The severe usage which Mr. Prior met with, perhaps was the occasion of the following beautiful lines, addressed to his Chloe; From public noise, and factious strife, From all the busy ills of life, Take me, my Chloe, to thy breast; And lull my wearied soul to rest: For ever, in this humble cell, Let thee and I, my fair one, dwell; None enter else, but Love----and he Shall bar the door, and keep the key. To painted roofs, and shining spires (Uneasy feats of high desires) Let the unthinking many croud, That dare be covetous, and proud; In golden bondage let them wait, And barter happiness for state: But oh! my Chloe when thy swain Desires to see a court again; May Heav'n around his destin'd head The choicest of his curses shed, To sum up all the rage of fate. In the two things I dread, and hate, May'st thou be false, and I be great. In July 1721, within two months of his death, Mr. Prior published the following beautiful little tale on the falshood of mankind, entitled The Conversation, and applied it to the truth, honour, and justice of his grace the duke of Dorset. The CONVERSATION. A Tale. It always has been thought discreet To know the company you meet; And sure, there may be secret danger In talking much before a stranger. Agreed: what then? then drink your ale; I'll pledge you, and repeat my tale. No matter where the scene is fix'd, The persons were but odly mix'd, When sober Damon thus began: (And Damon is a clever man) I now grow old; but still from youth, Have held for modesty and truth, The men, who by these sea-marks steer, In life's great voyage, never err; Upon this point I dare defy The world; I pause for a reply. Sir, either is a good assistant, Said one, who sat a little distant: Truth decks our speeches, and our books, And modesty adorns our looks: But farther progress we must take; Not only born to look and speak, The man must act. The Stagyrite Says thus, and says extremely right; Strict justice is the sovereign guide, That o'er our actions should preside; This queen of virtue is confess'd To regulate and bind the rest. Thrice happy, if you can but find Her equal balance poise your mind: All diff'rent graces soon will enter, Like lines concurrent to their center. 'Twas thus, in short, these two went on, With yea and nay, and pro and con, Thro' many points divinely dark, And Waterland assaulting Clarke; 'Till, in theology half lost, Damon took up the Evening-Post; Confounded Spain, compos'd the North, And deep in politics held forth.