Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 7.djvu/160

148 When food and raiment now grew scarce, Fate put a period to the farce, And with exact poetick justice; For John was landlord, Phyllis hostess; They keep, at Staines, the Old Blue Boar, Are cat and dog, and rogue and whore.

ELICIÆ Sheridan Musarum, dulcis amice, Sic tibi propitius Permessi ad flumen Apollo Occurrat, seu te mimum convivia rident, Æquivocosque sales spargis, seu ludere versu Malles; dic, Sheridan, quisnam fuit ille deorum, Quæ melior natura orto tibi tradidit artem Rimandi genium puerorum, atque ima cerebri Scrutandi? Tibi nascenti ad cunabula Pallas Astitir; & dixit, mentis præsaga futuræ, Heu, puer infelix! nostro sub sidere natus; Nam tu pectus eris sine corpore, corporis umbra; Sed levitate umbram superabis, voce cicadam: Musca femur, palmas tibi mus dedit, ardea crura. Corpore sed tenui tibi quod natura negavit, Hoc animi dotes supplebunt; teque docente, Nec longum tempus, surget tibi docta juventus, Artibus egregiis animas instructa novellas. Grex hinc Pæonius venit, ecce, salutifer orbi; Ast, illi causas orant; his infula visa est Divinam capiti nodo constringere mitram. Natalis