But I must bear it.”--“Sir, you cannot bear; Your son is weak, and asks a mother’s eye.”-- “That, my kind friend, a father’s may supply.”-- “Such growing griefs your very soul will tease.”-- “To grieve another would not give me ease; I have a mother.”--“She, poor ancient soul! Can she the spirits of the young control? 50 Can she thy peace promote, partake thy care, Procure thy comforts, and thy sorrows share? Age is itself impatient, uncontroll’d.”-- “But wives like mothers must at length be old.”-- “Thou hast shrewd servants--they are evils sore.”-- “Yet a shrewd mistress might afflict me more.”-- “Wilt thou not be a weary wailing man?”-- “Alas! and I must bear it as I can.” Resisted thus, the widow soon withdrew, That in his pride the hero might pursue; 60 And off his wonted guard, in some retreat, Find from a foe prepared entire defeat. But he was prudent, for he knew in flight These Parthian warriors turn again and fight; He but at freedom, not at glory aim’d, And only safety by his caution claim’d. Thus, when a great and powerful state decrees Upon a small one, in its love, to seize-- It vows in kindness to protect, defend, And be the fond ally, the faithful friend; 70 It therefore wills that humbler state to place Its hopes of safety in a fond embrace: Then must that humbler state its wisdom prove, By kind rejection of such pressing love; Must dread such dangerous friendship to commence, And stand collected in its own defence.-- Our farmer thus the proffer’d kindness fled, And shunn’d the love that into bondage led. The widow failing, fresh besiegers came, To share the fate of this retiring dame; 80 And each foresaw a thousand ills attend The man that fled from so discreet a friend; And pray’d, kind soul! that no event might make The harden’d heart of Farmer Jones to ache. But he still govern’d with resistless hand, And where he could not guide he would command. With steady view in course direct he steer’d, And his fair daughters loved him, though they fear’d; Each had her school, and, as his wealth was known, Each had in time a household of her own. 90 The boy indeed was, at the grandam’s side, Humour’d and train’d, her trouble and her pride: Companions dear, with speech and spirits mild, The childish widow and the vapourish child. This nature prompts; minds uninform’d and weak In such alliance ease and comfort seek; Push’d by the levity of youth aside, } The cares of man, his humour, or his pride, } They feel, in their defenceless state, allied. } The child is pleased to meet regard from age, 100 The old are pleased ev’n children to engage; And all their wisdom, scorn’d by proud mankind,