IN THE MOON.
23
Some swore, upon a second View,
That all th' had seen before was true,
465 And that they never would recant
One Syllable of th' Elephant;
Avow'd, his Snout could be no Mouse's,
But a true Elephant's Proboscis.
Others began to doubt, and waver,
470 Uncertain which o'th' two to favour;
And knew not whether to espouse
The Cause of th' Elephant, or Mouse.
Some held no Way so orthodox
To try it, as the Ballot-Box;
475 And, like the Nation's Patriots,
To find, or make, the Truth by Votes.
Others conceiv'd it much more fit
T'unmount the Tube, and open it;
And, for their private Satisfaction,
480 To re-examine the Transaction;
And after explicate the rest,
As they should find Cause for the best.
To this, as th' only Expedient,
The whole Assembly gave Consent:
485 But, e're the Tube was half let down,
It clear'd the first Phænomenon:
For, at the End, prodigious Swarms
Of Flies, and Gnats, like Men in Arms,
That all th' had seen before was true,
465 And that they never would recant
One Syllable of th' Elephant;
Avow'd, his Snout could be no Mouse's,
But a true Elephant's Proboscis.
Others began to doubt, and waver,
470 Uncertain which o'th' two to favour;
And knew not whether to espouse
The Cause of th' Elephant, or Mouse.
Some held no Way so orthodox
To try it, as the Ballot-Box;
475 And, like the Nation's Patriots,
To find, or make, the Truth by Votes.
Others conceiv'd it much more fit
T'unmount the Tube, and open it;
And, for their private Satisfaction,
480 To re-examine the Transaction;
And after explicate the rest,
As they should find Cause for the best.
To this, as th' only Expedient,
The whole Assembly gave Consent:
485 But, e're the Tube was half let down,
It clear'd the first Phænomenon:
For, at the End, prodigious Swarms
Of Flies, and Gnats, like Men in Arms,
Box.] It is almost needless to observe, that the Method of determining Elections, &c, at the Royal Society is by Ballotting.
494.
