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161 LAETITIA PILKINGTON (c.1708–1725–1750) Laetitia Pilkington is best known for her highly entertaining three-volume Memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington (1748–54). In addition to its revelations about her own unconventional life, Mrs Pilkington’s Memoirs contains what is, in effect, the first biography of Swift. Embedded in the text are many of her own poems and some by her friends; the one below was written before the acrimonious separation and divorce between Laetitia and her clergyman-poet husband, Matthew Pilkington. The Petition of the Birds to Mr Pilkington on his return from shooting. Ah Shepherd, gentle Shepherd! spare Us plum’d Inhabitants of Air That hop, and inoffensive rove From Tree to Tree, from Grove to Grove; What Phrensy has possess’d your Mind? To be destructive of your Kind? Admire not1 if we Kindred Claim, Our sep’rate Natures are the same; To each of us thou ow’st a Part To grace thy Person, Head, or Heart; 10 The chaste, the fond, the tender Dove Inspires thy Breast with purest Love; The tow’ring Eagle claims a Part In thy courageous, gen’rous Heart; On thee the Finch bestow’d a Voice To bid the raptur’d Soul rejoice; The Hawk has giv’n thee Eyes so bright, They kindle Love and soft Delight; Thy snowy Hue and graceful Mien, May in the stately Swan be seen; 20 The Robin’s Plumes afford the red, Which thy soft Lips and Cheeks bespread; Thy filial Piety and Truth, The Stork bestow’d to crown thy Youth. Did we these sev’ral Gifts bestow To give Perfection to a Foe? i.e. do not be surprised. 1 162 Did we so many Virtues give, To thee, too fierce to let us live? Suspend your Rage, and every Grove, Shall echo Songs of grateful Love. 30 Let Pity soothe and sway your Mind, And be the Phoenix of Mankind. ...

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