SOTO. A CHARACTER. Mary Leapor 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. T127827 p. 413 K101776.000 Leapor, Mrs. (Mary), 1722-1746. Poems upon several occasions: By Mrs. Leapor of Brackley in Northamptonshire. London printed: and sold by J. Roberts 1748 pp. 175-177. 15,[5],282p. ; 8⁰.

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SOTO . A CHARACTER . IN Soto's Bosom you may find The Glimm'ring of a worthy Mind : Tis but a faint and feeble Ray , Imperfect as the dawning Day ; Yet were the jarring Passions tun'd , And the wild Branches nicely prun'd , The Soil from Thorns and Thistles clear , Some latent Virtues might appear : I'th' Morning catch him , ( early tho' Your Bird will else be flown , I trow , ) E'er he has reach'd the bowzing Can , You'll find the Stamp of reas'ning Man : Then see the Wretch whom none can rule , E'er Night a Mad-man and a Fool ; The witty Soto then you'll find , Just level with the brutal Kind . With crimson Face and winking Eyes , That look like Woodcocks , mighty wise : See streams a Current down his Chin , From soft Tobacco lodg'd within ; Be pleas'd to steal a Glance or two , But one may serve to make you — He fain wou'd walk , but cannot stand , And see a Palsy in his Hand ; And tho' his Throat has swallow'd down Two Gallons of October brown , His greedy Guts impatient roar , And seem to call aloud for more : More they shall have : But hark , within Is heard a rude and lawless Din : Wind , Ale , and Phlegm their Powers wage , And Hickups call them to engage ; And now , Ah now ! incessant flows The frothy Tide from Mouth and Nose : No more is seen the cover'd Ground , But a huge River floating round : Down drops the Youth , his giddy Head Falls easy on the liquid Bed : So swam Achilles fierce and brave , On angry Xanthus's swelling Wave ; And 'scap'd with being wet to th' Skin ; For Pallas held him up by th' Chin : So Bacchus saves , by mighty Charms , His helpless Devotee from Harms : And Soto sleeps till break of Day , Then shakes his Ears and walks away .