What bills for breach of laws can fhe prefer,
Expounding which the owns herself may err;
And, after all her winding ways are try'd,
If doubts arise, she flips herself afide,
And leaves the private conscience for the guide.
If then that confcience fet th' offender free,
It bars her claim to church authority.
How can she cenfure, or what crime pretend,
But fcripture may be conftrued to defend ?
E'en those, whom for rebellion she transmits
To civil power, her doctrine first acquits;
Because no difobedience can enfue,
Where no fubmiffion to a judge is due ;
Each judging for himself by her consent,
Whom thus abfolv'd fhe fends to punishment.
Suppose the magiftrate revenge her caufe,
'Tis only for tranfgreffing human laws.
How answering to its end a church is made,
Whose power is but to counsel and perfuade?
O folid rock, on which secure she stands!
Eternal house not built with mortal hands!
O fure defence against th' infernal gate,
A patent during pleasure of the state !
Thus is the Panther neither lov'd nor fear'd, A meer mock queen of a divided herd;
Whom foon by lawful power she might controul, Herself a part fubmitted to the whole.
Then, as the moon who first receives the light
By which she makes our nether regions bright,
So might she shine, reflecting from afar
The rays she borrow'd from a better star;
Big with the beams, which from her mother flow,
And reigning o'er the rifing tides below:
Now, mixing with a favage crowd, fhe goes,
And meanly flatters her invet'rate foes,
Rul'd while fhe rules, and lofing every hour
Her wretched remnants of precarious power.
One evening, while the cooler fhade the fought,
Revolving many a melancholy thought,
Alone fhe walk'd, and look'd around in vain,
With rueful vifage, for her vanish'd train :
None of her fylvan subjects made their court;
Levées and couchées pafs'd without refort.
So hardly can ufurpers manage well
Those, whom they first instructed to rebel.
More liberty begets defire of more ;
The hunger ftill increases with the store.
Without refpect they brush'd along the wood
Each in his clan, and fill'd with loathfome food,
Afk'd no permiffion to the neighb'ring flood.
The Panther, full of inward difcontent,
Since they would go, before them wifely went;
Supplying want of power by drinking first,
As if she gave them leave to quench their thirst.
Among the reft, the Hind, with fearful face,
Beheld from far the common watering place,
Nor durft approach; 'till with an awful roar
The fovereign lion bad her fear no more.
Encourag'd thus fhe brought her younglings nigh,
Watching the motions of her patron's eye,
And drank a fober draught; the rest amaz'd
Stood mutely ftill, and on the stranger gaz'd
Survey'd her part by part, and fought to find
The ten-horn'd monfter in the harmless Hind,
Such as the Wolf and Panther had defign'd.
They thought at firft they dream'd; for 'twas
With them, to question certitude of fense,
Their guide in faith: but nearer when they drew,
And had the faultlefs object full in view,
Lord, how they all admir'd her heavenly hue!
Some, who before her fellowship difdain'd,
Scarce, and but fcarce, from in-born rage re-
ftrain'd,
Now frisk'd about her, and old kindred feign'd.
VOL. II.
Whether for love or intereft, every sect
Of all the favage nation fhew'd respect.
The viceroy Panther could not awe the herd
The more the company, the less they fear'd.
The furly Wolf with fecret envy burst,
Yet could not howl; the Hind had feen him firft:
But what he durft not speak, the Panther durft.
For when the herd, fuffic'd, did late repair.
To ferney heaths, and to their foreft lare,
She made a mannerly excufe to ftay,
Proffering the Hind to wait her half the way:
That, fince the sky was clear, an hour of talk
Might help her to beguile the tedious walk.
With much good-will the motion was embrac'd,
To chat a while on their adventures pass'd:
Nor had the grateful Hind fo foon forgot
Her friend and fellow-fufferer in the plot.
Yet wondring how of late fhe grew eftrang'd,
Her forehead cloudy, and her count'nance chang'd,
She thought this hour th' occafion would prefent
To learn her fecret caufe of difcontent,
Which well the hop'd, might be with ease re-
drefs'd,
Confidering her a well-bred civil beast,
And more a gentlewoman than the rest.
After fome common talk what rumors ran,
The lady of the spotted-muff began.
AME, faid the Panther, times are mended well,
Since late among the Philistines you fell.
The toils were pitch'd, a fpacious tract of ground
With expert huntfmen was encompass'd round;
Th' inclosure narrow'd; the fagacious power
Of hounds and death drew nearer every hour.
'Tis true, the younger lion scap'd the snare,
But all your prieftly calves lay ftruggling there;
As facrifices on their altars laid;
While their careful mother wifely fled,
Not trufting destiny to fave your head.
For whate'er promises you
To your unfailing church, the furer fide
Is four fair legs in danger to provide.
And whate'er tales of Peter's chair
Yet, faving reverence of the miracle,
The better luck was yours to fcape fo well.
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