Living
On Seeing J— C—ft, Esq. Abused in a Newspaper
From Poems, Chiefly Pastoral (1766)
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.
Codex Note
Text from the Eighteenth Century Collections Online / ECCO-TCP transcription (TCP K093533), Poems, Chiefly Pastoral (1766).
Cite this poem
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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