D D D▪  
THE FROG, OR, The Low-country NIGHTINGALE, Sweet Singer of AMSTERDAM.  
THE OLD EXCHANGE TO THE NEW STAT-HOUSE, Hoping fair Acceptance, a Speedy and handsome Return, This true FABLE DEDICATES.   

AESOP, FAB. LXXXII.  
OF THE FROGS Fearing the SUN should Marry.  

Low-country Provinces, United Bogs,  
Once distressed States, now Hogen Mogen Frogs;  
Royal and Noble Interest gone, Command,  
Grown formidable both at Sea and Land:  
Who but a Century of years before  
Dabbled in Fishing, despicably Poor,  
In seamless Vessels, Troughs, cut out of Logs,  
Catched Whiting-Mops; now Gogs and Gogmagog's,  
In stately Pines new Constellations raise,  
Ploughing up Billows two and thirty ways;  
Through boiling Brine, through Cakes of crusted Ice,  
For Gold and Silver, Ivory, Oil, and Spice;  
What straits, Gulfs, trending Bays, spare they to pierce,  
By Water to take in the Universe?  
Are they with Force not able to invade?  
No matter; They'll undo the World by Trade:  
Four Frogs, two Tod-pols, and one greasy Toad,  
Deep freighted Bottoms bear from Road to Road.   

Whom now a consternating Panic Fear  
Dejected much: The Sun will wed they hear;  
The News from India, worse than Plague or War,  
Brought and attested by the Blazing Star.  
To Pigmy Inches these Gygantick Frogs,  
Pale Terror, shrunk: Summoned from all the Bogs,  
hoping or crawling they in Clusters came  
Up to their Prime Morrass, their greatest Dam.   

There the new Statehouse stands, built fair and large,  
For their own Profit, but the People's Charge;  
Where they on all Emergencies of State,  
Or Private business, in Convention sat:   

No Portico this Modern Building faced,  
Within no ancient Princes figures graced;  
Nor Grandsires with their Nets, such were too Poor  
To stand with Besoms there behind the Door,  
Who for their own Good-Old-Cause Martyrs died  
By Hemp, or by more zealous Faggots tried.  
But Gods and Goddesses in Marble Carved,  
Or finely Painted, which the Heathen served,  
In all the Nieches, each convenient Place  
In Stone or Tables the fair Structure grace;  
But yet for all their Skill, these Belgic Toads  
Made Vpsie-Dutch Heroes and Grecian Gods.  
Early this day assembled Old and Young  
The Dam they cover, and the Statehouse throng;  
Silence commanded, not one whispering Croak,  
An old Sag-bellied Toad rising, thus spoke:   

Grave Hogen mogen's, High and Mighty Frogs!  
Whose Care and Prudence fertilized these Bogs,  
And so improved these your United States,  
Princes to Beard, and be with King's Copemates;  
Though we from Mushrooms sprung, and Spawn of Toads,  
Like Palaces are now our fair Abodes;  
When through brack Waters, and a salt Morrass,  
We in cut Trenches safe at pleasure pass,  
From Dam to Dam, and time with Talk beguile,  
Ourselves and goods landing ' thou't Care or Toil;  
From which new Water-works more Rend you raise,  
Than from rank Acres, where fat Oxen graze.   

But what of these Improvements will become?  
The Sun will Wed, and Nuptials keep at Home;  
Whom Laws of Gods and Men allow a year  
From War or Travel, with his fair Compeer;  
His Absence will our Marshes in a trice  
To Crystal turn, a never-thawing Ice.  
Or should we scape such a continued Frost  
As guirdles up nine Months the Arctic Coast,  
His teeming Spouse may yet produce a Son,  
Shall quite out of the beaten Zodiac run,  
So unexperienced drive his Father's Chair,  
That soon to Fire he'll rarefie the Air,  
Water and Earth to Dust and Ashes turn,  
And all in one new Conflagration burn.   

They tell how Phaeton our ample Bogs  
To Jelly boiled; stewed Tod-pols, Toads, and Frogs  
In one Pottage, and Pluto gave, who swore  
He never tasted Broth so Rich before.  
Many such Yonkers may spring from his Loins,  
And share his Houses twelve Celestial Signs;  
And they may Wed, have Sons, and Daughters too:  
What in this Imminent Danger shall we do!  
To what Protector shall we make address?  
All know that Neptune this concerns no less;  
Such drinking Suns may at one meeting Quaff,  
If he had twenty Plumbless Oceans, off.  
Him to implore lay by next Sabbath day,  
We're no such Jews nor Christians but we may:  
He heard us lately, when a swelling Tide  
Embodied, threatened o'er our towers to ride;  
And soon as moved, with his great Trident came,  
Beats off green Reg'ments stormed our yielding Dam;  
Which had they battered but nine Inches higher,  
We had not lived, ruin to fear by Fire.   

This said, Oh wondrous! the Foundations quake,  
And the stiff Idols, fixed in Marble, shake;  
When Neptune, where he did in Triumph ride,  
On a rich Shell, his Cheeks fresh Sanguine died,  
His Trident waving then with Arms displayed,  
Thus to the great Convention, wondering, said;   

Batavian Frogs, advanced by my sole Power,  
Whom Jove first planted from a Thunder shower,  
Fear not the Sun, nor at his Offspring shake:  
To the last drop I'll drain my ample Lake,  
My watery Kingdom's Laver into Suds,  
To quench their Torches; to the Stygian Floods  
I'll Titan send, and all his fiery Tits,  
To light their Lamps, and to regain their Wits.  
Lay idle Fears aside, he'll never Wed,  
Nor plant a Female in a flaming Bed.  
Suspect no Conflagrations from the East;  
But a new Sun now rising in the West;  
His Flames beware, make Peace, or Arm with speed;  
You more than all the Elements will need:  
Call our Supernal, Call th' Infernal List,  
Both Gods and Fiends too weak are to resist:  
He threatens my large Arms to bind in Chains,  
And now at Home a second Neptune reigns;  
Who three great Nations sways, and two fair Isles,  
His People Ruler of the Ocean styles.   

This said, their God grows pale, Limbs stiff and cold,  
Trembling with Fear, shrunk in their Marble Mold.   

MORAL.  
Princes beware to aid a growing State,  
Lest they be first that give you the Checkmate.  
Wealth and Success turns Humbleness to Pride:  
Beggars on Horseback to the Devil ride.   
FINIS.