Allegorical Dialogue, An
Says Spirit to Fashion, " You make me a bully,
" To whim and base passion an infamous cully;
" A mere senseless cudgel — for riots a plea,
" And th' exploits of a thief are now laid upon me.
" If a Buck breaks your windows, he cannot tell " why —
" Oh valour prodigious! and knocks out your eye;
" If you tell an untruth, that's mischievous and " low,
" And kill a brave man for suspecting 'tis so;
" If you dare a great man and your King to abuse,
" And with scandalous jests your companions " amuse;
" If you dare a new species of guilt to display —
" The helpless insult, and the friendless betray!
" I still am condemn'd to appear as your plea,
" And the vilest of actions are laid upon me;
" Whilst all that I teach to step out of the throng,
" Who dare to be right, tho' a thousand be wrong,
" Those few are deem'd cowards, the weak slaves " of conscience,
" And here I'm call'd spleen, superstition, and " nonsense. "
" To whim and base passion an infamous cully;
" A mere senseless cudgel — for riots a plea,
" And th' exploits of a thief are now laid upon me.
" If a Buck breaks your windows, he cannot tell " why —
" Oh valour prodigious! and knocks out your eye;
" If you tell an untruth, that's mischievous and " low,
" And kill a brave man for suspecting 'tis so;
" If you dare a great man and your King to abuse,
" And with scandalous jests your companions " amuse;
" If you dare a new species of guilt to display —
" The helpless insult, and the friendless betray!
" I still am condemn'd to appear as your plea,
" And the vilest of actions are laid upon me;
" Whilst all that I teach to step out of the throng,
" Who dare to be right, tho' a thousand be wrong,
" Those few are deem'd cowards, the weak slaves " of conscience,
" And here I'm call'd spleen, superstition, and " nonsense. "
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