That the lion was no such great things after all.

Though he roar'd pretty well—this the puppy allows—

It was all, he says, borrow'd—all second-hand roar;

And he vastly prefers his own little bow-wows

To the loftiest war-note the lion could pour.

'Tis indeed as good fun as a cynic could ask,

To see how this cockney-bred setter of rabbits

Takes gravely the lord of the forest to task,

And judges of lions by puppy-dog habits.

Nay, fed as he was (and this makes it a dark case)