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Unvarnish'd I the real truth impart,
Nor here am plac'd but to direct the heart.
Survey me well-ye fair ones, and believe,...
The grave may terrify-but can't deceive.
On beauty's fragil base no more depend,
Here youth and pleasure, age and forrow end;
Here drops the mask-here shuts the final scene,
Nor differs threescore, from
grave
fifteen.
All prefs alike to that fame goal, the tomb,
Where wrinkled Laura fmiles at Chloe's bloom.
When coxcombs flatter, and when fools adore
Learn here the leffon to be vain no more.
Yet virtue ftill against decay can arm,
And even lend mortality a charm.

gay

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Secluded far from human fight,
Attend my fleecy care,

But till my eyes are feal'd in night,
Thou fhalt partake my pray'r.
III.

My cottage on a rifing ground,
Near to a friendly fhade,
A ruin fhall my profpect bound,
With greens that never fade.
Some murm'ring brooks within my view,
That not too lifeless flow,

Whilft I the paths of truth purfue,

Both time and chance will fhew.

IV.

But if thou bring'ft thy heart again,
Untainted and fincere,

I'll laugh at all my prefent pain,
And banish every fear.
Then like a fhip the tempeft toft,
I'll bless the friendly fhore,
Forget the dangers that are past,
But venture out no more.

W

SONG, wrote to a Lady.

HEN the nymphs were contending for beauty and fame, Fair Sylvia stood foremost in right of her claim, When to crown the high transports dear conquest excites, At court she was envy'd end toafted at White's.

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Yet take heed all ye fair how you triumph in vain,
For Sylvia, tho' alter'd from pretty to plain,
Is now more engaging fince reason took place,
Than when she poffeffed the perfections of face.
IV.

Convinc'd fhe no more can coquet it and teaze,
Inftead of tormenting-fhe ftudies to please ;
Makes truth and difcretion the guides of her life,
And tho' spoil'd for a toaft, fhe's well form'd for a wife.

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A copy of Verfes, on seeing a boy walk on stilts, by

Eaving the grammar, for his play,
Forgetful of the rod :

Tott'ring on ftilts, through mire, and dirt,
The school boy ftroles abroad.
Why does this innocent delight
Provoke the pedant's spleen;

Look round the world, thou fool and fee
The use of this machine.

The tricking statesman, prop'd by these,
His virtues boasts aloud;

And on his guilded ftilts, sublime,

Steps o'er the murmuring crowd. Through fields of blood, the general stalks, And fame fits on his hilt;

The fword, or gun, at length bestows

An honourable stilt.

When quite deferted by the Muse,
The finking fonneteer,
Hammers in vain a thoughtless verse,

To please Belinda's ear:
The mighty-void of wit he stops
With a fuccefsful chime;

On ftilts poetic rifes quick,

And leans upon his rhime.
With well diffembled anguish, fee!
The canting rafcal beg,

And by a counterfeit gain more
Than by a real leg.

Yet on the boy's inftructive sport,

Is this contrivance built :

The fource from whence his gains arife,
What is it, but a ftilt?

Corinna fair, of stature low,

Yet, this defect fupplies,

By heels, like ftilts, which may

The conqueft of her eyes.

affift

See! in his fecond childhood faint,
The old man walks with pain;

On crutches imitates his ftilts,

And acts the boy again.

So well concerted is this art,

It fuits with all conditions:

Heroes, and ladies, beggars, bards,

And boys, and politicians.

Long through the various courfe of life,

Each artist walks unhurt,

Till death, at laft, kicks up his ftilts,
And lays him in the dirt.

The Rainbow. A Fable.

Nimium ne crede Colori.-VIRG.

AN age there was, fome authors teach,

Nor plant, nor bird, nor fish, nor brute,
Nor thing inanimate was mute;

Their converfe taught or these men lie-
Better than books, morality.

One grain more faith afford me now;
It asks but one more grain, I vow,
Speech on mere vifions to bestow.
Then you'll believe, that truth I tell,
That what I now relate befell.

Calm was the day, the sky was clear,
Save that a light cloud here and there,
Floating amid the azure plain,
Promis'd fome gentle showers of rain :
Tho' Men are faithlefs, Clouds are true,
As by the fequel foon I'll shew.
Sol from the zenith now departed,
Eastward his rays obliquely darted,
The clouds, late glorious of the day,
By western winds are borne away,
"Till to the east each vapour blown,
In lucid show'rs came gently down.
Now full oppos'd to Phoebus rays,
Iris her vivid tints displays;
A wat'ry mirror spread below,
To her own eyes her beauties fhew.
I scarce can think Narciffus eyed
Reflected beauty with fuch pride;
Or modern belle for birth-night drefs'd,
Raptures fo exquifite exprefs'd,

Some time enamour'd o'er the lake
She hung, then thus fhe fpake.

}

Say

"Say, in Creation's ample bound,
Where can there fuch a form be found?
How fine that curve! How bright those rays!
Oh I could here for ever gaze!

See, fee, refplendent circles rife,
Each above each, of various dyes !
Mark that first ring of fanguine light!
Beam'd ever ruby half fo bright?
Or can the flaming topaz vie

With that next stream of golden dye ?
Where was that em'rald ever feen

Whofe rays could rival yonder green?
Or where's that faphire's azure hue,
Can emulate it's neighb'ring blue?
See! purple terminates my bow,
Boaft amethysts fo bright a glow ?"
Thus to each charm the gave its due,
Nay more but that is

entre nous,

Exhauftless feem'd the copious theme,
For where's the end of felf esteem ?
She finding ftill for praise pretence,
From vanity drew eloquence :
When in the midft of her career,
Behold her glories difappear.
See her late boafted tints decay,
And vanish into air away,

Like spectres at th' approach of day.
On things too tranfient hangs their fate,
For them to hope a lafting date,
The fallen rain has clear'd the skies,
And lo! the short-lived phantom dies.
My application's brief and plain,
Beauty's the Rainborv, Youth's the Rain.

}

EUGENIO.

EPIGRAM.

On the Seahorse, with the aftronomers on board, being attacked by a French frigate.

ARS, inform'd that fome wights with inquifitive eye,
Defign'd into Venus's motions to pry,

Dispatch'd a bold warrior from Lewis's fleet,
The caitiffs to feize, and their purpose defeat;
But Neptune ftrait fent a Seahorse to their aid,
And fafe o'er the ocean his fav'fites convey'd.
VOL. IV.
S

CRITO.

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