As alphabets in ivory employ,
Hour after hour, the yet unletter'd boy,
Sorting and puzzling with a deal of glee
Thofe feeds of fcience call'd his A B C;
So language in the mouths of the adult,
Witness its infignificant result,

Too often proves an implement of play,
A toy to sport with, and pass time away.
Collect at evening what the day brought forth,
Comprefs the fum into its folid worth,
And if it weigh th' importance of a fly,
The fcales are falfe, or Algebra a lie.
Sacred interpreter of human thought,
How few refpect or ufe thee as they ought!
But all fhall give account of every wrong,
Who dare dishonour or defile the tongue,
Who prostitute it in the cause of vice,
Or fell their glory at a market-price,
Who vote for hire, or point it with lampoon,
The dear-bought placeman, and the cheap buffoon.

There is a prurience in the speech of some, Wrath stays him, or elfe God would strike them dumb;

His wife forbearance has their end in view,

They fill their measure and receive their due.
The heathen law-givers of ancient days,
Names almost worthy of a Christian praise,

Would

Would drive them forth from the refort of men,
And fhut up every fatyr in his den.

Oh come not ye, near innocence and truth,
Ye worms that eat into the bud of youth!
Infectious as impure, your blighting pow'r
Taints in its rudiments the promis'd flow'r,
Its odour perish'd and its charming hue,
Thenceforth 'tis hateful, for it fmel's of you.
Not ev❜n the vigorous and headlong rage
Of adolefcence or a firmer age,

Affords a plea allowable or juft,

For making fpeech the pamperer of luft;
But when the breath of age commits the fault,
'Tis naufeous as the vapor of a vault.
So wither'd ftumps difgrace the sylvan scene,'
No longer fruitful and no longer green,
The faplefs wood, divested of the bark,
Grows fungous and takes fire at ev'ry spark.
Oaths terminate, as Paul obferves, all ftrife-
Some men have furely then a peaceful life;
Whatever fubject occupy difcourfe,

The feats of Veftris or the naval force,
Affeveration bluft'ring in your face,
Makes contradiction fuch an hopeless cafe ;
In ev'ry tale they tell, or falfe or true,
Well known, or fuch as no man ever knew,

They fix attention, heedlefs of your pain,
With oaths like rivets forced into the brain;
And ev'n when fober truth prevails throughout,
They fwear it, 'till affirmance breeds a doubt.
A Perfian, humble fervant of the fun,
Who though devout yet bigotry had none,
Hearing a lawyer, grave in his address,
With adjurations ev'ry word impress,
Suppofed the man a biflop, or at least,
God's name fo much upon his lips, a priest;.
Bowed at the clofe with all his graceful airs,
And begg'd an int'reft in his frequent pray'rs

Go quit the rank to which ye stood preferr'd, Henceforth associate in one common herd; Religion, virtue, reafon, common sense, Pronounce your human form a false pretence, A mere difguife in which a devil lurks, Who yet betrays his fecret by his works.

Ye pow'rs who rule the tongue, if such there are,
And make colloquial happiness your care,
Preferve me from the thing I dread and hate,
A duel in the form of a debate;

The clash of arguments and jar of words,
Worfe than the mortal brunt of rival fwords,
Decide no question with their tedious length,
For oppofition gives opinion ftrength,

Divert the champions, prodigal of breath,
And put the peaceably-difpofed to death.
Oh thwart me not, Sir Soph. at ev'ry turn,
Nor carp at ev'ry flaw you may difcern,
Though fyllogifmus hang not on my tongue,
I am not furcly always in the wrong;
'Tis hard if all is falfe that I advance,

A fool must now and then be right, by chance,
Not that all freedom of diffent 1 blame,
No there I grant the privilege I claim.

A difputable point is no man's ground,

Rove where you please, 'tis common all around,
Difcourfe may want an animated-No-
To brush the furface and to make it flow;
But still remember, if you mean to please,
To prefs your point with modesty and ease.
The mark at which my jufter aim I take,
Is contradiction for its own dear fake;
Set your opinion at whatever pitch,

Knots and impediments make fomething hitch,.
Adopt his own, 'tis equally in vain,
Your thread of argument is fnapt again;
The wrangler, rather than accord with you,
Will judge himself deceiv'd and prove it too.
Vociferated logic kills me quite,

A noify man is always in the right,

I twirl my thumbs, fall back into my chair,
Fix on the wainfcct a difirefsful ftare,
And when I hope his blunders are all out,
Reply difcreetly to be fure—no doubt.

DUBIUS is fuch a fcrupulous good man-
Yes you may catch him tripping if you can.
He would not, with a peremptory tone,
Affert the nose upon his face his own;
With hesitation admirably flow,

He humbly hopes, prefumes it may be so.
His evidence, if he were called by law,
To fwear to fome enormity he faw,
For want of prominence and just relief,
Would hang an honeft man, and fave a thief.
Through constant dread of giving truth offence,
He ties up all his hearers in fufpenfe;

Knows what he knows as if he knew it not,
What he remembers, feems to have forgot;
His fole opinion, whatfoe'er befall,
Cent'ring at last in having none at all.

Yet though he teaze and baulk your list'ning ear,
He makes one useful point exceeding clear;
Howe'er ingenious on his darling theme,
A fceptic in philofophy may feem,

Reduced to practice, his beloved rule,

Would only prove him a confummate fool;

Ufelefs