Not the thought this fhort effay
A prage needful to his play;
Art, fays our learned letter,

kw the virtuous fex much better:
Ieee he held as fpecious arts,
Thew his own fuperior parts;
The farm of decency to fhield,
And give a aft pretence to yield.
Tang his courtly play,
Hear the fav'rite of a day;
Wimpudence drew near,
And werd Hebrew in her ear;
A Eth like the mason's fign,

toos can alone divine. The firing nymph, expert at feigning, pray, Sir, explain your meaning Serate to thofe that may endure ye!**is rudsnefs '—I'll affure ye! the glided like a fwallow, you guefs where to follow. Tech as know the party fet, ttees to declare they met;

A.

sbarn, as authors mention, the fair had apprehenfion. He there fecure from ftain, Sezen a farther trifling vain; red to be coy, Coentious, on the joy. the rale companion cried; ezale, I fear we're spied. was the caution vain: he faw AT

erling in the ftraw; Wo er her calow brood the hung, Air thus addrefs'd her young: Ye tra cots of my care! Pact prettie helpless pair; At our gentle fire, Arches your hearts require. For as it, and his bride, For. cylove to guide, an eagle's fpeed,

Our ord

Andke a dares to bleed.

Ny by wintry skies confin'd pon the rudeft wind, gears the vital fpoil, Afection (weetens toil. to vent'rous, ceafe to dare; car dealer fafety spare! ye cruel falcons, ftray; je fowlers, far away! furvive to fee the day e from myself away; all that Heaven could give, ty which alone I live, Tore than loft were I, te thought already die. Yes whom men and birds obey, fe of your creatures, fay,

mag comes by blits convey'd, the iweets of love allay'd? "grows enjoyment, tall and fair, hit twines entangling care; aftar for what our fouls poffefs ta evry pow'r to bless:

Yet friendship forms the blifs above;
And, life, what art thou without love!
Our hero, who had heard apart,
Felt fomething moving in his heart;
But quickly, with difdain, fupprefs'd
The virtue rifing in his breaft;
And first he feign'd to laugh aloud;
And next, approaching fmil'd and bow'd:
Madam, you must not think me rude;
Good manners never can intrude;
I vow I come thro' pure good nature-
(Upon my foul a charming creature!)
Are thefe the comforts of a wife?
This careful, cloifter'd, moping life?
No doubt that odious thing, call'd Duty,
Is a fweet province for a beauty.
Thou pretty ignorance! thy will
Is meafur'd to thy want of skill;
That good old-fashion'd dame, thy mother,
Has taught thy infant years no other:
The greatest ill in the creation

Is fure the want of education.

But think ye-tell me without feigning-
Have all thefe charms no farther meaning!
Dame nature, if you don't forget her,
Might teach your ladyship much better.
For fhame! reject this mean employment,
Enter the world and tafte enjoyment,
Where time by circling blits we measure;
Beauty was form'd alone for pleasure:
Come, prove the bleffing, follow me,
Be wife, be happy, and be free.

Kind Sir, replied our matron chafte,
Your zeal feems pretty much in hatte;
I own, the fondness to be bleft
Is a deep thirft in ev'ry breast;
Of bleffings too I have my store,

Yet quarrel not fhould Heaven give more;
Then prove the change to be expedient,
And think me, Sir, your moít obedient.

Here turning, as to one inferior, Our gallant fpoke, and fmil'd fuperior : Methinks, to quit your boafted ftation Requires a world of hesitation; Where brats and bonds are held a bleffing, The cafe, I doubt, is paft redreffing. Why, child, fuppofe the joys I mention Were the mere fruits of my invention, You 've caufe fufficient for your carriage, In flying from the curfe of marriage; That fly decoy, with varied fnares, That takes your widgeon's in by pairs; Abke to hufband and to wife, The cure of love, and bane of life; The only method of forecasting, To make misfortune firm and lafting; The fin, by Heaven's peculiar fentence, Unpardon'd through a life's repentance. It is the double fnake that weds A common tail to diff'rent heads, That lead the carcafe ftill aftray, By dragging each a different way. Of all the ills that may attend me, From marriage, mighty gods defend me!

Give me frank nature's wild demefne, And boundless tract of air ferene, Where fancy, ever wing'd for change, Delights to fport, delights to range: There, Liberty! to thee is owing Whate'er of blifs is worth beftowing: Delights ftill varied, and divine, Sweet goddess of the hills! are thine, What fay you now, you pretty pink, you? Have I for once fpoke reafon, think you? You take me now for no romancerCome, never study for an anfwer! Away, caft ev'ry care behind ye, And fly where joy alone thall find ye.

Soft yet, return'd our female fencer;
A queftion more, or fo-and then, Sir.
You 've rallied me with fenfe exceeding,
With much fine wit, and better breeding;
But pray, Sir, how do you contrive it?
Do thofe of your world never wive it?
"No, no." How then?" Why, dare I tell?
"What does the bus'nefs full as well."
Do you ne'er love? "An hour at leasure."
Have you no friendships? "Yes, for pleasure."
No care for little ones? "We get 'em;
"The reft the mothers mind-and let 'em."
Thon, wretch, rejoin'd the kindling Dove,
Quite loft to life, as loft to love!
Whene'er misfortune comes, how juft!
And come misfortunes furely must.
In the dread feason of dismay,
In that your hour of trial, fay,
Who then fhall prop your finking heart?
Who bear affliction's weightier part?

Say, when the black-bow'd welkin bends,
And winter's gloomy form impends,
To mourning turns all tranfient cheer,
And blafts the melancholy year;
For times at no perfuafion ftay,
Nor vice can find perpetual May;
Then where's that tongue by folly fed,
That foul of pertnefs whither fied?
All fhrunk within thy lonely neft,
Forlorn, abandon'd, and unbleft.
No friends, by cordial bonds allied,
Shall feek thy cold unfocial fide;
No chirping prattlers to delight,
Shall turn the long-enduring night;
No bride her words of balm impart,
And warm thee at her conftant heart.
Freedom, reftrain'd by reafon's force,
Is as the fun's unvarying courfe;
Benignly active, fweetly bright,
Affording warmth, affording light;
But, torn from virtue's facred rules,
Becoms a comet, gaz'd by fools,
Foreboding cares, and storms, and strife,
And fraught with all the plagues of life.
Thou fool! by union ev'ry creature
Subfifts, through univerfal nature;

And this, to beings void of mind,
Is wedlock of a meaner kind.
While womb'd in space, primæval clay
A yet unfashion'd embryo lay,

The Source of endless good above
Shot down his fpark of kindling love;
Touch'd by the all enlivening Hame,
Then motion first exulting came;
Each atom fought its fep'rate clafs
Through many a fair enamour'd mass;.
Love caft the central charın around,
And with eternal nuptials bound.
Then form and order o'er the fky
First train'd their bridal pomp on high;
The fun difplay'd his orb to fight,
And burnt with hymeneal light.

Hence nature's virgin-womb conceiv
And with the genial burden heav'd;
Forth came the oak, her firft-born heir,
And fcal'd the breathing fteep of air;
Then infant ftems of various ufe,
Imbib'd her foft maternal juice;
The flow`rs, in early bloom disclos'd,
Upon her fragrant breast repos'd;
Within her warm embraces grew
A race of endless form and hue:
Then pour'd her leffer offspring round,
And fondly cloth'd their parent ground.

Nor here alone the virtue reign'd, By matter's cumb'ring form detain'd; But thence, fubliming and refin'd, Afpir'd, and reach'd its kindred Mind. Caught in the fond celestial fire, The mind perceiv'd unknown defire; And now with kind effufion flow'd, And now with cordial ardours glow'd, Beheld the fympathetic fair, And lov'd its own refemblance there; On all with circling radiance fhone, But cent'ring fix'd on one alone; There clafp'd the heaven-appointed wife, And doubled every joy of life.

Here ever bleffing, ever bleft Refides this beauty of the breaft; As from his palace here the god Still beams effulgent blifs abroad; Here gems his own eternal round, The ring by which the world is bound Here bids his feat of empire grow, And builds his little heaven below.

The bridal partners thus allied, And thus in fweet accordance tied, One body, heart, and fpirit live, Enrich'd by ev'ry joy they give; Like echo, from her vocal hold, Return'd in mufic twenty-fold. Their union, firm and undecay'd, Nor time can fhake, nor pow'r invade; But, as the ftem and fcion ftand Ingrafted by a skilful hand, ́ They check the tempeft's wint'ry rage, And bloom and ftrengthen into age. A thoufand amities unknown, And pow'rs perceiv'd by love alone, Endearing looks and chafte defire, Fan and fupport the mutual fire; Whofe flame, perpetual as refin'd, Is fed by an immortal mind,

Nor ver the nuptial fanction ends: Le Net opens, and defcends; Wichsparent windings led,

ue to its celeftial head.
Tre, fit fpringing from above,
Bs the fource of life and love,
nd gives his filial heir to flow
He foldets down on fons below:
Tad in one continued tide,
To extremeft verge they glide;
Whacked ftreams on either hand,
Bin bleflings o'er the land.
Ise wetch! no lifping babe shall name,
Narning brother claim,
No on thy fight rejoice,
Noreet thy ent'ring voice;
Waal eyes no parent fee,

Ast bets their years reftor'd in thee.
leage rejected or declin'd,

even among thy kind,

The taer of thy fcorn'd embrace the wanton in thy face; plume thy little pride, p fly thy faithlefs fide. efl like thy carcafe rot, Is par'd, in death forgot. A Pow'r great Source of life! Cr the parent, hear the wife! The ou lendeft from above, Thuttle, make it large in love; Obody feeling heart expand Tery cam, on ev'ry hand; To from whom my days I drew, ། whom thofe days renew, Toak, bowever wide, Ich as blood allied, Tenda with teely fetters twin'd, And to the cruel, not unkind! Bur chef the lord of my defire, Me, me, my foul, my fire, Fonds, chidren, all that with can claim, Cate pon clafp, and rapture name Core him, pare him, gracious Pow'r! Cve m to my latest hour!

Ι

me my length of life employ ve my fole enjoyment joy. Eve let mutual love excite,

my cares to his delight; Aery needlefs bleffing spare, W by darling wants a fhare. W be with graceful action woos, Aly bills, and fondly coos, k me, to his eyes alone, ms attractive as his own; Any circling wings carefs'd, Glover to my breaft. Then a car chafte connubial bed, Mom pillow'd for his head, Ege with blifsful flumbers close, A watch, with me, my lord's repofe; peace around his temples twine, Aove him with a love like mine. Ad, for I know his gen'rous flame, Bad whate'er my fex can claim,

Me too to your protection take,
And fpare me for my husband's fake.
Let one unruffled, calm delight
The loving and belov'd unite;
One pure defire our bofoms warm,
One will direct, one with inform;
Through life, one mutual aid fustain ;
In death, one peaceful grave contain.
While fwelling with the darling theme,
Her accents pour'd an endless stream,
The well-known wings a found impart,
That reach'd her ear, and touch'd her heart;
Quick dropp'd the mufic of her tongue,
And forth with eager joy the fprung.
As fwift her ent'ring confort flew,
And plum'd, and kindled at the view;
Their wings, their fouls, embracing meet,
Their hearts with anfwering measure beat;
Half loft in fecret fweets, and blefs'd
With raptures felt, but ne'er exprefs'd.
Straight to her humble roof the led
The partner of her spotlefs bed;
Her young, a flutt'ring pair, arife,
Their welcome sparkling in their eyes;
Tranfported, to their fire they bound,
And hang with speechlefs action round.
In pleasure wrapt the parents ftand,
And fee their little wings expand;
The fire his life-fustaining prize
To each expecting bill applies,
There fondly pours the wheaten fpoil,
With transport giv'n, tho' won with toil;
While all-collected at the fight,
And filent through fupremne delight,
The fair high heaven of blifs beguiles,
And on her lord and infants fmiles.

The Sparrow, whose attention hung
Upon the Dove's enchanting tongue,
Of all his little flights disarm'd,
And from himself by virtue charm'd,
When now he faw what only feem'd
A fact, fo late a fable deem'd,
His foul to envy he refign'd,
His hours of folly to the wind;
In fecret with a Turtle too,

And, fighing to himself, withdrew.

§ 324. FABLE XV.

The Female Seducers.

'Tis faid of widow, maid, and wife,
That honour is a woman's life;
Unhappy fex! who only claim.
A being in the breath of fame;
Which, tainted, not the quick'ning gales
That fweep Sabaa's fpicy vales,
Nor all the healing fweets reftore,
That breathe along Arabia's fhore.

The traveller, if he chance to stray,
May turn uncenfur'd to his way;
Polluted ftreams again are pure,
And deepest wounds admit a cure:
But woman no redemption knows,
The wounds of honour never close.

Tho' diftant ev'ry hand to guide,
Nor fkill'd on life's tempeftuous tide,

If once her feeble bark recede,
Or deviate from the courfe decreed,
In vain the feeks the friendless fhore,
Her fwifter folly flies before!

The circling ports againft her clofe,
And shut the wand'rer from repofe;
Till, by conflicting waves opprefs'd,
Her found'ring pinnace finks to rest.
Are there no offerings to atone
For but a fingle error?-None.
Tho' woman is avow'd, of old,
Nay daughter of celeftial mould,
Her temp'ring not without allay,
And form'd but of the finer clay,
We challenge from the mortal dame
The ftrength angelic natures claim;
Nay more for facred ftories tell,
That even immortal angels fell.

Whatever fills the teeming fphere
Of humid earth, and ambient air,
With varying elements e dued,
Was form'd to fall, and rife renew'd,

The stars no fix'd duration know;
Wide oceans ebb, again to flow;
The moon repletes her waning face,
All beauteous frotn her late difgrace;
And funs, that mourn approaching night,
Refulgent rife with new-born light.

In vain may death and time fubdue,
While nature mints her race anew;
And holds fome vital fpark apart,
Like virtue, hid in ev'ry heart.
'Tis hence reviving warmth is seen,
To clothe a naked world in green.
No longer barr'd by winter's cold,
Again the gates of life unfold;
Again each infect tries his wing,
And lifts fresh pinions on the fpring;
Again from ev'ry latent root
The bladed item and tendril fhoot,
Exhaling incense to the skies,
Again to perish, and to rife.

And muft weak woman then difown
The change to which a world is prone?
In one meridian brightnefs thine,
And ne'er like ev'ning funs decline?
Refolv'd and firm alone? Is this
What we demand of woman?—Yes.

But thould the spark of vestal fire
In fome unguarded hour expire;
Or fhould the nightly thief invade
Hefperia's chatte and facred thade,
Of all the blooming fpoil poflefs'd,
The dragon Honour charm'd to rest,
Shall virtue's flame no more return?
No more with virgin fplendour burn?
No more the ravag`d garden blow
With fpring's fucceeding bloffom?--No.
Pity may mourn, but not reftore;
And woman falls-to rife no more!

Within this fublunary sphere
A country lies--no matter where;
The clime may readily be found
By all who tread poetic ground;

A ftream call'd Life, acrofs it glides,
And equally the land divides;
And here, of vice the province lies;
And there the hills of virtue rife.

Upon a mountain's airy ftand,
Whofe fummit lock'd to either land,
An ancient pair their dwelling chote,
As well for prospect as repose;
For mutual faith they long were fam'd;
And Temp'rance and Religion nam`d.
A num'rous progeny divine
Confefs'd the honours of their line,
But in a little daughter fair
Was center'd more than half their care;
For Heaven to gratulate her birth,
Gave figns of future joy to earth;
White was the robe this infant wore,
And Chaltity the name the bore.

As now the maid in ftature grew (A flow'r juft op'ning to the view) Oft through her native lawns the stray'd; And wreitling with the lambkins play'd; Her looks diffufive fweets bequeath'd, The breeze grew purer as the breath'd; The morn her radiant bluth affum'd, The fpring with earlier fragrance bloom'd And nature yearly took delight, Like her to drefs the world in white.

But when her rifing form was feen To reach the crisis of fifteen, Her parents up the mountain's head With anxious ftep their darling led; By turns they fiatch'd her to their breaf, And thus the fears of age exprefs'd:

O joyful caufe of many a care! O daughter too divinely fair! Yon world, on this important day, Demands thee to a dang'rous way; A painful journey all must go, Whofe doubted period none can know; Whole due direction who can find, Where reafon's mute, and fenfe is blind? Ah, what unequal leaders thefe, Thro' fuch a wide, perplexing maze! Then mark the warnings of the wife. And learn what love and years advise.

Far to the right thy profpect bend, Where yonder tow'ring hills afcend; Lo! there the arduous path 's in view Which Virtue and her fons purfue; With toil o'er lefs'ning earth they rife, And gain, and gain upon the fkies. Narrow 's the way her children tread, No walk for pleasure fmoothly fpread, But rough, and difficult, and steep, Painful to climb, and hard to keep.

Fruits immature thofe lands difpenfe,

A food indelicate to fenfe,

Of talte unpleafant: yet from thofe
Pure health, with chcerful vigour, flows;
And ftrength unfeeling of decay,
Throughout the long laborious way.
Hence, as they fcale that heavenly road,
Each limb is lighten'd of its load;

F

embrefining till they go,

ad jere the mortal weight below;

Then prends the trait, the doubtful clears,
de moth the rugged path appears;
catum turns fatigue to eafe,
And, taught by virtue, pain can please.
At kagth, the toilfome journey o'er,
And wear the bright celestial shore,
Ag-f, tax, fourful, and profound,
Apother world the bound,
Tknefs leading up to light;
Ser
Far

award fhrinks, and shuns the fight;
the tranfitory train
Ge, and form, and care, and pain,
And matter's grofs incumb'ring mafs,
Man's hoociates, cannot pafs;
But, faking, quit th' immortal charge,
And have the wond'ring foul at large;
Lhe wings her obvious way,
And angles with eternal day.
Teoh thither wing thy speed,
The pleure charm, or pain impede;
Toto'all-bounteous Pow'r has given,
earth, a future heaven;
Fork's, unmeasur'd gain ;
Andenes bifs for tranfient pain.
Teater, ah! fear to turn thy fight
We groter flow'ry fields invite:
Wade of the left the pathway bends,
Anda pernicious eafe defcends;
Ter, facet to fenfe, aud fair to show,
New-pante! Edens feem to blow,
Tan delicious poison bear;
For death vegetable there.

Hete the frame of health unbrac'd,
Exfing at the tafte,
The Fan yields her throne,
wans not her own;
We emb'rer in the night,
Petite hadowy dream of light,

B: rented eyes
The fences of fury-land arife;
pret world's amufing fhow,
Did the gaily-colour'd bow,

deaths, and glitt ring things,
ters of infants and of kings,
tempt along the baneful plain,
wife and lightly vain,
ging on the gulfy thore.
they ink-and rife no more.
B to what thy fates declare;
tar woman, frail as fair.
thy ding foot fhould stray,
on heaven-appointed way,
th, lo maid, for thee alone,
pra's fall plead, nor tears atone;
ict, forn, infamy, and hate,

y returning steps fhall wait; Ty form be loath'd' by ev'ry eye, deviry foot thy prefence Ay. Tham'd with words of potent found, guardian angels plac'd around, Acharm by truth divinely caft, ward our young advent'rer pass'd;

Forth from her facred eyelids fent,
Like morn, fore-running radiance went,
While Honour, handmaid late affign'd,
Upheld her lucid train behind,

Awe-ftruck, the much-admiring crowd Before the virgin vifion bow'd; Gaz'd with an ever-new delight, And caught fresh virtue at the fight; For not of earth's unequal frame They deem the heaven-compounded Dame; If matter, fure the most refin'd, High wrought, and temper'd into mind, Some darling daughter of the day, And bodied by her native ray.

Where'er the paffes, thousands bend, And thousands where the moves attend ; Her ways obfervant eyes confefs, Her fteps pursuing praises bless; While to the elevated Maid Oblations, as to heaven, are paid.

'Twas on an ever-blithsome day,
The jovial birth of rofy May,
When genial warmth, no more fuppreft,
Now melts the froft in ev'ry breaft.
The cheek with fecret flushing dyes,
And looks kind things from chatteft eyes;
The fun with healthier vifage glows,
Afide his clouded kerchief throws,
And dances up th' ethereal plain,
Where late he us'd to climb with pain,
While nature, as from bonds set free,
Springs out, and gives a loose to glee.

And now; for momentary reft,
The nymph her travell'd ftep reprefs'd,
Juft turn'd to view the ftage attain'd,
And gloried in the height the gain'd.

Outitretch'd before her wide furvey
The realms of fweet perdition lay,
And pity touch'd her foul with woe,
To fee a world fo loft below;

When straight the breeze began to breathe
Airs, gently wafted from beneath,
That bore commiffion'd witchcraft thence,
And reach'd her fympathy of fense ;---
No founds of difcord, that difclofe
A people funk and loft in woes,
But as of prefent good poffeft,
The very triumph of the bleft.
The Maid in rapt attention hung,"
While thus approaching Sirens fung:
Hither, faireft, hither hafte,
Brightest beauty, come and taste
What the pow'rs of blifs unfold,
Joys too mighty to be told:
Tafte what ecftacies they give;
Dying raptures taste, and live.

In thy lap, difdaining measure,
Nature empties all her treasure,
Soft defires, that fweetly languifh:
Fierce delights, that rife to anguish;
Faireft, doit thou yet delay?
Brightest beauty, come away.
Lift not, when the froward chide,
Sons of pedantry and pride,

N

Snarlers,