem'd to laugh and fquall in rhymes,
And all her gestures were lampoons.

At fix years old the fubtle jade

Stole to the pantry-door, and found
The butler with my Lady's maid;

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And you may fwear the tale went round.
She made a fong, how little Mifs

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Was kifs'd and flober'd by a lad;

And how when Master went to p

Mifs came, and peep'd at all he had.

At twelve a wit, and a coquette;

Marries for love, half whore, half wife; Cuckolds, elops, and runs in debt ;

Turns auth'refs, and is Curl's for life. Her common place-book all gallant is, Of fcandal now a cornucopia ;

She pours

it out in Atalantis *,

Or memoirs of the New Utopia.

*The QUID NUNCKI'S:

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A tale occafioned by the death of the Duke Regent of FRANCE.

HOW vain are mortal man's endeavours!

(Said at Dame Elleot's +, Mafter Tr-s);

Good Orleans dead! in truth 'tis hard:

Oh! may all statesmen die prepar'd!

I do forefee (and for foreseeing

He equals any man in being)

VOL. VI.

may

5

be con

The Atalantis was written by Mrs Manley; and fidered as a pander for the stews, who gains admittance into good company by a genteel appearance, and good addrefs. Hawkej. A coffeehouse near St. James's.

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