Where generous beaux might gentle damsels please,

And travellers call who cross the land or seas,
And find the curious art, the neat device
Of precious value and of trifling price.

Here Conscience rested, she was pleased to find

No less an active than an honest mind; But when he named his price, and when he swore,

His Conscience check'd him, that he ask'd no more,

When half he sought had been a large increase On fair demand, she could not rest in peace : (Beside th' affront to call th' adviser in, Who would prevent, to justify the sin ?) She therefore told him, that he vainly tried To soothe her anger, conscious that he lied; If thus he grasp'd at such usurious gains, He must deserve, and should expect her pains.' The charge was strong; he would in part confess

Offence there was-But, who offended less? What! is a mere assertion call'd a lie ? And if it be, are men compell'd to buy? 'Twas strange that Conscience on such points should dwell,

While he was acting (he would call it) well; He bought as others buy, he sold as others sell: There was no fraud, and he demanded cause Why he was troubled, when he kept the laws?'

'My laws?' said Conscience: 6 What,'
said he,' are thine ?

Oral or written, human or divine?
Show me the chapter, let me see the text;
By laws uncertain subjects are perplex'd:
Let me my finger on the statute lay,
And I shall feel it duty to obey.'
Reflect,' said Conscience, ' 'twas your own
desire

That I should warn you-does the compact tire ?

Repent you this? then bid me not advise,
And rather hear your passions as they rise;
So you may counsel and remonstrance shun,
But then remember it is war begun ;
And you may judge from some attacks, my
friend,

What serious conflicts will on war attend.'

'Nay, but,' at length the thoughtful man replied,

'I say not that; I wish you for my guide;

Wish for your checks and your reproofs-but

then

Be like a Conscience of my fellow-men; Worthy I mean, and men of good report, And not the wretches who with Conscience sport:

There 's Bice, my friend, who passes off his grease

Of pigs for bears', in pots a crown apiece; His Conscience never checks him when he swears

The fat he sells is honest fat of bears;
And so it is, for he contrives to give
A drachm to each-'tis thus that tradesmen
live :

Now why should you and I be over-nice;
What man is held in more repute than Bice?

Here ended the dispute; but yet 'twas plain The parties both expected strife again : Their friendship cool'd, he look'd about and

large;

Report had told, and he could feel it true, That most unfairly dealt the trusted few; No partners would they in their office take, Nor clear accounts at annual meetings make; Aloud our hero in the vestry spoke

Of hidden deeds, and vow'd to draw the cloak; It was the poor man's cause, and he for one Was quite determined to see justice done : His foes affected laughter, then disdain, They too were loud and threat'ning, but in vain ;

The pauper's friend, their foe, arose and spoke again :

Fiercely he cried, 'Your garbled statements show

That you determine we shall nothing know;

But we shall bring your hidden crimes to light,

Give you to shame, and to the poor their right.'

Virtue like this might some approval askBut Conscience sternly said, 'You wear a mask!'

'At least,' said Fulham, if I have a view To serve myself, I serve the public too.' Fulham, though check'd, retain'd his former zeal,

And this the cautious rogues began to feel: 'Thus will he ever bark,' in peevish tone, An elder cried-'the cur must have a bone:' They then began to hint, and to begin Was all they needed-it was felt within; In terms less veil'd an offer then was made, Though distant still, it fail'd not to persuade: More plainly then was every point proposed, Approved, accepted, and the bargain closed. 'Th' exulting paupers hail'd their friend's success,

And bade adieu to murmurs and distress.'

Alas! their friend had now superior light, And, view'd by that, he found that all was right;

'There were no errors, the disbursements small;

This was the truth, and truth was due to all.' And rested Conscience? No! she would not rest,

Yet was content with making a protest:
Some acts she now with less resistance bore,
Nor took alarm so quickly as before:
Like those in towns besieged, who every ball
At first with terror view, and dread them all,
But, grown familiar with the scenes, they fear
The danger less, as it approaches near;
So Conscience, more familiar with the view
Of growing evils, less attentive grew :
Yet he who felt some pain, and dreaded more,
Gave a peace-offering to the angry poor.

Thus had he quiet-but the time was brief;
From his new triumph sprang a cause of grief;
In office join'd, and acting with the rest,
He must admit the sacramental test:
Now, as a sectary, who had all his life,
As he supposed, been with the church at strife,
(No rules of hers, no laws had he perused,
Nor knew the tenets he by rote abused);
Yet Conscience here arose more fierce and
strong

6

Change his religion! No! he must be sure That was a blow no Conscience could endure.' Though friend to virtue, yet she oft abides In early notions, fix'd by erring guides; And is more startled by a call from those, Than when the foulest crimes her rest oppose; By error taught, by prejudice misled, She yields her rights, and fancy rules instead ; When Conscience all her stings and terror deals,

Not as truth dictates, but as fancy feels: And thus within our hero's troubled breast, Crime was less torture than the odious test. New forms, new measures, he must now embrace,

With sad conviction that they warr'd with grace;

To his new church no former friend would come,

They scarce preferr'd her to the church of Rome:

But thinking much, and weighing guilt and gain,

Conscience and he commuted for her pain;
Then promised Fulham to retain his creed,
And their peculiar paupers still to feed;
Their attic-room (in secret) to attend,
And not forget he was the preacher's friend;
Thus he proposed, and Conscience, troubled,
tried,

And wanting peace, reluctantly complied.

Now care subdued, and apprehensions gone, In peace our hero went aspiring on; But short the period-soon a quarrel rose, Fierce in the birth, and fatal in the close; With times of truce between, which rather proved

That both were weary, than that either loved.

Fulham ev'n now disliked the heavy thrall, And for her death would in his anguish call, As Rome's mistaken friend exclaim'd, Let Carthage fall!

So felt our hero, so his wish express'd,
Against this powerful sprite-delenda est:
Rome in her conquest saw not danger near,
Freed from her rival, and without a fear;
So, Conscience conquer'd, men perceive how
free,

But all were noticed, and the reckoning time With her account came on-crime following crime.

This, once a foe, now brother in the trust, Whom Fulham late described as fair and just, Was the sole guardian of a wealthy maid, Placed in his power, and of his frown afraid : Not quite an idiot, for her busy brain Sought, by poor cunning, trifling points to gain;

Success in childish projects her delight,
She took no heed of each important right.
The friendly parties met-the guardian
cried,

'I am too old; my sons have each a bride: Marth, my ward, would make an easy wife; On easy terms I'll make her yours for life; And then the creature is so weak and mild, She may be soothed and threaten'd as a child; '

'Yet not obey,' said Fulham, 'for your fools, Female and male, are obstinate as mules.' Some points adjusted, these new friends agreed,

Proposed the day, and hurried on the deed. 'Tis a vile act,' said Conscience :- It will prove,'

4 an act of love;

Replied the bolder man,
Her wicked guardian might the girl have
sold

To endless misery for a tyrant's gold;
Now may her life be happy-for I mean
To keep my temper even and serene.'
'I cannot thus compound,' the spirit cried,
Nor have my laws thus broken and defied :
This is a fraud, a bargain for a wife;
Expect my vengeance, or amend your life.'

The wife was pretty, trifling, childish, weak; She could not think, but would not cease to

speak:

This he forbad-she took the caution ill, And boldly rose against his sovereign will; With idiot-cunning she would watch the hour, When friends were present, to dispute his

power:

With tyrant-craft, he then was still and calm,
But raised in private terror and alarm:
By many trials, she perceived how far
To vex and tease, without an open war;
And he discover'd that so weak a mind
No art could lead, and no compulsion bind;
The rudest force would fail such mind to tame,
And she was callous to rebuke and shame ;

From me,' she cried, you seek redress in vain.'

His thoughts were grievous: All that I possess

From this vile bargain adds to my distress ;
To pass a life with one who will not mend,
Who cannot love, nor save, nor wisely spend,
Is a vile prospect, and I see no end;
For if we part, I must of course restore
Much of her money, and must wed no more.
Is there no way? '—here Conscience rose
in power,

'Oh! fly the danger of this fatal hour;
I am thy Conscience faithful, fond, and true,
Ah, fly this thought, or evil must ensue ;
Fall on thy knees, and pray with all thy soul,
Thy purpose banish, thy design control;
Let every hope of such advantage cease,
Or never more expect a moment's peace.'

Th' affrighten'd man a due attention paid, Felt the rebuke, and the command obey'd.

Again the wife rebell'd, again express'd A love for pleasure-a contempt of rest; 'She, whom she pleased, would visit, would receive

Those who pleased her, nor deign to ask for leave.'

'One way there is,' said he; 'I might