Canto Viii

Life, as a witty Bard has shewn, Who dealt in just comparison, Is but a busy pantomime, Whose actions vary with the time; Where they who turn from side to side, According to the wind and tide, Are more ingenious in their art Than such as act but one grave part; Who, as their years pass onward, seem To glide along one gentle stream. But here we stop not to contend Whether, to answer Life's great end, 'Tis best from place to place to range, Or fix to one, and never change. Suffice it, that, from choice or chance, QUÆ GENUS hurried through some dance Of early life, and, as we see, Not knowing what the next would be: But now, disdaining future tricks, He felt a firm resolve to fix Upon a steady, better plan, Of living like a Gentleman. Whether he knew to calculate The means required for such a state, The curious eye will shortly see, In his approaching History.

BUTLER, the Author of HUDIBRAS.

It has been well observ'd by some, "All countries are a wise man's home." As it is said of diff'rent nations, The same is true of various stations Which man is destin'd to fulfil, Or with, or e'en against his will; If Reason happens to provide A steersman who is fit to guide The vessel o'er life's flowing main, And sure at last the port to gain.

How much our Hero had amass'd, By ways and means now gone and pass'd, We know not, as we never heard The hoarded sums he had prepar'd; But as he had a sense of craving, And with it, too, a knack of saving, He must have got a heap of Cash, Which, for a time, would make a dash. The Valcour wardrobe almost new, } The gifts of service, laid perdu, } Would serve him for a year or two; } And by some Snip's contriving art, Would fit him well and make him smart: But stumbling-blocks were found to lay Before him, and impede his way. Manners and matter he possest, His early life had given the best; And while he as a servant mov'd, His knowledge of the world improv'd: But still his face and form were known In certain quarters of the town, And the first object to his fame Was to discard his present name; For he ne'er did a Father know, The source from whence a name should flow; And by QUÆ GENUS nought was meant-- It was a boon by accident, Which he might, if he pleas'd, disuse, And any other title chuse. Through the Directory he waded, Till his poor eyes were sadly jaded; Then in the finer streets he stroll'd Where Names on Door Plates are enroll'd: But then he fear'd a name to own, Which would, perhaps, be too well known, And cause enquiries, that might be The source of some perplexity. Reason, at length, rous'd the intention Of yielding to his own invention, To eke out from the alphabet, A name he never heard of yet; And which his fancy might suggest As one to suit his project best. FREE-BORN he thought would do as well As any other he could tell, When, his right Christian name of JOHN Form'd the becoming union; Then nothing more he could desire Than trim these names with an ESQUIRE; And to let the report be spread, That some rich relative was dead, And 'twas his Fortune and his Fate To get the name and an estate. Should it be ask'd where that might lay, He had prepar'd himself to say, (As if half earnest--half in joke, The smiling answer might be spoke,) "'Tis here, 'tis there, 'tis everywhere, Or in some country in the air; But should you come to number three In such a street, you there will see How that estate appears to thrive: On Thursday next I dine at five." Thus he would find none to suspect him, Or, dinners given, to neglect him.

He now to Coffee Houses went, With looks assuming calm content, And such as those are seen to wear, Who easy independence share. At reading-rooms he frequent sat, And read or join'd in social chat; Acquaintance made, no arduous task, Of those he did to dinner ask. In gay apartments then he shone In a good quarter of the town, But distant, as we may conceive, From where his masters us'd to live.