"And thus to furnish decent lining,
My own and others' bays I'm twining—
So gentle T * *, throw me thine in."
On the same day I received from him the following additional scraps. The lines in italics are from the eulogy that provoked his waggish comments.
"TO ——
1.
"'I lay my branch of laurel down.'
"Thou 'lay thy branch of laurel down!"
Why, what thou'st stole is not enow;
And, were it lawfully thine own,
Does Rogers want it most, or thou?
Keep to thyself thy wither'd bough,
Or send it back to Dr. Donne—
Were justice done to both, I trow,
He'd have but little, and thou—none.
2.
"'Then thus to form Apollo's crown.