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 fweet-hearts never tell.

LOBBI I N CLOUT.

This riddle, Cuddy, if thou canft, 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.

Anfwer, 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 firown on graves. †

CLODDI POLE..

Forbear, contending louts, give o'er your strains;
An oaken ftaff 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 ftand a-dry;
They're weary of your fongs- and fo am I.

To these we shall fubjoin the following eclogue, or foli. loquy, written by a lady; which contains a proper leffon to those of her own sex, who are so weak as to value themfelves on that fading flower, beauty; and feems intended to recommend fomething more estimable to their culture and confideration.--The ornaments of the mind are not fo eafily effaced as thofe of the body; and tho' beauty may captivate and fecure the affections for a time, yet a man of fenfe will never fo much efteem a fine wife, as a wife one.

The SMALL-Po x. 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 fhun'd the face fhe 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 happinefs for years to come?
Then with what pleasure I this face furvey'd ;
• To look once more, my vifits oft delay'd!
• Charm'd with the view, a fresher red would rife,
And a new life shot sparkling from my eyes!

Ah! faithlefs glafs, 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 fhine,
• The earliest cherries of the fpring were mine.
• Witness, O'Lilly; and thou, Motteux, tell
How much japan these eyes have made ye fell.
With what contempt ye faw me oft despise
• The humble offer of the raffled prize;
For at the raffle ftill each prize I bore,
• With scorn rejected, or with triumph wore!
Now beauty's fled, and prefents are no more!
For me the patriot has the house forfook,
And left debates to catch a paffing look:
For me the foldier has foft verses writ:
For me the beau has aim'd to be a wit.
For me the wit to nonfenfe was betray'd;
The gamefter has for me his dun delay'd,
And over-feen the card he would have play'd.
The bold and haughty by fuccefs made vain,
Aw'd by my eyes, have trembled to complain :
The bashful 'fquire touch'd by a wish unknown,
Has dar'd to fpeak 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 fcenes of forrow rife!
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 refemblance but upbraids me now.
And thou, my toilette! where I oft have fate,
While hours unheeded pafs'd in deep debate,
How curls fhould fall, or where a patch to place,
If blue or fcarlet beft became my face;

Now on fome happier nymph your aid bestow
• On fairer heads, ye ufelefs jewels, glow!
•No borrow'd luftre can my charms reflore;
Beauty is fled, and dress is now no more!
• Ye meaner beauties, I permit ye fhine;
Go, triumph in the hearts that once were mine;
But midst your triumphs with confusion know,
Tis to my ruin all your arms ye owe.
Wou'd pitying heav'n reftore my wonted mein,
Ye ftill might move unthought of, and unseen:
But oh! how vain, how wretched is the boast
Of beauty faded, and of empire loft!

• What now is left but weeping, to deplore
My beauty fled, and empire now no more!
Ye, cruel chymifts, what with-held your aid
⚫ Could no pomatums fave a trembling maid?
How falfe and trifling is that art ye boaft;
No art can give me back my beauty loft!
In tears, furrounded by my friends I lay,
• Mafk'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 fuperior frown;

And why, he cry'd this grief and this defpair &

You fhall again be well, again be fair;

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

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

Adieu! ye parks !-in fome obscure recefs, • Where gentle streams will weep at my diftrefs, • Where no false friend will in my grief take part, • And mourn my ruin with a joyful heart; • There let me live in fome deferted place, There hide in fhades this loft inglorious face. Ye operas, circles, I no more muft view! My toilette, patches, all the world adieu !

We have given the rules ufually laid down for paftoral writing, and exhibited fome examples which were written on this plan; but we muft beg leave to obferve, that this poem may fometimes partake of more dignity, and afpire even to the fublime, without deviating from nature and right reason. The fublime which arifes from tumults, wars, and what are (too often falfely 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 confider that the firft fhepherds were many of them princes (for that Abraham, Mofes, and David, were fuch, we have the teftimony of the fcriptures) it will feem fomewhat extraordinary that fuch pains should have been taken to exclude the fublime from paftoral writing; and we shall be inclined to admit Virgil's Pollio, the Song of Solomon, and Pope's Meffiab, as Paftorals, 'till better reafons 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 obferved it can lofe nothing of its nature by any elevation of fentiment or diction.

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

MESSIAH. A facred Eclogue. In Imitation of VIRGIL'S
POLLIO; which is fuppofed to have been taken, in part,
from a fibyliine prophecy that foretold the coming of Chrift.
Ye nymphs of Solyma! begin the fong;
To heav'nly themes fublimer ftrains belong.
The moffy fountains, and the fylvan fhades,
The dreams of Pindus and th' Aonian maids,
Delight no more- O thou my voice infpire
Who touch'd Isaiah's hallow'd lips with fire!
Rapt into future times, the bard begun,

I

A virgin fhall conceive, a virgin bear a fon
From Jee' root behold a branch arife,
Whofe facred flow'r with fragrance fills the skies.
Th' ætherial fpirit o'er its leaves fhall move,
And on its top defcends the mystic dove.

2

Ye heav'ns! from high the dewy nectar pour,
And in foft filence fhed the kindly show'r!

The 3 fick and weak the healing plant fhall aid,
From ftorms a fhelter, and from heat a fhade.
All crimes fhall ceafe, and ancient fraud fhall fail ;
Returning juftice lift aloft her fcale;

4

Peace o'er the world her olive wand extend,

And white rob'd innocence from heav'n defcend.
Swift fly the years, and rise th' expected morn!
Oh fpring to light, aufpicious babe, be born!

Ver. 8. A virgin fhall conceive-All crimes fhall cease, &c.]
Virg. E. 4 v. 6. Jam redit & Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna;
Jam nova progenies cœlo demittitur alto.

Te duce, fi qua manent fceleris veftigia noftri,
Irrita perpetua folvent formidine terras――
Pacatumque reget patriis virtutibus orbem.

16

15

20

Now the virgin returns, now the kingdom of Saturn returns, now a new Progeny is fent down from high heaven. By means of thee, whatever reliques of our crimes remain, fhall 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 fhall conceive, and bear a Jon--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 his government, and of bis peace, there fhall be no end: upon the throne of David, and upon, bis, kingdom, to order and to establish it, with judgment, and with justice, for.

ever and ever.

- 1 Ifaiah, chap. xi. ver. 1.

3 Ch. xxv. ver. 4. :

2 Ch. xlv. ver. 8, 4 Ch. ix, ver. 7.