352

DEATH S DOINGS.

And, oh! what lame and impotent excuses,The rogue invents, to hide his vile abuses!—All, all alike are—full of contradictions,Pleas, errors, counterpleas, demurrers, fictions!Ready, most ready all, to " make averment,"That services like theirs, should meet preferment;And 'twould be hard, they say,—oh, very hard,If from " preferment" they should be debarr'd:—Such meek and gentle lambs! so wondrous civil!To hurry them so quickly to the Devil!—Sweet babes of grace ! it matters not a strawHow soon the Devil on you claps his paw;Have you he will —he's issued his subpoena—I must obey—and will not, dare not, screen ye;This world has seen too much of you—so goTo kindred Demons in the Courts below!

The portly Priest, with expectation high,Entreats, for Virtue's sake, I'll pass him by.Virtue means purity, and good intention ;Now, what his virtues are, perhaps he'll mention;For though, on duty bent, one day in seven,He proves his own's the only way to Heaven ;Yet such the force of carnal appetite,

Ni