Praise what they do not understand, Turn up the eye, stretch out the hand, Melt into tears, whilst blows with pillars and with posts; Who strictly watch, lest Satan shou’d, Ensnare their feet his fatal trap in, After they've done their holy labours, And think they can't serve Heav'n so well, So that, inflam'd with holy pride, said it. But what can all this rambling mean? Was ever such an hodge-podge seen? VENUS, CECILIA, Saints, and Whores, Thomas, Vertù, Bells, Knockers, Doors, Lords, Rogues, Relations, Ladies, Cits, Stars, Flambeaux, Thunderbolts, Horns, Wits, Vulean, and Cuckold-maker, Scandal, Intrigues, and Women's Thousand Tricks, Fastings, Feasts, Pray'rs, and Charities, and Flesh, Spirit, Love, Hate, and Religion, All jumbled up in one large dish, Red Herring, Bread, Fowl, Flesh, and Fish. Where's the connection, where's the plan? The Devil sure is in the man. All in an instant we are hurl'd From place to place all round the world, Yet find no reason for it mum There, my good critic, lies the hum To know the end of this-A TALE. THE =TWO RUBRIC POSTS. A DIALOGUE. N Russel-street, ensued of late, etween two posts a strange debate. -Two posts-aye posts-for posts can speak, 'n Latin, Hebrew, French, or Greek, One Rubric thus address'd the other: : -A noble situation, brother, With authors lac'd from top to toe, 'The Dialogues of famous dead, You know how much they're bought and read. Suppose again we raise their Ghosts, And make them chat through us two Posts; "A thing's half finish'd well begun, ■ So take the authors as they run. The list of names is mighty fine, You look down this, and F that line, Here'sPOPE and SWIFT, and STEELE and GAY, "And CONGREVE, in the modern way. "Whilst you have those, I cannot speak, "But sound most wonderful in Greek. 66 A Dialogue I should adore it, "With such a show of names before it." "Modern, your judgment wanders wide,” The antient Rubric strait reply'd. "It grieves me much, indeed, to find "We never can be of a mind, "Before one door, and in one street, "Neither ourselves nor thoughts can meet, And we, as brother oft with brother, "Are at a distance from each other. Suppose among the letter'd dead, "Some author should erect his head, "And starting from his Rubric, pop "Directly into DAVIES' shop, "Turn o'er the leaves, and look about "To find his own opinions out; "D'ye think one author out of ten "Would know his sentiments agen? "Thinking your authors differ less in "Than in their manner of expressing. ""Tis stile which makes the writer known, "The mark he sets upon his own. "Let CONGREVE speak as CONGREVE Writ "And keep the ball up of his wit; |