THE LOVE OF THE WORLD REPROVED; OR, HYPOCRISY DETECTED. William Cowper Alexander Huber Editor Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
Broad Street Oxford OX1 3BG UK
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive
Taylor Institution Library St Giles' Oxford OX1 3NA UK info@eighteenthcenturypoetry.org https://www.eighteenthcenturypoetry.org/
Oxford This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. T14895 K027775.000 Cowper, William, 1731-1800. Poems: by William Cowper, of the Inner Temple, Esq. London printed for J. Johnson 1782 pp. 320-322. [4],367,[1]p. ; 8⁰.

This e-text is part of the Works section of the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA).

XML created for the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA).

The text has been typographically modernized, but without any silent modernization of spelling, capitalization, or punctuation. The source of the text is given and all editorial interventions have been recorded in textual notes. Based on the electronic text originally produced by the TCP project, this text has been edited to conform to the recommendations found in Level 5 of the Best Practices for TEI in Libraries version 4.0.0.

Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF) text-indent: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center; text-align: right; text-align: left; display: inline font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;
THE LOVE OF THE WORLD REPROVED ; OR , HYPOCRISY DETECTED . It may be proper to inform the reader that this piece has already appeared in print , having found its way , though with some unnecessary additions by an unknown hand , into the Leeds Journal , without the author's privity . THUS says the prophet of the Turk , Good mussulman abstain from pork ; There is a part in ev'ry swine , No friend or follower of mine May taste , whate'er his inclination , On pain of excommunication . Such Mahomet's mysterious charge , And thus he left the point at large . Had he the sinful part express'd They might with safety eat the rest ; But for one piece they thought it hard From the whole hog to be debarr'd , And set their wit at work to find What joint the prophet had in mind . Much controversy strait arose , These chuse the back , the belly those ; By some 'tis confidently said He meant not to forbid the head , While others at that doctrine rail , And piously prefer the tail . Thus , conscience freed from ev'ry clog , Mahometans eat up the hog . You laugh — 'tis well — the tale apply'd May make you laugh on t'other side . Renounce the world , the preacher cries — We do — a multitude replies . While one as innocent regards A snug and friendly game at cards ; And one , whatever you may say , Can see no evil in a play ; Some love a concert or a race , And others , shooting and the chase . Revil'd and lov'd , renounc'd and follow'd , Thus bit by bit the world is swallow'd ; Each thinks his neighbour makes too free , Yet likes a slice as well as he , With sophistry their sauce they sweeten , 'Till quite from tail to snout 'tis eaten .