Then, knocking out his pipe with care,
Laid down his penny at the bar;
And, wrapping round his frieze furtout,
Took up his crab-tree, and walk'd out.

THE

JA

BUSY IN DOLENT:

A T A L E.

ACK CARELESS was a man of parts,
Well-skill'd in the politer arts,

With judgement read, with humour writ,
Among his friends past for a wit:
But lov'd his eafe more than his meat,
And wonder'd knaves could toil and cheat,
T'expose themselves by being great.
At no levees the fuppliant bow'd;
Nor courted for their votes the crowd:
Nor riches nor preferment fought,

Did what he pleas'd, fpoke what he thought.
Content within due bounds to live,

And what he could not fpend, to give:
Would whiff his pipe o'er nappy ale,
And joke, and pun, and tell his tale;
Reform the state, lay down the law,
And talk of lords he never faw;
Fight Malborough's battles o'er again,
And push the French on Blenheim's plain ;
Difcourfe of Paris, Naples, Rome,

Though he had never stirr'd from home:

}

'Tis true he travel'd with great care,
The tour of Europe-in his chair.
Was loth to part without his load,
Or move till morning peep'd abroad.
One day this honest, idle rake,
Nor quite afleep, nor well awake,
Was lolling in his elbow-chair,
And building castles in the air,
His nipperkin (the port was good)
Half empty at his elbow stood,

When a ftrange noife offends his ear,
The din increas'd as it came near,
And in his yard at last he view'd
Of farmers a great multitude;
Who that day, walking of their rounds,
Had difagreed about their bounds;
And fure the difference must be wide,
Where each does for himfelf decide..
Vollies of oaths in vain they fwear,

Which burft like guiltless bombs in air;

And, "Thou 'rt a knave!" and, "Thou 'rt an oaf!”
Is banded round with truth enough.

At length they mutually agree,
His worship should be referee,

Which courteous Jack consents to be:
Though for himself he would not budge,
Yet for his friends an arrant drudge;
A conscience of this point he made,
With pleasure readily obey'd,
And fhot like lightning to their aid.

}

The

The farmers, fummon'd to his room,
Bowing with awkward reverence come.
In his great chair his worship fate,
A. grave and able magistrate :
Sidence proclaim'd, each clack was laid,
And flippant tongues with pain obey'd.
In a fhort fpeech, he first computes
The vaft expence of law-difputes,
And everlasting chancery-suits.
With zeal and warmth he railly'd then
Pack'd juries, fheriffs, tales-men;
And recommended in the close,
Good-neighbourhood, peace, and repofe.
Next weigh'd with care each man's pretence,
Perus'd records, heard evidence,

Obferv'd, reply'd, hit every blot,

Gordian knot;

With great activity and parts,

Inform'd their judgements, won their hearts:
And, without fees, or time mifpent,
By strength of ale and argument,

Dispatch'd them home, friends and content.
Trufty, who at his elbow fate,

And with furprize heard the debate,
Aftonish'd, could not but admire
His ftrange dexterity and fire;

His wife difcernment and good sense,
His quickness, eafe, and eloquence.

"Lord! fir," faid he, "I can't but chide :
"What useful talents do you hide!

}

}

"In half an hour you have done more
"Than Puzzle can in half a fcore,
"With all the practice of the courts,
"His cafes, precedents, reports."

Jack with a fimile reply'd, "'Tis true,
"This may feem odd, my friend, to you,
"But give me not more than my due.
"No hungry judge nods o'er the laws,
"But haftens to decide the caufe:

"Who hands the oar, and drags the chain, "Will ftruggle to be free again.

So lazy men and indolent,

"With cares oppress'd, and business spent,
"Exert their utmost powers and skill,
"Work hard; for what? Why, to fit ftill.
"They toil, they sweat, they want no fee,
"For ev'n floth prompts to industry.
"Therefore, my friend, I freely own
"All this addrefs I now have shown,
"Is mere impatience, and no more,
"To lounge and loiter as before :
"Life is a fpan, the world an inn-
"Here, firrah, t' other nipperkin."

THE

YEOMAN

OF KENT:

A T A L

E.

A

Yeoman bold (fuppofe of Kent) Liv'd on his own, and paid no rent; Manur'd his own paternal land,

Had always money at command,

To

To purchase bargains, or to lend,
T' improve his stock, or help a friend :
At Creffy and Poitiers, of old,
His ancestors were bow-men bold;
Whose good yew-bows, and finews strong,
Drew arrows of a cloth-yard long:
For England's glory, ftrew'd the plain
With barons, counts, and princes flain.
Belov'd by all the neighbourhood,
For his delight was doing good:
At every mart his word a law,
Kept all the fhuffling knaves in awe.
How juft is heaven, and how true,
To give to fuch defert its due!

'Tis in authentic legends faid,

Two twins at once had blefs'd his bed;
Frank was the eldeft, but the other

Was honeft Numps, his younger brother;
That, with a face effeminate,

And shape too fine and delicate,

Took after his fond mother Kate,

A Franklin's daughter. Numps was rough,
No heart of oak was half fo tough,

And true as fteel, to cuff, or kick,
Or play a bout at double-stick,

Who but friend Numps? While Frank's delight
Was more (they fay) to dance, than fight;
At Whitfon-ales king of the May,
Among the maids, brifk, frolic, gay,
He tript it on each holyday.

}

}