"The Devil comes to take the foul, "And carry him down to this hole; "But, if a man have ftore of wealth, "To get fome prayers for his foul's health, 46 By these fame pious Frauds and Lyes, "Shall many Monasteries rife : "To pray folks out that ne'er came here; "Pans, pots, and kettles, fhall be given, "To fetch a man from hence to Heaven. 66 Suppose a man has taken purfes, Or ftolen fheep, or cows, or horses, "And chances to be hang'd; you'd cry, "Let him be hang'd, and fo good-by. 320 325 330 "Hold, fays the Friar; let me alone, "And, if you'll let our Convent keep 335 Here Orpheus figh'd, began, to take on, Cried, "Could I find the Whore you spake on, "I'd give him my best flitch of bacon : "I'd give him cake and fugar'd fack, "If he would bring my Dicé back: } "Rather "Rather than fhe should longer stay, ~ A filthy place, that 's feldom fwept,. 345 350 "Orpheus," faid he, "I'd have you take 555 "Some of these feeds here, for my fake; "Which, if they are difcreetly hurl'd "Throughout the parts of t'other world, "They may oblige the Fiend you "And fill the palace of old Pluto. fue to "Sow pride-feed uppermoft; then above "Envy and fcandal plant self-love.. 300* "Here take revenge, and malice without cause, "And here contempt of bonefly and laws; "This hot feed 's anger, and this hotter luft, 365 370 "Best fown with breach of friendship, and of trust: "These form, bail, plague, and tempest seeds; "And this a quinteffence of weeds; "This the worst fort of artichoke, "A plant that Pluto has himself bespoke, "Here take fome now from thefe prodigious loads "Of tender things that look like Toads: In 375 "In future times, thefe, finely dreft, "Take tyrant acorns, which will best advance, 380 "Twill be your making, should there be a plot. 390 "And now, dear Orpheus, fcatter these but well; And you'll deferve the gratitude of Hell." Quoth Orpheus, "You shall be obey'd "In every thing that you have faid, For mischief is the Poet's trade: "And whatsoever they fhall bring, You may allure yourself, I'll fing. "But pray what Poets fhall we have, "At my returning from the grave?" 395 } "Sad dogs!" quoth Bocai,“ let me fee-4c0 "But, fince what I fay cannot fhame them, "I'll e'en refolve to never name them.". "But now," fays Bocai, "Sir, you may "Long to be going on your way, "Unless "Unless you'll drink fome Arsenick Claret: 405 410 He fang; and pains themselves found ease; 415 For griefs, when well exprefs'd, can please. When he defcrib'd the children's lofs, And how the Robins cover'd them with mofs; To hear the pity of those birds, Ev'n Bocai's tears fell down with Orpheus' words. 420 &c. RUFINUS, RUFIN US; OR, THE FAVOURITE*: IMITATED FROM CLAUDIAN. OFT, as I wondering stand, a fecret doubt Puzzles my reason, and disturbs my thought, Whether this lower world by Chance does move, Or guided by the guardian hand of Jove. 5 When I furvey the world's harmonious frame, How Nature lives immutably the fame ; How ftated bounds and ambient fhores restrain The rolling furges of the briny main; How conftant Time révolves the circling year; How Day and Night alternately appear; Then am I well convinc'd fome fecret foul, Some First Informing Power directs the whole; Some Great Intelligence, who turns the Spheres, Who rules the steady motion of the Stars, Who decks with borrow'd light the waning Moon, 15 And fills with native light th' unchanging Sun, *The Effay, to which this Poem was originally annexed, was written in 1711, as a harfh fatire on the duke of Marlborough, dictated perhaps rather by party rage than truth. It is printed in Dr. King's Works, vol. II. p. 28. N. |