That her eyes were as bright as myself at noon-day, But her graceful black locks were all mingled with grey:
And by the description I certainly know,
'Tis the nymph that I courted some ten years ago;
Whom when I with the best of my talents endued
On her promise of yielding, she acted the prude:
That some verses were writ with felonious intent,
Direct to the north, where I never yet went:
That the letters appear'd revers'd through the pane,
But in Stella's bright eyes they were plac'd right
again :
Wherein she distinctly could read every line,
And presently guess'd that the fancy was mine,
She can swear to the person, whom oft she has seen
At night between Cavan Street and College Green.
Now you see why his verses so seldom are shown;
The reason is plain, they are none of his own:
And observe while you live that no man is shy
To discover the goods he came honestly by.
If I light on a thought, he will certainly steal it,
And when he has got it, find ways to conceal it:
Of all the fine things he keeps in the dark,
There's scarce one in ten but what has my mark;
And let them be seen by the world if he dare,
I'll make it appear they are all stolen ware,
But as for the poem he writ on your sash,
I think I have now got him under my lash;
My sister transcrib'd it last night to his sorrow,
And the public shall see't, if I live till to-morrow.
Through the zodiac around, it shall quickly be
spread
In all parts of the globe where your language is read.
He knows very well, I ne'er gave a refusal,
When he ask'd for my aid in the forms that are usual:
But the secret is this; I did lately intend
To write a few verses on you as my friend :
I studied a fortnight, before I could find,
As I rode in my chariot, a thought to my mind,
And resolv'd the next winter (for that is my time,'
When the days are at shortest) to get it in rhyme;
Till then it was lock'd in my box at Parnassus ;
When that subtle companion, in hopes to surpass
Conveys out my paper of hints by a trick,
(For I think in my conscience he deals with Old Nick)
And from my own stock provided with topics,
He gets to a window beyond both the tropics,
There out of my sight, just against the north zone,
Writes down my conceits, and then calls them his
And you, like a booby, the bubble can swallow:
Now who but Delany can write like Apollo?
High treason by statute! yet here you object,
He only stole hints, but the verse is correct;
Though the thought be Apollo's 'tis finely ex-
press'd;
So a thief steals my horse, and has him well dress'd.
Now whereas the said criminal seems past repent-
We Phoebus think fit to proceed to the sentence.
Since Delany has dar'd, like Prometheus his sire,
To clime to our region, and thence to steal fire;
We order a vulture in shape of the spleen,
To prey on his liver, but not to be seen.
And we order our subjects of every degree
To believe all his verses were written by me:
And under the pain of our highest displeasure,
To call nothing his but the rhyme and the measure.
And lastly, for Stella, just out of her prime,
I'm too much revenged already by time.
In return to her scorn, I sent her diseases,
But will now be her friend whenever she pleases :
And the gifts I bestow'd her will find her a lover,
Though she lives till she's grey as a badger all
OCCASIONED BY APOLLO TO THE DEAN.'
1720.
PARNASSUS, February the twenty-seventh.
The Poets assembled here on the eleventh,
Convened by Apollo, who gave them to know,
He'd have a vicegerent in his empire below;
But declared that no bard should this honour inhe-
Till the rest had agreed he surpass'd them in me
Now this, you'll allow, was a difficult case,
For each bard believ'd he'd a right to the place;
So, finding the assembly grow warm in debate,
He put them in mind of his Phaeton's fate:
'Twas urg'd to no purpose; disputes higher rose, Scarce Phoebus himself could their quarrels compose;
Till at length he determined that every bard
Should (each in his turn) be patiently heard.
First, one who believ'd he excell'd in translation*
Founds his claim on the doctrine of man's transmigration;
"Since the soul of great Milton was given to me, I hope the Convention will quickly agree."
Agree!" quoth Apollo: "from whence is this fool?
Is he just come from reading Pythagoras at school?
Begone, sir, you've got your subscriptions in time,
And given in return neither reason nor rhyme.'
To the next says the God, "Though now I won't
choose you,
I'll tell you the reason for which I refuse you:
Love's Goddess has oft to her parents complain'd,
Of my favouring a bard who her empire disdain'd;
That at my instigation, a poem you writ,
Which to beauty and youth preferr'd judgment and wit;
That, to make you a Laureat, I gave the first voice,
Inspiring the Britons t'approve of my choice.
Jove sent her to me, her power to try;
The Goddess of beauty what God can deny?
She forbids your preferment; I grant her desire.
Appease the fair Goddess: you then may rise
higher."
* Dr Trapp, of whom Swift talks contemptuously in hiş Journal.
The next that appear'd had good hopes of succeeding,
For he merited much for his wit and his breeding.
"Twas wise in the Britons no favour to show him.
He else might expect they should pay what they
owe him.
And therefore they prudently chose to discard
The Patriot, whose merits they would not reward:
The God, with a smile, bade his favourite advance,
"You were sent by Astræa her envoy to France :
You bend your ambition to rise in the state;
I refuse you, because you could stoop to be great.'
Then a bard who had been a successful transla-
tor, t
"The convention allows me a versificator."
Says Apollo, "You mention the least of your me
By your works, it appears you have much of my
I esteem you so well, that to tell you the truth, The greatest objection against you's your youth: Then be not concern'd you are now laid aside; you live live you shall certainly one day preside.' Another, low bending, Apollo thus greets, "'Twas I taught your subjects to walk through the
"You taught them to walk! why, they knew it be
But give me the bard that can teach them to soar. Whenever he claims, 'tis his right, I'll confess, Who lately attempted my style with success;
+ Mr Pope was probably here meant.-N.
Mr Gay; alluding to his "Trivia.”—N.
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