VII.

DR. SWIFT.

THE HAPPY LIFE OF A COUNTRY PARSON.

PARSON,

these things in thy poffeffing

Are better than the Bishop's bleffing.
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 fince;
Sermons to Charles the First, when Prince;
A Chronicle of ancient standing;
A Chryfoftom to fmooth 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 thefe, may pafs his life, Drink with the 'Squire, and kifs his wife On Sundays preach, and eat his fill; And faft on Fridays-if he will;

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

And fhake his head at Doctor S-t,

"SWIFT," fays Hume, "has more humour than knowledge, more tafte than judgment, and more fpleen, prejudice, and paffion, than any of thofe 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 fhall just add, that the Baucis and Philemon of La Fontaine far excells that of Swift. WARTON.

T. Warton's poem, delicately alluded to by his brother, contains indeed many inimitable ftrokes of humour, but the humour in great measure furely confifts in the "heightening circumftances." The picture of the Parfon who has left Oxford, and is just fet down on his benefice, is fuperior to this Imitation of Swift: "Continuing this fantastic farce on,

He now commences Country Parfon.-
Thinks alteration charming work is,
Keeps Bantam cocks, and feeds his turkies;
Builds in his copse a favʼrite bench,
And ftores the pond with carp and tench."
Warton's Poems, vol. ii. p. 196.

MISCELLANIE S.