University of Virginia Library

THE MONKEY.

A FABLE.

A Monkey, a malignant Creature!
Whose Age improv'd his wicked Nature!
At length resign'd his canker'd Breath
And Being, to the Arms of Death.
But long he had not lodg'd in Hell,
(The Company he lik'd not well)
Till Pluto was address'd by Pray'r,
To send him back to native Air.
The gloomy God good-humour'd was,
And thought to make him Soul an Ass:
A Punishment esteem'd most fit,
For former Tricks of wicked Wit.
The Monkey shook his ghostly Head,
And said, He'd rather e'en be dead.
An Ass's Body was all one,
As if he shou'd inform a Stone.
Pluto, at last, well pleas'd to see
His Tricks, to win his Liberty,
Consented, smiling, that he shou'd
Take any other Shape he wou'd.
“I thank your Godship—You, with Ease,
“Can make me Parrot, if you please:
“For, in that Likeness, I've a Plan,
“How I may prate, and talk, like Man.
“I acted like him once, and then
“I'll try to rival him again.
'Twas done—And, now a Parrot made,
He mimick'd every Thing was said:
He chatter'd on, from Morn to Night,
And yielded wonderful Delight:
A certain Woman, old, and grey,
Came to the Market Place, one Day;
And was so taken with the Bird,
It spoke so like her, every Word,
That soon she bought it, Cage and all,
And hung it up in her large Hall.
Nobly it far'd—And, in requital
Of the old Dotard's dainty Victual,
It play'd a Thousand Gambols, more
Than Parrots us'd to play before;
Exempli Gratia, mov'd its Head,
In antick Manner—Clamour made
With its new Bill—and odd Grimace
With Wings and Claws: In short it was
A Monkey, in a Parrot's Case.
Transported with the Bird, the Woman
Wou'd be at Home whole Days for no Man.
But every Hour, with Admiration,
Beheld that Pride of the Creation.
Her Spectacles, upon her Nose,
Were far more needful, than her Cloaths:
And it was all her Care and Grief,
That Age had made her Ears so deaf;
For Poll deliver'd many a Speech,
That never cou'd her Hearing reach.
At length, by too much Fondness, lost,
Our Parrot now began to boast,
Grow noisy, troublesome, and mad!
And drank, alas! some Liquor bad,
By which it dy'd—So down went Poll
With new Petitions for his Soul.
Pluto, observing, said, I will
At length this noisy Spirit still,
By making it inform a Fish,—
This suited not our Parrot's Wish!
So, playing some new Tricks again,
The God resolv'd to ease its Pain,
And let it e'en become a Man.
Yet fearing he shou'd give Offence,
Resolv'd it shou'd a Fool commence.
So in the Body of a Beau,
A talking, tedious, empty Show!
To Lying, Laughing, Bragging, us'd,
Was now the wandering Soul infus'd.
Hermes, a God profoundly wise,
Discover'd him in this Disguise,
“And art thou there (he, smiling, said)
“Thou senseless, trifling, useless, Shade,
“Of Monkey, and of Parrot made?
“Wert thou of Words, and Gestures, stript,
“How nobly wou'dst thou stand equipt?
“Wou'dst thou not wholly be unmann'd,
“If what thou dost not understand
“Were taken from Thee? For by Rote
“Is all thy ignorant Knowledge got!
“Gods! What a Man a Monkey makes!
“If, from him, one his Anticks takes?
“And yet how many Men there be,
“In whom we nought, but Monkey, see?
“A fashionable Coat, and Air,
“And Words, and Gestures, all his Care;
“Among the Vulgar, make an Ass
“For a most pretty Fellow pass!