VII.

DR. SWIFT.

THE HAPPY LIFE OF A COUNTRY PARSON.

DARSON, these things in thy poffeffing
Are better than the Bishop's blessing.

A Wife that makes conferves; a Steed
That carries double when there's need;
October store, and best Virginia,
Tythe-Pig, and mortuary Guinea ;
Gazettes fent gratis down, and frank'd,
For which thy Patron's weekly thank'd;
A large Concordance, bound long since;
Sermons to Charles the First, when Prince;
A Chronicle of ancient standing;
A Chryfoftom to smooth thy band in:
The Polyglott-three parts,-my text:
Howbeit, likewife-now to my next:
Lo here the Septuagint, and Paul,
To fum the whole, -the close of all.

He that has these, may pass his life,
Drink with the 'Squire, and kiss his wife;
On Sundays preach, and eat his fill;
And fast on Fridays if he will;

5

10

15

20

Toaft

Toast Church and Queen, explain the News,
Talk with Church-Wardens about Pews,
Pray heartily for fome new Gift,

And shake his head at Doctor S-t.

"SWIFT," fays Hume, " has more humour than knowledge, more taste than judgement, and more spleen, prejudice, and paffion, than any of those qualities." Discourse v.

At the hazard of an imputation of partiality to the author, I venture to say, that I prefer a poem, called The Progress of Difcontent, to any imitation of Swift, that ever has yet appeared. I shall just add, that the Baucis and Philemon of La Fontaine far excells that of Swift.

MISCELLANIES.

EPISTLE

TO

ROBERT EARL OF OXFORD, AND EARL OF MORTIMER.

SUCH UCH were the notes thy once-lov'd Poet fung,
Till Death untimely stop'd his tuneful tongue.
Oh just beheld, and lost! admir'd and mourn'd!
With softest manners, gentlest arts adorn'd!

NOTES.

Bleft

Epistle to Robert Earl of Oxford.] This Epistle was sent to the Earl of Oxford with Dr. Parnelle's Poems published by our Author, after the faid Earl's imprisonment in the Tower, and retreat into the country, in the Year 1721.

P.

VER. I. Such were the notes] The notes were charming indeed! We have few pieces of Poetry superior to Parnelle's Rife of Woman; the Fairy Tale; the Hymn to Contentment; Health, an Eclogue; the Vigil of Venus; the Night-piece on Death; the Allegory on Man; and the Hermit; of which Johnfon speaks too contemptuously. The best account of the original of this last exquisite poem is given in the third volume of the History of English Poetry, p. 31.; from whence it appears that it was taken from the eightieth chapter of that curious repofitory of ancient tales, the Gesta Romanorum. The story is related in the fourth volume of Howel's Letters, who says he found it in Sir Philip Herbert's Conceptions; but this fine Apologue was much better related in the Divine Dialogues of Dr. Henry More, Dial. ii. part 1.; and Parnelle seems to have copied it chiefly from this Platonic Theologist, who had not less imagination than learning. Pope

VOL. II.

X

ufed