I grant corruption sways mankind;
That interest too perverts the mind;
That bribes have blinded common sense,
Foiled reason, truth, and eloquence:
I grant you too, our present crimes
Can equal those of former times.
Against plain facts shall I engage,
To vindicate our righteous age?
I know, that in a modern fist,
Bribes in full energy subsist.
_10
Since then these arguments prevail,
And itching palms are still so frail,
Hence politicians, you suggest,
Should drive the nail that goes the best;
That it shows parts and penetration,
To ply men with the right temptation.
To this I humbly must dissent;
Premising no reflection's meant.
Does justice or the client's sense
Teach lawyers either side's defence?
_20
The fee gives eloquence its spirit;
That only is the client's merit.
Does art, wit, wisdom, or address,
Obtain the prostitute's caress?
The guinea (as in other trades)
From every hand alike persuades.
Man, Scripture says, is prone to evil,
But does that vindicate the devil?
Besides, the more mankind are prone,
The less the devil's parts are shown.
_30
Corruption's not of modern date;
It hath been tried in every state.
Great knaves of old their power have fenced,
By places, pensions, bribes, dispensed;
By these they gloried in success,
And impudently dared oppress;
By these despoticly they swayed,
And slaves extolled the hand that paid;
Nor parts, nor genius were employed,
By these alone were realms destroyed.
_40
Now see these wretches in disgrace,
Stripp'd of their treasures, power, and place;
View them abandoned and forlorn,
Exposed to just reproach and scorn.
What now is all your pride, your boast?
Where are your slaves, your flattering host?
What tongues now feed you with applause?
Where are the champions of your cause?
Now even that very fawning train
Which shared the gleanings of your gain,
_50
Press foremost who shall first accuse
Your selfish jobs, your paltry views,
Your narrow schemes, your breach of trust,
And want of talents to be just.
What fools were these amidst their power!
How thoughtless of their adverse hour!
What friends were made? A hireling herd,
For temporary votes preferr'd.
Was it, these sycophants to get,
Your bounty swelled a nation's debt?
_60
You're bit. For these, like Swiss attend;
No longer pay, no longer friend.
The lion is, beyond dispute,
Allowed the most majestic brute;
His valour and his generous mind
Prove him superior of his kind.
Yet to jackals (as 'tis averred)
Some lions have their power transferred;
As if the parts of pimps and spies
To govern forests could suffice.
_70
Once, studious of his private good,
A proud jackal oppressed the wood;
To cram his own insatiate jaws, 73
Invaded property and laws;
The forest groans with discontent,
Fresh wrongs the general hate foment,
The spreading murmurs reached his ear;
His secret hours were vexed with fear.
Night after night he weighs the case,
And feels the terrors of disgrace.
_80
'By friends,' says he, 'I'll guard my seat,
By those malicious tongues defeat:
I'll strengthen power by new allies,
And all my clamorous foes despise.'
To make the generous beasts his friends,
He cringes, fawns, and condescends;
But those repulsed his abject court,
And scorned oppression to support.
Friends must be had. He can't subsist.
Bribes shall new proselytes inlist.
_90
But these nought weighed in honest paws;
For bribes confess a wicked cause:
Yet think not every paw withstands
What had prevailed in human hands.
A tempting turnip's silver skin
Drew a base hog through thick and thin:
Bought with a stag's delicious haunch,
The mercenary wolf was stanch:
The convert fox grew warm and hearty,
A pullet gained him to the party;
_100
The golden pippin in his fist,
A chattering monkey joined the list.
But soon exposed to public hate,
The favourite's fall redressed the state.
The leopard, vindicating right,
Had brought his secret frauds to light,
As rats, before the mansion falls,
Desert late hospitable walls,
In shoals the servile creatures run,
To bow before the rising sun.
_110
The hog with warmth expressed his zeal,
And was for hanging those that steal;
But hoped, though low, the public hoard
Might half a turnip still afford.
Since saving measures were profess'd,
A lamb's head was the wolf's request.
The fox submitted if to touch
A gosling would be deemed too much.
The monkey thought his grin and chatter,
Might ask a nut or some such matter.
_120
'Ye hirelings, hence,' the leopard cries;
'Your venal conscience I despise.
He who the public good intends,
By bribes needs never purchase friends.
Who acts this just, this open part,
Is propp'd by every honest heart.
Corruption now too late hath showed,
That bribes are always ill-bestowed,
By you your bubbled master's taught,
Time-serving tools, not friends, are bought.'
_130
* * * * *
FABLE X.
THE DEGENERATE BEES.
TO THE REVEREND DR SWIFT, DEAN OF ST PATRICK'S.
Though Courts the practice disallow,
A friend at all times I'll avow.
In politics I know 'tis wrong:
A friendship may be kept too long;
And what they call the prudent part,
Is to wear interest next the heart,
As the times take a different face,
Old friendships should to new give place.
I know too you have many foes,
That owning you is sharing those,
_10
That every knave in every station,
Of high and low denomination,
For what you speak, and what you write,
Dread you at once, and bear you spite.
Such freedoms in your works are shown
They can't enjoy what's not their own;
All dunces too, in church and state,
In frothy nonsense show their hate;
With all the petty scribbling crew,
(And those pert sots are not a few,)
_20
'Gainst you and Pope their envy spurt,
The booksellers alone are hurt.
Good gods! by what a powerful race
(For blockheads may have power and place)
Are scandals raised and libels writ!
To prove your honesty and wit!
Think with yourself: Those worthy men,
You know, have suffered by your pen.
From them you've nothing but your due.
From thence, 'tis plain, your friends are few.
_30
Except myself, I know of none,
Besides the wise and good alone.
To set the case in fairer light,
My fable shall the rest recite;
Which (though unlike our present state)
I for the moral's sake relate.
A bee of cunning, not of parts,
Luxurious, negligent of arts,
Rapacious, arrogant, and vain,
Greedy of power, but more of gain,
_40
Corruption sowed throughout the hive,
By petty rogues the great ones thrive.
As power and wealth his views supplied,
'Twas seen in over-bearing pride.
With him loud impudence had merit;
The bee of conscience wanted spirit;
And those who followed honour's rules,
Were laughed to scorn for squeamish fools,
Wealth claimed distinction, favour, grace;
And poverty alone was base.
_50
He treated industry with slight,
Unless he found his profit by't.
Eights, laws, and liberties gave way,
To bring his selfish schemes in play.
The swarm forgot the common toil,
To share the gleanings of his spoil.
'While vulgar souls of narrow parts,
Waste life in low mechanic arts,
Let us,' says he, 'to genius born,
The drudgery of our fathers scorn.
_60
The wasp and drone, you must agree,
Live with more elegance than we.
Like gentlemen they sport and play;
No business interrupts the day;
Their hours to luxury they give,
And nobly on their neighbours live.'
A stubborn bee, among the swarm,
With honest indignation warm,
Thus from his cell with zeal replied:
'I slight thy frowns, and hate thy pride.
_70
The laws our native rights protect;
Offending thee, I those respect.
Shall luxury corrupt the hive,
And none against the torrent strive?
Exert the honour of your race;
He builds his rise on your disgrace.
'Tis industry our state maintains:
'Twas honest toils and honest gains
That raised our sires to power and fame.
Be virtuous; save yourselves from shame.
_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.'
* * * * *