Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 8.djvu/26

16 And, if provok'd, he soundly firks his Rebellious waves with rods, like Xerxes. He would have seiz'd the Spanish plate, Had not the fleet gone out too late; And in their very ports besiege them, But that he would not disoblige them; And make the rascals pay him dearly For those affronts they give him yearly. 'Tis not deny'd, that, when we write. Our ink is black, our paper white; And, when we scrawl our paper o'er, We blacken what was white before: I think this practice only fit For dealers in satyrick wit. But you some white lead ink must get, And write on paper black as jet; Your interest lies to learn the knack Of whitening what before was black. Thus your encomium, to be strong, Must be applied directly wrong. A tyrant for his mercy praise, And crown a royal dunce with bays: A squinting monkey load with charms, And paint a coward fierce in arms. Is he to avarice inclined? Extol him for his generous mind: And, when we starve for want of corn, Come out with Amalthea's horn; For all experience this evinces The only art of pleasing princes: For princes love you should descant On virtues which they know they want. One compliment I had forgot, But songsters must omit it not; 4