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THE BAVIAD;

A

PARAPHRASTIC IMITATION

OF THE

FIRST SATIRE OF PERSIUS.

Impune ergo mihi recitaverit ille SONETTAS,
Hic ELEGOS!

(a)P. WHEN I look round on man, and find how

vain

His passions

F. Save us from this canting strain!

Why, who will read it?

PERS. SAT. I.

(a) O CURAS hominum! O quantum est in rebus

inane!

Quis leget hæc? Min' tu istud ais? Nemo, hercule.

Nemo ?

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P. Say'st thou THIS to me?

F. None, by my life.

P. What, none? Nay, two or three-
F. No, no; not one. 'Tis sad; but-
P. "Sad; but"-Why?

Pity is insult here. I care not, 1,

Vel duo, vel nemo: turpe et miserabile. Quare?

NOTES.

* Cui non dictus Hylas? And who has not heard of James Boswell, Esq.? All the world knows (for all the world has it under his own hand) that this great man composed a BALLAD in honour of Mr. Pitt, with very little assistance from Trusler, and less from Mr. Dibdin; which he produced to the utter confusion of the Foxites, and sung at the Lord Mayor's table. This important "state paper" I have not been able to procure, thanks to the scombri, et quicquid ineptis amicitur chartis; but the terror and dismay it occasioned amongst the enemy, with a variety of other circumstances highly necessary to be known, may be gathered from the following letter:

To the CONDUCTOR of the WORLD.

SIR,

THE wasps of opposition have been

very busy with my State Ballad, "the GROCER of

(b) Tho' Boswell, of a song and supper vain, And Bell's whole choir + (an ever-jingling train),

(6) Ne mihi Polydamas et Troiades Labeonem Prætulerint; nugæ.

NOTES.

LONDON," and they are welcome. Pray let them know that I am vain of a hasty composition which has procured me large draughts of that popular applause in which I delight. Let me add, that there was certainly no servility on my part; for I publicly declared in Guildhall, between the encores, "that this same Grocer "had treated ME arrogantly and ungratefully; but "that, from his great merit as a Minister, I was compelled to support him!"

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"The time WILL come, when I shall have a proper "opportunity to shew, that in one instance at least, "the man has wanted wisdom".

Atqui vultus erat multa et præclara minantis.

Poor Bozzy! But I too threaten.-And is there need of thy example, then, to convince me that on

-our firmest resolutions

The noiseless and inaudible foot of death
Steals like a thief!

"BELL'S WHOLE CHOIR!' Quousque tantum "Yes, Sir, I am proud of the insinuation while I

In splay-foot madrigals their pow'rs combine,

To praise Miles Andrews' verse,* and censure

mine

10

NOTES.

"despise it. The owl, they say, was a baker's daughter. "We know what we ARE, but we know not what we "MAY BE. Thereby hangs a tale: and the WORLD "shall have it-Choice BIOGRAPHY is the boast of "MY Paper-Verba sat-I have friends-so has "LAURA MARIA-She is the SAPPHO of the age. "I wrong her-The MONTHLY REVIEWERS read "GREEK, and they prefer our fair countrywoman. I "read Greek too, but I make no boast of it. I sell "Mrs. ROBINSON's works, and I know their value"It is the bright day that brings forth the adder.'

"YENDA I despise ; ANTHONY PASQUIN I exe"crate-The brilliant effusions of fancy, the bright "corruscations of genius only, illuminate the ORACLE "-and ARNO and CESARIO, names dear to the "MUSE OF GLORY, constitute a proud distinction be"tween the unfading leaves of the PYTHIAN shrine, "and the perishable records of the day.

"JOHN BELL."

"P. S. BLOCKHEADS with reason'-you know "the rest. I fear nothing-yet I love not everlasting "feuds-At a word, will one of my NEW COMMON "PLACE BOOKS be acceptable?

"J. B."

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