The Poems of Jonathan Swift: -On Stephen Duck

-On Stephen Duck

THE THRESHER, AND FAVOURITE POET

A QUIBBLING EPIGRAM.

1730

The thresher Duck[1] could o'er the queen prevail,
The proverb says, "no fence against a flail."
From threshing corn he turns to thresh his brains;
For which her majesty allows him grains:
Though 'tis confest, that those, who ever saw
His poems, think them all not worth a straw!
Thrice happy Duck, employ'd in threshing stubble,
Thy toil is lessen'd, and thy profits double.

[Footnote 1: Who was appointed by Queen Caroline librarian to a small collection of books in a building called Merlin's Cave, in the Royal Gardens of Richmond.

"How shall we fill a library with wit,
When Merlin's cave is half unfurnish'd yet?"--POPE, Imitations of Horace, ii, Ep. 1.--W. E. B.]

Back to chapter list of: The Poems of Jonathan Swift