See how they draw the beaftly rabble And make all cries about the town They ftretch their throats with hideous fhout. Roar out, pudding-pies, and gingerbread :" And fome, for " brooms, old boots, and fhoes," "God blefs our commons house!" Some bawl" the votes" about the town, And wish they'd "vote diffenters down." Instead of “kitchen-stuff," some cry, "Confound the late whig-miniftry!" And fome, for " any chairs to mend," The commons late addrefs commend. Some for "old gowns for china ware,' Exclaim against "extempore prayer:' And And fome for "old fuits, cloaks, or coat," To "build the church," would ftarve their spouses, Bawds, ftrumpets, and religion-haters, Pimps, pandars, atheists, fornicators, Rogues, that, like Falftaff, scarce know whether Yet join the parfons and the people, To cry "the church,”—but mean "the fteeple." If, holy mother, fuch you'll own For your true fons, and fuch alone, Then Heaven have mercy upon you, But the de'il take your beaftly crew! AN ΤΗ HAT the praises of the Author of Nature, which is the fitteft fubject for the fublime way of writ ing, was the most ancient use of Poetry, cannot be learned from a more proper instance (next to examples of holy writ) than from the Greek fragments of Orpheus; a relique of great antiquity: they contain feveral verfes concerning God, and his making and governing the univerfe; which, though imperfect, have many noble hints and lofty expreffions. Yet, whether these verses were indeed written by that celebrated Father of Poetry and Mufic, who preceded Homer, or by Onomacritus, who lived about the time of Pifistratus, and only contain fome of the doctrines of Orpheus, is a queftion of little use or importance. A large paraphrase of these in French verse has been prefixed to the translation of Phocylides, but in a flat ftyle, much inferior to the defign. The following Ode, with many alterations and additions proper to a modern poem, is attempted upon the fame model, in a language which, having stronger finews than the French, is, by the confeffion of their best critic Rapin, more capable of sustaining great fubjects. MUSE unfeign'd! O true celeftial fire, Brighter than that which rules the day, Defcend! a mortal tongue inspire To fing fome great immortal lay! Begin, and ftrike aloud the confecrated lyre! Hence, ye profane! be far away! Hence all ye impious slaves that bow To idol lufts, or altars raise, And to falfe heroes give fantastic praise ! And hence ye gods, who to a crime your fpurious beings owe! But hear, O Heaven, and Earth, and Seas profound! Hear, ye fathom'd deeps below, And let your echoing vaults repeat the found; Let nature, trembling all around, From whom heaven, earth, and feas, and all the wide creation came. |