ILLINOIS
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
Production Note
Project Unica
Rare Book & Manuscript Library University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign 2015öbHEEEHBöb
¿■LF-miREYNARD’s Prosecutiq
o F
The Unfortunate BRUIN,
ASSISTED BY THE
Wolfe, Ox, Ass, Ram, Beaver, See.
Together with the*
Sufferings of the P A R D, Agent for the Unhappy BRUIN;
A
FABLE,
God fave the Lion and the Nation, A?ui blefs each hone it Beajl in Station.
■ LONDON: Printed in the Year MDCCLXI.K
R51

ADVERTISEMENT to the Reader.
Allegory is too generally conii-dered as the vehicle of icandal, and a Fable is often thought to be the covert of a real fa£t.—Thus a compofition calculated merely to inculcate a moral, is by malice converted into a libel. The author of this little piece can, however, allure the public, that the fatire is general, and that no particular perfon or perfons are levelled at. He abhors that bafe method of ftabbing in the dark, which is, in his opinion, one of the greateft fcandais to literature. Whatever interpretation be put on the following poem, it was wrote with a moral view to lafh the vices of mankind, and it is not doubted but every reader of difcern-ment will confider it in that light. If, however, any one attempt to prove that it alludes to any recent fa£t, the author is both able and ready to prove the contrary.
A a
Ch a-Characters in the FABLE.
Reynard, once a miniiter of Rate to the Lion ; rapacious and cruel.
Bruin, his Reward ; pu to death by a rope, and his elfates feiaed by Reynard.
Madam Bearess, a l'ort of demi-rep among the brutes, in love with Bruin j to whom me . -equeaths large eilates for his amorous ferviecs.
Cqunfellor Dog, learned in the lews oi t :e animal creation.
Squire YVcLf, the profecutor ol Ln in, at t.je requeft or Reynard, for making ufe of h s ie.d and name.
The Ox, a creature of Reynard’s; c iei evidence agdnft the bear, to whom he Was in.'elccd in ie\cral fums.
The Pard, one of Bruin’s creditois, and agent; under levere profe-cutions iiom Reynard, on account or his activity in recovering Bruin’s eiLncs tor the ufe of his widow, orphan and creditors.
The Mui.fi, Reynard’s attorney; attached to him for the lake of intereft.
The Ass, forced by Reynard to give evidence againil his friend Bruin, and foon after dies.
Ordinary Beaver, Bruin’s chaplain, lent by Reynard to prepare hinT for his end, to prefs him to confefs his f-rg-r-es, and other purpofes.
The Ram, clerk of the arraigns on Bruin’s trial; in the intereft of Reynard.
; («%v ^'¿g-V^Qi.v

T*^WW. . **& ^ M
RE YN ARD’s Profecution, A FABLE.
WHEN the late Lion, by God’s grace, Reign’d over the four-footed race, Reynard1 the fox, with wiles replete Became a minifter of Bate;
Bur his vile arts incens’d the nation.,
So that he quickly loft his ftation.
In minifters corrupted arts He ihew’d indeed uncommon parts,
And well he might------Reynard accurft
Serv’d his time to Reynard the Firft.
WhoKnew to fuborn, corrupt He never fear’d his foul t So he with gold his purfe might cram: Nor heeded fuff’ring wretches cries,
So on their ruins he might rife. Misfortunes, iinners oft reclaim,
But Reynard Bill remain’d the fame, And tho’ at court he loft his place, Could never turn his heart to grace, But promis’d, as moft courtiers do, And paid his debts like courtiers too* And had he not been rich and great, Had been by all men call’d a cheat. His heart was harder than a ftone, And gratitude to him unknown;
AilAll this will ftridly true appear To thofe who to my tale give ear. Bruin the bear was Reynard’s fteward And much to ferve his lord endur’d;
For his expences and his pains By far exceeded Bruin’s gains;
Yet wicked Reynard wrought the ruin Of the unwary faithful Bruin.
This haplefs Bruin, you mull know, Was for a bear fomewhat a beau,
Had fuch a manner and a grace,
As pleas’d the fair of beariih race:
A ihe-bear of fomc rank—a dame Who oft had felt the am’rous flame, Amongfl: the bears a demi-rep,
With Bruin long’d to take a leap.The gallant Bruin play’d his part So well, he won the lady’s heart;
And oft ihe in her tranfports fvvore She lov’d much lefs the whelp ihe bore. Bruin liv’d feven years with the dame As fteward—but if we credit fame, His occupations did amount To fomething more than caft account. Our Bruin in this fphere of a&ion,. Behav’d fo to her fatisfa&ion,
That madam Bearefs in her will Bequeath’d him by a codicil A fum of money (dames ne’er grudge A peniion to a ftrong-back’d drudge) With annual income for the life Both of himfelf, his fon and wife.C 9 ]

But this fhe cancell'd with a blot,
And fhew’d her love of you know what, By leaving to her paramour A fum much greater than before.
Great merits great rewards require,
The lab’rer well deferves his hire ;
The dame a third time chang’d her will, And left him by a codicil,
In ready cafh three thoufand pound, You’ll fay perhaps the fum is round.
Yet ilill to this was added clear Four hundred and twenty pounds a year; The Bearefs careful of her fame Directed to conceal the fame,
But an unlucky clerk one leafe Difclos’d before the dame’s dcceafe;
B
Which
Which forc’d her much againft her will
To own fhe had made the codicil.
Reynard hill gaping after gain The leafe determin’d to obtain,
And did to counfellor Dog repair,
Deiiring Bruin to be there.
Reynard with folemn air and face,
Ask’d Bruin how he got the leafe;
And Bruin plainly to him fhew’d,
That by free grant it was beflow’d. Reynard perceiving that each year This leafe brought in fourfeore pounds clear, Prevail’d on Bruin to furrender The fame to him, and made a tender d o grant to Bruin in its place Of lands a beneficial leafe.Thus taken in, the haplefs brute In form the deed did execute,
For the faid promis’d leafe relying On one quite infamous for lying, Foxes, if we believe report,
Keep promiies like thoie at court. Reynard foon after—in November, The year I cannot now remember, Purchas’d a farm---a piece of ground Which let each year at fixty pound, And granted of this farm to Bruin The leafe that brought about his ruin, At five and thirty pounds per year, From which it plainly does appear, That when a fox a bargain makes Fie every advantage takes;[ 12 ]
In lieu of eighty-five pound paid Per ann. the wily fox convey’d To haplefs Bruin by a deed,
What did not twenty-five exceed.
The leafe original being loft,
And Bruin much perplex’d and croft, By gaping creditors ftill preft,
Had no expedient thus diftreft,
But copying out this leafe aforefaid, Which Reynard to him had before made: This Bruin did, and to the fame,
Set both the fox’s feal and name;
Then of this leafe the haplefs brute - o one Squire Wolf did execute A mortgage, which the ’Squire exacted For payment of a debt contra&ed ;
A debtt '3 ]
A debt of feventeen hundred pound,
For which no brute would e’er be bound.
The Wolf, who cautious was and fage,
Sought to aflign this fame mortgage To Reynard, and before him laid The copied leafe by Bruin made ;
But from this leafe the rent was found Inftead of thirty-five, five pound.
Bruin however did confent To pay the Wolf the former rent;
But by the fox the Wolf excited,
Bruin for forgery indicted.
Bruin being of the fame convi&ed,
Suffer’d the punifhment inflicted By law on thofe who forge a leafe,
Yet furely hard was Bruin’s cafe.
I u, •;	The
mm
■■■■■■■[ >4 ]
The Ox gave evidence againft him,
Tho’ many a fum the bear had lent him; His wants he conftantly fupplied,
Yet by his evidence he died. .
Nay, if what fame reports be true,
The Ox deferv’d the gallows too.
Tis faid, he money ow’d to Bruin,
And therefore brought about his ruin ; f or Bruin being bang’d, he knew Ail debts were paid unto him due;
Yet more, it has been faid, the Ox Eoailed a promife from the Fox,
'I o pay to him in hand fo much,
And more for life-----condition fuch,
I hat he in court away fhould fwear 1 he life of the unhappy bear.
ReynardC >s ]
Reynard his paiTion being gratify’d,
The profecutor never fatisfy’d,
The Wolf without reward remain'd,
And nothing from the fox obtain’d;
Tho’ to find favour in his fight He Reynard help'd to wreak his fpight. Thofe who on foxes words depend Are always lofers in the end,
To them all gratitude’s unknown,
They mind no int’reil but their own,
Their turn once ferv’d, their friendihip cools, They then defpife their fav’rite fools.
Bruin’s attorney, the Pard,
Receiv’d a treatment very hard,
The Mule (who for the wily Fox Was council) open broke his box,
AndAnd moil difhoneitly from thence Took papers in the Pard’s abfence,
Who never could reward obtain For all his labour and his pain ;
He on the fox’s word relied,
And never was indemnified.
The fail being fully thus related,
And the whole caufe moil clearly ilated Some queries we fhall now propofe, Before the narrative we clofe,
Was not poor Bruin, whofe hard fate Was owing unto Reynard’s hate,
To the She-bear well recommended,
As one on whom might be depended ? And did he not receive his ilation Of fleward, as heir to her relation ?[ *7 J
Can the two codicils attefted By five, be ever once contefted ?
Who can deny the Bear, who ferv’d So well, a recompence deferv’d ?
Did not this grant made for the life Of Bruin and his fon and wife, Sufficiently to all men prove He ow’d it to the She-bear’s love ?
Did not a witnefs loud declare She thought the deed both juft and fair, And that the aforefaid amorous brute In form the fame did execute ?
Did not Reynard’s agent try To make one witnefs tell a lie;
And much prepoftefs her ftrain’d,
That the faid grant by fraud was gain’d ?
c
DidDid not the She-bear always read
Before ihe’d execute a deed ?
And when ihe made the foreign tour, Was ihe not then. Reynard’s wh—e ?
Do not her letters ihew, the Bear I ler favours with the fox did iliai c ?
Had from the fox the prudent bear A iaiary for all his care,
In the collc&ion of his rent,
Or what in travelling he fpcnt,
For canvaiTmg of boroughs, which Had. help’d to make the fox more rich ? Can Reynard then be clear’d of guilt, Who, after Bruin’s blood was fpilt, Recover’d at the Lion’s fait The effects of this unhappy brute,[ *9 ]
And brought the creditors of Bruin
A!moil unto the brink of ruin ?
\
Did not Reynard aifure the Bear That they his forfeit life would fpare,
If he would difavow his claim ?
Did not the Bear refufe the fame ?
And what more full proof under heaven That it was valid can be given?
Did not Reynard two thoufands ipend, To caufe poor Bruin’s haplefs end? Which is to blame moil, who hard ilrives
To fave, or who of life deprives ?
#
Did not Reynard, to gain his end By menace force poor Bruin’s friend, The filly Afs, the rope to tie,
By which he did at Tyb -n die;
C 2
And[ 20 ]
And may we not with reafon date From thence the Afs’s haplefsfate?
Did not the fox reward confer On two beads guiltier than the Bear;
And like wife warmly perfecute Many an honed, upright brute ?
Say, fhould the fox, who caus’d the fate Of Bruin, feize his whelp’s eftate ?
And did not ordinary Beaver,
Promife the Bear great Reynard’s favour. If he the forg’ries would confefs,
And did he not moil ilrongly prefs,
To ask the Ram, clerk of th’ arraigns. Advice, altho' his clerkfhip’s gains,
He knew full well muil all depend On forwarding his haplefs end ?[ 21 1
Did not a bead write a defence Of Bruin, and fupprefs it fince,
Having receiv’d a purfe for hufh-money ? Had not the Beaver too fo much money, For helping on the profecution,
And fervice after execution ?
Is not to Bruin’s agent due A fum for all his labour too ?
And did he e’er receive a groat For Bruin’s hiftory which he wrote For the infpe&ion of the fox,
Who keeps it (bill in his ilrong box ?
As Reynard promifed to pay The Pard, why does he now delay ? Reynard for fcandal did indite The Pard, who did againft him write,
TheThe Pard was tried, and by verdidt The jury did the beait convidt,
For having wrote a libel bafe To bring on Reynard foul difgrace.
The arguments urg’d againft the Pard,
His crime to aggravate were hard.......
Were thefe—but as the Pard maintain’d, Not by fufficient proof fuftain’d.
Firft, that he many libels wrote,
Like pamphleteers who want a coat; But this the Pard denies, for he Serv'd out his time an attorney,
And practis’d in. the faid profeifion For many years with reputation:
That he did as a ftudent long Unto the inns of court belong,f 23 ]
And in his itudies went fo far He might be call’d unto the bar.
That he was forejudg’d is alledg’d,
This point’s by him acknowledg’d,
But tho’ the charge is thus admitted,
He fays ’twas for no crime committed, But for the non-appearance to An aition for fome money due;
That he fome years had liv’d by fcheming,
)
Caballing and bad projects framing;
But if his anfwer be judg’d true,
This he could have no caufe to do;
He owns indeed he was in debt,
But itill had means the fum to get.
Thefe fails being recapitulated,
The Pard feems to be roughly treated, And the fox feems to have play ’d his part With all his ufual guile and art;
V[ *4 ]
For Fill that animal difplays .
The craft he us’d in ALfop’s days;
And that all beads ihould take great care To ihun the fox’s wily fnare; ..	•
His ends are bad, his means are worfe,
So he with money crams his purfe,
Can gratify his avarice, .
His fpite, and every odious vice,
His foul he would to Satan barter,
But the Devil has it by his charter*
There’s fure a moral to this tale,
Nor can difcerning readers fail To find it out, fo our defign is Quickly to come unto the finis*
Cod fave the Lion and the nation,
And blefs each honest Bead in Station*
F * N I S*1
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