Living

On Seeing J— C—ft, Esq. Abused in a Newspaper

by John Cunningham 1729–1773

From Poems, Chiefly Pastoral (1766)

Living

When a wretch to public notice,
Would a man of worth defame;
Wit, as threadbare as his coat is,
Only shews his want of shame.

Busy, pert, unmeaning parrot!
Vilest of the venal crews!
Go—and in your Grubstreet garret,
Hang yourself and paltry muse.

Pity too the meddling sinner,
Should for hunger hang or drown;
F—x, (he must not want a dinner)
Send the scribbler half a crown.

✦ ✦ ✦

Text from the Eighteenth Century Collections Online / ECCO-TCP transcription (TCP K093533), Poems, Chiefly Pastoral (1766).

MLA

Cunningham, John. “On Seeing J— C—ft, Esq. Abused in a Newspaper.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/cunningham_j/89/.

Chicago

Cunningham, John. “On Seeing J— C—ft, Esq. Abused in a Newspaper.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/cunningham_j/89/.

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