ror. By degrees I got over that, and my • confcience, once so unbending turned the • most supple and complying you can conceive, and now it allows me to go through • what dirty work I find neceffary without ever giving a single twitch. I have too by long experience, turned an adept at flattery; and in short, without vanity be it spoken, I think I am at last become a ⚫ thorough paced courtier. But unfortunately I find it is now growing too late for me to turn these rare talents to account. • I am old and infirm, and have the dreary • profpect of diffolution before me. Wou'd • it not be hard indeed to die, when just in poffeffion of accomplislinaents that must • make my fortune. Do let me have a touch ⚫ of your mill, and you may depend on my --gratitude he meant to have faid, but the force of the talisman compelled him to utter the truth, and pronounce ingratitude ، ، ، ، abufe, and bad offices of all kinds.' way!' cried Alganzib with difdain; would live longer only ceit, injury add deceit to A 'you to de to injury, and grow more ex • pert in the practice of iniquity.' An old and wrinkled female next made her appearance, and hoped the hermit would excufe her intrufion, as she really was confident the gift of renewed youth would be bestowed upon her with the greatest use and propriety. Who are you?" the hermit asked, and what may be your object in wishing this? Alas!' cried the female, • I have the misfortune to have turned old, without a husband. In my youth I was proud of my beauty and accomplishments, ⚫ and triumphed in the uncasiness with which • I could infpire my lovers. For a long time past, these triumphs are no more, my ⚫ former gallants infult me, the young flirts ridicule and despise me, in fhort I am uni• verfally flighted and neglected. But wou'd • you only restore me to youth and beauty, ah! what enchanting days I should pass! • The scornful mifles would die with envy; my lovers would return, and I could fweet⚫ly revenge their infults; it is not even impoffible that fome one of them might be so mad as to hang himmself out of defpair; and if fo how would I be talked of, and wondered at by all the world!' And * were you favoured with a return of youth ⚫ and beauty, would you pass your years in • the fame maner as those already elapfed?" • Why! pretty much I believe; I know no • better way of life, none at least I am fure • so much to my own fatisfaction.' If so, • Madam, you must excuse my refusing * your request; rejuvenefcence is a gift too ⚫ valuable to be given away for the gratifi*cation of vanity and folly.' The next vifitor was a man of fallow complexion, on whose face there were exhibited marks of horror and consternation; his dress was rich and splendid, but his gait was un ، fettled and disturbed. 'I want O Alganzib," said he, the usfe of your mill; but it must ' be provided with a power of attrition greater than common. I have by rapine, by fraud, and by oppreffion, amaffed enor' mous wealth, but I cannot enjoy it. While 'furrounded with the luxuries of sense my mind is distracted with the most fearful re'morse; the cries of those I have injured constantly found in my ears, and the images of the demons of vengeance are before I wish you to grind away not only age and decrepitude, but my gui't and my terrors, and restore me at once to youth, • gaiety, and innocence; and in return I will chearfully allow you alfo to file away my ''ill-gotten riches; I defire only to begin ، me. the world anew, as I entered on it in my ' earlier years.' • Moft fincerely, faid Alganzib, do I pity you, but I am forry my machine can do nothing for your relief, it reaches only the frailties of the body, the difeafes of the mind are beyond its power. To take away the horrors of a guilty foul is a task too great for any fub'ordinate intelligence, your only hope can ' be in a different fource; and in your pre'fent fituation rejuvenefcence would only add to your mifery, by quickening the fenfe ، of it.' A company of half a dozen noify bacchanalians now approached, and the foremost vociferoufly defired the old put to get ready his mill, as all, of them stood in need of a pretty fmart rub from its grinders. 'I doubt," faid the hermit, ' if it was intended for fuch 'as you; old age has not yet completely fur' rowed your brows. Pray how many years have already gone over your heads? Why ' to be fure,' cried one of them, none of us have passed twenty-eight, but we have • lived like men of spirit, and kept it up fo long and fo fast, that we feel even at pre• fent the feebleness, the decrepitude and the torpor of age. We wish therefore for a reftoration of impaired health and vigour, that with active limbs, and unnervated ' bodies we might again be able to relish the joys of life.' Were I to prostitute this mill, answered Alganzib, to the purpo'fes of vice, I should be an accomplice in your guilt, and a mere pander to your lufts, Avaunt, and learn by. dear-bought expe' rience the value of that health and vigour you have so idly and viciously thrown away.' This company were immediately followed by a young man in the prime of his years, who thus addressed the hermit; 'For my' felf I have no favour to ask of you, as I stand in no need of your aid at present; but I thought it right to warn you not to pay any attention to the requests of an ' old fellow that may probably be asking a 'grinding; he is a vicious,, malevolent, • uselefs kind of being, and so dissatisfied • with 6 • with every thing, that it would be doing a hurt both to mankind and himself to give him an opportunity of continuing • longer in a world, which he only injures * and torments.' You seem well acquainted with that old man, faid Alganzib, uncovering the talisman, what particular in' terest have you in his fuccess or refusal?" 'He is my father, roars out the young man, compelled to difclose the fecrets of his heart, • and the old dog has kept me for fome years • out of a noble estate, that would have af' forded me all the pleasures I could wish 'for.' Kept you out of it,' interrupted the hermit, was not the estate his own?' • To be fure; but when people turn old, it is but reafonable in them to step off the • ftage and give way to their more fpirited • children.' Was he a harsh and churlich • father, who grudged you the innocent ELEGY. way, To darkly mingle with the mould'ring throng! For scorn derides, and flander blasts my L Dim are the fading beams of closing day, Save, where the wailing birds in plaintive tale, Thro' yonder glade their liquid numbers fwell, An awful stillness rules the dusky veil Where musing solitude delights to dwell. While ever grateful, fober Eve returns, And filver moonbeams on the zephyrs rove, My weary foul in fecret anguish mourns, And pours her forrow to the lonely grove! For, Oh! no more fair Nature's vernal bloom, name, That injur'd name I ever strove to save; Now loft, are all my dreams of future fame, And fadly welcome is the peaceful grave! Let dull oblivion's fable wings o'er-shade My narrow cell from each enquiring • eye: Nor weeping friend e'er claim the Sculp. tor's aid, To point the place where all my forrows lye! Where, low my ashes shall for ever rest, On that green bed, forme lone compa nion dear, May pluck the thorn that rises o'er my breaft, And drop the fad memorial of a tear. There, while the swimming eye still mourns my doom, Or round the turf, wild roving Fancy strays; Shall busy Mem'ry mark my grafsy tomb, And trace the moments of our happier days! Oh! may my soul that lov'd companion boaft, Whose pitying woe shall thus for mine return! His grateful tears will please the pale-fac'd ghost, That nightly hovers o'er my lonely urn! DUMPRIES, April 1790. Α. Κ. O Throne of ever-living Light! Thou simple, fole, sublime! Parent of All, where All unite, That dwell in place, or time: 'Twas then, Existence first began His endless race to run, Exulting thought! thus high upheld, To Him for endless life design'd, Celestial thought was giv'n, Be ours to fan the ray divine, E. W. SIR JOSEPH's BREAKFAST *. By PETER PINDAR. 0 As with a folemn, awe-inspiring air, Amidit fome royal sycophants he fat; Most manfully their masticators ufing, Most pleasantly their greasy mouths amufing NE morning at his house in Soho With coffee, butter'd toast, and birds. "There goes, then, my hypothefis to hell!" And now his head in deep despair he fhook; Now clos'd his eyes, and now upon his breast, He mutt'ring dropp'd his fable beard unbleft; Now twirl'd his thumbs, and groan'd with piteous look. Dead-fstruck fat Aubert, Blagdon, Planta, Woide, Whose jaw bones in the mumbling trade employ'd, Half-open'd, gap'd, in fudden stupor lost; Whilft from the mouth of ev'ry gaping man, In mazy rill the cream-clad coffee ran, Supporting dainty bits of butter'd toaft. Now gaining speech, the parafitic crowd Leap'd up and roar'd in unifon aloud : "Heav'ns! what's the matter? dear Sir Jofeph, pray ?"י Dumb to their questions the Great Man remain'd: The knight, deep pond'ring, nought vouchaf'd to say; Again the Gentlemen their voices strain'd; ment mad, Whilft ev'ry eye enlarg'd with wonder rolls; And now his head against the wainscot, leaning, "Since you must know, must know (he figh'd,) the meaning, " Fleas are not lobsters, d-mn their fouls." * Sir Joseph Banks told an intimate friend that he had made a discovery that would af tonish the world, enrich the journals, and render himself immortal with the most important confidence and philofophic folemnity, he affirmed that he was upon the very eve of proving what had never entered into the foul of man; viz. that fleas were lobstersthat Jonas Dryander was ordered to collect fifteen hundred fleas, and boil them; which, if they changed to the fine crimson of the lobster, would put the identity of the species beyond the poffibility of doubt at length the beds of the president were ransacked by his flea-crimp, honest Jonas-fifteen hundred of the hopping inhabitants were caught, and paffed the dreadful ordeal of boiling water; with what success, O gentle reader, the ode will inform thee. * |