Gulliveriana or, a fourth volume of miscellanies. Being a Sequel of the Three Volumes published by Pope and Swift. To which is added, Alexanderiana; or, A Comparison between the Ecclesiastical and Poetical Pope. And many Things, in Verse and Prose, relating to the latter. With an ample Preface; and a Critique on the Third Volume of Miscellanies lately publish'd by those two facetious Writers [by Jonathan Smedley] |
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An Indian
Tale: Occasion'd by the
Verses, on the Quidnunchi's; Miscellanies,
Vol. 3. p. 229, apply'd to the joint Authors of that Volume.
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 | Gulliveriana |  |
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An Indian Tale: Occasion'd by the Verses, on the Quidnunchi's; Miscellanies, Vol. 3. p. 229, apply'd to the joint Authors of that Volume.
Lord! How uncertain's Human Fate!Who wou'd be Witty, Wise or Great?
When Sw---t and P---p---e, so fam'd for writing!
Are Names, now, hardly worth reciting,
While, singly, they Oblige the Town,
And each, His own Way, writ, alone,
Their Pieces pleas'd us, well enough;
Whether Sheer Wit, or Sorry Stuff;
If one Day brought a Stupid Letter,
Another might produce A Better.
But, when, Together, they wou'd write;
And Club their Praise, or join their Spite;
Th'unequal Sociats, soon, betray'd
The Weak Alliance, they had made:
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Then mark, I pray, my Indian Tale.
Over a Deep, Wide, Rapid Flood,
A Tall and Lovely Tree, there stood;
With Fruit of Gaudiest, Golden Hue,
Beauteous as that which Virgil drew.
Rare was the Tree; Of Tender Make:
Its Branches, very apt to Break:
Rare too, The Fruit! But hard to Pluck;
Tenacious, to the Stalk it stuck.
And Marmouzette agreed to climb
By turns, and crop the Goodly Fruit;
But Fast it held, they cou'd not do't.
Oft times howe'er, These baffled Friends,
Up, singly, climb, to gain their Ends:
But, Baulk'd, Leap down, and Fret and Grin,
And Scratch, and Scold, and burn within,
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And not to Taste the Fruit of Gold.
Tir'd out, at length, with Expectation:
And urg'd and spurr'd, with meer Vexation;
They Both resolve, whate'er comes on't,
The Dangerous Tree, at once, to mount.
And, to remove all sort of Fear,
Things they deliberately, prepare;
Join all their Cunning, and their Skill,
With Safety, to obtain their Will.
And urg'd and spurr'd, with meer Vexation;
They Both resolve, whate'er comes on't,
The Dangerous Tree, at once, to mount.
And, to remove all sort of Fear,
Things they deliberately, prepare;
Join all their Cunning, and their Skill,
With Safety, to obtain their Will.
They Fast; they Wake; their Limbs anoint,
And try the Strength of ev'ry Joint:
Then, pleas'd, as if they'd got their Prey,
They Sneer, and Skip, and Scratch, and Play:
Pleas'd! that the Sacred Fruit is known,
And Gather'd by themselves, alone.
Laughing, with all their Mimick Face,
At the whole Tribe of Monkey-Race;
From whom the Happy Fruit's conceal'd:
Or, if, perchance, it be Reveal'd,
Laughing, with every sawcy Feature,
At every paultry Fellow Creature,
To whom, for want of Wit or Sleight,
The Tree ne'er gave a true Delight.
Thus Puff'd, together, up they Bounce;
And try the Strength of ev'ry Joint:
Then, pleas'd, as if they'd got their Prey,
They Sneer, and Skip, and Scratch, and Play:
Pleas'd! that the Sacred Fruit is known,
And Gather'd by themselves, alone.
Laughing, with all their Mimick Face,
At the whole Tribe of Monkey-Race;
From whom the Happy Fruit's conceal'd:
Or, if, perchance, it be Reveal'd,
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At every paultry Fellow Creature,
To whom, for want of Wit or Sleight,
The Tree ne'er gave a true Delight.
But Break the Branch, and down they Flounce
Into the Deep and Rapid Stream:
They Kick; Embrace, and Scratch and Scream:
Thrice to the Surface, from the Ground,
Clasp'd Arm in Arm, th'Adventurers bound;
But sink, for ever sink, into the Vast Profund.
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