The humour was, it feems, to know,
If all the favours they bestow,

Could from our own perversenefs ease us,
And if our wish enjoy'd would please ús.
Difcourfing largely on this theme,M!
O'er hills and dales their godfhips came ;
Till well nigh tir'd; at almoft night,
They thought it proper to alight.

Note here, that it as true as odd is,"
That, in difguife, a god or goddess
Exerts no fupernat❜ral powers,

But acts on maxims much like ours.

They fpy'd, at laft, a country farm, Where all was fnug, and clean, and warm; For woods before, and hills behind, Secur'd it both from rain and wind; . Large oxen in the fields were lowing;

Good grain was fow'd; good fruit was growing;
Of last year's corn in barns great store';

Fat turkeys gobbling at the doors: (10 wel ring og
And Wealth (in fhort) with Peace confented, "i
That people, here, should live contented.

But did they, in effect, do for

Have patience, friend, and thou fhalt know.
The honeft farmer, and his wife,

Two

years declin'd from prime of life,

Had ftruggled with the marriage noose,

As almost ev'ry couple does :

19

Sometimes, my Plague! fometimes, my Darling! Kiffing to-day, to-morrow fnarling

Tointly

Jointly fubmitting to endure

That evil which admits no cure.

Our gods the outward gate unbarr'd ;
Our farmer met 'em in the yard; '
Thought they were folks that loft their way,
And ask'd them, civilly, to stay ;
Told them, for fupper, or for bed,
They might go on, and be worfe fped.-
So faid, fo done; the gods confent;
All three into the parlour went:
They compliment; they fit, they chat;
Fight o'er the wars; reform the state:
A thousand knotty points they clear,
Till fupper and my wife appear.-

1

Jove made his leg, and kifs'd the dame;

Obfequious Hermes did the fame.
Jove kifs'd the farmer's wife, you fay.
He did—but in an honest way :

f

Oh! not with half that warmth and life,
With which he kiss'd Amphitryon's wife.—
Well, then, things handfömely were ferv'd;
My mistress for the ftrangers carv'd...
How ftrong the beer, how good the meat,
How loud they laugh'd, how much they eat,
In epic fumptuous wou'd appear,

Yet fhall be pafs'd in filence here;
For I fhould grieve to have it faid,.
That, by a fine defcription led, si
I made my episode too long,
Or tir'd my friend to grace my fong.

F

The

away,

The grace cup serv'd, the cloth
Jove thought it time to fhew his play:
Landlord, and landlady, he cry'd,
Folly and jefting laid afide,
That ye thus hofpitably live,

debtors.

And strangers with good chear receive,
Is mighty grateful to your betters,
And makes e'en gods themselves your
To give the thefis plainer proof,
You have to-night beneath your roof
A pair of gods: (nay, never wonder):i
This youth can fly, and I can thunder.
I'm Jupiter, and he Mercurius,

My page, my fon indeed, but fpurious.

2

Form, then, three wishes, you and madam
And, fure as you already had 'em,

The things defir'd, in half an hour,
Shall all be here, and in your pow'r.

Thank ye, great gods, the woman fays =

O may your altars ever blaze!

1

10

'Odzooks, Corfica, you have pray'd ilbu What should be great, you turn to farce :i I wish the ladle in your a.

With equal grief and fhame, my mufeto's The fequel of the tale purfues :) Louis glanda The ladle fell into the room,

And ftuck in old Corfica's bum

Our couple weep two wishes paft,
And kindly join to form the last,
To ease the woman's aukward pain,
get the ladle out again.

And

M 0 R A L.

THIS Commoner has worth and parts, Is prais'd for arms, or lov'd for arts; His head achs for a coronet :

And who is blefs'd that is not great?

Some fenfe, and more estate, kind Heav'n To this well-lotted peer has given : What then? he must have rule and sway; And all is wrong, till he's in play. The mifer muft make up his plum, And dares not touch the hoarded fum; The fickly dotard wants a wife, To draw off his laft dregs of life Against our peace we arm our will: Amidst our plenty, fomething, ftill, For horfes, houfes, pictures, planting, To thee, to me, to him is wanting. The cruel fomething unpoffefs'd Corrodes, and leavens all the rest. That fomething, if we could obtain, Would foon create a future pain : And to the coffin, from the cradle,

'Tis all a wish, and all a Ladle.