MR. HAY.— 1826. 181 



THE SAME, BY VENATOR. 



Befriended by the goodly nine. 



Thy muse, sweet bard, (almost divine,) 



Has erst describ'd in matchless lay. 



The pleasures of a sporting day. 1 



Had we thy pow'rfril classic pen 



Wed sing their praises o'er again j 



And call in wit to aid the laws 



Of learning, in the noble cause. 



Invoke arch Tristram's subtle shade, 



Who once the widow Wadman made 



Rise on one leg, in am'rous whim. 



To hear the voice of corp'ral Trim, 



When he, brave fellow, did expound 



My Uncle Toby's secret wound ; 2 



The fire of Swift, the ease of Gay, 



The wit that in the pages play 



OfSHAKSPEAREj with the Theban lore 



Of Walter Scott, and Tommy Moore ; 3 



The flow of Burns' rich playful thought, 



When he his Tam O'Shanter wrote ; 



Gleaning, en passant, by the way, 



The flame of Pindar, whom they say. 



His pen employ' d on themes unfit, 



Pindar the prince of caustic wit. 4 



And magic humour freely draw 



From Butler's pungent Hudibras. 



1 Somerville, author of ' The Chase.' 



2 Sterne's Tristram Shandy. 



3 Mr. Thomas Moore, author of the Melodies, &c. &r. 



4 Peter Pindar— Dr. AVolcot. 



M 3 



