First, in defence, such art will learn,
Then feign, deceive, betray in turn.
To thee some lov'd but faithless one
May do, what thou to all hast done ;-
Leave thee to pour thy sighs alone,
With treachery taught him by thine own.
Then, when thy bloom and youth decay,
-For earthly charms will fade away-
Thyself, with secret tears, shall know,
What ills from false, feign'd fondness flow
Shalt feel, while none lament thy fall,
Thy follies have deserv'd it all;
Though-sad reverse for triumphs past-
Shame on thyself recoils at last.
Or he, to whom thou art most dear,
Such voice of warning must he hear?
Though from that rich delicious lip
Thou may'st the liquid nectar sip;
May'st view in love's ecstatic trance
The soul-lit beams of that bright glance;
May'st mark for thee in seeming rise
That loveliest bosom's softest sighs;
Yet pause, rash youth!-whate'er it cost,
That bondage break,- -or thou art lost.-
Tho' the deep sense of beauty fill
Thy soul with passion's rapturous thrill,
Yet stop!-tho' heavenly joys entice,
Thou bendest o'er a precipice !-
Love, in its loveliest state is found
An iron chain, with roses bound
But loosely its sharp links around:
Then oh! when once the roses fall,
Or by foul rust are canker'd all,
How curst the fetters then which gall,
And hold the sinking head in thrall !"

Young Lais! I would warn to save :--
Better the dark remorseless grave,
Thy fatal fault shouldst thou not see,
Than such a doom as thine may be.
Repent thee, Lais, ere too late-
Deserve-enjoy-a brighter fate."

Thus Venus spoke-as we reprove
Often those most whom most we love :
She spoke and ne'er the maid forgot
Her words-she sobb'd, but answer'd not:
Yet seem'd to thank with humbled look
The goddess for that mild rebuke :-
Then past away-nor any came

The zone, which dropp'd from her, to claim,

VOL. II.

Ah! who dar'd hope she might prevail,
Lais! where ev'n thy charms could fail?

At last young Gertrude then and there
Advanc'd-no pride was in her air;
For she nor sought one heart to vex,
Nor lov'd such triumph o'er her sex ;
Nor dar'd she hope that belt to gain,
When Lais had aspir'd in vain.
But her a lover forward drew,

Who felt her pow'r, her virtues knew ;
And for his sake-his sake alone-
She wish'd to wear th' all-pleasing zone,
On him alone its spells to try,
And lavish all its witchery.

Then fav'ring Venus saw, and smil'd
And inly deem'd her urchin child ;-
"In looks and blushes such as those,

And such pure thoughts as they disclose,
For ever would I steep the dart,

Most sure to pierce and fix a heart."

Perchance there have been, and there are,

Features more strictly regular,

Should art's dull chisel strive to trace,

The charms of an ideal face :

But when has plodding art design'd

A face so lit, inform'd, with mind;

So fraught with those more magic charms
Whose pow'r all critic rule disarms,
And to those miscall'd "weak" imparts
Omnipotence o'er sterner hearts?

Oh we must rather feel, than trace,
That deep inexplicable grace:
That best most witching loveliness,
Nor pen nor pencil can express:
Words cannot reach, art cannot paint,
Nor hues embody without taint.
Th' unfading charm, th' unearthly tone,
By mind upon the features thrown;
The bright expression, that may make
The dullest heart to love awake;
And plighted lovers with a sigh,
Forget thy vows, Fidelity!

Myself have seen, if sooth be said;
A form more tall-a statelier tread ;
Yet well a lover might exclaim,

"Add but one hair-breadth to that frame,

R

Or give that step, ought more of art,
How would its witcheries half depart!"
Yet with such form, as if on earth
Venus had watch'd her from her birth,
While virtue ever beams, as now,
Conspicuous on that fair white brow;
With blood that chastely flows within
The purple veins, and smoothest skin;
With such a glance, mild, good, serene ;
Such moving harmony of mien ;

Oh! Gertrude! thou couldst boast a mind,
Ingenuous, simple-yet refin'd ;—
Which might the wise enchain alone,
If thou of beauty's gifts hadst none!
Gertrude, like Egypt's queen of old,
With ev'ry charm, that eyes behold,
Could blend those intellectual spells,
Where more enduring witchery dwells;
Which, while they bid the proudest bend,
A dignity to love can lend ;

And while the senses they subdue,

May captivate the reason too;

And while they bind love's chain more sure,
May make it transport to endure.
For Gertrude, as for Egypt's queen,—
If love were now, what love has been-
Heroes might linger life's long day,
And throw, unmov'd, the world away.
And if far times could come again,
Recorded in poetic strain:-

Those times, when Neptune, Jove, or Pan,
Glow'd with the same fond fires as man ;

Or spirits of immortal birth

Beheld and lov'd the forms of earth ;-
Then sure such charms had kindled love
Ev'n in the haughtiest breasts above,
And ardent gods from heav'n had stray'd,
To worship that celestial maid.
For now-though none such sport pursue,
Or quit the spheres to win or woo,—
Oh! still within that circling robe
Are beauties to enchant the globe!
Yet, tho' sweet Gertrude all might see
Perfect as aught of earth may be,
She only seem'd to know it not;
Or, if she knew it, still forgot;
Fond and sincere, as simple maid,
Who far in some sequester'd shade,

Rules but one heart-but once has heard Love's low-breath'd sigh, and whisper'd word!

Then Venus round the virgin's waist,
Plac'd the bright zone-nor vainly plac'd—
As when on Venus' self it hung,
Enamour'd to that waist it clung,

And rushing through the vanquish'd crowd,
Her lover cried, with rapture loud,

66

'Tis done: there lives one earthly fair,
Worthy the zone of heav'n to wear."
Yet while they greeted her around,
With meek eye bent upon the ground,
Gertrude the young, the fair, the good,
Silent in blushing beauty, stood.

But soon, while now her looks express
Joy 'midst their bashful tremblingness,
They sought her lover-his delight
Was more than triumph in her sight.
And how did chaste affection dance,
And glisten in her swimming glance!
How did she turn to him:-and throw,
Suffus'd in pleasure's roseate glow,
A smile, with tenderest meaning fraught!—
Oh, in my very dream methought,
Life's other blessings all were vile,
For him who bask'd in such a smile!

"Gertrude, to thee I yield my spell,
With pride,-for thou wilt use it well.
'Tis thine the blended pow'r to prove
Of beauty, youth, sense, virtue, love;
To shew, tho' arts which none may trust,
Destroy the weak, the wise disgust ;-
Yet there are arts-the fittest charms
Of woman, and her mightiest arms ;—
Arts, which refine, but ne'er oppose,
The purest thoughts, which virtue knows;
Arts which adorn the bloom of youth,
And are the brightest garb of truth;
Arts, which with nature's graces-suit
Her handmaids, not her substitute."

Thus Venus spoke; and smiling turn'd,
To her, whose brow with blushes burn'd:
As thou hast all my charms beside,
Take, keep my cestus too;" she cried.

The goddess vanish'd, as she spoke ; At once her flight my vision broke ; The crowd dispers'd, and I awoke.

LETTER TO THE RIGHT HON. NICHOLAS VANSITTART, CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER,

SIR,

ON

GAMING AND THE LOTTERY.

No. II.

We imagined, when we last addressed you, that a longer space would have intervened, before we wrote to you again. But facts have lately happened, and are indeed daily happening, which afford us an opportunity of pressing the subject of our last letter with an advantage, which, if suffered now to slip through our hands, may not easily be recovered. We shall be brief; and, if any expression should escape us in the hurry of composition, at all wanting in that respect which is due to your official situation and your established character, we trust that you will impute it to the warmth of men, who write under an immediate excitation of their feelings.

The circumstances, to which we allude, are the forcible entrances which have been made into gaming-houses during the present month; and the summary mode of proceeding which has been adopted with respect to the unhappy men who were found, or rather suspected, to have been playing at the tables. Our account of these transactions is extracted from the "Courier" newspaper of the 21st of October, and again of the 23d; and from the "Times" newspaper of the 24th.

The first account is extracted from the “Courier," of October the 21st. Mr. Campbell, a gentleman, attired in a military coat, a gentleman, who from certain unlucky circumstances, had, according to his own account "been excluded from every gaming-house in town," was the informer. In consequence of his information, a warrant was issued to Bishop and other officers, who proceeded to No. 16, Bury-street, St. James's, broke into the house, and brought fifteen persons in their custody before the magistrates of Bow-street, Sir Richard Birnie, Mr. Halls, and Mr. Minshull. magistrates stated, "that they should proceed upon the statute of the 3d, Geo. IV. If there was any thing improper in the course they might think proper to adopt, they were amenable for their acts hereafter, and would be prepared to justify their conduct. They were acting with the best intention, and from the most honourable motives. They considered it a great object to suppress the continuance of a system, which was every day

The