for running up to a glass as foon as he came into a room. "Shine out bright fun, 'til I have brought a glass, As to his dress, in which, though confined to the fame colours, he contrived to distinguish himfelf from his reverend brethren, and by the help of a good quantity of powder, and not wearing a fhirt above three days, was generally fmarter than the rest of them; and this gained him no good-will among the graver fort, who was ufed to make a great joke of his spruce coat, and plaiftered curls, and were often heard to fay, "what a jeffamy parfon we have got among us! "a pretty sprig of divinity this!" with other expreffions of fevere wit and humour,-talents the clergy are generally found to excel in. At once the foft contagion feiz'd his breast, For what can Love's almighty pow'r controul? The ruling paffion ev'ry thought poffeft, And ev'ry fond idea fill'd his foul! *Had Dick figured in the prefent age of canonical foppery, he would not have been so much distinguished from his Reverend brethren. Life, foul, and all, would claim th' attention lefs; For life and foul is center'd all-in drefs. Now fie incerto mutantur flamine Syrtes, PROPERT. Ir was at this memorable æra that Dick MERRY-FELLOW made love to PUDICA, a young lady of birth and great fortune, who he fondly imagined had discovered a penchant for him. Ye fongs, fhells, philters, amulets, and charms, He was naturally very vain, and miftook thofe civilities which his character and appearance might claim of any lady, for a partiality towards him. Is fhe a Woman ?—if a woman-then My title's good-women were made for men. THUS flattered into a perfect fecurity of being poffeffed of an amiable confort, and a princely revenue, he went on in the delirium of breathing a golden age; it is not at all wonderful that the most poignant fenfations of vexation and dif like operated strongly, when the delufive phantom vanished on the bare word ECLAIRCISSE MENT. Ca CASTLES CASTLES in the AIR: TH A TAL E. HEY, who content on earth to stay, 1, too, my willing voice would raife,] But that the scenes which others praise, I grant the hills are crown'd with trees, But what is really there! True tafte ideal profpects feigns, Whilft on poetic wings, 'Bove earth, and all that earth contains, Unbounded fancy fprings! To dwell on earth, grofs element, Let grovelling fpirits bear; But I on nobler plans intent, No neighbour there can difagree, No furly landlord's leave I want, Tamake or pull down fences; I build, I furnish, drain, and plant, Regardless of expences ! One One thing, 'tis true, excites my fear, Left, earth being tax'd, as soon it may, Beyond what earth can bear; On Cafiles in the Air! Well with the end the means would fuit, Would he, in these our days, Ideal plans to execute, Ideal taxes raife! THINGS were in the most favourable fituation, and Dick in the high road to happiness, as he thought, when fortune, his old friend, contrived to defeat him in all his promifed joys. He never failed at a tavern amongst his affociates, to toast his mistress in as many glaffes as fhe had letters in her name, a custom among the Romans formerly, and revived by the no lefs paffionate fighers of his days. Navia fex Cyathis, feptem Justina bibatur, BUT, O! strange reverfe, his mind was now Occupied by mufing on the and now and then he thought on Shakespeare's, "Frailty, thy name is Woman." CHAGRINED and diffappointed, with quick feelings, and therefore irritable, DICK had recourfe to his mafter-piece, the PEN; and being, as he fays himself, all flame and fire, no wonder that this eclairciffement blazed fo violently over the county of Norfolk, The common denoüement of this affair is too remote to our intention of not offending any of the parties living, or the memory of thofe deceafed, we fhall therefore only premife, that in heat of paffion, and in refentment for (fuppofed) extreme ili ufage, it is well known he wrote THE of HISTORY OF PUDICA, A Lady of Nrf―lk. |