Would act, design, engrave, write, paint, And give the same sufficient rule From the first spring-time of his youth, ENVY, a squint-ey'd, mere old maid, Her bones peep'd through her bladder-skin; That folks shou'd praise, where she must chide, To mar each good and brave intent; Had clubb'd to lay a DESART waste. In short, wherever GENIUS came, Who "If wither'd ENVY strive to hurt way; "With lies, with impudence, and dirt, "You only pay a common tax "Which fool, and knave, and dunce exacts. "Be this thy comfort, this thy joy, "Thy strength is in it's prime, my boy, "And ev'ry year thy vigour grows, "Impairs the credit of my foes. "ENVY shall sink, and be no more, "Than what her NAIADS were before; Mere excremental maggots, bred "Yet, GENIUS, mark what I presage, Who look through every distant age: MERIT shall bless thee with her charms, "FAME lift thy offspring in her arms, "And stamp eternity of grace "On all thy numerous various race. "ROUBILLIAC, WILTON, names as high "As Phidias of antiquity, "Shall strength, expression, manner give, "And make e'en marble breathe and live; "While SIGISMUNDA's deep distress, "Which looks the soul of wretchedness, "When I, with slow and soft'ning pen, "Have gone o'er all the tints agen, "Shall urge a bold and proper claim "To level half the ancient fame; "While future ages yet unknown "With critic air shall proudly own "Thy HOGARTH first of every clime, "For humour keen, or strong sublime, "And hail him from his fire and spirit, "The Child of GENIUS and of MERIT." THE HARE AND TORTOISE, 1757. A FABLE. GENIUS, blest term, of meaning wide, For sure no term so misapply'd, How many bear thy sacred name, Thus fools have christen'd inclination. Whate'er he tries with due attention, You'd swear he learnt by intuition. It's springs within in order due, Some genial spark of Phoebus' rays, When braggart parts and Genius fail: yore, In days of when time was young, When birds convers'd as well as sung, When use of speech was not confin'd Merely to brutes of human kind, A forward Hare, of swiftness vain, The Genius of the neighb'ring plain, Wou'd oft deride the drudging croud: (For Geniuses are ever proud). He'd boast, his flight 'twere vain to follow, For dog and horse he'd beat them hollow ; Nay, if he put forth all his strength, Outstrip his brethren half a length, |