Of fize that might a pulpit fill,
But more inclining to fit still.
My lord (who, if a man may fay't,
Loves mifchief better than his meat)
Was now difpos'd to crack a jest,
And bid friend Lewis* go in queft,
(This Lewis is a cunning fhaver,
And very much in Harley's favour)
In queft, who might this parson be,
What was his name, of what degree, 20
If poffible, to learn his story,
And whether he were whig or tory.
Lewis his patron's humour knows,
Away upon his errand goes,
And quickly did the matter fift;
Found out that it was doctor Swift;
A clergyman of special note
For fhunning thofe of his own coat;
Which made his brethren of the gown
Take care betimes to run him down: 30
15. Demetri, (puer bic non læve juffà Philippi Accipiebat) abi, quære, et refer: Unde domo, quis, Cujus fortunæ, quo fit patre, quove patrono? 23, 25. İt, redit, et narrat, Votteium nomine Menam.
Erafmus Lewis, efq; private fecretary to the earl of Oxford.
No
No libertine, nor over-nice,
Addicted to no fort of vice,
35
Went were he pleas'd, faid what he thought,
Not rich, but ow'd no man a groat :
In state opinions à la mode,
* He hated Wharton like a toad,
Had giv❜n the faction many a wound,
And libell'd all the junto round;
Kept company with men of wit,
Who often father'd what he writ:
His works were hawk'd in every street,
But feldom rose above a sheet:
40
Of late indeed the paper stamp
Did very much his genius cramp;
And, fince he could not fpend his fire, 45
He now intended to retire.
Said Harley, I defire to know
From his own mouth, if this be fo?
Step to the doctor ftrait, and say,
I'd have him dine with me to day.
Tenui cenfu, fine crimine notum,
Et properare loco, et ceffare, et quærere, et uti,
Gaudentem
47. Scitari libet ex ipfo quodcunque refers. Dic
Ad cœnam veniat. Non fane credere Mæna;
Mirari fecum tacitus.
*Earl of Wharton, father to the duke of Wharton who died in France.
;
Swift feem'd to wonder what he meant,
Nor wou'd believe my lord had fent ;
So never offer'd once to ftir
But coldly faid, your fervant, fir.
Does he refuse me? Harley cry'd:
He does, with infolence and pride.
Some few days after Harley spies
The doctor faften'd by the eyes
At Charing-cross among the rout,
Where painted monsters are hung out: 60
He pull❜d the ftring, and stopt his coach,
Beck'ning the doctor to approach.
65
fle
Swift, who cou'd neither fly nor hide, Came fneaking to the chariot fide, And offer'd many a lame excuse: He never meant the leaft abuse -My lord----the honour you defign'dExtremely proud ----but I had din'd-I'm fure I never fhou'd neglect. No man alive has more refpect
"Well, I fhall think of that no more,
"If you'll be fure to come at four."
The doctor now obeys the fummons,
Likes both his company and commons;
Difplays his talent, fits till ten;
Next day invited comes again;
Soon grows domeftick; feldom fails
Either at morning, or at meals;
Came early, and departed late:
In fhort, the gudgeon took the bait. 80
My lord would carry on the jest,
And down to Windfor takes his guest.
Swift much admires the place and air,
And longs to be a canon there;
In fummer round the park to ride,
In winter, never to refide.
A canon! that's a place too mean ;
No, doctor, you shall be a dean ;
85
Ut libet. Ergo
74. Ut ventum ad cænam eft, dicenda, tacenda locutus,
Tandem dormitum dimittitur. Hic ubi fæpe
Occultum vifus decurrere pifcis ad bamum,
Mane cliens, et jam certus conviva:
Jubetur
Me tibi, fi canas hodie mecum.
Poft nonam venies
Rura fuburbana indi&tis comes. ire Latinis.
Impofitus mannis, arvum cælumque Sabinum
Non ceffat laudare.
Videt, ridetque Philippus:
Two dozen canons round your ftall,
And you
the tyrant o'er them all : 90
You need but crofs the Irish feas
To live in plenty, pow'r, and ease.
Poor Swift departs; and, what is worse,
With borrow'd money in his purse;
Travels at least an hundred leagues, 95
And fuffers numberless fatigues.
Suppose him now a dean compleat,
Devoutly lolling in his feat;
The filver virge, with decent pride,
Stuck underneath his cushion fide: 100
Suppose him gone thro' all vexations,
Patents, inftalments, abjurations,
First-fruits and tenths and chapter-treats,
Dues, payments, fees, demands, and--cheats
(The wicked laity's contriving 105
To hinder clergymen from thriving)
Now all the doctor's money's fpent,
His tenants wrong him in his rent;
The farmers fpitefully combin'd
Force him to take his tythes in kind; 110
And * Parvisol discounts arrears
By bills for taxes and repairs †.
E 3
morbo periere capelle;
eft enectus arando;
107. -Oves furto,
Spem mentita feges, bos
* The dean's agent,
Frenchman.
+"Upon his arrival in Ire-
a
"land to take poffeffion of his "deanery, the common people "were taught to look upon him
as
|