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She wears no colours (sign of grace)
On any part except her face:

All white and black beside :
Dauntless her look, her gesture proud,
Her voice theatrically loud,

And masculine her stride.

So have I seen, in black and white,
A prating thing, a Magpye hight,
Majestically stalk;

A stately, worthless animal,

That plies the tongue, and wags the tail,
All flutter, pride, and talk.

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PHRYNE.

HRYNE had talents for mankind,
Open she was and unconfin'd,
Like some free port of trade:

Merchants

freight,

unloaded here

And Agents from each foreign state,

Here first their entry made.

Her learning and good breeding such,
Whether th' Italian or the Dutch,

Spaniards or French came to her;
To all obliging she'd appear;
'Twas Si, Signior, 'twas Yaw, Mynheer,
'Twas S'il vous plaist, Monsieur.

Obscure by birth, renown'd by crimes,
Still changing names, religions, climes,
At length she turns a Bride:

In di'monds, pearls, and rich brocades,
She shines the first of batter'd jades,
And flutters in her pride.

their

5

ΙΟ

15

So have I known those Insects fair
(Which curious Germans hold so rare)
Still vary shapes and dyes;

Still gain new Titles with new forms;
First grubs obscene, then wriggling worms,
Then painted butterflies.

VII.

DR. SWIFT.

THE HAPPY LIFE OF A COUNTRY PARSON.

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ARSON, these things in thy possessing
Are better than the Bishop's blessing.
A Wife that makes conserves;

Steed

a

5

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; 10
A Chronicle of ancient standing;

A Chrysostom to smoothe 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.

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PASTORALS,

WITH

A DISCOURSE ON PASTORAL.

WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1704.

"Rura mihi et rigui placeant in vallibus amnes Flumina amem, sylvasque, inglorius ! ”—Virg.

A DISCOURSE ON PASTORAL

POETRY.1

HERE are not, I believe, a greater number of any sort of verses than of those which are called Pastorals; nor a smaller, than of those which are truly so. It therefore seems necessary to give some account of this kind of poem, and it is my design to comprise in this short paper the substance of those numerous dissertations the critics have made on the subject, without omitting any of their rules in my own favour. You will also find some points reconciled, about which they seem to differ, and a few remarks, which, I think, have escaped their observation.

The original of poetry is ascribed to that age which succeeded the creation of the world: and as the keeping of flocks seems to have been the first employment of mankind, the most ancient sort of poetry was probably pastoral. It is natural to imagine, that the leisure of those ancient shepherds admitting and inviting some diversion, none was so proper to that solitary and sedentary life as singing; and that in their

1 Written at sixteen years of age.—P.
2 Fontenelle's Disc. on Pastorals.-P.

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