 | Occasional Poems |  |
281
The Devil Outwitted:
A TALE.
A Vicar liv'd on this side Trent,Religious, Learn'd, Benevolent,
Pure was his Life, in Deed, Word, Thought,
A Comment on the Truths he taught:
His Parish large, his Income small,
Yet seldom wanted wherewithall;
For against ev'ry merry Tide,
Madam wou'd carefully provide.
A painful Pastor, but his Sheep,
Alas! within no Bounds would keep;
A scabby Flock, that ev'ry day
Run riot, and wou'd go astray.
282
Thumb'd o'er again, each useful Text;
Rebuke'd, exhorted, all in vain,
His Parish was the more profane:
The Scrubs wou'd have their wicked Will,
And cunning Satan triumph'd still.
At last, when each Expedient fail'd,
And serious Measures nought avail'd,
It came into his head, to try
The Force of Wit, and Raillery.
The good Man was by Nature gay,
Cou'd gibe, and joke, as well as pray;
Not like some hide-bound Folk, who chace
Each merry Smile from their dull Face,
And think Pride Zeal, Ill-nature Grace.
At Christ'nings, and each jovial Feast,
He singled out the sinful Beast:
Let all his pointed Arrows fly,
Told this, and that, look'd very sly,
And left my Masters to apply.
283
And now and then set off to view
With lucky Fictions, and sheer Wit,
That pierc'd, where Truth cou'd never hit.
The Laugh was always on his side,
While passive Fools by turns deride;
And gigling thus at one another,
Each jeering Lout reform'd his Brother;
'Till the whole Parish was with ease
Shame'd into Virtue by degrees:
Then be advis'd, and try a Tale,
When Chrysostome, and Austin fail.
| Occasional Poems | |