And next with words of fixt oration | Here lies the duft of mifer John,
The priest configns him to his ft tion; Who never durft his belly fill,
So fing, my mufe with graceful tone, But left his all to coufin Will.

To that I can't attain.
No fexton will disturb me here
Beneath this fpreading oak,
No boot-maker who fteals the deer,
Or puffs the bladder'd joke.
Nor envy I the rich, the great,

2. An Evening Meditation. By Mr. J. BURROW, of Boltonfield. Come, gentle peace, and footh my | My band not plagu'd with poetry, T'enjoy a filent hour, [breaft, Sweetly compofe my mind to reft, Beneath this fhady bower. Bright Phoebus o'er yon diftant hill Has left the gold ting'd ray, But the near prospect's pleasant ftill, And chears the eve of day. [books I've lock'd my draw'rs and cafe of That to beft ends conduce. [hooks, Sieves, cafters, buckles, tea-cheft,

And other things for ufe.
In life and death I wou'd be free
From trouble and from pain:

Whofe minds fo oft incline,
Eager to fe ze the alluring bait

From pleafore's gilded fhrine.
And when the hours of foft repofe
The weary limbs invite,
May balmy fleep its sweets difclofe
To blefs the fhades of night.

3. The Anfwers. By Mr. J. WALTON, of Allendale.
Canft thou, my Mufe, in lofty verfe defcr:be
The various fubjects of the numerous tribe
That spread the fame of Dia's facred page?
Which fire the genius and delight the fage?

Some fing of Buckles, Sexton, Oak, or Bout,
The Pepper-box, a Bladder, Lock, or Root,
Nay nothing, fomething, Time and Sleep or fain,
The Plague, a Riddle, and the bearded grain,
Or dear Bobea, the Hand, nay Death and fear,
With old Dame Thrifty's Drawer, the timorous Deer.
Others, the beauties of the verdant plains,

The blooming nymphs, or faithful rural (wains,
The fterling worth of virtue, peace and love:
Nothing's unfung that can the poet move.

Then ceafe my Mufe, thy humble lays forbear,
Perhaps thy aid I'll court another year.

4. The Old Farmer. By Mr. JoHN MOORE.
Our fons are grown, of late, quite infolent and great,
Far from the ways that were their fathers' care;
Inftead of bread and beer, their wearied limbs to chear,
Tea, pepper'd foups, and wine, are now their fare.

14

I. 2. II. TO. 4. 6.9.

With Boots in newest tafte, belt buckled round their waist,
They'll chafe a fox or Deer midt Oaks and thorns,
With heads as bladders light, till drawing on of night,
When Sol's bright beam no longer day agorns.

Then homeward as they bend, the eve appoint to spend,
Converse with mirth and glee, till, lo, anon

The my tipping god the r fenfes will corrode,
And bring fad days and plagury head-aches on.

12. 13. 15. 8. 7.16.

5.3.

Oh! would they change this life, and timely fhun all ftrife,
Their Hands employ in riddleing their grain,

With joy I then fhould fing; elfe to the Grave they bring
My hoary Locks, with grief and deadly pain.

By Mr. W. BOYER, of Leyland
Light as bladder bell, or deer,
So quick I flew to embrace my fain
To bury fear and heighten blifs,
Sure the church is not amifs;
The Reverend foon our wishes
crown'd,

5. The Hafty Wedding.
Bleffed fortune! happy day!
Drawer of plaguey pain away.
In verfe, a riddle quite profound
I fet my fair-love to expound;
No buckle, oaken box, or boot,
Would with time and feafon fuit;
But when Godlike Cupid spoke,
Soften'd was her heart of oak;
She paus'd, confider'd, thought again,
And found confent did all explain.
Bounce fprong my heart, I left my
chair

By

6. An Addrefs to.
Dear Emma, deign on me to smile,
And not defpife my lay,
For once reward my anxious toil,

O charming Queen of May!
The neat and sparkling buckle fine,
Adorns your bandsome foot,
Your drefs and lovely form combine
With elegance to bost. [maid,
But, ah! the time must come, fair
When coffee you'll give o'er,
When pains your tender beauties fade,
And riddles charm no more.

7. An Old Widow's Will. By Not far from yonder fhady grove, Where deer may, free from danger,

rove,

Stands a fmall cot, and in the fame
There now refides an ancient dame,
Who, plagu'd and weary'd out with
pain,

For food no appetite can gain,
Longs for the time, the fexton's bell
Shall found for her long fareweli.
Her will I made at her request,
Which was as it is here exprefs'd.
1 Mary Hobbs, of Horton-bind,
Of body weak, but found in mind,
Do herein both devife and give,
Thele buckles, pepper-box, and eve,
For ever to my elder fon,

Love and pleasure now abound,
Lock'd in joy, with plenty ftor'd,
Tea and coffee, in a word,
All that this world can afford,
Sweet our moments pafs away
All appears a fummer's day.

Mr. JOHN UNWIN, Wirksworth.
When dire difeafes thro' each vein
And veel force their way,
And the foul quit this mortal fcene,

To dwell in endless day; [gave
Then, oh! the charms that Nature
Muft lie within the ground,
In box of oak lock'd in the grave,

Until the trumpet found. [pray'r,
Regard your humble fuppliant's
I'll be for ever true,
Tu pleafe fhall be my conftant care.

My Emma dear, adieu.

Mr. ROBERT BAKER, of Terling.
And thus I have my Will begun.
Now to continue with the reft,
You'll find lock'd in my oaken cheft,
A pair of boots and garden fpade,
Thefe for my younger fon I've
laid:

Next, in the drawer you may fee
A bladder full of bohea tea,
My coffee-pot is also there,
Thefe for my daughter I declare.
Now, my lov'd children, be content-
With my last will and tefiament,
Which I have fign'd with my right-
band,
And hope you'll profper in the
land.

1

8. Qa

8. On Refignation. By Mr. G. BRENTNALL.

Happy the man who knows no fear
When death's fure dart approaches

9. The Happy Man. A Fable. By Mr. JACKRON, of Hutton-Rudby. In this vain world where difcords | Hear me, good fir, the peasant cried,

The truth I never thean to hide:

am no thief-I none annoy; Felling yond' onks is my employ; I tabour, and found fleep I take, And every morning, when I wake, My thankful thoughts direct to heaven,

And pray, thro' Chrift, to be forgiven. [thieve, In fteadfast hope no fear of death Will plague my mind at my laft

This fpeech our Gentleman did fcan, You ball in boots, at my commands, And faid, thou art a happy man. To gaol you go with lock'd-up bands.

By Mr. T. BRADBERRY, of Terling.

No time for repofe now he knew,To fhew that his heart fill was true: Dread anguish his foul did poffefs, Defpair like a plague did purfue, And blast ev'ry hope, redrefs.

:

11. The Oak and Deer. A Fable. By Mr. J. STAFFORD.

A sturdy oak high tow'ring food,
Upon the margin of a flood,
Around its root thick buthes fpread
And form'd a thick and fecret fhade.
A deer, by hungry dogs purfu'd,
Timely this fecret covert view'd,
In which quite fpent, and out of
breath,

[death.

He crept, to guard himself from
For verfile fortune proving kind,
He'd left the pack a mile behind;
At fault, the dogs now trace the
plain

To find their prize, but all in vain,
Bewailing loud their cafe fo hard,
They quit the field without reward.
So when disguise our Monarch
free'd

From vengeance, by his foes decreed;
They, arm'd with cruel rage, repin'd,
And vow'd revenge could they him
find.
[gone
Scarce off the field the dogs were
When thus the Oak, with angry
tone,

Addrefs'd the timid roe, and faid,
How dare you fly to me for aid?

12. Chloe's Lamentation. By Mr.

Vile reptile of the bladder'd crew,
Shall I debafe myself with you?
Avaunt! my force, my anger fear,
For what can with my might com-
pare?

Plague me no more your life to fave
Left you should find a wav'ry grave.
Scarce did this haughty language
clofe,

When, lo! a furious tempeft role,
Whole potent rage, by force un-
quell'd,

The oak laid proftrate on the field.
By fate's decree he yields his breath,
And bides his weak nefs-where? in
death.

The deer, who had his fall furvey'd,
Approaching this reflection made.
How void of thought those beings

are,

Who fortune's bounty largely fhare!
To pride themselves in being great,
And fcorn the poor in humble ftate,
Since by one band we all are made,
And life's the fhadow of a fhade.

So faid, he to the foreft flies,
To feed remate from human eyes.
T. NIELD, Hawarden-School.

And fhall I never fee my Strephon | No tea I'll drink, or riddle read to

[dore.

cheer,

more? Ah! cruel he whom I fo much a- No box of spices ever fhall be there. His drefs was charming, boots and Behold the deer, how from her foe buckles shin'd; Left wind. the flies,

[the lies. His tongue more gentie than the foft To thickeft covert, where conceal'd Say, thepherds, whither's Strephon Juft fo will I, like bladder or like

Aled away,
[delay?
Say what detains him-why this long
Ah me! I'm doom'd to feel this pun.
gent pain,

To love fincere, and not be lov'd again.
What flattering hopes once footh'd
my gentle mind, [most kind?
While he was conftant, while he was
But now, alas! how alter'd is my
stare!
[fate!
How hard my lot! how fixed is my

ball, [phon's call; Fly fwift away far from falle StreAnd like fair Echo with continual grief, [human life. Wear thin the thread that ties frail Distracting thought! why thould I thus be crofs'd? Lock'd up in love and unto reafon loft. Yet there's a power who may reward the (wain [direful pain. With this my plague, with this my

Beneath fome oak's fweet leaves I'll I feel my heart fwell in my tortur'd

filent moan,

[known.

breast,

Forget the world, and be myfelf un-Anon I'm gone, anon I fink to reit. No fire fhall warm nor water cool Toll, Sexton, toll, Lieel my time draw

[my reft,

nigh,

my breast, [muit die. No band intrude, nor tongue difturb Farewell, falfe Strephon, for I fooa ANSWERS

ANSWERS to the PRIZE ENIGMA, REBUSES, &c.

God;
[rod:
Yer man is aw'd but by affliction's
No Deity he fees but in bis fears,
In ftorms and thunders from the cir

Грасе,

1. By Mrs. ABIGAIL WINTER BOTTOM, Failsworth, Manchester. By endless proofs all nature fhews a Then from irradiant fields of life and [al race; Beyond where fol performs his annuReturn elate with joy to earth again, Divinely chant his Maker's praise for men, [care, His tender offspring would employkis He'd view their actions with a mother's fear,

cling fpheres. But did he rightly scan Omnipotence, Or only judge of things by common fenfe, (place, He'd fearch and find out God in ev'ry Nor be content with fpeculative trace, But strive to feel him, and in praife divine [pyreal fhrine, Would lift his foul to heav'n's em. There mix with Angels chanting to their lyres, (choirs: Commingle adoration with their

Decypher fecrets of that Hand fupreme,

Whofe never changing Goodness is the fame,

That duty teach them, both to God and man,

Which alter'd never fince the World began.

2. The Mifer. By Mr. J. NEEDHAM, of Hinckley.

Iron Hand, and iron heart,

With your money loth to par:,

You delight the poor to grind,

To heap up gold to leave behind.

3. Against Envy. By Mr. JoнN WARD of Hinckley.

Ye youthful bards of Britain's happy | That inward prejudice to health

ifle,

expel,

Let not detraction ever lay her toil: And with calm mind direct your Fiee Envy, tyrant of the human

breaft, [reft: What And dire affailant of all peace and

bands to tell

fecret pleafures inwardly

now dwell.

Adderbury, Oxon. When the last trump the fleeping dead thall hear,

4. Answer. By Mr. J. TOWNSEND, When the great Angel from the etherial sky, [no: lie, Shall fwear an oath by him that canThat nature's courfe thall know a final paufe,

And diffolution feal her ruling laws;

And ev'ry nation at the bar appear;
Cloth'd in Chrift's righteou nefs, O

may 1 ftand. [right band.
Among the bleffed theep at God's
By Mr. MICHAEL WILLIAMS.
"Was thirsty-and your gifts were
fweet,
[free,

5. On the great Tribunal. Almighty God, grant we all may Prepare for the great judgment day, And on our Lord's right band be" I naked was-you cloath'd me "In prifon was you fuccour'd me; For thete your deeds divinely

found,

With glorious angels circled round. And when he fhall pronounce our doom,

May we all hear the fentence "Come "Ye bleffed fouls, that kingdom fhare,

My Father did for you prepare ; "I hungry was-you gave me mea,

B

bright,

"Inherit realms of endless light."
Lord grant we may partake of this
Reward, this everlasting blifs;
Where glorious fain s for ever fing
Praifes to heaven's eternal King.
6. To the

4