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The Works of John Hall-Stevenson

... Corrected and Enlarged. With Several Original Poems, Now First Printed, and Explanatory Notes. In Three Volumes
Hall-Stevenson, John (1718-1785)

collapse sectionI. 
VOLUME I
  
HYMN TO MISS LAURENCE IN THE PUMP-ROOM, BATH. 1753.
  
VACATION.
  
TO A LADY, VERY HANDSOME, BUT TOO FOND OF DRESS.
  
ANACREON.
  
TO MY COUSIN SHANDY, ON HIS COMING TO TOWN.
  
An EPISTLE to the grown GENTLEWOMEN the MISSES of ****.
  
A NOSEGAY and a SIMILE for the REVIEWERS.
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FABLES FOR GROWN GENTLEMEN:
 I. 
FABLE I. THE RIVER WITH A PETITION.
 II. 
FABLE II. The PHENIX and her Lovers.
 III. 
FABLE III. The DUCKLINGS and the wise birds.
 IV. 
FABLE IV. LA NOBLESSE DE FRANCE.
 V. 
FABLE V. The DOG and the CAT.
 VI. 
FABLE VI. The SPIDER and the FLY
  
FABLE VII. The wild DUCKS and the water SPANIEL.
  
FABLE VIII. The Advice of an Old SPANIEL.
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TWO LYRIC EPISTLES:
  
MARGERY TO THE REVIEWERS.
  
EPISTLE THE SECOND.
  
THE APOLOGUE.
  
A PASTORAL CORDIAL,
  
QUERIES TO THE CRITICAL REVIEWERS.
  
A PASTORAL PUKE.
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MAKARONY FABLES; WITH THE NEW FABLE OF THE BEES.
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[subsection]
 I. 
FABLE I. THE RESIGNATION .
 II. 
FABLE II. The DOCTOR and STUDENT.
 III. 
FABLE III. THE NIGHTINGALE.
 IV. 
FABLE IV. THE BLACK BIRD
 V. 
FABLE V. POUR MOI MEME.
 VI. 
FABLE VI. THE TORTOISE.
 VII. 
FABLE VII. THE COOK .
  
A TALE.
 VIII. 
FABLE VIII .
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THE NEW FABLE OF THE BEES:
 I. 
CANTO I.
 II. 
CANTO II.
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VOLUME II
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IMITATIONS OF HORACE'S ODES.
  
BOOK III. ODE III.
  
BOOK IV. ODE IX.
  
BOOK III. ODE XXIX.
  
BOOK IV. ODE XVth.
  
BOOK XXIV. ODE VIII.
  
BOOK I. ODE X.
  
BOOK II. ODE VIII.
  
The APOTHEOSIS or the INSTELLATION. BOOK III. ODE XXV.
  
BOOK III. ODE XXVI.
  
BOOK III. ODE III.
  
To Miss ---
  
ODE.
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FABLES FOR GROWN GENTLEMEN: FOR THE YEAR 1770.
 I. 
FABLE I. TO MY LORD ---
 II. 
FABLE II. TO A GREAT LAWYER.
 III. 
FABLE III.
 IV. 
FABLE IV.
 V. 
FABLE V.
 VI. 
FABLE VI.
 VII. 
FABLE VII.
 VIII. 
FABLE VIII.
 IX. 
FABLE IX.
 X. 
FABLE X.
 XI. 
FABLE XI.
 XII. 
FABLE XII.
 XIII. 
FABLE XIII.
 XIV. 
FABLE XIV.
 XV. 
FABLE XV. THE PETITIONERS FOR A DISSOLUTION OF THE PEAR TREE.
 XVI. 
FABLE XVI. THE WHEELS OF GOVERNMENT.
 XVII. 
FABLE XVII.
 XVIII. 
FABLE XVIII.
 XIX. 
FABLE XIX.
 XX. 
FABLE XX.
 XXI. 
FABLE XXI.
 XXII. 
FABLE XXII. FANCY .
 XXIII. 
FABLE XXIII. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE CUNNING.
 XXIV. 
FABLE XXIV. THE MOLE.
 XXV. 
FABLE XXV. The KING and the COBLER.
 XXVI. 
FABLE XXVI. THE INDEPENDENT OXEN AND THE GRAND ALLIES.
  
A FRAGMENT OF AN EPIC POEM.
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MONKISH EPITAPHS.
  
EPITAPH UPON ONE OF THE NOBLE FAMILY OF THE SCROPES.
  
EPITAPH UPON AN ABBOT.
  
EPITAPH UPON A RECTOR.
  
EPITAPH UPON A DOCTOR.
  
EPITAPH UPON A GENERAL.
  
EPITAPH UPON A LIVING SUBJECT.
  
A ROYAL EPITAPH.
  
EPITAPH FOR HIS GRANDSON, CHARLES II.
  
IMITATED. A MONASTIC ELEGY.
  
An old Receipt for a troublesome Disorder.
  
AN EPISTLE TO A FRIEND,
  
AN EPISTLE FROM JOHN ME, ESQUIRE, TO His Excellence My Lord SELF.
  
A MONSIEUR LE GENERAL HALE.
  
PANTY'S SWEETHEART.
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VOLUME III
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CRAZY TALES
  
THE AUTHOR'S APOLOGY TO HIMSELF
  
PROLOGUE TO THE CRAZY TALES.
 I. 
ANTONY'S TALE:
 II. 
MY COUSIN'S TALE
 III. 
MISS IN HER TEENS:
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ZACHARY'S TALE;
  
ODE TO ZACHARY
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ZACHARY'S TALE.
 I. 
PART the FIRST.
  
[section]
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THE PRIVY-COUNSELLOR'S AND THE STUDENT OF LAW'S TALE.
  
PROLOGUE TO THE PRIVY-COUNSELLOR'S AND THE STUDENT OF LAW'S TALE.
 V. 
THE PRIVY-COUNSELLOR'S TALE.
 VI. 
THE STUDENT OF LAW'S TALE;
 VII. 
PANTY'S TALE;
 VIII. 
ARSINOE:
 IX. 
DON PRINGELLO'S TALE: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY NUNS;
 X. 
THE POET'S TALE; OR THE CAUTIOUS BRIDE.
 XI. 
THE GOVERNOR OF T**LBURY'S TALE; OR THE UNREASONABLE COMPLAINT.
 XII. 
THE NOBLE REVENGE:
  
THOMAS OF COLEBY'S TALE. PORCIA,
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MORAL TALES.
 I. 
MY LADY'S TALE.
 II. 
THE PARSON'S WIFE.
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THE PARSON'S TALE;
  
MORAL.
 IV. 
THE ASSOCIATION.
 V. 
HOB IN THE WELL.
 VI. 
THE DAINTY WIDOW'S TALE.
 VII. 
THE BARONESS'S TALE.
 VIII. 
THE LAWYER'S TALE.
 IX. 
THE BARON'S TALE.
 X. 
THE PHYSICIAN'S TALE.
  
THE DOCTOR'S ADVICE.
 XI. 
THE APOTHECARY'S TALE.
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THE CONFESSION OF SIR FRANCIS OF MEDENHAM, AND OF THE LADY MARY HIS WIFE.
  
THE CONFESSION OF THE KNIGHT.
  
THE LADY'S CONFESSION.
  
ANOTHER TALE, FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF MY MILITARY FRIENDS. MDCCLXXXII.

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vii

THE AUTHOR'S APOLOGY TO HIMSELF

Free from all pernicious vice,
Yet not so scrupulously good,
To want a comfortable spice
To warm a sober Christian's blood.
The sin of Harlotry and Keeping,
Is that which I can least excuse,
That of cohabiting and sleeping,
With an abandon'd common Muse.
More like a Muse's poor toad-eater;
A trollop with a flippant air,
Without one amiable feature,
Or any graces to her share.
You tell me, if I needs must print,
You'll not oppose my foolish will,
And bid me take a sober hint
From sober folks at Strawberry-hill.
Stand forth like them, produce yourself,
Be elegantly bound and letter'd,
Be wise, like them, nor quit your shelf,
But there remain, for ever fetter'd.
viii

I do not print to get a name;
As Trublet says, I am none of those;
I only print, because my aim
Is happiness, whilst I compose:
Composing gives us no delight,
Unless we mean to publish what we write.
Scribbling, like Praying, 's an employment,
In which you think yourself a bubble,
Without some prospect of enjoyment,
And satisfaction for your trouble;
And though your hopes at last prove vain,
If you have been amus'd, 'twas so much gain.
If you still teaze me, and persist
That publishing shews a vain heart,
The Songsters upon Dodsley's list
Shall be call'd in to take my part.
And as they strip a lad quite bare,
After they've coax'd him from his play,
Then lay him down, and cut and pare
All his impediments away:
And as the lad without his leave
Is made an excellent Musician,
ix

By a manœuvre I conceive
As nice as Tristram's Circumcision:
So, though you only just can scrape
Among the Fiddlers of the Nine,
They'll make you drunker than an ape,
And make you think you fiddle fine.
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