Suppofe the magiftrate revenge her caufe,
'Tis only for tranfgreffing human laws.
How answering to its end a church is made,
Whose power is but to counfel and perfuade!
O folid rock, on which fecure the ftands!
Eternal houfe not built with mortal hands!
O fure defence against th' infernal gate,
A patent during pleasure of the state !

Thus is the Panther neither lov'd nor fear'd,
A meer mock queen of a divided herd;
Whom foon by lawful power she might controul,
Herfelf a part fubmitted to the whole.

Then, as the moon who first receives the light
By which she makes our nether regions bright,
So might the fhine, reflecting from afar

The rays the borrow'd from a better star;

Big with the beams which from her mother flow,
And reigning o'er the rifing tides below:
Now, mixing with a favage crowd, she goes,
And meanly flatters her inveterate foes,
Rul'd while fhe rules, and lofing every hour
Her wretched remnants of precarious power.

One evening, while the cooler fhade she sought,
Revolving many a melancholy thought,
Alone the walk'd, and look'd around in vain,
With rueful vifage, for her vanifh'd train :
None of her fylvan fubjects made their court;
Levées and couchées pafs'd without refort.
So hardly can ufurpers manage well
Those whom they first inftructed to rebel.

Mcre

More liberty begets defire of more;

}

The hunger ftill increases with the store.
Without refpect they brufh'd along the wood
Each in his clan, and, fill'd with loathfome food,
Afk'd no permiffion to the neighbouring flood.
The Panther, full of inward discontent,
Since they would go, before them wifely went;
Supplying want of power by drinking first,
As if she gave them leave to quench their thirst.
Among the reft, the Hind, with fearful face,
Beheld from far the common watering-place,
Nor durft approach; till with an awful roar
'The fovereign lion bad her fear no more.
Encourag'd thus fhe brought her younglings nigh,
Watching the motions of her patron's eye,
And drank a fober draught; the rest amaz'd
Stood mutely ftill, and on the stranger gaz'd;
Survey'd her part by part, and fought to find
The ten-horn'd monster in the harmless Hind,
Such as the Wolf and Panther had design'd.
They thought at first they dream'd; for 'twas offence
With them, to queftion certitude of sense,
Their guide in faith: but nearer when they drew,

And had the faultlefs object full in view,

Lord, how they all admir'd her heavenly hue!
Some, who before her fellowship difdain'd,

Scarce, and but fcarce, from in-born rage reftrain'd,
Now frifk'd about her, and old kindred feign'd.
Whether for love or intereft, every fect

Of all the favage nation fhew'd respect.

}

}

The

The viceroy Panther could not awe the herd;
The more the company, the less they fear'd.
The furly Wolf with fecret envy burst,

Yet could not howl; the Hind had seen him firft:
But what he durft not speak, the Panther durft.
For when the herd, fuffic'd, did late repair
To ferney heaths, and to their forest lare,
She made a mannerly excufe to stay,

Proffering the Hind to wait her half the way:
That, fince the sky was clear, an hour of talk
Might help her to beguile the tedious walk.
With much good-will the motion was embrac'd,
To chat a while on their adventures pass'd:
Nor had the grateful Hind fo foon forgot
Her friend and fellow-fufferer in the plot.
Yet wondering how of late she grew estrang'd,
Her forehead cloudy, and her countenance chang'd,
She thought this hour th' occafion would present
To learn her fecret caufe of difcontent,

Which, well the hop'd, might be with ease redress'd,
Confidering her a well-bred civil beast,

And more a gentlewoman than the reft.
After fome common talk what rumors ran,
The lady of the fpotted-muff began.

The SECOND PART.

}

"}

DAME, faid the Panther, times are mended well,
Since late among the Philistines you fell.

The toils were pitch'd, a fpacious tract of ground
With expert huntsmen was encompass'd round;

Th

Th' inclosure narrow'd; the fagacious power
Of hounds and death drew nearer every hour.
'Tis true, the younger lion scap'd the fnare,
But all your prieftly calves lay struggling there;
As facrifices on their altars laid;

While

you

their careful mother wifely fled,
Not trufting destiny to fave your head.
For whate'er promises you have apply'd
To your unfailing church, the furer fide
Is four fair legs in danger to provide.
And whate'er tales of Peter's chair you
Yet, faving reverence of the miracle,
The better luck was yours to fcape fo well.

tell,

fo.

As I remember, faid the foher Hind,
Thofe toils were for your own dear self defign'd,
As well as me; and with the felf-fame throw,
To catch the quarry and the vermin too,
Forgive the flanderous tongues that call'd you
Howe'er you take it now, the common cry
Then ran you
down for your rank loyalty.
Befides, in Popery they thought you nurft,
As evil tongues will ever speak the worst,
Because fome forms, and ceremonies fome
You kept, and stood in the main question dumb.
Dumb you were born indeed; but thinking long
The test it feems at laft has loos'd your tongue.
And to explain what your forefathers meant,
By real prefence in the facrament,

}

After

After long fencing pufh'd against a wall,

Your falvo comes, that he's not there at all:
There chang'd your faith, and what may change may
fall.

Who can believe what varies every day,

Nor ever was, nor will be, at a stay ?

Tortures may force the tongue untruths to tell,
And I ne'er own'd myself infallible,
Reply'd the Panther: grant fuch prefence were,
Yet in your fense I never own'd it there.
A real virtue we by faith receive,

And that we in the facrament believe.
Then faid the Hind, as you the matter state,
Not only Jefuits can equivocate;

For real, as you now the word expound,
From folid fubftance dwindles to a found.
Methinks an Æsop's fable you repeat;

You know who took the fhadow for the meat:
Your church's fubftance thus you change at will,
And yet retain your former figure ftill.

life;

I freely grant you spoke to save your
For then you lay beneath the butcher's knife.
Long time you fought, redoubled battery bore,
But, after all, against yourself you swore;
Your former felf: for every hour your form
Is chopp'd and chang'd, like winds before a storm.
Thus fear and intereft will prevail with fome;
For all have not the gift of martyrdom.
The Panther grinn'd at this, and thus reply'd:
That men may err was never yet deny’d.

But,