Poems on Several Occasions By the late Reverend Thomas Fitzgerald. Published by his Grandson, the Reverend Thomas Wintour |
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THE
FREE-THINKER. |
 | Poems on Several Occasions |  |
42
THE FREE-THINKER.
Clodio, that steals each Fair one's Heart away,
Clodio the bright, the courtly, and the gay,
Is yet full fraught with Notions wond'rous sage,
And shines a prime Free-thinker of the Age.
To the revolving Business of the Day,
His Bed, his Dress, the Tavern, and the Play,
Succeeds the Midnight Revel; then run high
His Joys uncheck'd, and Care and Spleen defy.
Then, whilst the Pedantry of Creeds he shows,
How clear, how free his Elocution slows!
How keen his Wit, his Reas'ning how profound,
Whilst down he knocks poor Priestcraft to the Ground!
For thus, when Wine and Mirth his Spirits raise,
He vents his Knowledge, and his Parts displays;
From each new Scheme harangues with graceful Ease,
And Rabbi Tindal's deep Discoveries.
Clodio the bright, the courtly, and the gay,
Is yet full fraught with Notions wond'rous sage,
And shines a prime Free-thinker of the Age.
To the revolving Business of the Day,
His Bed, his Dress, the Tavern, and the Play,
Succeeds the Midnight Revel; then run high
His Joys uncheck'd, and Care and Spleen defy.
Then, whilst the Pedantry of Creeds he shows,
How clear, how free his Elocution slows!
How keen his Wit, his Reas'ning how profound,
Whilst down he knocks poor Priestcraft to the Ground!
For thus, when Wine and Mirth his Spirits raise,
He vents his Knowledge, and his Parts displays;
43
And Rabbi Tindal's deep Discoveries.
Say then at last, what is this mighty Man?
Free-thinker! let's define him if we can,
And fix our Meaning, and our Term explain.
From Clodio be the certain Standard known,
(There are ten thousand Clodios in the Town)
And what's the Man we a Free-thinker call?
What? why 'tis he, that never thinks at all.
Free-thinker! let's define him if we can,
And fix our Meaning, and our Term explain.
From Clodio be the certain Standard known,
(There are ten thousand Clodios in the Town)
And what's the Man we a Free-thinker call?
What? why 'tis he, that never thinks at all.
| Poems on Several Occasions | |