The Borough. Letter Vii: Professions--physic Poem Rhyme Scheme

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NEXT 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

The Borough. Letter Vii: Professions--physic Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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