80
  Know, that in selfish ends pursuing,
  You scramble for the public ruin.’ 
     He spoke; and from his cell dismissed,
  Was insolently scoffed and hissed. 
  With him a friend or two resigned,
  Disdaining the degenerate kind. 
     ‘These drones,’ says he, ’these insects vile,
  (I treat them in their proper style,)
  May for a time oppress the state,
  They own our virtue by their hate;
90
  By that our merits they reveal,
  And recommend our public zeal;
  Disgraced by this corrupted crew,
  We’re honoured by the virtuous few.’

* * * * *

  FABLE XI.

  THE PACK-HORSE AND THE CARRIER.

  TO A YOUNG NOBLEMAN.

  Begin, my lord, in early youth,
  To suffer, nay, encourage truth: 
  And blame me not for disrespect,
  If I the flatterer’s style reject;
  With that, by menial tongues supplied,
  You’re daily cocker’d up in pride. 
     The tree’s distinguished by the fruit,
  Be virtue then your sole pursuit;
  Set your great ancestors in view,
  Like them deserve the title too;
10
  Like them ignoble actions scorn: 
  Let virtue prove you greatly born. 
     Though with less plate their sideboard shone,
  Their conscience always was their own;
  They ne’er at levees meanly fawned,
  Nor was their honour yearly pawned;
  Their hands, by no corruption stained,
  The ministerial bribe disdained;
  They served the crown with loyal zeal;
  Yet, jealous of the public weal,
20
  They stood the bulwark of our laws,
  And wore at heart their country’s cause;
  By neither place or pension bought,
  They spoke and voted as they thought. 
  Thus did your sires adorn their seat;
  And such alone are truly great. 
     If you the paths of learning slight,
  You’re but a dunce in stronger light;
  In foremost rank the coward placed,
  Is more conspicuously disgraced.
30
  If you to serve a paltry end,
  To knavish jobs can condescend,
  We pay you the contempt that’s due;
  In that you have precedence too. 
  Whence had you this illustrious name? 
  From virtue and unblemished fame. 
  By birth the name alone descends;
  Your honour on yourself depends: 
  Think not your coronet can hide
  Assuming ignorance and pride.
40
  Learning by study must be won,
  ’Twas ne’er entailed from son to son. 
  Superior worth your rank requires;
  For that mankind reveres your sires;
     If you degenerate from your race,
  Their merits heighten your disgrace. 
     A carrier, every night and morn,
  Would see his horses eat their corn: 
  This sunk the hostler’s vails, ’tis true;
  But then his horses had their due.
50
  Were we so cautious in all cases,
  Small gain would rise from greater places.