CUDDY.

Across the fallen oak, the plank I laid,
And myself pois'd against the tott'ring maid :
High leapt the plank, and down Buxoma fell;
I fpy'd-but faithful sweet-hearts never tell.

LOBBIN CLOUT.

This riddle, Cuddy, if thou canst, explain;

This wily riddle puzzles ev'ry swain :
What flow'r is that which bears the virgin's name,
The richest metal joined with the fame ? *

CUDDY.

Answer, thou carle, and judge this riddle right,
I'll frankly own thee for a cunning wight:
What flow'r is that which royal honour craves ?
Adjoin the virgin, and 'tis ftrown on graves. t

CLODDIPOLE.

Forbear, contending louts, give o'er your strains ;
An oaken staff each merits for his pains.
But fee the fun-beams bright to labour warn,
And gild the thatch of goodman Hodges' barn.
Your herds for want of water stand a-dry;
They're weary of your songs and so am I.

To these we shall fubjoin the following eclogue, or foli. loquy, written by a lady; which contains a proper lesson to those of her own fex, who are so weak as to value themselves on that fading flower, beauty; and seems intended to recommend something more estimable to their culture and confideration. The ornaments of the mind are not so easily effaced as those of the body; and tho' beauty may captivate and fecure the affections for a time, yet a man of sense will never so much esteem a fine wife, as a wife one.

The SMALL-POX. A Town Eclogue.
By the Right Hon. L. M. W. M.

The wretched Flavia on her couch reclin'd,
Thus breath'd the anguish of a wounded mind:
A glass revers'd in her right hand she bore,
For now the shun'd the face she fought before.

• How am I chang'd? alas! how am I grown ?

• A frightful spectre, to myself unknown!
• Where's my complexion? where my radiant bloom,
• That promis'd happiness for years to come?
• Then with what pleasure I this face survey'd;
• To look once more, my visits oft delay'd!
• Charm'd with the view, a fresher red would rife,
• And a new life shot sparkling from my eyes!

• Ah! faithless glass, my wonted bloom restore;
Alas! I rave, that bloom is now no more!
• The greatest good the gods on men bestow,
• Ev'n youth itself to me is useless now.
• There was a time (Oh! that I cou'd forget!)
• When opera-tickets pour'd before my feet;
• And at the ring, where brightest beauties shine,
• The earliest cherries of the spring were mine.
• Witness, O' Lilly; and thou, Motteux, tell
• How much japan these eyes have made ye sell.
• With what contempt ye faw me oft despise
• The humble offer of the raffled prize;

• For at the raffle still each prize I bore,

• With scorn rejected, or with triumph wore !
• Now beauty's fled, and presents are no more!

• For me the patriot has the house forsook,
• And left debates to catch a passing look:
• For me the foldier has soft verses writ:

For me the beau has aim'd to be a wit. • For me the wit to nonsense was betray'd; • The gamester has for me his dun delay'd, • And over-seen the card he would have play'd • The bold and haughty by success made vain, • Aw'd by my eyes, have trembled to complain : • The bashful 'squire touch'd by a wish unknown, Has dar'd to speak with spirit not his own;

• Fir'd by one wish, all did alike adore ;
• Now beauty's fled, and lovers are no more!

• As round the room I turn my weeping eyes,

• New unaffected scenes of forrow rise !

• Far from my fight that killing picture bear,
• The face disfigure, and the canvas tear!
• That picture, which with pride I us'd to show,
• The loft resemblance but upbraids me now.
• And thou, my toilette! where I oft have sate,
• While hours unheeded pass'd in deep debate,
• How curls should fall, or where a patch to place,
• If blue or scarlet best became my face;

• Now on some happier nymph your aid bestow
• On fairer heads, ye useless jewels, glow!
• No borrow'd lustre can my charms restore;
• Beauty is fled, and dress is now no more!

• Ye meaner beauties, I permit ye shine;
• Go, triumph in the hearts that once were mine;
• But midst your triumphs with confufion know,
• Tis to my ruin all your arms ye owe.

• Wou'd pitying heav'n restore my wonted mein,
• Ye still might move unthought of, and unseen:
• But oh! how vain, how wretched is the boast
• Of beauty faded, and of empire lost!
• What now is left but weeping, to deplore
• My beauty fled, and empire now no more!
Ye, cruel chymists, what with-held your aid?
• Could no pomatums save a trembling maid?
• How false and trifling is that art ye boaft;
• No art can give me back my beauty loft!
• In tears, furrounded by my friends I lay,
• Mask'd o'er, and trembled at the fight of day;
• MIRMELIO came my fortune to deplore,

(A golden-headed cane well carv'd he bore) • Cordials, he cry'd, my spirits must restore! • Beauty is fled, and spirit is no more!

GALEN, the grave; officious SQUIRT, was there,

• With fruitless grief, and unavailing care:
• Machaon too, the great Machaon, known
By his red cloak and his superior frown;
• And why, he cry'd this grief and this despair &
• You shall again be well, again be fair;

i

• Believe my oath; (with that an oath he swore) • False was this oath; my beauty is no more!

• Cease, hapless maid, no more thy tale pursue, • Forsake mankind, and bid the world adieu! • Monarchs and beauties rule with equal sway; • All strive to serve, and glory to obey : • Alike unpitied when depos'd they grow, • Men mock the idol of their former vow.

• Adieu! ye parks!-in some obfcure recess, • Where gentle streams will weep at my distress, • Where no false friend will in my grief take part, • And mourn my ruin with a joyful heart; • There let me live in some deserted place, • There hide in shades this loft inglorious face. Ye operas, circles, I no more must view! • My toilette, patches, all the world adieu!

We have given the rules usually laid down for paftoral writing, and exhibited some examples which were written on this plan; but we must beg leave to observe, that this poem may sometimes partake of more dignity, and aspire even to the fublime, without deviating from nature and right reason. The sublime which arises from tumults, wars, and what are (too often falsely called great actions, the Paftoral abhors; but that which is blended with the tender and pathetic may be introduced with propriety and elegance. And, indeed, if we consider that the first shepherds were many of them princes (for that Abraham, Mofes, and David, were such, we have the testimony of the scriptures) it will feem somewhat extraordinary that fuch pains should have been taken to exclude the fublime from pastoral writing; and we shall be inclined to admit Virgil's Pollio, the Song of Solomon, and Pope's Messiab, as Paftorals, 'till better reasons are offered to the contrary than have yet appeared; for the true characteristic of Paftoral, and what diftinguishes it from other writings, is its fole confinement to rural affairs, and and if this be observed it can lose nothing of its nature by any elevation of sentiment or diction.

As an example of the more dignified and fublime fort of Paftoral, we shall give the young student Pope's MESSIAH, which was written in imitation of Virgil's POLLIO, together with the translations he has added from Ifaiab, and Virgil, that the reader may fee what use both poets have made of the sentiments and diction of the prophet.

MESSIAH. A facred Eclogue. In Imitation of VIRGIL'S POLLIO; which is supposed to have been taken, in part, froin a fibyliine prophecy that foretold the coming of Chrift.

Ye nymphs of Solyma! begin the song;
To heav'nly themes fublimer strains belong.
The mossy fountains, and the sylvan shades,
The dreams of Pindus and th' Aonian maids,
Delight no more thou my voice inspire
Who touch'd Ifaiab's hallow'd lips with fire!

Rapt into future times, the bard begun,
A virgin shall conceive, a virgin bear a fon
From Jeffe' root behold a branch arife,
Whose facred flow'r with fragrance fills the skies.
Th' ætherial spirit o'er its leaves shall move,
And on its top descends the mystic dove.
Ye heav'ns! from high the dewy nectar pour,
And in soft filence shed the kindly show'r!
The 3 fick and weak the healing plant shall aid,
From storms a shelter, and from heat a shade.
All crimes shall cease, and ancient fraud shall fail;

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P

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Returning 4 justice lift aloft her scale;

Peace o'er the world her olive wand extend,
And white rob'd innocence from heav'n descend.

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Swift fly the years, and rise th' expected morn!

Oh spring to light, auspicious babe, be born!

Ver. 8. A virgin shall conceive-All crimes shall ceafe, &c.]
Virg. Ε. 4 v. 6. Jam redit & Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna;
Jam nova progenies cælo demittitur alto.
Te duce, fi qua manent fceleris vestigia noftri,
Irrita perpetua folvent formidine terras--
Pacatumque reget patriis virtutibus orbem.

Now the virgin returns, now the kingdom of Saturn returns, now a nerv Progeny is fent down from high heaven. By means of thee, whatever reliques of our crimes remain, shall be wiped away, and free the world from perpetual fears. He shall govern the earth in peace, with the virtues of bis father.

Ifaiah, chap. vii. ver. 14. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a fon--Chap. ix. ver. 6, 7. Unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given; the prince of peace: of the increase of bis government, and of bis peace, there shall be no upon the throne of David, and upon bis kingdom, to order and to establish it, with judgment, and with justice, for

ever and ever.

end:

- 1 Ifaiah, chap. xi. ver. 1.2 Ch. xlv. ver. 8. 3 Ch. xxv. ver. 4.

4 Ch. ix. ver. 7.

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