To C*** P****, Efq;
`ROM friendship's cradle up the verdant paths
Of youth, life's jolly spring; and now fublim'd To its full manhood and meridian strength, Her lateft ftage, (for friendship ever hale Knows not old age, difeafes, and decay, But burning keeps her facred fire, 'till death's - Cold hand extinguish) at this spot, this point, Here P*** , we focial meet, and gaze about, And look back to the scenes our pastime trod In nature's morning, when the gamesome hours Had fliding feet, and laugh'd themselves away. Luxurious season! vital prime! where Thames Flows by Etona's walls, and cheerful fees Her fons wide fwarming; or where fedgy Cam Bathes with flow his academic grove, Pierian walks!
pace O never hope again, (Impoffible! untenable!) to grasp Those joys again; to feel alike the pulfe Dancing, and fiery spirits boiling high: Or fee the pleasure that with careless wing Swept on, and flow'ry garlands tofs'd around Difporting! Try to call her back
as well Bid yesterday return, arreft the flight Of Time; or mufing 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,
Must rise, and serious inmates take their place. Reflection's daughters, fad and world-worn thoughts Diflodging Fancy's empire-Yet who knows Exact the balance of our lofs and gain? Who knows how far a rattle may outweigh The mace or scepter? But as boys refign 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 refolution face the cloud or form, While all their former rainbows die away. Some to the palace with regardful step, And courtly blandishment resort, and there Advance obfequious; in the sunshine bask Of princely grace, catch the creating eye, Parent of honours : in the fenate some Harangue the full-bench'd auditory, and wield Their lift'ning paffion (fuch the pow'r, the fway Of Reafon's eloquence!) or at the bar, Where Cowper, Talbot, Somers, Yorke before Pleaded their way to glory's chair fupreme, And worthy fill'd it. Let not these great names Damp, but incite: nor Murray's praise obfcure 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 task fevere, the prize too high Of toil and honour, for thy father's fon.
Epiftle from the late Lord Viscount B--GB-KE to Mifs LUCY A-K-NS.
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 fhewn an equal care of human-kind; Strength does to man's imperial race belong, Το yours that beauty which subdues the strong; But as our ftrength when mifapply'd, is loft, And what should fave, urges our ruin most; Juft fo, 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 cafe the worse, And what should be their bleffing, proves their curse. Oh nymph! that might, reclin'd on Cupid's breast, Like Pfyche, footh the God of love to rest; Or, if ambition mov'd thee, Jove enthral, Brandish his thunder, and direct its fall; Survey thyself, contemplate ev'ry grace Of that sweet form, of that angelic face, Then CLARA fay, were those delicious charms Meant for lewd brothels, and rude ruffians arms ? No CLARA, no! that perfon, and that mind, Were form'd by nature, and by heaven defign'd
For nobler ends; to these return, tho' late, Return to thefe, and fo avert thy fate.
Think CLARA, think, (nor will that thought be vain)
Thy flave, thy HARRY, doom'd to drag his chain Of love, ill-treated and abus'd, that he
From more inglorious chains might rescue thee. Thy drooping health reftor'd; by his fond care, Once more thy beauty its full luftre wear; Mov'd by his love, by his example taught, Soon fhall thy foul, once more with virtue fraught, With kind and gen'rous truth thy bofom warm, And thy fair mind, like thy fair perfon, charm. To virtue thus, and to thyfelf reftor'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
OOK round the wide world each profeffion, you'll find,
Hath something dishonest, which myft'ry they call;
Each knave points another, at home is stark 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 hero ambitious (like Philip's great fon, Who wept when he found no more mischief to do) Ne'er fcruples a neighbouring realm to o'er-run,
While flaughters and carnage his fabre imbrue. Of rapine and murder the charge he'll evade, For conqueft is glorious, and fighting his trade..
The statesman, who steers by wife 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 difgrace; But policy calls it, reproach to evade, For flatt'ry's his province, cajoling his trade.
The priest will inftruct 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 doctrine 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 fide as right, Who tortures for fee the true sense of the laws, While black he by fophiftry proves to be white,
And falfhood and perjury lifts in his caufe; With fteady affurance all crime will evade : His client's his care, and he follows his trade.
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