" did not fuffer the accumulated mifery of blows, hun66 ger, and fatigue. When I was a colt, I was stolen " by a Gypfie, who placed two children upon my "back in a pair of panniers, before I had perfectly acquired the habit of carrying my own weight with

teadiness and dexterity. By hard fare and ill treatment, I quickly became blind; and when the family, to which I belonged, went into their winter quarters << in Norwood, I was taked as a bet against a couple of geefe, which had been found by a fellow who came by, driving before him two of my brethren whom he had overloaded with bags of fand: a halfpenny was thrown up; and to the inexpreffible increase of my calamity, the dealer in fand was the winner. "When I came to town I was harneffed with my "two wretched affociates to a cart, in which my new "mafter had piled up his commodity till it would hold

no more. The load was fo difproportionate to our "ftrength, that it was with the utmost difficulty and "labour dragged very flowly over the rugged pave"ment of the ftreets, in which every ftone was an "almost infuperable obftacle to our progrefs. One"morning very early, as we were toiling up Snow"hill with repeated efforts of strength, that was fti"mulated, even to agony, by the inceffant ftrokes of a whip, which had already lain our loins bare even "to the bone; it happened, that being placed in the "fhafts, and the weight preffing hard upon me, I "fell down. Our driver regarded my misfortune, "not with pity but rage; and the moment he turned "about he threw a ftick with fuch violence at my "head, that it forced out my eye, and paffing thro' "the focket into the brain, I was inftantly difmiffed "from that mifery, the comparison of which with my prefent state conftitutes great part of its felicity. But you, furely, if I may judge by your ftature, and the elegance of your make, was among the "favourites of mankind; you was placed in a higher "and a happier ftation; you was not the flave of in"digence, but the pride of greatnefs; your labour was

"sport,

fport, and your reward was triumph, ease, plenty " and attendance."

"It is true," replied the STEED, "I was a favorite : "but what avails it to be the favourite of caprice, "avarice and barbarity? My tyrant was a wretch "who had gained a confiderable fortune by play, "particularly by racing. I had won him many large

fums; but being at length excepted out of every "match, as having no equal, he regarded even my "excellence with malignity, when it was no longer "fubfervient to his intereft. Yet I ftill lived in eafe "and plenty; and as he was able to fell even my pleafures, though my labour was become ufelefs, "I had a feraglio in which there was a perpetual fuc"ceffion of new beauties. At laft, however, an"other competitor appeared: I enjoyed a new triumph "by anticipation; I rushed into the field, panting for "the conqueft; and the first heat I put my mafter in "poffeffion of the stakes, which amounted to ten "thousand pounds. The proprietor of the mare "that I had diftanced, notwithstanding this difgrace, "declared with great zeal, that the fhould run the "next day against any gelding in the world for double "the fum: my mafter immediately accepted the chal"lenge, and told him, that he would the next day "produce a gelding that fhould beat her: but what

was my astonishment and indignation, when I difcovered that he moft cruelly and fraudulently in"tended to qualify me for this match upon the fpot; "and to facrifice my life at the very moment, in "which every nerve fhould be ftrained in his service.

"As I knew it would be in vain to refift, I fuffered "myself to be bound: the operation was performed, "and I was inftantly mounted and spurred on to the "goal. Injured as I was, the love of glory was ftill "fuperior to the defire of revenge: I determined to

die as I had lived, without an equal; and having "again won the race, I funk down at the poft in an 66 agony, which foon after put an end to my life."

When

66

When I had heard this horrid narrative, which indeed I remembered to be true, I turned about in honest confufion, and blushed that I was a man. But my reflections were interrupted by the notes of a BLACKBIRD, who was finging the fiory of his own fate with a melody that irrefiftibly compelled my attention. By this gentle and harmonious being I was not treated with equal contempt; he perceived that I listened with curiofity, and interrupting his feng, "Stranger," fays he, "though I am, as thou feeft, in the fields of Elyfium, yet my happiness is not complete; my mate is ftill expofed to the miseries of mortality, " and I am still vulnerable in her. O! ftranger, to "bribe thy friendship, if peradventure it may reach my love, I will gratify the curiofity with which thy "looks enquire after me. I fell by the unprovoked enmity of man, in that feafon when the dictates of nature are love. But let not my cenfure be univerfal; for as the elegy which I fing, was written by a human being, every human being is not deftitute "of compaffion, nor deaf to the language in which "our joys and fears are expreffed." He then, after a fweet though fhort prelude, made the grove again eccho with his fong.

The fun had chac'd the winter's fnow,

And kindly loos'd the froft-bound foil;
The melting streams began to flow,
And plow-men urg'd their annual toil.
'Twas then amid the vernal throng,

Whom nature wakes to mirth and love,
A BLACKBIRD rais'd his amorous fong,
And thus it eccho'd through the grove:
"O! faireft of the feather'd train,

"For whom I fing, for whom I burn ;
"Attend with pity to my ftrain,

“And grant my

love a kind return.

◄ See, see, the winter's storms are flown,
"And Zephyrs gently fan the air!
Let us the genial influence own,
"Let us the vernal pastime share,

"The Raven plumes his jetty wing,
"To please his croaking paramour;
"The Larks refponfive love-tales fing,
"And tell their paffion as they foar.
"But truft me, love, the Raven's wing
"Is not to be compar'd with mine;
"Nor can the Lark fo fweetly fing

"As I, who ftrength with fweetness join.
"With thee I'll prove the fweets of love,
"With thee divide the cares of life;
"No fonder hufband in the grove,
"Nor none than thee a happier wife.
"I'll lead thee to the clearest rill,
"Whose streams among the pebbles stray;
"There will we fit and fip our fill,
"Or on the flow'ry border play.
"I'll guide thee to the thickeft brake,

Impervious to the fchool-boy's eye: "For thee the plaifter'd neft I'll make, "And on thy downy pinions lie. "To get thee food I'll range the fields, "And cull the best of ev'ry kind; "Whatever nature's bounty yields,

"Or love's affiduous care can find. "And when my lovely mate would stray, "To tafte the fummer's fweet at large, "At home I'll wait the live-long day, "And tend at home our infant charge. "When prompted by a mother's care

"Thy warmth fhall form th' imprison'd young, "With thee the task I'll fondly fhare, "Or chear thy labours with my fong." He ceas'd his fong. The melting dame With tender pity heard his ftrain; She felt, fhe own'd a mutual flame, And haften'd to relieve his pain. He led her to the nuptial bow'r, And neftled closely to her fide, The happiest bridegroom in that hour, And the the most enamour'd bride.

Next morn he wak'd her with a fong-
"Arife! behold the new-born day!
"The Lark his mattin peal has rung
"Arife, my love, and come away!"
Together through the fields they stray'd,
And to the verdant riv'let's fide,
Renew'd their vows, and hopp'd and play'd,
With honest joy and decent pride.
But O! my mufe with pain relates
The mournful fequel of my tale;
Sent by an order of the Fates,

A gunner met them in the vale. Alarm'd, the lover cry'd, "My dear, "Hafte, hafte away; from danger fly! "Here, gunner, turn thy vengeance, here! "O fpare my love, and let me die." At him the gunner took his aim;

The aim he took was much too true; O had he chofe fome other

game,
Or fhot as he had us'd to do! *

Divided pair! forgive the wrong,
While I with tears your fate rehearse:
I'll join the widow's plaintive fong,
And fave the lover in my verfe.

The emotions which this fong produced in my bofom awaked me; and I immediately recollected, that, while I flept, my imagination had repeated" an elegy occafioned by fhooting a BLACKBIRD on Valentine's day," which had a few days before been communicated to me by a gentleman, who is not only eminent for tafte, literature and virtue, but for his zeal in defence of that religion, which moft ftrongly inculcates compaffion to inferior natures, by the example of its DIVINE AUTHOR, who gave the most ftupendous proof of his compaffion for ours.

* Never having killed any thing before or fince.