The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift/Volume 7/Dr. Delany's Reply

←

The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 7
(1721)
by Patrick Delany, edited by Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, John Boyle, Patrick Delany, John Hawkesworth, Deane Swift, William Bowyer, John Birch, and George Faulkner

Dr. Delany's Reply

Sheridan's Reply

→

This is the seventh of twelve poems on the same subject:
1. On Dan Jackson's Picture;
2. On the same;
3. On the same;
4. On the same;
5. Dan Jackson's Defence;
6. Mr. Rochfort's Reply;
7. Dr. Delany's Reply;
8. Sheridan's Reply;
9. A Rejoinder, by the Dean;
10. Another Rejoinder, by the Dean;
11. Sheridan's Submission, by the Dean; and
12. To the Rev. Daniel Jackson.

1560584The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 7
— Dr. Delany's Reply1721Patrick Delany

DR. DELANY'S REPLY.

ASSIST me, my Muse, while I labour to limn him:
Credite, Pisones, isti tabulæ persimilem.
You look and you write with so different a grace,
That I envy your verse, though I did not your face.
And to him that thinks rightly, there's reason enough,
'Cause one is as smooth, as the other is rough.

⁠But much I'm amaz'd you should think my design	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$
Was to rhyme down your nose, or your harlequin grin,
Which you yourself wonder the de'el should malign.

And if 'tis so strange, that your monstership's crany

Should be envy'd by him, much less by Delany;
Though I own to you, when I consider it stricter,
I envy the painter, although not the picture.
And justly she's envy'd, since a fiend of Hell
Was never drawn right but by her and Raphael.
⁠Next, as to the charge, which you tell us is true,
That we were inspired by the subject we drew.
Inspired we were, and well, sir, you knew it,
Yet not by your nose, but the fair one that drew it:
Had your nose been the Muse, we had ne'er been inspir'd,
Tho' perhaps it might justly've been said we were fir'd.
⁠As to the division of words in your staves,
Like my countryman's horn comb, into three halves,
I meddle not with't, but presume to make merry,
You call'd Dan one half, and 'tother half Sherry:
Now if Dan's a half, as you call't o'er and o'er,
Then it can't be deny'd that Sherry's two more.
For pray give me leave to say, sir, for all you,
That Sherry's at least of double the value.

But perhaps, sir, you did it to fill up the verse:	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$
So crowds in a concert (like actors in a farce)
Play two parts in one, when scrapers are scarce.

But be that as 'twill, you'll know more anon, sir,

When Sheridan sends to Merry Dan answer.