THE craven rook, and pert jack-daw,
(Tho' neither birds of moral kind)'
Yet serve, if hang'd, or stuff'd with straw,
To show us which way blows the wind.
Thus dirty knaves, or chatt'ring fools,
Strung up by dozens in thy lay,
Teach more by half than Dennis' rules,
And point instruction ev'ry way.
With Egypt's art thy pen may strive:
One potent drop let this but shed;
And ev'ry rogue, that stunk, alive,
Becomes a precious muminy, dead.
AVOID EXTREMES.
THE damsel too prudishly shy,
Or too forward, what swain would possess? For the one will too often deny,
And the other too soon will say yes.
DELAYS DANGEROUS.
THE day was fix'd, the nuptial band prepare
To give to Damon's arms his Celia fair;
When, strange to tell! the fickle maid demurs,
And to some luckier morn the match defers:
Vainly with love's soft rhet'rick Damon pleads,
The more he presses, she the more recedes:
The guests depart, displeas'd, and Hymen swore,
He'd never light his torch for Celia more.
Damon, whose thoughts were full of fancy'd joys,
Upon his lonely pillow sighing lies:
And Celia, who refus'd the nuptial bed,
Is quickly in the grave's cold bosom laid.
Learn hence, ye fair, inconstancy to shun,
Nor trifle with the hearts your eyes have won;
Lest fate should take the slighted lover's part,
And Death, instead of Cupid, point his dart.
ON MARSHAL SAXE.
THE eternal ferryman of Fate,
When Saxe, unconquerably great,
Approach'd within his ken,
Scowl'd at his freight, a trembling crowd,
And "Turn out, ghosts," he cried aloud,
"Here's Hercules again."
PERFUMES ILL APPLIED.
THE expence in perfumes is a most vain sin,
Except thou could'st, sir Ralph, wear them within.
ON POPE'S ESSAYS ON MAN.
THE fam'd Essays on Man in this agree,
That so things are, and therefore so should be:
The proof inverted would be stronger far;
So they should be, and therefore so they are.
THE ATTORNEY'S HEIR.
THE father took it of the devil, and then
Gave it his son,-to send it back again.
A NATURAL TRANSITION.
THE gamester, broke down, by a run of ill fate,
Turns author, and politic-monger, for pay,
From a cheat on the cards, becomes quack in the
state,
And shuffles in print, as he shuffled at play.
The same inspiration both characters catch;
For the gamester's Old Nick, is the scribbler's Old
Scratch.
A STRIKING LIKENESS.
THE gay Flirtilla show'd her mimic bust, And ask'd blunt Senso if 'twere fashion'd just; "Ma'am," he replied, " in this 'tis much like you, "The face is painted, and that badly too.
MRS. PENELOPE.
THE gentle Pen, with look demure,
A while was thought a virgin pure;
But Pen, as ancient poets say,
Undid by night the work of day.
THE INTOXICATION OF LOVE.
THE girl that I love lately gave me a kiss,
And the dew of her lip seal'd the ravishing bliss.
Of nectar the kiss, for her breath gave it bloom;
Her breath was the nectar's delicious perfume.
Now full flowing bumpers of rapture I prove,
And tipsy with joy, I'm a Bacchus in love.
THE SKILFUL PAINTER.
THE glow which Iris' cheeks possess,
Is something more than nature's dress;
Yet such her happy knack,
Although she paints, there's none can boast
Of knowing which she uses most,--
Carmine or Coniac.
ON A DRINKING GLASS.
THE god of wine grows jealous of his art-
He only fires the head, but **** the heart:
The queen of love looks on, and smiles to see
A nymph more mighty than a deity.
GALLA'S OWN HAIR.
THE golden hair, that Galla wears,
Is hers: who would ha' thought it?
She swears 'tis hers;-and true she swears;
For I know where she bought it.
INSCRIBED ON A BEAUTIFUL GROTTO NEAR THE WATER.
THE graces sought, in yonder stream,
To cool the fervid day,
When Jove's malicious godhead came,
And stole their robes away.
Proud of the theft, the little god
Their robes bade Delia wear:
While they ashamed to stir abroad,
Remain all naked here.
THE grave Sir Gilbert holds it for a rule,
That every man in want is knave or fool:
"God cannot love," says Blunt, with tearless eyes, "The wretch he starves," and piously denies:
But the good bishop, with a meeker air,
Admits, and leaves them Providence's care.
CAST DOWN, BUT NOT DISGRACED. THE great good man, whom fortune will displace, May into scarceness fall, but not disgrace.. His sacred person, some will dare profane, He may be poor, but never can be mean. He holds his value with the wise and good, And prostrate seems as great, as when he stood. So ruin'd temples, holy awe dispense,
They lose their height, but keep their reverence; The pious crowd the piles, tho' fallen, deplore, And what they fail to raise, they still adore.
EPITAPH ON DR. JOHNSON.
THE groans of Learning tell that Johnson dies.→
Adieu, rough Critic, of Colossal size!'
Grateful, ye Virtues, round his grave attend,
And boldly guard your surest, firmest Friend!
Ye Vices, keep aloof!-a Foe to you,
Yet one, the subtlest of your Tribe, he knew;
In silence Envy to his fame be just,
And tho' you stain'd his spirit, spare his dust!
ON A LADY'S DRINKING THE BATH
WATERS.
THE gushing streams impetuous flow
In haste to Delia's lips to go;
With equal haste and equal heat,
Who would not wish those lips to meet?
Bless'd envy'd streams! still greater bliss
Attends your warm and liquid kiss:
For from her lips your welcome tide,
Shall down her heaving bosom glide;
There fill each swelling globe of love,
And touch that heart, I ne'er could move.
From thence in soft meanders stray,
And find at last the blissful way,
Which thought may paint, but not verse say.
Too happy rival! dwell not there
To rack my heart with jealous care,
But quit the blest abode tho' loth,
And quickly passing case us both.
THE inspiring muses, and the god of love,
Which most should grace the fair Melinda strove;
Love arm'd her with his bow and keenest darts,
The muses more enrich'd her mind with arts.
Tho' Greece in shining teraples heretofore
Did Venus and Minerva's pow'rs adore,
The ancients thought no single goddess fit
To reign at once o'er beauty and o'er wit;
Each was a sep'rate claim; till now we find
The diff'rent titles in Melinda join'd.
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