Minerva's Petition
Pallas, a goddess chaste and wiseDescending lately from the skies,To Neptune went, and begg'd in formHe'd give his orders for a storm;A storm, to drown that rascal Hort,And she would kindly thank him for't:A wretch! whom English rogues, to spite her,Had lately honour'd with a mitre.The god, who favour'd her request,Assured her he would do his best:But Venus had been there before,Pleaded the bishop loved a whore,And had enlarged her empire wide;He own'd no deity beside.At sea or land, if e'er you found himWithout a mistress, hang or drown him.Since Burnet's death, the bishops' bench,Till Hort arrived, ne'er kept a wench;If Hort must sink, she grieves to tell it,She'll not have left one single prelate:For, to say truth, she did intend him,Elect of Cyprus in commendam.And, since her birth the ocean gave her,She could not doubt her uncle's favour.Then Proteus urged the same request,But half in earnest, half in jest;Said he--"Great sovereign of the main,To drown him all attempts are vain.Hort can assume more forms than I,A rake, a bully, pimp, or spy;Can creep, or run, or fly, or swim;All motions are alike to him:Turn him adrift, and you shall findHe knows to sail with every wind;Or, throw him overboard, he'll rideAs well against as with the tide.But, Pallas, you've applied too late;For, 'tis decreed by Jove and Fate,That Ireland must be soon destroy'd,And who but Hort can be employ'd?You need not then have been so pert,In sending Bolton to Clonfert.I found you did it, by your grinning;Your business is to mind your spinning.But how you came to interposeIn making bishops, no one knows;Or who regarded your report;For never were you seen at court.And if you must have your petition,There's Berkeley in the same condition;Look, there he stands, and 'tis but just,If one must drown, the other must;But, if you'll leave us Bishop Judas,We'll give you Berkeley for Bermudas.Now, if 'twill gratify your spight,To put him in a plaguy fright,Although 'tis hardly worth the cost,You soon shall see him soundly tost.You'll find him swear, blaspheme, and damn(And every moment take a dram)His ghastly visage with an airOf reprobation and despair;Or else some hiding-hole he seeks,For fear the rest should say he squeaks;Or, as Fitzpatrick did before,Resolve to perish with his whore;Or else he raves, and roars, and swears,And, but for shame, would say his prayers.Or, would you see his spirits sink?Relaxing downwards in a stink?If such a sight as this can please ye,Good madam Pallas, pray be easy.To Neptune speak, and he'll consent;But he'll come back the knave he went."The goddess, who conceived a hopeThat Hort was destined to a rope,Believed it best to condescendTo spare a foe, to save a friend;But, fearing Berkeley might be scared,She left him virtue for a guard.
Words in this poem 19
- pallas n.
- Pallas Athene, the Grecian goddess of wisdom, called also Athene, and identified, at a later period, with the Roman Minerva.
- went n.
- Course; way; path; journey; direction.
- thank n.
- A expression of gratitude; an acknowledgment expressive of a sense of favor or kindness received; obligation, claim, or desert, or gratitude; -- now generally used in the plural. [AS. Þanc, Þonc, thanks, favor, thought; akin to OS. thank favor, pleasure, thanks, D. & G. dank thanks, Icel. Þ\'94kk, Dan. tak, Sw. tack, Goth. Þagks thanks; -]
- mitre n.
- A covering for the head, worn on solemn occasions by church dignitaries. It has been made in many forms, the present form being a lofty cap with two points or peaks. Fairholt.
- whore n.
- A woman who practices unlawful sexual commerce with men, especially one who prostitutes her body for hire; a prostitute; a harlot. Wyclif. [OE. hore, AS. h; akin to D. hoer, hoere, G. hure, OHG. huora, huorra, Icel. h, Dan. hore, Sw. hora, Goth. h an adulterer, AS. h adultery, OHG. huor, and probabl]
- intend v. t.
- To stretch' to extend; to distend. [OE. entenden to be attentive, F. entendre, fr. L. intendre, intentum, and intensum, to intend, attend, stretch out, extend; pref. in- in + tendere to stretch, s]
- cyprus n.
- A thin, transparent stuff, the same as, or corresponding to, crape. It was either white or black, the latter being most common, and used for mourning. [OE. cipres, cypirs; perh. so named as being first manufactured in Cyprus. Cf. Cipers.]
- favour n.
- Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will. [Written also favour.]
- jest n.
- A deed; an action; a gest. [OE. jeste, geste, deed, action, story, tale, OF. geste, LL. gesta, orig., exploits, neut. pl. from L. gestus, p. p. of gerere to bear, carry, accomplish, perfor]
- adrift adv.
- Floating at random; in a drifting condition; at the mercy of wind and waves. Also fig. [Pref. a- (for on) + drift.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- jove n.
- The chief divinity of the ancient Romans; Jupiter. [L. Jupiter, gen. Jovis, OL. Jovis, nom. & gen. for Djovis; akin to E. Tuesday. See Tuesday, and cf. Jupiter.]
- spight n.
- A woodpecker. See Speight.
- plaguy a.
- Vexatious; troublesome; tormenting; as, a plaguy horse.
- blaspheme v. t.
- To speak of, or address, with impious irreverence; to revile impiously (anything sacred); as, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. [OE. blasfem, L. blasphemare, fr. Gr. : cf. F. blasphémer. See Blame, v.]
- damn v. t.
- To condemn; to declare guilty; to doom; to adjudge to punishment; to sentence; to censhure. [OE. damnen dap), OF. damner, dampner, F. damner, fr. L. damnare, damnatum, to condemn, fr. damnum damage, a fine, penalty. Cf. Condemn, Damage.]
- visage n.
- The face, countenance, or look of a person or an animal; -- chiefly applied to the human face. [F. visage, from L. visus a seeing, a look, fr. videre, visum, to see. See Vision.]
- knave n.
- A boy; especially, a boy servant. Wyclif. [OE., boy, servant, knave, AS. cnafa boy, youth; cf. AS. cnapa boy, youth, D. kna, G. knabe boy, knappe esquire, Icel. knapi, Sw. knape esquire, knäfvel knave.]
- condescend v. i.
- To stoop or descend; to let one's self down; to submit; to waive the privilege of rank or dignity; to accommodate one's self to an inferior. [F. condescendre, LL. condescendere, fr. L. con- + descendere. See Descend.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Minerva's Petition is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poems of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Volume 1, Project Gutenberg ebook #14353; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Jonathan Swift, Minerva's Petition, in On Poetry: A Rhapsody, and Other Poems (1727), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #14353, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/swift-poems-vol1/minerva-s-petition.html, id L24567.
Form and metre
Minerva's Petition is 80 lines in a single stanza. It is in rhyming couplets, 82% of the lines: octosyllabic couplets. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 93%).
See other poems in octosyllabic couplets, other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AABBCC--DDEEFF--GGHH----IIJJKKLLMMNNOOPPQQRRSSTTUUVV--WWXXYYZZaabbccdd--eeffgg-- wiseA · skiesA · formB · stormB · hortC · for'tC · her · mitre · requestD · bestD · beforeE · whoreE · wideF · besideF · him · him · benchG · wenchG · itH · prelateH · him · commendam · her · favour · requestI · jestI · mainJ · vainJ · iK · spyK · swimL · himL · findM · windM · rideN · tideN · lateO · fateO · destroy'dP · employ'dP · pertQ · clonfertQ · grinningR · spinningR · interposeS · knowsS · reportT · courtT · petitionU · conditionU · justV · mustV · judas · bermudas · spightW · frightW · costX · tostX · damnY · dramY · airZ · despairZ · seeksa · squeaksa · beforeb · whoreb · swearsc · prayersc · sinkd · stinkd · ye · easy · consente · wente · hopef · ropef · condescendg · friendg · scared · guard
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Pallas, a goddess chaste and wise | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Descending lately from the skies, | 8 | ˘/˘/˘··· |
| To Neptune went, and begg'd in form | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| He'd give his orders for a storm; | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| A storm, to drown that rascal Hort, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And she would kindly thank him for't: | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| A wretch! whom English rogues, to spite her, | 9 | ···/˘···· |
| Had lately honour'd with a mitre. | 9 | ·/˘····/˘ |
| The god, who favour'd her request, | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Assured her he would do his best: | 8 | ˘/······ |
| But Venus had been there before, | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Pleaded the bishop loved a whore, | 8 | /˘·/˘··· |
| And had enlarged her empire wide; | 8 | ··˘/·/˘· |
| He own'd no deity beside. | 8 | ···/˘˘˘/ |
| At sea or land, if e'er you found him | 9 | ········· |
| Without a mistress, hang or drown him. | 9 | ···/˘···· |
| Since Burnet's death, the bishops' bench, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Till Hort arrived, ne'er kept a wench; | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| If Hort must sink, she grieves to tell it, | 9 | ········· |
| She'll not have left one single prelate: | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| For, to say truth, she did intend him, | 9 | ······˘/· |
| Elect of Cyprus in commendam. | 9 | ˘/·/˘·˘/˘ |
| And, since her birth the ocean gave her, | 8 | ·····/·· |
| She could not doubt her uncle's favour. | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| Then Proteus urged the same request, | 9 | ·/˘˘···˘/ |
| But half in earnest, half in jest; | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Said he--"Great sovereign of the main, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| To drown him all attempts are vain. | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| Hort can assume more forms than I, | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| A rake, a bully, pimp, or spy; | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Can creep, or run, or fly, or swim; | 8 | ········ |
| All motions are alike to him: | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| Turn him adrift, and you shall find | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| He knows to sail with every wind; | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Or, throw him overboard, he'll ride | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| As well against as with the tide. | 8 | ········ |
| But, Pallas, you've applied too late; | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| For, 'tis decreed by Jove and Fate, | 8 | ··˘/···· |
| That Ireland must be soon destroy'd, | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| And who but Hort can be employ'd? | 8 | ······˘/ |
| You need not then have been so pert, | 8 | ········ |
| In sending Bolton to Clonfert. | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| I found you did it, by your grinning; | 9 | ·······/˘ |
| Your business is to mind your spinning. | 9 | ·/˘····/˘ |
| But how you came to interpose | 8 | ······˘/ |
| In making bishops, no one knows; | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Or who regarded your report; | 8 | ··˘/˘·˘/ |
| For never were you seen at court. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And if you must have your petition, | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| There's Berkeley in the same condition; | 9 | ·/˘···˘/˘ |
| Look, there he stands, and 'tis but just, | 8 | ········ |
| If one must drown, the other must; | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| But, if you'll leave us Bishop Judas, | 9 | ·····/˘/˘ |
| We'll give you Berkeley for Bermudas. | 9 | ···/˘·˘/˘ |
| Now, if 'twill gratify your spight, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| To put him in a plaguy fright, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Although 'tis hardly worth the cost, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| You soon shall see him soundly tost. | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| You'll find him swear, blaspheme, and damn | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| (And every moment take a dram) | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| His ghastly visage with an air | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Of reprobation and despair; | 8 | ······˘/ |
| Or else some hiding-hole he seeks, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| For fear the rest should say he squeaks; | 8 | ········ |
| Or, as Fitzpatrick did before, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Resolve to perish with his whore; | 8 | ˘/·/˘··· |
| Or else he raves, and roars, and swears, | 8 | ········ |
| And, but for shame, would say his prayers. | 8 | ········ |
| Or, would you see his spirits sink? | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Relaxing downwards in a stink? | 8 | ˘/˘/˘··· |
| If such a sight as this can please ye, | 9 | ········· |
| Good madam Pallas, pray be easy. | 9 | ·/˘····/˘ |
| To Neptune speak, and he'll consent; | 8 | ·/˘···˘/ |
| But he'll come back the knave he went." | 8 | ········ |
| The goddess, who conceived a hope | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| That Hort was destined to a rope, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Believed it best to condescend | 8 | ˘/····˘/ |
| To spare a foe, to save a friend; | 8 | ········ |
| But, fearing Berkeley might be scared, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| She left him virtue for a guard. | 8 | ···/˘··· |
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