XXVI.
’Gainst PRETTY’s unholiness vain ’tis to rail;
With a courtly Divine that’s of little avail;
What Parson polite, would not virtue offend,
And maintain a great falsehood, to save a great friend?
XXVII.
If St. PETER was made,
Of Religion the head,
For boldly his master denying;
Sure, PRETTY may hope
At least to be Pope,
For his greater atchievements in lying.
XXVIII.
Says PRETTYMAN, “I’ll fib, d’ye see,
If you’ll reward me freely.”
“Lye on (cries PITT) and claim of me
The Bishoprick of E—LYE.”
XXIX.
’Tis said the end may sanctify the means,
And pious frauds denote a special grace;
Thus PRETTY’s lye his master nobly screens—
Himself, good man! but seeks a better place.
XXX.
“Sons of PATRICK! (cries ORDE) set up shop in your bog,
And you’ll ruin the trade of JOHN BULL and NICK FROG.”
“That’s a lye (replies PITT) we shall gain by their riches;
If we wear IRISH shirts, they must wear ENGLISH breeches”
“You both lye (exclaims PRETTY) but I will lye too;
And, compar’d with my lye, what you say will seem true!”