The priest will instruct you this world to despise,
With all it's vain pomp, for a kingdom on high;
While earthly preferments are chiefly his prize,
And all his pursuits give his doctrine the lye : He'll plead you the gospel, your charge to evade : • The lab'rer's entitled to live by his trade.'
The lawyer, as oft on the wrong fide as right,
Who tortures for fee the true fenfe of the laws,
While black he by fophiftry proves to be white,
And falfhood and perjury lifts in his cause;
With steady afsurance all crimes will evade:
His client's his care, and he follows his trade.
The fons of Machaon, who thirfty for gold
The patient paft cure vifit thrice in a day,
Write largely the Pharmacop league to uphold,
While poverty's left to diseases a prey,
Are held in repute for their glitt'ring parade;
Their practice is great, and they fhine in their trade.
Since, then, in all stations imposture is found,
No one of another can justly complain;
The coin he receives will pass current around,
And where he is cozen'd he cozens again:
But I, who for Cheats this apology made,
Cheat myself by my rhyming, and starve by my trade.
BY THE RIGHT HON. MR. CHARLES FOX,
HERE the lovelieft expreffion to features is join'd'
By Nature's moft delicate pencil defign'd ;
Where blushes unbidden, and fmiles without art,
Speak the softness and feeling that dwell in the heart;
Where in manners inchanting no blemish we trace,
But the foul keeps the promise we had from the face;
Sure philofophy, reafon, and coldness, muft prove
Defences unequal to fhield us from love:
Then tell me, myfterious inchanter! O tell,
By what wonderful art, by what magical fpell,
My heart is fo fenc'd, that for once I am wife,
And gaze without raptures on Amoret's eyes;
That my wishes, which never were bounded before,
Are here bounded by Friendship, and afk for no more.
Is't Reafon? No; that my whole life will belye,
For who fo at variance as Reason and I?
Is't Ambition that fills up each chink of my heart,
Nor allows any fofter fenfation a part?
Oh, no! for in this all the world must agree,
One folly was never fufficient for me.
Is my mind on distress too intenfely employ'd,
Or by pleasure relax'd, by variety cloy'd?
For, alike in this only, enjoyment and pain,
Both flacken the springs of those nerves which they strain.
That I've felt each reverfe that from fortune can flow,
That I've tafted each blifs that the happiest know,
Has ftill been the whimsical fate of my life,
Where Anguish and Joy have been ever at strife.
But tho' vers'd in th' extremes both of pleasure and pain,
I am ftill but too ready to feel them again
If, then, for this once in my life I am free,
And escape from a fnare might catch wiser than me; "Tis, that beauty alone but imperfectly charms,
For tho' brightness may dazzle, 'tis kindness that warms:
As on funs in the winter with pleasure we gaze,
But feel not their warmth, tho' their splendor we praise;
So beauty our juft admiration may claim,
But love, and love only, the heart can enflame.
GOING TO BATHE IN THE SEA.
ENUS, most histories agree,
Sprung from the ferment of the fea;
Yet, I confefs, I'm always lothe
To think fuch beauty was but froth,
Or that the ocean, which more odd is,
Should from a bubble spawn a goddess:
Tho' hence, my Laura, learned fellows
Of fuch it's wonderous powers ftill tell us,
That every mother brings her daughter
To dip in this fpecifick water,
Expecting from the briny wave
Charms which it once to Venus gave.
These charms, my Laura ftrive to gain;
And, that you may not bathe in vain,
I'll here, as well as I am able,
Give you a moral to this fable.
Would you a goddess reign o'er all,
From the wide flood it's virtues call.
Free from each ftain thy bosom keep,
Clear be it as this azure deep,
Which no capricious paffion knows,
But duly ebbs, and duly flows;
Tho' fometimes ruffled, calm'd as foon,
Still conftant to it's faithful moon,
At whofe approach with pride it fwells,
And to each fhore it's chafte love tells:
Heedlefs of ev'ry change of weather,
That wafts a straw, or coxcomb feather,
Which only on the surface play,
And unobferv'd are wash'd away.
Reflect, that lodg'd within it's breast,
The modeft pearl delights to reft,
While ev'ry gem to Neptune known,
Is there with partial bounty fown.
In years, thus ever may we trace
Each sparkling charm, each blushing grace;
To these let judgment value give,
And in that feat of beauty live!
This moral keep before your eyes;
Plunge and a new-born Venus rife.
APPY the babe, whofe natal hour
The Mufe propitious deigns to grace;
No frowns on his foft forehead lour,
No cries diftort his tender face:
But o'er her child, forgetting all her pangs,
Infatiate of her fmiles, the raptur'd parent hangs.
Let ftatesmen, on the fleepless bed,
The fate of realms and princes weigh,
While in the agonizing head
They form ideal fcenes of fway;
Not long, alas! the fancied charms delight,
But melt, like spectre-forms, in filent shades of night.
Ye heavy pedants, dull of lore,
Nod o'er the taper's livid flame;
Ye mifers, ftill increase your store;
Still tremble at the robber's name:
Or fhudd'ring from the recent dream arise,
While vifionary fire glows dreadful to your eyes.
Far other joys the Muses show'r,
Benignant, on the aching breaft;
'Tis theirs, in the lone, chearless hour,
To lull the lab'ring heart to rest:
With bright'ning calms they glad the profpect drear,
And bid each groan fubfide, and dry up ev'ry tear.
From earthly mifts, ye gentle Nine!
Whene'er you purge the visual ray,
Sudden the landscapes fairer shine,
And blander fmiles the face of day:
E'en Chloe's lips with brighter vermil glow,
And on her youthful cheek the rofe-buds fresher blow.
When Boreas founds his fierce alarms,
And all the green-clad nymphs are fled,
Oh! then I lie, in Fancy's arms,
On fragrant May's delicious bed;
And thro' the shade, flow-creeping from the dale,
Feel on my drowsy face the lily-breathing gale,
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