The word is then deposed, and in this view, You rule the scripture, not the scripture you. Thus said the dame, and, smiling, thus pursued: I see, tradition then is disallowed, When not evinced by scripture to be true, And scripture, as interpreted by you. But here you tread upon unfaithful ground, Unless you could infallibly expound; Which you reject as odious popery, And throw that doctrine back with scorn on me. Suppose we on things traditive divide, And both appeal to scripture to decide; By various texts we both uphold our claim, Nay, often, ground our titles on the same: After long labour lost, and time's expence, Both grant the words, and quarrel for the sense. Thus all disputes for ever must depend; For no dumb rule can controversies end. Thus, when you said,--Tradition must be tried By sacred writ, whose sense yourselves decide, You said no more, but that yourselves must be The judges of the scripture sense, not we. Against our church-tradition you declare, And yet your clerks would sit in Moses' chair; At least 'tis proved against your argument, The rule is far from plain, where all dissent.-- If not by scriptures, how can we be sure, Replied the Panther, what tradition's pure? For you may palm upon us new for old; All, as they say, that glitters, is not gold. How but by following her, replied the dame, To whom derived from sire to son they came; Where every age does on another move, And trusts no farther than the next above; Where all the rounds like Jacob's ladder rise, The lowest hid in earth, the topmost in the skies? Sternly the savage did her answer mark, Her glowing eye-balls glittering in the dark, And said but this:--Since lucre was your trade, Succeeding times such dreadful gaps have made, 'Tis dangerous climbing: To your sons and you I leave the ladder, and its omen too.[155] _Hind._ The Panther's breath was ever famed for sweet; But from the Wolf such wishes oft I meet. You learned this language from the Blatant Beast,[156] Or rather did not speak, but were possessed. As for your answer, 'tis but barely urged: You must evince tradition to be forged; Produce plain proofs; unblemished authors use As ancient as those ages they accuse; Till when, 'tis not sufficient to defame; An old possession stands, till elder quits the claim. Then for our interest, which is named alone To load with envy, we retort your own; For, when traditions in your faces fly, Resolving not to yield, you must decry. As when the cause goes hard, the guilty man Excepts, and thins his jury all he can; So when you stand of other aid bereft, You to the twelve apostles would be left. Your friend the Wolf did with more craft provide To set those toys, traditions, quite aside;[157]