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...THE DEATH OF A PHOTOGRAPHER by KAREN SWENSON SPOON RIVER ANTHOLOGY: SETH COMPTON by EDGAR LEE MASTERS STEEL MILL by LOUIS UNTERMEYER AGAMEMNON: HELEN. CHORUS by AESCHYLUS MY BATH by JOHN STUART BLACKIE CHRISTMAS EVE by MATHILDE BLIND |