Mr. Gay was the Son of a Gentleman, but the Eftate of his Family was very much diminish'd and incumber'd, infomuch, that not having a Dependance on any Thing worth staying in the Country for, he was fent up to London; the Trade which he chose to be put Apprentice to, was a Mercer, but he grew so fond of Reading and Study, that he frequent→ ly neglected to exert himself in putting off Silks and Velvets to the Ladies, and fuffer'd them (by reason of his wanting to finish the Sale in too few Words) to go to other Shops, where they might be kept longer in Play; this Way of Goffipping about among the Silk Mercers, is faid to be practis'd among young Ladies, often for Amusement, or to cure the Vapours, when in Reality they want to purchase nothing: Not being able to go thro' this Slavery, and doing what he did in the Shop with a Mind quite bent another Way, his Mafter feldom put him forward to ferve, but fome other, who had the Bufinefs more at Heart: By Degrees Mr. Gay became entirely to absent himself from the Shop, and at laft, by Agreement with his Mafter, to withdraw from it, and retire into the Country, and having made an Acquain tance with Mr. Pope, and contracted a Friendship with him and all his Friends; he wrote feveral small Poems very full of Wit, and much in Tafte, and having efpous'd the high Party, appear'd at Court, foon after his writing the Shepherd's Week, of which which we shall beg Leave, in a fit Place, (imagining it will be very grateful to moft Readers) to make Comparison with Mr. Pape, and other great Paftoral Writers.

He would fain have made the Tour of Europe with Mr. Pope; but, befides that he was unable to leavẹ his Parents, his weak Body could not fupport the Fatigue, nor had he then Leifure enough, or ForVOL. II. H

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tune equal to what such a Voyage, as they must have liv'd at great Expence, would have requir'd; for difcourfing of these Things, their Refolution if they had gone, was to have pafs'd the first Summer in Tufcany, and the whole Winter at Rome, where they would have found it Time little enough to fee only the choiceft Part of the Curiofities, and converfe with the Learned; but as Mr. Pope could not accompany him, who was chiefly alfo to have born the Expence, thefe Thoughts were turn'd another Way.

Among many small Pieces of Mr. Gay's, Trivia, or, the Art of walking the Streets, has had a very great Number of Admirers; but particularly the Rife of the Patten, and its being made by Vulcan, for a Lincolnshire Girl, and the more witty, and more humourus Birth of the Shoe-boy, from nothing less than a Goddess: It deferves to be quoted..

LIKE mortal Man, great Jove (grown fond of

Change)

Of old was wont the nether World to range
To feek Amours; the Vice the Monarch lov'd
Soon thro' the wide Ætherial Court improv❜d.
And ev'n the proudeft Goddess now and then
Would lodge a Night among the Sons of Men;
To vulgar Deities defcends the Fashion,

Each, like her Betters, bad her Earthly Paffion.
Then Cloacina (Goddess of the Tide

*

Whofe fable Streams beneath the City glide) Indulg'd the modifh Flame: the Town fhe rov'd, A mortal Scavenger fhe faw, fhe lov'd;

The

* Cloacina was a Goddefs, whole Image Tatius, a King of the Sabines, found in the Common-fewer; and not knowing what Goddess it was, he call'd it Cloacina, from the Place in which it was found, and paid to it divine Honours. La&tant. 1. 20, Minuc. Fel. Q&t. p. 23.2

The muddy Spots that dry'd upon his Face,
Like Female Patches, heighten'd.ev'ry Grace:
She gaz'd; the figh'd, for Love can Beauties fpy,
In what seem Faults to ev'ry. common Eye.

Now had the Watchman walk'd his fecond Round, When Cloacina hears the rumbling Sound Of her brown Lover's Cart, for well fhe knows That pleafing Thunder: Swift the Goddess rofe, And thro' the Streets purfu'd the diftant Noise, Her Bofom panting with expected Joys. With the Night-wandring Harlot's Airs fhe past, Brufh'd near his Side, and wanton Glances caft; In the black Form of Cinder-wench fhe came, When Love, the Hour, the Place, had banish'd Shame, To the dark Alley, Arm in Arm they move; O may no Link-boy interrupt their Love! When the pale Moon had nine Times fill'd her Space, The pregnant Goddess (cautious of Difgrace) Defcends to Earth; but fought no Midwife's Aid, Nor midft her Anguifh to Lucina pray'd; No chearful Goffip wifh'd the Mother Joy, Alone, beneath a Bulk, the dropt the Boy. The Child, thro' various Rifques, in Years improv'd At first a Beggar's-brat, Compaffion mov'd; His Infant-tongue foon learnt the canting Art, Knew all the Pray'rs and Whines to touch the Heart. O happy unown'd Youths, your Limbs can bear The fcorching Dog-ftar, and the Winter's Air, While the rich Infant, nurs'd with Care and Pain, Thirfts with each Heat, and coughs with ev'ry Rain! The Goddess long had mark'd the Child's Diftress, And long had fought his Sufferings to redress; She prays the Gods to take the Fondling's Part, To teach his Hands fome beneficial Art, Practis'd in Streets: The Gods her Suit allow'd, And made him ufeful to the walking Crowd,

To cleanse the miry Feet, and o'er the Shoe
With nimble Skill the gloffy Black renew.
Each Pow'r contributes to relieve the Poor:
With the ftrong Briftles of the mighty Boar
Diana forms his Brush; the God of Day
A Tripod gives, amid the crowded Way
To raise the dirty Foot, and ease his Toil;
Kind Neptune fills his Vafe with fœtid Oil,
Prefs'd from th' enormous Whale; the God of Fire;
From whose Dominion fmoaky Clouds aspire,
Among thefe gen'rous Prefents joins his Part,
And aids with Soot the new japanning Art:
Pleas'd the receives the Gifts; the downward glides,
Lights in Fleet-Ditch, and fhoots beneath the Tides.
Now dawns the Morn, the sturdy Lad awakes,
Leaps from his Stall, his tangled Hair he shakes,
Then leaning o'er the Rails, he mufing stood,
And view'd below the black Canal of Mud,
Where Common-Sewers a lulling Murmur keep,
Whofe Torrents rufh from Holbourn's fatal Steep:
Penfive, thro' Idlenefs, Tears flow'd apace,
Which eas'd his loaded Heart, and wash'd his Face;
At length he fighing cry'd; That Boy was bleft,
Whofe Infant-Lips have drain'd a Mother's Breast;
But happier far are those (if fuch be known)
Whom both Father and a Mother own:
But I, alafs hard Fortune's utmost Scorn,
Who ne'er knew Parent, was an Orphan born!
Some Boys are rich by Birth beyond all Wants,
Belov'd by Uncles, and kind good old Aunts;
When Time comes round a Christmas-Box they bear,
And one Day makes 'em rich for all the Year.
Had I the Precepts of a Father learn'd,
Perhaps I then the Coachman's Fare had earn'd;
For leffer Boys can drive; I thirsty stand,
And fee the double Flaggon charge their Hand,

See 'em puff off the Froth and gulp amain,
While with dry Tongue I lick my Lips in vain..
While thus he fervent prays, the heaving Tide
In widen❜d Circles beats on either Side ;
The Goddess rofe amid the inmoft Round,
With wither'd Turnip-Tops her Temples crown'd;
Low reach'd her dripping Treffes, lank and black
As the smooth Jet, or gloffy Raven's Back;
Around her Waist a circ'ling Eel was twin'd,
Which bound her Robe that hung in Rags behind.
Now beck'ning to the Boy; fhe thus begun :
Thy Pray'rs are granted; weep no more, my Son:
Go thrive. At fome frequented Corner ftand;
This Brufh I give thee, grafp it in thy Hand,
Temper the Soot within this Vafe of Oil,
And let the little Tripod aid thy Toil;

On this, methinks, I fee the walking Crew,

At thy Request fupport the miry Shoe; [brown'd,
The Foot grows black, that was with Dirt im-
And in thy Pocket jingling Ha'pence found.
The Goddefs plunges fwift beneath the Flood,
And dashes all around her Show'rs of Mud:
The Youth ftrait chose his Poft; the Labour ply'd,
Where branching Streets from Charing-Cross divide ;
His Treble Voice refounds along the Meufe,
And Whitehall ecchoes-clean your Honour's Shoes.

The latter Part of this Quotation, we think, bears a very strong Refemblance to fome Lines in the Dunciad.

The Comedy of Three Hours after Marriage, came out in Mr. Gay's Name, but Dr. Arbuthnot and Mr. Pope were both faid to be concern'd in it: It was levell'd at Dr. Woodward, who was pointed at in it under the Name of Fofile, acted by the best Comedian, but could not support itself, for indeed it was

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but