FROM friendship's cradle up the verdant paths

To C*** P****, Esq;
ROM

Of youth, life's jolly spring; and now sublim'd
To its full manhood and meridian strength,
Her latest stage, (for friendship ever hale
Knows not old age, diseases, and decay,
But burning keeps her sacred fire, 'till death's
Cold hand extinguish) at this spot, this point,
Here P***, we social meet, and gaze about,
And look back to the scenes our pastime trod
In nature's morning, when the gamesome hours
Had sliding feet, and laugh'd themselves away.
Luxurious season! vital prime! where Thames
Flows by Etona's walls, and cheerful sees
Her fons wide swarming; or where fedgy Cam
Bathes with flow

pace

his academic grove,
Pierian walks! - -O never hope again,
(Impoflible! untenable !) to grasp
Those joys again ; to feel alike the pulse
Dancing, and fiery spirits boiling high :
Or see the pleasure that with careless wing
Swept on, and flow'ry garlands toss’d around
Disporting! Try to call her back as well
Bid yesterday return, arrest the flight
Of Time; or musing by a river's brink,
Say to the wave that huddles swiftly by
For ever, from thy fountain roll anew.

The merriment, the tale, and heartfelt laugh
That echo'd round the table, idle guests,

Murt

Must rise, and serious inmates take their place.
Reflection's daughters, fad and world-worn thoughts
Dislodging Fancy's empire-Yet who knows
Exact the balance of our loss and gain?
Who knows how far a rattle may outweigh
The mace or fcepter? But as boys resign
The play-thing, bauble of their infancy,
So fares it with maturer years : they sage,
Imagination's airy regions quit,
And under Reason's banner take the field,
With resolution face the cloud or storm,
While all their former rainbows die away.
Some to the palace with regardful step,
And courtly blandishment resort, and there
Advance obsequious ; in the sunshine baik
Of princely grace, catch the creating eye,
Parent of honours : - in the senate some
Harangue the full-bench'd auditory, and wield
Their list’ning passion (such the pow'r, the sway
Of Reason's eloquence !)

or at the bar,
Where Cowper, Talbot, Somers, Yorke before
Pleaded their way to glory's chair supreme,
And worthy fill'd it. Let not these great names
Damp, but incite: nor Murray's praise obscure
Thy younger merit. Know, these lights, ere yet
To noon-day luftre kindled, had their dawn.
Proceed familiar to the gate of Fame,
Nor think the talk severe, the prize too high
Of toil and honour, for thy father's son.

Epiftle

Epistle from the late Lord Viscount B--GB-KE

to Mifs LUCY AK-NS,

D

EAR thoughtless CLARA to my verse attend,

Believe for once thy lover and thy friend;
Heaven to each sex has various gifts affign’d,
And shewn an equal care of human-kind;
Strength does to man's imperial race belong,
To yours that beauty which subdues the strong;
But as our strength when misapply'd, is loft,
And what should save, urges our ruin moft ;
Just so, when beauty prostituted lies,
Of bawds the prey, of rakes th' abandon'd prize,
Women no more their empire can maintain,
Nor hope, vile slaves of luft, by love to reign.
Superior charms but make their case the worse,
And what should be their blessing, proves their curse.
Oh nymph! that might, reclin'd on Cupid's breast,
Like Psyche, footh the God of love to rest ;
Or, if ambition mov'd thee, Jove enthral,
Brandith his thunder, and direct its fall;
Survey thyself, contemplate ev'ry grace
Of that sweet form, of that angelic face,
Then CLARA say, were those delicious charms
Meant for lewd brothels, and rude ruffians arms ?
No CLARA, no! that person, and that mind,
Were form'd by nature, and by heaven design'd

For nobler ends; to these return, tho' late, Return to these, and so avert thy fate. Think CLARA, think, (nor will that thought be vain) Thy slave, thy Harry, doơm'd to drag his chain Of love, ill-treated and abus'd, that he From more inglorious chains might rescue thee. Thy drooping health reford; by his fond care, Once more thy beauty its full lustre wear ; Mov'd by his love, by his example taught, Soon shall thy foul, once more with virtue fraught, With kind and gen'rous truth thy bosom warm, And thy fair mind, like thy fair perfon, charm. To virtue thus, and to thyself restor'd, By all admir'd, by one alone ador'd, Be to thy HARRY ever kind and true, And live for him, who more than dies for you.

The CHEAT'S APOLOGY.

L

By Mr. ELLIS. 'Tis my vocation, Hal! SHAKESPEAR. OOK round the wide world each profession, you'll find,

Hath something dishonest, which myft'ry they call; Each knave points another, at home is ftark blind,

Except but his own, there's a cheat in them all : When tax'd with impofture the charge he'll evade, And like Falstaff pretend he but lives by his trade.

The

The hero ambitious (like Philip's great fon,

Who wept when he found no more mischief to do)
Ne'er scruples a neighbouring realm to o'er-run,

While slaughters and carnage his fabre imbrue.
Of rapine and murder the charge he'll evade,
For conquest is glorious, and fighting his trade. ,

The statesman, who steers by wise Machiavel's rules,

Is ne'er to be known by his tongue or his face;
They're traps by him us'd to catch credulous fools,

And breach of his promise he counts no disgrace ;
But policy calls it, reproach to evade,
For flatt'ry's his province, cajoling his trade.

The priest will instruct you this world to despise,

With all its vain pomp, for a kingdom on high ; While earthly preferments are chiefly his prize,

And all his pursuits give his do&rine the lye; He'll plead you the gospel, your charge to evade : The lab'rer's entititled to live by his trade.

The lawyer, as oft on the wrong side as right,

Who tortures for fee the true sense of the laws,
While black hely fophiftry proves to be white,

And falfhood and perjury lifts in his cause;
With steady assurance all crime will eyade:
His client's his care, and he follows his trade.

The