FABLE
[
47
]
XLVII.
The
Court
of
Death
.
Death
,
on
a
solemn
night
of
state
,
In
all
his
pomp
of
terrors
sate
:
Th'
attendants
of
his
gloomy
reign
,
Diseases
dire
,
a
ghastly
train
,
Croud
the
vast
court
.
With
hollow
tone
A
voice
thus
thunder'd
from
the
throne
.
This
night
our
minister
we
name
,
Let
ev'ry
servant
speak
his
claim
;
Merit
shall
bear
this
eban
wand
.
All
,
at
the
word
,
stretch'd
forth
their
hand
.
Feaver
,
with
burning
heat
possest
,
Advanc'd
,
and
for
the
wand
addrest
.
I
to
the
weekly
bills
appeal
,
Let
those
express
my
fervent
zeal
,
On
ev'ry
slight
occasion
near
,
With
violence
I
persevere
.
Next
Gout
appears
with
limping
pace
,
Pleads
how
he
shifts
from
place
to
place
,
From
head
to
foot
how
swift
he
flies
,
And
ev'ry
joint
and
sinew
plys
,
Still
working
when
he
seems
supprest
,
A
most
tenacious
stubborn
guest
.
A
haggard
spectre
from
the
crew
Crawls
forth
,
and
thus
asserts
his
due
.
'Tis
I
who
taint
the
sweetest
joy
,
And
in
the
shape
of
love
destroy
:
My
shanks
,
sunk
eyes
,
and
noseless
face
Prove
my
pretension
to
the
place
.
Stone
urg'd
his
ever-growing
force
.
And
,
next
,
Consumption's
meagre
corse
,
With
feeble
voice
,
that
scarce
was
heard
,
Broke
with
short
coughs
,
his
suit
prefer'd
.
Let
none
object
my
lingring
way
,
I
gain
,
like
Fabius
,
by
delay
,
Fatigue
and
weaken
ev'ry
foe
By
long
attack
,
secure
though
slow
.
Plague
represents
his
rapid
power
,
Who
thinn'd
a
nation
in
an
hour
.
All
spoke
their
claim
,
and
hop'd
the
wand
.
Now
expectation
hush'd
the
band
,
When
thus
the
monarch
from
the
throne
.
Merit
was
ever
modest
known
.
What
,
no
physician
speak
his
right
!
None
here
!
But
fees
their
toils
requite
.
Let
then
Intemp'rance
take
the
wand
,
Who
fills
with
gold
their
zealous
hand
.
You
,
Feaver
,
Gout
,
and
all
the
rest
,
(
Whom
wary
men
,
as
foes
,
detest
,
)
Forgo
your
claim
;
no
more
pretend
:
Intemp'rance
is
esteem'd
a
friend
,
He
shares
their
mirth
,
their
social
joys
,
And
,
as
a
courted
guest
,
destroys
;
The
charge
on
him
must
justly
fall
,
Who
finds
employment
for
you
all
.