"O! bring him in and keep him warm;
"Robins do never any harm.
They foon obey'd, and chopt him meat,
Gave him whatever he would eat;
The lady care herself did take,
And made a neft for Robin's fake:
But he perkt up into her chair,
In which he plentcoufly did fare,
Affuming quite another air...
The neighbours thought when this they spy'd
The world well mended on his fide.
With welltun'd throat he whistled long,dé
And ev'ry body likid his fong.
"At laft," said they, this little thing
"Will kill itself so long to fing;
"We'll closet him among the rest:
"Of thofe my lady loves the best." /
They little thought that saw him come
That Robins were fo quarrelfome.
The door they open'd, in he pops,
And to the highest perch he hops;
The party-colour'd birds he chose,
The gold finches, and fuch as:
as thofe;
With them he 'd peck, and bill, and feed,
And very well (at times) agreed:
Canary birds were his delight,
With them he 'd tête-à-tête all night;
But the brown linnets went to pot;
He kill'd them all upon the spot.
The fervants were employ'd each day
Inftead of work to part some fray,
And wifh'd the awkward fellow curft
That brought him to my lady first :
At laft they all refolv'd upon it
Some way to tell my lady on it.
Meanwhile he 'd had a noble swing,
And rul'd just like the Gallick king; "
Having kill'd or wounded all
Unless the Eagle in the hall,
With whom he durft but only jar,
He being the very foul of war,
But hated him for his defert,
And bore him malice at his heart.
This Eagle was my lady's pride,
The guardian fafety of her fide;
He often brought home foreign prey,
Which humbly at her feet he lay;
For colour, pinions, and stature,
The fairest workmanship of Nature;
'Twould do one good to see him move,
So full of grandeur, grace, and love;
He was indeed a bird for Jove.
He foar'd aloft in Brucum's field,
And thoufand kites and vultures kill'd,
Which made him dear to all that flew,
Unless to Robin and his crew.
One day poor Bob, puff'd up with pride,
Thinking the combat to abide,
A goofequill on for weapon ty'd,
Knowing by ufe that now and then.
A fword lefs hurt does than a pèn.
As for example-What at home
You've well contriv'd to do at Rome
A pen
blows up-before you come.
You are fuppos'd to undermine
The foe-in fome immenfe defign.
A pen can bite you with a line;
There is forty ways to give a fign.
Well-all on fire away he ftalk'd,
Till come to- -where the Eagle walk'd.
Bob did not fhill-1-fhall-I go,
Nor faid one word of friend or foe,
But flirting at him made a blow, i
As gamecocks with their gantlets do;
At which the Eagle gracefully
Caft a difdaining sparkling eye,
But no revenge at all did take;
As who fhould fay" What is this, a fly?
He fpar'd him for their lady's fake,
Who ponder'd these things in her mind,10 simts v And took th' conduct of th' Eagle kind,
Upon reflection now-to fhow
What harm the least of things may do,
Mad Robin with his curfed flirt
One of the Eagle's * eyes had hurt,
Inflam'd it, made it red and fore,
But the affront inflam'd it more.
Oh, how the family did tear!
To fire the houfe could fcarce forbear:
With fcorn not pain the Eagle fir'd
Murmur'd difdain, and so retir'd.
Robin to offer fome relief
In words like these would heal their grief: "Should th' Eagle die (which Heav'n forbid!) 115 "We ought some other to provide.
"I do not say that any now.
"Are fit, but in a year or two;
‹ “ And should this mighty warriour fall
They should not want a general."
As men have long obferv'd that one
Misfortune feldom comes alone,
Juft in the moment this was done
Ten thousand foes in fight were come;
Vultures and kites, and birds of prey,
In flocks so thick—they darken'd day.
A long-concerted force and strong,
Vermine of all kinds made the throng;
amongst the Greeks fignifies "Honour as tender as the eye." King.
Foxes were in the faction join'd,
Who waited their approach to ground.
By ev'ry hand from common fame
The frightful face of danger came..
One cries, "What help now-who can tell?
"I'm glad the Eagle is here and well!"
Another out of breath with fear
Says "Thousands more near fea appear;
They 'll fweep our chicken from the door; "We never were fa fet before:
"We're glad the Eagle will forget, "And the invaders kill or beat."
Reserv'd and great, his noble mind, Above all petty things inclin'd, Abhorr'd the thoughts of any thing But what his lady's peace could bring, Who blefs'd him first, and bad him do As he was wont, and beat the foe. Burning and reftlefs as the fun
Until this willing work was done,
The party that fo far was come Thought not the Eagle was at home;
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