 | A Muse in Livery |  |
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THE ENQUIRY. A FABLE.
Humbly Inscribed to My Lord Beauchamp.
The kingly ruler of the plain,
Just ent'ring on his savage reign,
To grace his coronation feast,
Sent and invited ev'ry beast;
And soon the royal cave beheld,
With all his various subjects fill'd:
For leagues of peace were lately made,
And lambs and wolves together play'd:
Foxes and tim'rous hares agree
With dogs, their ancient enemy.
And now a sumptuous table spread,
Friendly they altogether fed;
And having din'd, sit still and prate
Familiarly of this and that;
'Till with a kind, yet serious, look,
The king, desiring audience, spoke.
Just ent'ring on his savage reign,
To grace his coronation feast,
Sent and invited ev'ry beast;
And soon the royal cave beheld,
With all his various subjects fill'd:
For leagues of peace were lately made,
And lambs and wolves together play'd:
Foxes and tim'rous hares agree
With dogs, their ancient enemy.
And now a sumptuous table spread,
Friendly they altogether fed;
And having din'd, sit still and prate
Familiarly of this and that;
'Till with a kind, yet serious, look,
The king, desiring audience, spoke.
“My friends, and loving subjects all,
“Who've kindly thus obey'd my call,
“I give you thanks: and now I crave
“Your further kindness to receive.
“I'm seated on the throne, you see,
“In peaceable tranquility;
“No cares of war disturb my breast;
“With taxes you are not opprest:
“This life I'll therefore spend in joy;
“None shall be happier than I.
“But lest I should pursue false bliss,
“What I would ask of you is this;
“To tell me—What true Pleasure is.
“Who've kindly thus obey'd my call,
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“Your further kindness to receive.
“I'm seated on the throne, you see,
“In peaceable tranquility;
“No cares of war disturb my breast;
“With taxes you are not opprest:
“This life I'll therefore spend in joy;
“None shall be happier than I.
“But lest I should pursue false bliss,
“What I would ask of you is this;
“To tell me—What true Pleasure is.
The Beasts seem'd pleas'd with this request;
Each thought he could advise him best:
And striving who should silence break,
They all at once rose up to speak;
'Till by his Majesty's command,
Their forward zeal was soon restrain'd;
Who calmly bidding them sit down,
And let him hear them one by one,
Th' impatient Monkey thus begun.
Each thought he could advise him best:
And striving who should silence break,
They all at once rose up to speak;
'Till by his Majesty's command,
Their forward zeal was soon restrain'd;
Who calmly bidding them sit down,
And let him hear them one by one,
Th' impatient Monkey thus begun.
“Pleasure, my Liege, is free from strife,
“To lead a thoughtless, easy life:
“Airy, and wild, and brisk, and gay,
“To sing, and dance, and laugh, and play.
“Now following this, now that, and that;
“And, so't be new, no matter what.
“Free from all rules of just and fit,
“Do mischief first, then laugh at it;
“This is diversion, pleasure, wit.
“To lead a thoughtless, easy life:
“Airy, and wild, and brisk, and gay,
“To sing, and dance, and laugh, and play.
“Now following this, now that, and that;
“And, so't be new, no matter what.
“Free from all rules of just and fit,
“Do mischief first, then laugh at it;
“This is diversion, pleasure, wit.
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The Ass was here provok'd to rise,
And gravely thus bray'd his advice.
“If, said he, real pleasure is
“In such buffoonery as this,
“Then beaus and smarts amongst mankind,
“Are in their notions most refin'd;
“But well we know by men of sense,
“They're tax'd with vain impertinence.
“I therefore think true pleasure lies
“(If I may be thought fit t'advise)
“In careless indolence and ease,
“Not suff'ring any thing to teaze:
“Regardless what th' ambitious fly at,
“So we're but undisturb'd and quiet;
“Well knowing 'tis but to attain
“More ease, that they're at so much pain:
“And he's more happy, none can doubt it,
“Who's easy without taking pains about it.
And gravely thus bray'd his advice.
“If, said he, real pleasure is
“In such buffoonery as this,
“Then beaus and smarts amongst mankind,
“Are in their notions most refin'd;
“But well we know by men of sense,
“They're tax'd with vain impertinence.
“I therefore think true pleasure lies
“(If I may be thought fit t'advise)
“In careless indolence and ease,
“Not suff'ring any thing to teaze:
“Regardless what th' ambitious fly at,
“So we're but undisturb'd and quiet;
“Well knowing 'tis but to attain
“More ease, that they're at so much pain:
“And he's more happy, none can doubt it,
“Who's easy without taking pains about it.
Now rose the Hog, and with a grunt,
“Pleasure, cry'd he, they know nought on't.
“A life trail'd on in laziness,
“Can only suit a stupid Ass;
“And fool'd away in Monkey mirth,
“It's really full as little worth:
“For doing nothing worthy fame,
“And doing nothing—'s much the same.
“But if you'd real pleasure know,
“Let gen'rous liquor smiling flow;
“In jovial crews spend every hour,
“And drink, and sing, and rant, and roar.
“Thus every care will sink and drown,
“Whilst mirth and joy runs laughing round:
“I seem a monarch while I drink so;
“And you'll be a God, if you but think so.
“Pleasure, cry'd he, they know nought on't.
“A life trail'd on in laziness,
“Can only suit a stupid Ass;
“And fool'd away in Monkey mirth,
“It's really full as little worth:
“For doing nothing worthy fame,
“And doing nothing—'s much the same.
“But if you'd real pleasure know,
“Let gen'rous liquor smiling flow;
“In jovial crews spend every hour,
“And drink, and sing, and rant, and roar.
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“Whilst mirth and joy runs laughing round:
“I seem a monarch while I drink so;
“And you'll be a God, if you but think so.
Here burst the Goat into a laugh,
And thus beginning with a scoff,
“Doubtless, said he, it must be fine,
“T' exalt a nasty dirty swine
“To such a height in fancying,
“As to believe himself a king.
“But that which thus perverts our senses,
“Can have, I think, but small pretences
“To recommend it to our favour,
“As pleasure of the truest flavour.
“Nature, methinks, should guide in this,
“Who seems t' have shewn the highest bliss,
“In having plac'd the sweetest gust,
“In gratifying natural lust.
“And that 'tis the sublimest joy
“I think's so plain none can deny:
“Witness the mad tormenting pain,
“When disappointed, we sustain;
“Witness how eagerly we press on;
“Witness our raptures in possession.
And thus beginning with a scoff,
“Doubtless, said he, it must be fine,
“T' exalt a nasty dirty swine
“To such a height in fancying,
“As to believe himself a king.
“But that which thus perverts our senses,
“Can have, I think, but small pretences
“To recommend it to our favour,
“As pleasure of the truest flavour.
“Nature, methinks, should guide in this,
“Who seems t' have shewn the highest bliss,
“In having plac'd the sweetest gust,
“In gratifying natural lust.
“And that 'tis the sublimest joy
“I think's so plain none can deny:
“Witness the mad tormenting pain,
“When disappointed, we sustain;
“Witness how eagerly we press on;
“Witness our raptures in possession.
But here the Leopard, rising slow,
Expos'd his beauteous spots to show,
And with a grave majestick face,
Thus gave his verdict in the case.
“Pleasure consists not in such short,
“Imperfect, transitory sport;
“Of which, the pains we're at to get it,
“O'erpays the bliss when we come at it:
“Nor can it e'er be call'd true joy,
“With such a mixture of alloy.
“No; that must be the most refin'd
“Which most exalts and charms the mind;
“And nothing sure more charming is
“Than honour, pomp, and dignities;
“Than grandeur, and magnificence;
“Than sumptuous trains, and vast expence;
“Than place, distinction, and preferment,
“And when we die a grand interment.
Expos'd his beauteous spots to show,
And with a grave majestick face,
Thus gave his verdict in the case.
“Pleasure consists not in such short,
“Imperfect, transitory sport;
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“O'erpays the bliss when we come at it:
“Nor can it e'er be call'd true joy,
“With such a mixture of alloy.
“No; that must be the most refin'd
“Which most exalts and charms the mind;
“And nothing sure more charming is
“Than honour, pomp, and dignities;
“Than grandeur, and magnificence;
“Than sumptuous trains, and vast expence;
“Than place, distinction, and preferment,
“And when we die a grand interment.
At this the Horse with noble look,
Raising his crested neck, thus spoke.
“That merit should be rais'd on high,
“I think's so just, none can deny;
“But he who places all his bliss,
“In the external pomp of this,
“Knows not what greatness, nor what pleasure is.
“His judgment errs as much at least,
“As his who thinks that painting best,
“Which is in gaudiest colours drest:
“Of both we may affirm the same,
“Their taste lies only in the gilded frame.
“I grant preferment, honour, place,
“Are rising steps to happiness;
“but whilst we're upwards thus aspiring,
“We're anxious still, and still desiring.
“To act with an unbounded will,
“Can only our desires fulfil;
“Whence the highest bliss in my opinion,
“Must be in power and dominion.
Raising his crested neck, thus spoke.
“That merit should be rais'd on high,
“I think's so just, none can deny;
“But he who places all his bliss,
“In the external pomp of this,
“Knows not what greatness, nor what pleasure is.
“His judgment errs as much at least,
“As his who thinks that painting best,
“Which is in gaudiest colours drest:
“Of both we may affirm the same,
“Their taste lies only in the gilded frame.
“I grant preferment, honour, place,
“Are rising steps to happiness;
“but whilst we're upwards thus aspiring,
“We're anxious still, and still desiring.
“To act with an unbounded will,
“Can only our desires fulfil;
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“Must be in power and dominion.
Thus all their various sense exprest,
And each advis'd what he thought best;
But still, what each as best esteem'd,
Was by the next that spoke condemn'd.
Mean while the savage monarch sate
Attentive to the warm debate;
The nature saw, without disguise,
Of every beast in his advice.
But soon the disputants grew rude,
Confusion, noise, tumultuous feud,
Enrage the jarring multitude:
'Till weary'd out, the royal beast
Thus spoke, and silenc'd all the rest.
And each advis'd what he thought best;
But still, what each as best esteem'd,
Was by the next that spoke condemn'd.
Mean while the savage monarch sate
Attentive to the warm debate;
The nature saw, without disguise,
Of every beast in his advice.
But soon the disputants grew rude,
Confusion, noise, tumultuous feud,
Enrage the jarring multitude:
'Till weary'd out, the royal beast
Thus spoke, and silenc'd all the rest.
“Cease, cease your vain contention; cease
“Your shallow schemes of happiness;
“Which only have confirm'd me more,
“'Tis where I thought it was before.
“Greatness is no establishment
“Of real bliss, or true content;
“Luxurious banquets soon disgust;
“We're quickly pall'd with sensual lust.
“Virtue alone can give true joy!
“The sweets of Virtue never cloy:
“To take delight in doing good,
“In justice, truth, and gratitude;
“In aiding those whom cares oppress,
“Admin'string comfort to distress;
“These, these are joys which all who prove,
“Anticipate the bliss above;
“These are the joys, and these alone,
“We ne'er repent, or wish undone.
“Your shallow schemes of happiness;
“Which only have confirm'd me more,
“'Tis where I thought it was before.
“Greatness is no establishment
“Of real bliss, or true content;
“Luxurious banquets soon disgust;
“We're quickly pall'd with sensual lust.
“Virtue alone can give true joy!
“The sweets of Virtue never cloy:
“To take delight in doing good,
“In justice, truth, and gratitude;
“In aiding those whom cares oppress,
“Admin'string comfort to distress;
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“Anticipate the bliss above;
“These are the joys, and these alone,
“We ne'er repent, or wish undone.
He spoke: the beasts without delay,
Rose from their seats, and sneak'd away.
Rose from their seats, and sneak'd away.
| A Muse in Livery | |