Like hoary frost, or fleecy snow;
  But all with envy and desire,
  His fluttering shoulder-knot admire. 
     ‘Hear and improve,’ he pertly cries;
  ’I come to make a nation wise. 
  Weigh your own words; support your place,
  The next in rank to human race. 
  In cities long I passed my days,
  Conversed with men, and learnt their ways.
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  Their dress, their courtly manners see;
  Reform your state and copy me. 
  Seek ye to thrive? in flattery deal;
  Your scorn, your hate, with that conceal. 
  Seem only to regard your friends,
  But use them for your private ends. 
  Stint not to truth the flow of wit;
  Be prompt to lie whene’er ’tis fit. 
  Bend all your force to spatter merit;
  Scandal is conversation’s spirit.
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  Boldly to everything attend,
  And men your talents shall commend. 
  I knew the great.  Observe me right;
  So shall you grow like man polite.’ 
     He spoke and bowed.  With muttering jaws
  The wondering circle grinned applause. 
  Now, warm with malice, envy, spite,
  Their most obliging friends they bite;
  And fond to copy human ways,
  Practise new mischiefs all their days.
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     Thus the dull lad, too tall for school,
  With travel finishes the fool;
  Studious of every coxcomb’s airs,
  He drinks, games, dresses, whores, and swears;
  O’erlooks with scorn all virtuous arts,
  For vice is fitted to his parts.

* * * * *

FABLE XV.

THE PHILOSOPHER AND THE PHEASANTS.

  The sage, awaked at early day,
  Through the deep forest took his way;
  Drawn by the music of the groves,
  Along the winding gloom he roves: 
  From tree to tree, the warbling throats
  Prolong the sweet alternate notes. 
  But where he pass’d, he terror threw,
  The song broke short, the warblers flew;
  The thrushes chattered with affright,
  And nightingales abhorred his sight;
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  All animals before him ran,
  To shun the hateful sight of man. 
     ’Whence is this dread of every creature? 
  Fly they our figure or our nature?’
     As thus he walked in musing thought,
  His ear imperfect accents caught;
  With cautious step he nearer drew,
  By the thick shade concealed from view. 
  High on the branch a pheasant stood,
  Around her all her listening brood;
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  Proud of the blessings of her nest,
  She thus a mother’s care expressed: 
  ’No dangers here shall circumvent,
  Within the woods enjoy content. 
  Sooner the hawk or vulture trust,
  Than man; of animals the worst: 
  In him ingratitude you find,
  A vice peculiar to the kind. 
  The sheep whose annual fleece is dyed,
  To guard his health, and serve his pride,
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  Forced from his fold and native plain,