ZEUXIS of old a female Centaur drew To shew his art, and then expos'd to view; The human half with so exact a care Was join'd to limbs of a Thessalian mare, That seeing from a diff'rent point the piece, Some prais'd the Maid, and some the Mare, of Greece. Like to this Centaur, by his own relation, Is Doctor Warburton's Divine Legation; Which superficial writers on each hand,— Christians and Deists,—did not understand, Because they both observ'd from partial views Th' incorporated @3Church@1 and @3State@1 of Jews. Th' ingenious artist took the pains to draw, Full and entire, the @3compound@1 of the @3law,@1 The two societies,—the @3civil@1 kind And the @3religious,@1—perfectly combin'd, With God Almighty as a temp'ral prince To govern both, as all his proofs evince, @3Without the doctrine of a future state.@1— Here with opponents lies the @3main@1 debate. They cannot reconcile to serious thought God's Church and State, with LIFE TO COME untaught; With @3Law@1 or @3Gospel@1 cannot make to suit Virgin of Sion sinking down to @3Brute.@1 Zeuxis the new, they argue, takes a pride In shapes so incompatible allied; And talks away as if he had pourtray'd A @3real@1 creature, mix'd of Mare and Maid. All who deny th' existence of the pad; He @3centaurizes@1 into @3Fool@1 and @3mad.@1 If one objected to a Maiden @3hoof, "Why, 'tis an Animal,"@1—was all his proof; If to an animal with @3human head, "O! 'tis a beauteous woman"@1—Zeuxis said. "What! Animal and Woman both at once?" "@3Yes, that's essential to the whole, ye dunce!@1" His @3primary@1 and @3secondary@1 sense, Like Mare and Maid, support his fond pretence. From joining spot he skips to each extreme, Or @3strides@1 to both, and guards the motley scheme; @3Solving with like Centauriformal ease Law, Prophets, Gospel,@1 quoted as you please. Thus both went on long labour'd volumes through:— Now what must fair, impartial readers do? Must they not grieve, if either of them treat On @3Law,@1 or @3Grace,@1 with rudeness or with heat? Allowing either Zeuxis wondrous skill, They say, "The Centaur is a fable still." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...NOTHING TO WEAR' by WILLIAM ALLEN BUTLER GRENADIER by ALFRED EDWARD HOUSMAN THE MARCH OF XERXES by LUIGI ALAMANNI VACANT STALL by ELIZABETH WILCOX BEASLEY A FARMER REMEMBERS LINCOLN by WITTER BYNNER |