For this he ftrips-nor bolt, nor chain,
Cou'd DAMON's warm purfuit restrain.

See him o'er hill, morafs, or mound,
Where'er the fpeckled game is found,
Tho' bent with age, with zeal pursue;
And totter tow'rds the prey in view.
Nor rock, nor ftream, his steps retard,
Intent upon the bleft reward!
One vaffal fly repays the chace!
A wing, a film, rewards the race!
Rewards him, tho' difeafe attend,
And in a fatal furfeit, end.
So fierce CAMILLA fkim'd the plain,
Smit with the purple's pleasing stain,
She ey'd intent the glitt'ring ftranger,
And knew alas! nor fear, nor danger:
'Till deep within her panting heart,
Malicious fate impell'd the dart!
How ftudious he what fav'rite food
Regales dame nature's tiny brood!
What junkets fat the filmy people!
And what liqueurs they chufe to tipple!
Behold him, at fome crife, prescribe,
And raise with drugs the fick'ning tribe!
Or haply, when their spirits fau'ter,
Sprinkling my Lord of CLOYNE's tar-water.
When nature's brood of infects dies,
See how he pimps for am'rous flies!

See him the timely fuccour lend her,
And help the wantons to engender!

Or fee him guard their pregnant hour;
Exert his foft obftetric pow'r :
And, lending each his lenient hand,
With new-born grubs enrich the land!

* O WILKS! what poet's loftieft lays
Can match thy labours, and thy praise ?
Immortal fage! by fate decreed
To guard the moth's illustrious breed!
'Till flutt'ring fwarms on fwarms arise,
And all our wardrobes teem with flies!
And must we praise this tafte for toys?
Admire it then in girls and boys.
Ye youths of fifteen years, or more,
Refign your moths-the feafon's o'er.
'Tis time more focial joys to prove;
'Twere now your nobler tafk-to love.
Let **
**'s eyes more deeply warm;
Nor, flighting nature's faireft form,

The biafs of your fouls determine

Tow'rds the mean love of nature's vermin.

But ah! how wond'rous few have known,
To give each stage of life its own.
'Tis the pretexta's utmost bound,

With radiant purple edg'd around,
To please the child; whofe glowing dyes
Too long delight maturer eyes:

And

Alluding to Mr. WILKS's very expenfive proposals.

"Moths of Butterflies delmeated by Benjamim Wilks!"

And few, but with regret, affume
The plain-wrought labours of the loom.
Ah! let not me by fancy steer,
When life's autumnal clouds appear;
Nor ev'n in learning's long delays
Confume my fairest, fruitless days:
Like him, who should in armour spend
The fums that armour fhould defend.

Awhile, in pleasure's myrtle bow'r,
We share her fmiles, and blefs her pow'r :
But find at laft, we vainly strive

To fix the worst coquette alive.

O you! that with affiduous flame Have long purfu'd the faithless dame; Forfake her foft abodes awhile,

And dare her frown, and flight her smile.

Nor fcorn, whatever wits may fay,

The foot-path road, the king's high-way.
No more the fcrup'lous charmer teize,
But feek the roofs of honest ease;
The rival fair, no more purfu'd,
Shall there with forward pace intrude;
Shall there her ev'ry art essay,
To win you to her flighted sway;
And grant your fcorn a glance more fair
Than e'er she gave your fondeft pray'r.

But would you happiness purfue?
Partake both ease, and pleasure too?

Would

Would you, thro' all your days, difpenfe
The joys of reason, and of fenfe?
Or give to life the most you can,
Let focial virtue shape the plan.
For does not to the virtuous deed
A train of pleafing fweets fucceed?
Or, like the fweets of wild defire,
Did focial pleasures ever tire?

Yet midft the groupe be fome preferr'd,
Be fome abhorr'd-for DAMON err'd:
And fuch there are-of fair addrefs-
As 'twere unfocial to carefs.

O learn by reason's equal rule

To fhun the praise of knave, or fool!
Then, tho' you deem it better ftill
To gain some ruftic 'fquire's good will;
And fouls, however mean or vile,
Like features, brighten by a smile;

Yet reafon holds it for a crime,

The trivial breaft fhou'd share thy time:
And virtue, with reluctant eyes,

Beholds this human facrifice!

Thro' deep referve, and air erect,
Mistaken DAMON won refpect;
But cou'd the fpecious homage pass,
With any creature, but an ass?

If conscious, they who fear'd the skin,
Wou'd fcorn the fluggish brute within.

What

What awe-ftruck flaves the tow'rs enclose,
Where Perfian monarchs eat, and doze?
What proftrate rev'rence all agree,

To pay a prince they never fee!
Mere vaffals of a royal throne!
The fophi's virtues must be fhewn,
To make the reverence his own.

As for THALIA-wouldst thou make her
Thy bride without a portion ?-take her.
She will with duteous care attend,
And all thy penfive hours befriend;
Will fwell thy joys, will fhare thy pain;
With thee rejoice, with thee complain ;
Will smooth thy pillow, pleat thy bow'rs;
And bind thine aching head with flow'rs.
But be this previous maxim known,

If thou canst feed on love alone:
If bleft with her, thou canst sustain
Contempt, and poverty, and pain :
If fo-then rifle all her graces-
And fruitful be your fond embraces.
Too foon, by caitiff-fpleen infpir'd,
Sage DAMON to his
groves retir'd:

The path disclaim'd by fober reason;
Retirement claims a later feason;

Ere active youth and warm defires
Have quite withdrawn their ling'ring fires.
With the warm bofom, ill agree,

}

* plait

Or limpid stream, or fhady tree.