You look and you write with fo diff'rent a grace,
That I envy your verse, tho' I didn't your face.
And to him that thinks rightly, there's reason enough,
'Cause one is as smooth as the other is rough.

BUT much I'm amaz'd, you fhould think my de-]

fign

Was to rhyme down your nofe, or your Harlequingrin,

6

Which you yourfelf wonder the deel should malign.
And if 'tis fo ftrange, that your monsterfhip's crany 10
Should be envy'd by him, much less by Delany.
Tho' I own to you, when I confider it stricter,
I envy the painter, altho' not the picture.
And justly fhe's envy'd, fince a fiend of hell

Was never drawn right but by her and Raphell. 15
NEXT, as to the charge which you tell us is true,
That we were infpir'd by the fubject we drew :
Inspired we were, and well, Sir, you knew it,
Yet not by your nofe, but the fair one that drew it;
Had your nofe been the mufe, we had ne'er been in-

fpir'd,

20

Tho' perhaps it might juftly've been faid we were fir'd.

As to the divifion of words in your staves, Like my countryman's horn comb, into three halves, I meddle not with't, but prefume to make merry, You call'd Dan one half, and t'other half Sherry: 25 Now, if Dan's a half, as you call't o'er and o'er, Then it can't be deny'd that Sherry's two more. For pray give me leave to say, Sir, for all you, That Sherry's at least of double the value. But perhaps, Sir, you did it to fill up the verse, 30' So crouds in a concert (like actors in farce) Play two parts in one, when scrapers are fcarce. But be that as 'twill, you'll know more anon, Sir, When Sheridan fends to merry Dan answer.

Answer

Answer by Dr SHERIDAN.

Hree merry lads you own we are ;

TH

'Tis very true, and free from care, But envious we cannot bear,

For were all forms of beauty thine,
Were you like Nereus, soft and fine,
We fhould not in the least repine,

beliève, Sir,

or grieve, Sir.

Then know from us, most beauteous Dan,
That roughness best becomes a man ;
"Tis women should be pale, and wan,

and taper.

And all your trifling beaux and fops,
Who comb their brows and fleek their chops,
Are but the offspring of toy-fhops,

10

$5

mere vapour.

We know your morning-hours you pass
To cull and gather out a face;

Is this the way you take your glass?

Thofe loads of paint upon your toilet,
Will never mend your face, but spoil it,
It looks as if you did par-boil it.

Forbear it. 20

Drink claret.

25

Your cheeks, by fleeking, are fo lean,
That they're like Cynthia in the wain,
Or breast of goofe when 'tis pick'd clean,

See what by drinking you have done,
You've made your phiz a skeleton,
From the long distance of your crown,

or pullet.

30

DAN JACKSON'S reply.

Written by the DEAN in the name of DAN JACKSON.

7 Earied with faying grace and pray'r,
WEar
I haften'd down to country-air,
To read your answer, and prepare

But be't as 'twill, this you must grant,
That you're a dawb, whilst I but paint ;
Then which of us two is the quaint-

I value not your jokes of noose,
Your gibes and all your foul abuse,
More than the dirt beneath my fhoes,

Yet one thing vexes me, I own,

er coxcomb ?

Thou forry scarecrow of skin and bone,
To be call'd lean by a skeleton,

15

nor fear it. 20

who'd bear it?

25

'Tis true indeed, to curry friends, You seem to praife to make amends, And yet before your stanza ends,

you flout me

'Bout latent charms beneath my cloaths;
For every one that knows me, knows
That I have nothing like my nofe

I pafs now where you fleer and laugh,
'Cause I call Dan my better half!
Oh, there you think you have me fafe!

Is not a penny often found

To be much greater than a pound?
By your good leave, my moft profound

about me.

30

but hold, Sir,

35

and bold Sir, 40

Dan's noble mettle, Sherry bafe;
So Dan's the better, though the less,
An ounce of gold's worth ten of bräss,

As to your spelling, let me fee,

If SHE makes her, and RI makes ry,
Good spelling-master, your crany

dull pedant.

45

has lead on't.

Another REPLY by the DEAN in DAN

JACKSON'S name.

THREE days for answer I have waited,

I thought an ace you'd ne'er have bated,

And art thou forc'd to yield, ill-fated

Henceforth acknowledge, that a nofe
Of thy dimenfion's fit for profe;

But ev'ry one that knows Dan, knows

Blufh for ill spelling, for ill lines,
And fly with hurry to Ramines:
Thy fame, thy genius now declines,

poetafter?

I hear with fome concern you roar,

And flying think to quit the fcore,
By clapping billets on your door

Thy ruin, Tom, I never meant,
I'm griev'd to hear your banishment,
But pleas'd to find you do relent

I maul'd you, when you look'd so bluff,
But now I'll fecret keep your stuff;
For know, proftration is enough

to th' lion.

SHERIDAN'S SUB MISSION.

Cedo jam,

Si rifca eft,

Written by the Dean.

mifera cognofcens premia rixe,
ubi tu pulfas, ego vapulo tantum.

Poor Sherry, inglorious,

To Dan the victorious,
Prefents, as 'tis fitting,
Petition and greeting.

TO you victorious and brave,

Your now fubdu'd and suppliant flave
Moft humbly fues for pardon.

Who when I fought, ftill cut me down,
And when I, vanquish'd, fled the town,

5

Purfu'd and laid me hard on.

Now lowly crouch'd, I cry Peccavi,
And proftrate, fupplicate pour ma vie,
Your mercy I rely on.

For you, my conqu'ror and my king,
In pard'ning, as in punishing,

Will fhew yourself a lion.

10