The miscellaneous essays and occasional writings of Francis Hopkinson, Esq | ||
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THE WASP.
Wrapt in Aurelian filth and slime,
An infant wasp neglected lay;
Till having doz'd the destin'd time,
He woke, and struggl'd into day.
An infant wasp neglected lay;
Till having doz'd the destin'd time,
He woke, and struggl'd into day.
Proud of his venom bag and sting,
And big with self-approved worth:
Mankind, he said, and stretch'd his wing,
Should tremble when I sally forth.
And big with self-approved worth:
Mankind, he said, and stretch'd his wing,
Should tremble when I sally forth.
In copious streams my spleen shall flow,
And satire all her purses drain;
A critic born, the world shall know
I carry not a sting in vain.
And satire all her purses drain;
A critic born, the world shall know
I carry not a sting in vain.
This said, from native cell of clay,
Elate he rose in airy flight;
Thence to the city chang'd his way,
And on a steeple chanc'd to light.
Elate he rose in airy flight;
Thence to the city chang'd his way,
And on a steeple chanc'd to light.
Ye gods, he cry'd, what horrid pile
Presumes to rear its head so high—
This clumsy cornice—see how vile:
Can this delight a critic's eye?
Presumes to rear its head so high—
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Can this delight a critic's eye?
With pois'nous sting he strove to wound
The substance firm: but strove in vain;
Surpris'd he sees it stands its ground,
Nor starts thro' fear, nor writhes with pain.
The substance firm: but strove in vain;
Surpris'd he sees it stands its ground,
Nor starts thro' fear, nor writhes with pain.
Away th' enraged insect flew;
But soon with aggravated pow'r,
Against the walls his body threw,
And hop'd to shake the lofty tow'r.
But soon with aggravated pow'r,
Against the walls his body threw,
And hop'd to shake the lofty tow'r.
Firm fix'd it stands; as stand it must,
Nor heeds the wasp's unpitied fall:
The humbled critic rolls in dust,
So stunn'd, so bruis'd, he scarce can crawl.
Nor heeds the wasp's unpitied fall:
The humbled critic rolls in dust,
So stunn'd, so bruis'd, he scarce can crawl.
The miscellaneous essays and occasional writings of Francis Hopkinson, Esq | ||