Verses Written At Bath, On Finding The Heel Of A Shoe.

Fortune! I thank thee: gentle goddess! thanks!     Not that my muse, though bashful, shall deny     She would have thankd thee rather hadst thou cast     A treasure in her way; for neither meed     Of early breakfast, to dispel the fumes,     And bowel-racking pains of emptiness,     Nor noontide feast, nor evenings cool repast,     Hopes she from thispresumptuous, though, perhaps,     The cobbler, leather-carving artist! might.     Nathless she thanks thee and accepts thy boon,     Whatever; not as erst the fabled cock,     Vain-glorious fool! unknowing what he found,     Spurnd the rich gem thou gavest him. Wherefore, ah!     Why not on me that favour (worthier sure!)     Conferrdst thou, goddess! Thou art blind thou sayst:     Enough!thy blindness shall excuse the deed.     Nor does my muse no benefit exhale     From this thy scant indulgence!even here     Hints worthy sage philosophy are found;     Illustrious hints, to moralize my song!     This ponderous heel of perforated hide     Compact, with pegs indented, many a row,     Haply (for such its massy form bespeaks)     The weighty tread of some rude peasant clown     Upbore: on this, supported oft, he stretchd,     With uncouth strides, along the furrowd glebe,     Flattening the stubborn clod, till cruel time     (What will not cruel time?) on a wry step     Severd the strict cohesion; when, alas!     He, who could erst, with even, equal pace,     Pursue his destined way with symmetry,     And some proportion formd, now on one side     Curtaild and maimd, the sport of vagrant boys,     Cursing his frail supporter, treacherous prop!     With toilsome steps, and difficult, moves on.     Thus fares it oft with other than the feet     Of humble villagerthe statesman thus,     Up the steep road where proud ambition leads,     Aspiring, first uninterrupted winds     His prosperous way; nor fears miscarriage foul,     While policy prevails, and friends prove true;     But, that support soon failing, by him left     On whom he most depended, basely left,     Betrayd, deserted; from his airy height     Headlong he falls; and through the rest of life     Drags the dull load of disappointment on.