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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)

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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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95

FABLE XIII.

A serpent sly,
With thoughtful head and watchful eye,
Had got out of a thousand scrapes,
Either by wriggling or back-sliding,
By circumvention or by gliding;
In short, in many shapes.
Without the least pretence
To consequence or common sense,
With volubility indeed,
The tail, affecting to be great,
Envied the head her judgement-seat,
And tried to take the lead.
Some members openly dissented;
Some were won over, some afraid;
The major part at last consented,
The head was shamefully betray'd.
Without an eye, a nose, an ear,
Without the semblance of a brain,
96

Without a grain of wit or fear,
Madame la Queue began her reign,
And thus equipp'd began her ramble,
Tearing and scratching the poor Snake;
But though she passed through thorn or bramble,
She wheel'd at every stone or stake;
'Twas that by which she was preserv'd,
By flexibility alone,
Those tails have always been observ'd
Most flexible that have least bone:
They yield to any slight impression;
Whereas an obstinate stiff rump
Maintains her ground, and keeps possession,
And moves for neither shove nor thump
The head, that had not slept a wink,
Caught her at last fast in a chink;
With sanguine eyes and pallid hue,
La Tête advanc'd steady and clear,
Came round, and disengag'd La Queue,
And made her fall into the rear.—
97

When they are first that should be last,
It shall be now as in times past,
When they, that were ordain'd to trail,
Presume to take the lead and guide,
They must return and be the tail,
Or be cut off and laid aside.
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