Ant In Office Poem Rhyme Scheme

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You tell me that my verse is rough	A
And to do mischief like enough	A
Bid me eschew in honest rhymes	B
Follies of countries and crimes	B
You ask me if I ever knew	C
Court chaplains thus lawn sleeves pursue	C
I meddle not with gown or lawn	D
I therefore have no need to fawn	D
If they must soothe a patron's ear	E
Not I I was not born to bear	F
All base conditions I refuse	G
Nor will I so debase the muse	G
	-
Though I ne'er flatter nor defame	H
Yet would I fain bring guilt to shame	H
And I corruption would expose	I
Though all corrupted were my foes	I
I no man's property invade	J
Corruption 's an unlawful trade	J
So bribery also Politicians	K
Should be tied down to such conditions	K
If they were stinted of their tools	L
Less were their train of knaves and fools	L
	-
Were such the case let us review	C
The dreadful mischiefs to ensue	C
Some silver services 'twould stint	M
But that would aggrandise the Mint	M
Some ministers find less regard	N
But bring their servants more reward	O
Fewer informers fewer spies	P
But that would swell the year's supplies	P
An annual job or two might drop	Q
We should not miss it 'midst the crop	Q
Some pensions haply be refused	R
The Civil List be less abused	R
It might the ministry confound	S
And yet the State stand safe and sound	S
Next let it well be understood	T
I only mean my country's good	T
I wish all courtiers did the same	H
I wish to bar no honest claim	H
I wish the nation out of debt	U
No private man had cause to fret	U
Yet law and public good to be	V
The pole stars of the Ministry	V
I wish corruption bribery pension	W
Were things there were no need to mention	W
I wish to strike a blow at vice	X
Fall where it may I am not nice	X
Although the Law the devil take it	Y
Can scandalum magnatum make it	Y
I vent no scandal neither judge	Z
Another's conscience on I trudge	Z
And with my satire take no aim	H
Nor knave nor steward name by name	H
Yet still you think my fable bears	A2
Allusion unto State affairs	A2
	-
I grant it does so but what then	B2
I strike at motives not at men	B2
If hands corrupted harm the nation	W
I bar no reader's application	W
	-
There was an Ant of flippant tongue	C2
Who oft the ears of senates wrung	C2
Whether he knew the thing or no	D2
Assurance sat upon his brow	E2
Who gained the post whereto he strained	F2
The grain controllership attained	F2
But then old laws were very strict	G2
And punished actions derelict	G2
Accounts were passed by year and year	H2
The auditors would then appear	H2
And his controllership of grain	I2
Must his accounts and stock explain	I2
	-
He put a balance sheet in cooked	J2
An honest emmet o'er it looked	J2
And said The hoard of grain is low	D2
But the accounts themselves don't show	D2
By any vouchers what the stocks are	K2
Really such documents but mocks are	K2
	-
Sir the controller said would you	C
Have us pass everything to view	C
Divulge all matters to all eyes	P
Proclaim to winds state mysteries	L2
'Twould lay us open to our foes	I
You see all that we dare disclose	I
And on my honour the expense	M2
Is lavished on the swarm's defence	M2
	-
They passed the balance sheet again	B2
Next year's shewed deficit of grain	I2
And thus again controller pleaded	N2
Much secret service has been needed	N2
For famines threaten turkey broods	M2
Have been most clamorous for foods	M2
Turkey invasions have cost dear	H2
And geese were numerous last year	H2
Really these secrets told are ruin	W
And tend much to the realm's undoing	O2
	-
Again without examination	W
They thanked his good administration	W
A third and fourth time this recurred	P2
An auditor would then be heard	P2
Are we but tools he said of rogues	M2
Through us corruption disembogues	M2
Her mighty flood for every grain	I2
We touch we vouch at least for twain	I2
Where have they vanished nay in bribes	M2
They have depoverished our tribes	M2
	-
Then followed an investigation	W
And a report unto the nation	W
The Ant was punished and his hoard	O
All that remained of it restored	O

John Gay

Ant In Office Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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