[Page 223]
The CAMELION:
A FABLE after Monsieur DE LA MOTTE.
1 OFT has it been my lot to mark
2 A proud, conceited, talking spark,
3 With eyes, that hardly serv'd at most
4 To guard their master 'gainst a post,
5 Yet round the world the blade has been
6 To see whatever cou'd be seen,
7 Returning from his finish'd tour,
8 Grown ten times perter than before;
9 Whatever word you chance to drop,
10 The travell'd fool your mouth will stop,
11 "Sir, if my judgment you'll allow —
12 "I've seen — and sure I ought to know —
13 So begs you'd pay a due submission,
14 And acquiesce in his decision.
15 Two travellers of such a cast;
16 As o'er Arabia's wild they past,
17 And on their way in friendly chat
18 Now talk'd of this and then of that,
19 Discours'd awhile 'mongst other matter
20 Of the Camelion's form and nature.
[Page 224]21 "A stranger animal, cries one,
22 "Sure never liv'd beneath the sun.
23 "A lizard's body lean and long,
24 "A fish's head, a serpent's tongue,
25 "Its tooth with triple claw disjoin'd;
26 "And what a length of tail behind!
27 "How slow its pace, and then its hue —
28 "Who ever saw so fine a blue? "
29 "Hold there, the other quick replies,
30 "'Tis green — I saw it with these eyes,
31 "As late with open mouth it lay,
32 "And warm'd it in the sunny ray;
33 "Stretch'd at its ease the beast I view'd,
34 "And saw it eat the air for food. "
35 "I've seen it, Sir, as well as you,
36 "And must again affirm it blue.
37 "At leisure I the beast survey'd
38 "Extended in the cooling shade. "
39 "'Tis green, 'tis green, Sir, I assure ye —
40 "Green! cries the other in a fury —
41 "Why, Sir — d'ye think I've lost my eyes?"
42 "'Twere no great loss, the friend replies,
43 "For, if they always serve you thus,
44 "You'll find 'em but of little use."
45 So high at last the contest rose,
46 From words they almost came to blows:
47 When luckily came by a third —
48 To him the question they refer'd;
[Page 225]49 And beg'd he'd tell 'em, if he knew,
50 Whether the thing was green or blue.
51 "Sirs, cries the umpire, cease your pother —
52 "The creature's neither one nor t' other.
53 "I caught the animal last night,
54 "And view'd it o'er by candle-light:
55 "I mark'd it well — 'twas black as jet —
56 "You stare — but Sirs, I've got it yet,
57 "And can produce it." "Pray, Sir, do:
58 "I'll lay my life, the thing is blue. "
59 "And I'll be sworn, that when you've seen
60 "The reptile, you'll pronounce him green."
61 "Well then, at once to ease the doubt,
62 "Replies the man, I'll turn him out:
63 "And when before your eyes I've set him,
64 "If you don't find him black, I'll eat him. "
65 He said; then full before their sight
66 Produc'd the beast, and lo! 'twas white. —
67 Both star'd, the man look'd wond'rous wise —
68 "My children," the Camelion cries,
69 (Then first the creature found a tongue)
70 "You all are right, and all are wrong:
71 "When next you talk of what you view,
72 "Think others see, as well as you:
73 "Nor wonder, if you find that none
74 "Prefers your eye-sight to his own."
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About this text
Author: James Merrick
Themes:
manners; animals
Genres:
fable
References:
DMI 27724
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Source edition
Dodsley, Robert, 1703-1764. A Collection of Poems in Six Volumes. By Several Hands. Vol. V. London: printed by J. Hughs, for R. and J. Dodsley, 1763 [1st ed. 1758], pp. 223-225. 6v.: music; 8⁰. (ESTC T131163; OTA K104099.005) (Page images digitized by the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive from a copy in the archive's library.)
Editorial principles
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 ECPA 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.
Other works by James Merrick
- The BEARS and BEES. A FABLE. ()
- The BENEDICITE Paraphrased. ()
- An EPITAPH. ()
- A FRAGMENT. ()
- A HYMN. ()
- The Hymns of DIONYSIUS: Translated from the Greek. ()
- THE IGNORANCE OF MAN. ()
- THE LORD'S PRAYER PARAPHRASED. ()
- The MONKIES, a TALE. ()
- An ODE to FANCY. ()
- The SONG of SIMEON paraphrased. ()
- A TALE. ()
- THE TRIALS OF VIRTUE. ()
- VERSES WRITTEN ORIGINALLY IN THE PERSIC LANGUAGE. ()
- The WISH. ()