When hungry poets the glad ſummons own,
And leave ſpare faſt to dine with Gods alone;
Our ſober meal diſpatch'd with ſilent haſte,
The decent grace concludes the ſhort repaſt:
Then, urg'd by thirſt, we caſt impatient eyes
Where deep, capacious, vaſt, of ample ſize,
The tankard ſtood, repleniſh'd to the brink
With the cool beverage blue-ey'd Naiads drink.
But lo! a ſudden prodigy appears,
And our chill'd hearts recoil with ſtartling fears;
Its yawning mouth diſclos'd the deep profound,
And in low murmurs breath'd a ſullen ſound;
Cold drops of dew did on the ſides appear;
No finger touch'd it, and no hand was near;
At length th' indignant vaſe its ſilence broke,
Firſt heav'd deep hollow groans, and then distinstly ſpoke.
"How chang'd the ſcene! for what unpardon'd crimes
"Have I ſurviv'd to theſe degenerate times?
