TO A PAINTER.

BY JOHN HUGHES, ESQ.*

PAINTER, if thou canst fafely gaze
On all the wonders of that face;
If thou haft charms to guard a heart
Secure by fecrets of thy art;

O! teach the mighty charm, that we
May gaze fecurely too, like thee.

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Canft thou Love's brighteft light'ning draw,
Which none e'er yet unwounded faw?
To what then wilt thou next aspire,
Unless to imitate Jove's fire?
Which is a lefs advent'rous pride,
Though 'twas for that Salmoneus dy'd.
That beauteous, that victorious fair,
Whose chains fo many lovers wear;
Who with a look can arts infuse,

Create a painter, or a muse;

Whom crouds with awful rapture view;
She fits ferene, and fmiles on you!
Your genius thus infpir'd will foar
To wondrous heights unknown before,

* Born 1677; dyed 1719.

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And to her beauty you will own
Your future skill and fix'd renown.
So when of old great Ammon's fon,
Adorn'd with spoils in battle won,
In graceful picture chose to stand,
The work of fam'd Apelles' hand;
"Exert thy fire, the monarch said,
"Now be thy boldest strokes display'd,
"To let admiring nations fee

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“Their dreaded victor drawn by thee; 30 "To others thou mayst life impart,

"But I'll immortalize thy art!"

THE PEACH STONE.

BY GEORGE JEFFREYS, ESQ.*

WHERE healing fprings, by Aftrop plac'd,
Their watry ftores fupply,

A peach-ftone yields the wine as fast,
And fills the glafs as high.

Such magic in that prize is found,

By bright Maria taught

To speed the chearful brimmer round,
And confecrate the draught.

Blefs'd by thofe lips, whofe touch divine

Might wasting life repair;

To nectar it converts the wine,

To gladness ev'ry care.

Give me that balm to ease my pain,

My cordial when I faint;

And let the relique ftill remain,

To witness for the faint.

Born 1678; dyed 1755.

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THE HERMIT.

BY THOMAS PARNELL, D. D.

ARCHDEACON OF CLOGHER.*

F

AR in a wild, unknown to publick view, From youth to age a rev'rend Hermit grew; The mofs his bed, the cave his humble cell, His food the fruits, his drink the chrystal well: Remote from men, with God he pass'd the days, Pray'r all his bus'ness, all his pleasure praise. 6 A life fo facred, fuch ferene repose, Seem'd heav'n itself, till one fuggeftion rofe; That vice fhou'd triumph, virtue vice obey, This fprung fome doubt of Providence's sway: His hopes no more a certain profpect boast, And all the tenour of his foul is loft: So when a smooth expanfe receives impreft Calm nature's image on its watʼry breast, Down bend the banks, the trees depending grow, And skies beneath with answering colours glow: But if a ftone the gentle scene divide,

Swift ruffling circles curl on ev'ry fide,

And glimmering fragments of a broken fun,

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Banks, trees, and skies, in thick disorder run. 20

To clear this doubt, to know the world by fight, To find if books, or fwains, report it right, (For yet by fwains alone the world he knew, Whose feet came wand'ring o'er the nightly dew) He quits his cell; the pilgrim-ftaff he bore, And fix'd the fcallop in his hat before; Then with the fun a rifing journey went, Sedate to think, and watching each event.

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The morn was wasted in the pathless grass, And long and lonesome was the wild to pass; 30 But when the Southern fun had warm'd the day, A youth came pofting o'er a croffing way! His rayment decent, his complexion fair, And soft in graceful ringlets wav'd his hair. Then near approaching, Father, hail! he cry'd, And hail, my fon, the rev'rend fire reply'd; 36 Words followed words, from queftion answer flow'd, And talk of various kind deceiv'd the road; Till each with other pleas'd, and loth to part, While in their age they differ, join in heart. 40 Thus ftands an aged elm in ivy bound,

Thus youthful ivy clafps an elm around.

Now funk the fun; the clofing hour of day Came onward, mantled o'er with sober gray; Nature in filence bid the world repose;

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When near the road a ftately palace rose:

There by the moon thro' ranks of trees they pafs,

Whofe verdure crown'd their floping fides of grass.