The Borough. Letter Vii: Professions--physic Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ KKLLMMNNOOAALLPPQQJJ RRSSTTUUKKVVWXKKY ZZA2A2SSB2B2A2A2BBC2 C2D2D2KKE2E2DDF2F2G2 H2A2A2I2I2 J2 K2 A2A2L2 M2M2N2N2G2G2O2O2FFP2 P2Q2R2S2S2T2A T2MMJJJI2I2U2U2V2V2W 2W2UUX2X2Y2Y2JJZ2Z2A 3B3C3C3K2K2Z2Z2I2I2E ED3L2E3E3F3F3G3G3B2B 2Z2Z2U2U2P2P2H3H3D2D 2I3I3T2T2J3J3K3L3DDA AZ2Z2ANEXT to a graver tribe we turn our view | A |
And yield the praise to worth and science due | A |
But this with serious words and sober style | B |
For these are friends with whom we seldom smile | B |
Helpers of men they're call'd and we confess | C |
Theirs the deep study theirs the lucky guess | C |
We own that numbers join with care and skill | D |
A temperate judgment a devoted will | D |
Men who suppress their feelings but who feel | E |
The painful symptoms they delight to heal | E |
Patient in all their trials they sustain | F |
The starts of passion the reproach of pain | F |
With hearts affected but with looks serene | G |
Intent they wait through all the solemn scene | G |
Glad if a hope should rise from nature's strife | H |
To aid their skill and save the lingering life | H |
But this must virtue's generous effort be | I |
And spring from nobler motives than a fee | I |
To the Physician of the Soul and these | J |
Turn the distress'd for safety hope and ease | J |
But as physicians of that nobler kind | K |
Have their warm zealots and their sectaries blind | K |
So among these for knowledge most renowned | L |
Are dreamers strange and stubborn bigots found | L |
Some too admitted to this honourd name | M |
Have without learning found a way to fame | M |
And some by learning young physicians write | N |
To set their merit in the fairest light | N |
With them a treatise in a bait that draws | O |
Approving voices 'tis to gain applause | O |
And to exalt them in the public view | A |
More than a life of worthy toil could do | A |
When 'tis proposed to make the man renown'd | L |
In every age convenient doubts abound | L |
Convenient themes in every period start | P |
Which he may treat with all the pomp of art | P |
Curious conjectures he may always make | Q |
And either side of dubious questions take | Q |
He may a system broach or if he please | J |
Start new opinions of an old disease | J |
Or may some simple in the woodland trace | R |
And be its patron till it runs its race | R |
As rustic damsels from their woods are won | S |
And live in splendour till their race be run | S |
It weighs not much on what their powers be shown | T |
When all his purpose is to make them known | T |
To show the world what long experience gains | U |
Requires not courage though it calls for pains | U |
But at life's outset to inform mankind | K |
Is a bold effort of a valiant mind | K |
The great good man for noblest cause displays | V |
What many labours taught and many days | V |
These sound instruction from experience give | W |
The others show us how they mean to live | X |
That they have genius and they hope mankind | K |
Will to its efforts be no longer blind | K |
There are beside whom powerful friends | Y |
- | |
advance | Z |
Whom fashion favours person patrons chance | Z |
And merit sighs to see a fortune made | A2 |
By daring rashness or by dull parade | A2 |
But these are trifling evils there is one | S |
Which walks uncheck'd and triumphs in the sun | S |
There was a time when we beheld the Quack | B2 |
On public stage the licensed trade attack | B2 |
He made his laboured speech with poor parade | A2 |
And then a laughing zany lent him aid | A2 |
Smiling we pass'd him but we felt the while | B |
Pity so much that soon we ceased to smile | B |
Assured that fluent speech and flow'ry vest | C2 |
Disguised the troubles of a man distress'd | C2 |
But now our Quacks are gamesters and they play | D2 |
With craft and skill to ruin and betray | D2 |
With monstrous promise they delude the mind | K |
And thrive on all that tortures human kind | K |
Void of all honour avaricious rash | E2 |
The daring tribe compound their boasted trash | E2 |
Tincture of syrup lotion drop or pill | D |
All tempt the sick to trust the lying bill | D |
And twenty names of cobblers turn'd to squires | F2 |
Aid the bold language of these blushless liars | F2 |
There are among them those who cannot read | G2 |
And yet they'll buy a patent and succeed | H2 |
Will dare to promise dying sufferers aid | A2 |
For who when dead can threaten or upbraid | A2 |
With cruel avarice still they recommend | I2 |
More draughts more syrup to the journey's end | I2 |
'I feel it not ' 'Then take it every hour ' | - |
'It makes me worse ' 'Why then it shows its | J2 |
- | |
power ' | - |
'I fear to die ' 'Let not your spirits sink | K2 |
You're always safe while you believe and drink ' | - |
How strange to add in this nefarious trade | A2 |
That men of parts are dupes by dunces made | A2 |
That creatures nature meant should clean our | L2 |
- | |
streets | M2 |
Have purchased lands and mansions parks and seats | M2 |
Wretches with conscience so obtuse they leave | N2 |
Their untaught sons their parents to deceive | N2 |
And when they're laid upon their dying bed | G2 |
No thought of murder comes into their head | G2 |
Nor one revengeful ghost to them appears | O2 |
To fill the soul with penitential fears | O2 |
Yet not the whole of this imposing train | F |
Their gardens seats and carriages obtain | F |
Chiefly indeed they to the robbers fall | P2 |
Who are most fitted to disgrace them all | P2 |
But there is hazard patents must be bought | Q2 |
Venders and puffers for the poison sought | R2 |
And then in many a paper through the year | S2 |
Must cures and cases oaths and proofs appear | S2 |
Men snatch'd from graves as they were dropping in | T2 |
Their lungs cough'd up their bones pierced through | A |
- | |
their skin | T2 |
Their liver all one schirrus and the frame | M |
Poison'd with evils which they dare not name | M |
Men who spent all upon physicians' fees | J |
Who never slept nor had a moment's ease | J |
Are now as roaches sound and all as brisk as bees | J |
If the sick gudgeons to the bait attend | I2 |
And come in shoals the angler gains his end | I2 |
But should the advertising cash be spent | U2 |
Ere yet the town has due attention lent | U2 |
Then bursts the bubble and the hungry cheat | V2 |
Pines for the bread he ill deserves to eat | V2 |
It is a lottery and he shares perhaps | W2 |
The rich man's feast or begs the pauper's scraps | W2 |
From powerful causes spring th' empiric's gains | U |
Man's love of life his weakness and his pains | U |
These first induce him the vile trash to try | X2 |
Then lend his name that other men may buy | X2 |
This love of life which in our nature rules | Y2 |
To vile imposture makes us dupes and tools | Y2 |
Then pain compels th' impatient soul to seize | J |
On promised hopes of instantaneous ease | J |
And weakness too with every wish complies | Z2 |
Worn out and won by importunities | Z2 |
Troubled with something in your bile or blood | A3 |
You think your doctor does you little good | B3 |
And grown impatient you require in haste | C3 |
The nervous cordial nor dislike the taste | C3 |
It comforts heals and strengthens nay you think | K2 |
It makes you better every time you drink | K2 |
'Then lend your name 'you're loth but yet confess | Z2 |
Its powers are great and so you acquiesce | Z2 |
Yet think a moment ere your name you lend | I2 |
With whose 'tis placed and what you recommend | I2 |
Who tipples brandy will some comfort feel | E |
But will he to the med'cine set his seal | E |
Wait and you'll find the cordial you admire | D3 |
Has added fuel to your fever's fire | L2 |
Say should a robber chance your purse to spare | E3 |
Would you the honour of the man declare | E3 |
Would you assist his purpose swell his crime | F3 |
Besides he might not spare a second time | F3 |
Compassion sometimes sets the fatal sign | G3 |
The man was poor and humbly begg'd a line | G3 |
Else how should noble names and titles back | B2 |
The spreading praise of some advent'rous quack | B2 |
But he the moment watches and entreats | Z2 |
Your honour's name your honour joins the cheats | Z2 |
You judged the med'cine harmless and you lent | U2 |
What help you could and with the best intent | U2 |
But can it please you thus to league with all | P2 |
Whom he can beg or bribe to swell the scrawl | P2 |
Would you these wrappers with your name adorn | H3 |
Which hold the poison for the yet unborn | H3 |
No class escapes them from the poor man's pay | D2 |
The nostrum takes no trifling part away | D2 |
See those square patent bottles from the shop | I3 |
Now decoration to the cupboard's top | I3 |
And there a favourite hoard you'll find within | T2 |
Companions meet the julep and the gin | T2 |
Time too with cash is wasted 'tis the fate | J3 |
Of real helpers to be call'd too late | J3 |
This find the sick when time and patience gone | K3 |
Death with a tenfold terror hurries on | L3 |
Suppose the case surpasses human skill | D |
There comes a quack to flatter weakness still | D |
What greater evil can a flatterer do | A |
Than from himself to take the sufferer's view | A |
To turn from sacred thoughts his reasoning powers | Z2 |
And rob a sinner of his dying hours | Z2 |
Yet this they dare and craving to | A |
George Crabbe
(1)
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