The heart's infanity admits no cure.

Enrag'd the more, by what might have reform'd His horrible intent, again he fought

Destruction, with a zeal to be deftroy'd,

With founding whip, and rowels died in blood.
But ftill in vain. The Providence, that meant
A longer date to the far nobler beast,

Spar'd yet again th' ignobler, for his fake.

And now, his prowefs prov'd, and his fincere

Incurable obduracy evinc'd,

His rage grew cool; and, pleas'd perhaps t' have ear

So cheaply the renown of that attempt,

With looks of fome complacence he refum'd

His road, deriding much the blank amaze

Of good Evander, still where he was left

Fixt motionless, and petrified with dread.
So on they far'd. Difcourfe on other themes
Enfuing, feem'd t' obliterate the past;
And, tamer far for so much fury shown,
(As is the course of rash and fiery men)

The rude companion fmil'd, as if transform'd.
But 'twas a tranfient calm. A ftorm was near,

An unfufpected ftorm. His hour was come.

The impious challenger of Pow'r divine

Was now to learn that Heav'n, though flow to wrath, Is never with impunity defied.

His horfe, as he had caught his master's mood,

Snorting, and starting into fudden råge,

Unbidden, and not now to be control'd,

Rush'd to the cliff, and, having reach'd it, stood.
At once the fhock unfeated him: he flew
Sheer o'er the craggy barrier; and, immers'd
Deep in the flood, found, when he fought it not,
The death he had deferv'd-and died alone!
So God wrought double justice; made the fool
The victim of his own tremendous choice,
And taught a brute the way to fafe revenge.

I would not enter on my lift of friends (Though grac'd with polish'd manners and fine fenfe,

Yet wanting fenfibility) the man

Who needlessly fets foot upon a worm.
An inadvertent step may crush the fnail
That crawls at ev'ning in the public path;
But he that has humanity, forewarn'd,

Will tread afide, and let the reptile live.
The creeping vermin, loathfome to the fight,
And charg'd perhaps with venom, that intrudes,
A vifitor unwelcome, into fcenes

Sacred to neatness and repose-th' alcove,
The chamber, or refectory-may die:
A neceffary act incurs no blame.

Not fo when, held within their proper bounds,
And guiltless of offence, they range the air,
Or take their pastime in the fpacious field:
There they are privileg'd; and he that hunts
Or harms them there is guilty of a wrong,
Disturbs th' economy of nature's realm,
Who, when she form'd, defign'd them an abode.

The fum is this.-If man's convenience, health,

Or fafety, interfere, his rights and claims.

Are paramount, and must extinguish their's.
Elfe they are all-the meaneft things that are-
As free to live, and to enjoy that life,

As God was free to form them at the first,
Who, in his fov'reign wisdom, made them all.
Ye, therefore, who love mercy, teach your fons
To love it too. The fpring-time of our years
Is foon difhonour'd and defil'd in moft

By budding ills, that ask a prudent hand

To check them. But, alas! none fooner fhoots, If unrestrain'd, into luxuriant growth,

Than cruelty, moft dev'lish of them all.

Mercy to him that shows it, is the rule

And righteous limitation of its act,

By which Heav'n moves in pard'ning guilty man; And he that shows none, being ripe in years,

And confcious of the outrage he commits,

Shall feek it, and not find it, in his turn.

Diftinguish'd much by reafon, and still more

By our capacity of grace divine,

From creatures that exift but for our fake,
Which, having ferv'd us, perifh, we are held
Accountable; and God, fome future day,
Will reckon with us roundly for th' abuse
Of what he deems no mean or trivial truft,
Superior as we are, they yet depend

Not more on human help than we on their's.
Their ftrength, or fpeed, or vigilance, were giv'n

In aid of our defects. In fome are found

Such teachable and apprehenfive parts,

That man's attainments in his own concerns,

Match'd with th' expertnefs of the brutes in their's,
Are oft-times vanquish'd and thrown far behind.
Some show that nice fagacity of smell,
And read with fuch difcernment, in the

port

And figure of the man, his fecret aim,

That oft we owe our fafety to a skill

We could not teach, and must despair to learn.