The
Prodigy
.
A
Letter
to
a
Friend
in
the
Country
.
Tho'
Rhyme
serves
the
Thoughts
of
great
Poets
to
fetter
,
It
sets
off
the
Sense
of
small
Poets
the
better
.
When
I've
written
in
Prose
,
I
often
have
found
,
That
my
Sense
,
in
a
Jumble
of
Words
,
was
quite
drown'd
.
In
Verse
,
as
in
Armies
,
that
march
o'er
the
Plain
,
The
least
Man
among
them
is
seen
without
Pain
.
This
they
owe
to
good
Order
,
it
must
be
allow'd
;
Else
Men
that
are
little
,
are
lost
in
a
Croud
.
So
much
for
Simile
:
Now
,
to
be
brief
,
The
following
Lines
come
to
tell
you
my
Grief
.
'Tis
well
I
can
write
;
for
I
scarcely
can
speak
,
I'm
so
plagu'd
with
my
Teeth
,
which
eternally
ake
.
When
the
Wind's
in
the
Point
which
opposes
the
South
,
For
Fear
of
the
Cold
,
I
can't
open
my
Mouth
:
And
you
know
,
to
the
Sex
it
must
be
a
Heart-breaking
,
To
have
any
Distemper
,
that
keeps
them
from
speaking
.
When
first
I
was
silent
a
Day
and
a
Night
,
The
Women
were
all
in
a
terrible
Fright
.
Supplications
to
Jove
,
in
an
Instant
,
they
make
—
"
Avert
the
Portent
—
a
Woman
not
speak
!
"
Since
Poets
are
Prophets
,
and
often
have
sung
,
"
The
last
Thing
that
dies
in
a
Woman's
her
Tongue
;
"
O
Jove
,
for
what
Crime
is
Sapphira
thus
curst
?
"
'Tis
plain
by
her
Breathing
,
her
Tongue
has
dy'd
first
.
"
Ye
Powers
celestial
,
tell
Mortals
,
what
Cause
"
Occasions
Dame
nature
to
break
her
own
Laws
?
"
Did
the
Preacher
live
now
,
from
his
Text
he
must
run
;
"
And
own
there
was
something
new
under
the
Sun
.
"
O
Jove
,
for
the
future
this
Punishment
spare
;
"
And
all
other
Evils
we'll
willingly
bear
.
"
Then
they
throng
to
my
House
,
and
my
Maid
they
beseech
,
To
say
,
if
her
Mistress
had
quite
lost
her
Speech
.
Nell
readily
own'd
,
what
they
heard
was
too
true
;
That
To-day
I
was
dumb
,
give
the
Devil
his
Due
:
And
frankly
confess'd
,
were
it
always
the
Case
,
No
Servant
could
e'er
have
a
happier
Place
.
When
they
found
it
was
Fact
,
they
began
all
to
fear
me
;
And
,
dreading
Infection
,
would
scarcely
come
near
me
:
Till
a
Neighbour
of
mine
,
who
was
famous
for
Speeching
,
Bid
them
be
of
good
Cheer
,
the
Disease
was
not
catching
;
And
offer'd
to
prove
,
from
Authors
good
Store
,
That
the
like
Case
with
this
never
happen'd
before
;
And
if
Ages
to
come
should
resemble
the
past
,
As
'twas
the
first
Instance
,
it
would
be
the
last
.
Yet
against
this
Disorder
we
all
ought
to
strive
:
Were
I
in
her
Case
,
I'd
been
bury'd
alive
.
Were
I
one
Moment
silent
,
except
in
my
Bed
,
My
good
natur'd
Husband
would
swear
I
was
dead
.
The
next
said
,
her
Tongue
was
so
much
in
her
Pow'r
,
She
was
sullenly
silent
almost
—
half
an
Hour
:
That
,
to
vex
her
good
Man
,
she
took
this
Way
to
teaze
him
;
But
soon
left
it
off
,
when
she
found
it
would
please
him
:
And
vow'd
,
for
the
future
,
she'd
make
the
Housering
;
For
when
she
was
dumb
,
he
did
nothing
but
sing
.
Quite
tir'd
with
their
Talking
,
I
held
down
my
Head
:
So
she
who
sat
next
me
,
cry'd
out
,
I
was
dead
.
They
call'd
for
cold
Water
to
throw
in
my
Face
:
Give
her
Air
,
give
her
Air
—
and
cut
open
her
Lace
.
Says
good
Neighbour
Nevil
,
You're
out
of
your
Wits
;
She
oft
,
to
my
Knowledge
,
has
these
sullen
Fits
:
Let
her
Husband
come
in
,
and
make
one
Step
that's
wrong
,
My
Life
for't
,
the
Woman
will
soon
find
her
Tongue
.
You'll
soon
be
convinc'd
—
O'
my
Conscience
,
he's
here
—
Why
what's
all
this
Rout
?
—
Are
you
sullen
,
my
Dear
?
This
struck
them
all
silent
;
which
gave
me
some
Ease
.
And
made
them
imagine
they'd
got
my
Disease
.
So
they
hasted
away
in
a
terrible
Fright
;
And
left
me
,
in
Silence
,
to
pass
the
long
Night
.
Not
the
Women
alone
were
scar'd
at
my
Fate
;
'Twas
reckon'd
of
dreadful
Portent
to
the
State
.
When
the
Governors
heard
it
,
they
greatly
were
troubled
;
And
,
whilst
I
was
silent
,
the
Guards
were
all
doubled
:
The
Militia
Drums
beat
a
perpetual
Alarm
,
To
rouze
up
the
Sons
of
the
City
to
arm
.
A
Story
was
rumour'd
about
from
A
small
Island
near
Dublin
.
Lambey
,
Of
a
powerful
Fleet
,
that
was
seen
off
at
Sea
.
With
Horror
all
list
to
the
terrible
Tale
;
The
Barristers
tremble
,
the
Judges
grow
pale
;
To
the
Castle
the
frighted
Nobility
fly
;
And
the
Council
were
summon'd
,
they
could
not
tell
why
;
The
Clergy
in
Crouds
to
the
Churches
repair
;
And
Armies
,
embattled
,
were
seen
in
the
Air
.
Why
they
were
in
this
Fright
,
I
have
lately
been
told
,
It
seems
,
it
was
sung
by
a
Druid
of
old
,
That
the
Hanover
Race
to
Great-Britain
should
come
;
And
sit
on
the
Throne
,
till
a
Woman
grew
dumb
.
As
soon
as
this
Prophecy
reach'd
the
Pretender
,
He
cry'd
out
,
My
Claim
to
the
Crown
I
surrender
.