Illiterate Dunces undifcern'd

Pass on the Rabble for the learn'd;

And Cowards, that can damn and rant,
Pass mufter for the valiant.

For he, that has but Impudence,
To all Things has a juft Pretence;
And, put among his Wants but Shame,
To all the World may lay his Claim.

How various and innumerable

Are thofe, who live upon the Rabble ?
'Tis they maintain the Church and State,
Employ the Priefst and Magistrate;

Bear all the Charge of Government,
And pay the public Fines and Rent;
Defray all Taxes and Excises,

And Impofitions of all Prices;

Bear all th' Expence of Peace and War,
And pay the Pulpit and the Bar;

The publishing of mifcellaneous Thoughts, or what paffes under the Name of Table-talk, might be juftified by many Names of the greatest Authority in the learned World; and thefe Sallies of Wit, unconnectedly printed, fometimes give more Pleasure, than when they are interfperfed in a long and regular Work; as it is often more entertaining to examine Jewels feparately in a Cabinet, than to see them adorning a Prince's Crown, or a royal Robe. One may venture to add, that these of our Author must have a Kind of additional Recommendation by the agreeable Singularity of their being in Verfe.

Maintain all Churches and Religions,
And give their Pastors Exhibitions,
And those, who have the greatest Flocks,
Are primitive and orthodox;

Support all Schifmatics and Sects,
And pay 'em for tormenting Texts,
Take all their Doctrines off their Hands,
And pay 'em in good Rents and Lands;
Discharge all coftly Offices,

The Doctor's and the Lawyer's Fees,
The Hangman's Wages and the Scores
Of Caterpillar Bawds and Whores ;
Discharge all Damages and Costs
Of Knights and Squires of the Post,
All Statesmen, Cutpurfes, and Padders,
And
pay for all their Ropes and Ladders
All Pettifoggers, and all Sorts

Of Mercats, Churches, and of Courts;
All Sums of Money paid or spent,
With all the Charges incident,

Laid out, or thrown away, or given

To purchase this World, Hell, or Heaven.

Should once the World refolve t' abolish All that's ridiculous, and foolish,

It wou'd have nothing left to do,
T'apply in Jeft or Earnest to,
No Business of Importance, Play,
Or State, to pass its Time away.

The World would be more juft, if Truth and Lies,

And Right and Wrong did bear an equal Price;
But fince Impostures are so highly rais'd,
And Faith and Juftice equally debas'd,

Few Men have Tempers for fuch páltry Gains
T'undo themselves with Drudgery and Pains.

The fottish World without Distinction looks On all that paffes on th' account of Books; And, when there are two Scholars, that within The Species only hardly are a-kin,

The World will pafs for Men of equal Knowledge,

If equally th' have loiter'd in a College.

Critics are like a Kind of Flies, that breed, In wild Fig-trees, and when th' are grown up

feed

Upon the raw Fruit of the nobler Kind,
And by their nibbling on the outward Rind
Open the Pores, and make Way for the Sun
To rip'n it fooner, than he wou'd have done.

As all Fanatics preach, fo all Men write Out of the Strength of Gifts and inward Light, In Spite of Art; as Horfes thorough pac'd Were never taught, and therefore go more fast.

In all Mistakes the ftrict and regular
Are found to be the defp'ratft Ways to err,
And worst to be avoided, as a Wound
Is faid to be the harder cur'd, that's round:
For Error and Mistake, the less th' appear,
In th' End are found to be the dangerouser;
As no Man minds thofe Clocks, that use to go
Apparently too over-faft, or flow.

The trueft Characters of Ignorance
Are Vanity, and Pride, and Arrogance;
As blind Men use to bear their Nofes higher,
Than those that have their Eyes and Sight eri-

!

The Metaphyfic's but a Puppet Motion, That goes with Screws, the Notion of a Notion, The Copy of a Copy, and lame Draught Unnaturally taken from a Thought; That counterfeits all pantomimic Tricks, And turns the Eyes like an old Crucifix ; That counterchanges whatfoe'er it calls B' another Name, and makes it true or false, Turns Truth to Falfhood, Falfhood into Truth By Virtue of the Babylonian's Tooth ̧

'Tis not the Art of Schools to understand, But make Things hard, instead of b'ing explain'd;

And therefore thofe are commonly the learned'ft,
That only study between Jeft and Earnest :
For when the End of Learning's to pursue,
And trace the subtle Steps of false and true,
They ne'er confider how th'are to apply,
But only liften to the Noise and Cry;
And are so much delighted with the Chace,
They never mind the taking of their Preys.