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stilofophers, who can

that various creature, Man, there any point fo nice

Astrofofring an advice?

Tat your friend his errors mend, 1. certain to offend:

o in fttett terms advise, Les im good, admit him wife; lava/weeten the difcourfe,

W

Wilkie.

you call him fool, or worse. -aker his character, and try teown it, and apply ;

name reprove and warn; Here are hurt, and all may learn ; fail, the picture fhewn, Make it for his own. lectures treat the cafe, sneft, that is base;

tion none will bear it; And the pupil, few come near it. As there then no other way Aen to convey?

All attempt to teach, Arize, or preach? Yeone, an ancient art, Beto reach the heart, diftinctions nice, virtue is, and vice. Igathe various names O the moralift declaims: Tid by fimple tales advise, the the hearer by surprise; has confcience, unprepar'd, had put it on its guard;

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de him from himself receive s which they meant to give. s device will oft prevail, rits end when others fail, all pretend to doubt,

e which follows makes it out. There was a little ftubborn dame, 50 authority could tame; by long indulgence, grown, ** fhe minded but her own: des oft the 'd fcold and fret, is a corner take a feat, Jourly moping all the day, arke to work or play. Paga all fofter arts had tried, And tharper remedies applied; Both were vain; for ev'ry course Btk, full made her worse and worse.

'Tis ftrange to think how female wit
So oft fhould make a luckly hit;
When man, with all his high pretence
To deeper judgment, founder fenfe,
Will err, and meatures falfe purfue-
'Tis very ftrange, I own, but true.—
Mamma obferv'd the rifing lafs
By ftealth retiring to the glafs,
To practite little airs unfeen,
In the true genius of thirteen:
On this a deep design the laid
To tame the humour of the Maid;
Contriving, like a prudent mother,
To make one folly cure another.
Upon the wall, against the feat
Which Jeffy us'd for her retreat,
Whene'er by accident offended,
A looking-glafs was ftraight fufpended,
That it might fhew her how deform'd
She lock'd, and frightful, when the ftorm'd;
And warn her, as the priz'd her beanty,
To bend her humour to her duty.
All this the looking-glafs achiev'd;
Its threats were minded and believ'd.

The Maid, who fpurn'd at all advice,
Grew tame and gentle in a trice:
So, when all other means had fail'd,
The filent monitor prevail'd.

Thus, Fable to the human kind
Prefents an image of the mind;
It is a mirror, where we spy
At large our own deformity;

And learn of courfe thofe faults to mend,
Which but to mention would offend.

$327. The Boy and the Rainbow.
DECLARE, ye fages, if ye find
Mongft animals of ev'ry kind,
Of each condition, fort, and size,
From whales and elephants to flies,
A creature that mistakes his plan,
And errs, fo constantly as Man.
Each kind purfues his proper good,
And feeks for pleasure, reft, and food,
As nature points, and never errs
In what it choofes and prefers;
Man only blunders, though poffeft
Of talents far above the reft.

Wilkie.

Defcend to inftances, and try; An ox will scarce attempt to fly, Or leave his pafture in the wood, With fishes to explore the flood. Man only acts, of ev'ry creature, In oppofition to his nature. The happinefs of human-kind Confifts in rectitude of mind; A will fubdu'd to reafon's fway, And paffions practis'd to obey; An open and a gen'rous heart, Refin'd from felfithnefs and art; Patience, which mocks at fortune's pow'r, And wifdom never fad nor four: In thefe confifts our proper blifs; Elfe Plato reasons much amifs :

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But foolish mortals ftill purfue
Falfe happiness in place of true;
Ambition ferves us for a guide,
Or luft, or avarice, or pride;
While Reason no affent can gain,
And Revelation warns in vain.
Hence through our lives, in ev'ry stage,
From infancy itself to age,

A happiness we toil to find,
Which ftill avoids us like the wind;
Ev'n when we think the prize our own,
At once 'tis vanifh'd, loft and gone.
You'll afk me why I thus rehearse
All Epictetus in my verfe?
And if I fondly hope to please
With dry reflections, fuch as thefe,
So trite, fo hackney'd, and so stale?
I'll take the hint, and tell a tale.

One evening, as a timple fwain
His flock attended on the plain,
The thining bow he chanc'd to fpy,
Which warns us when a fhow'r is nigh.
With brightest rays it feem'd to glow:
Its diftance eighty yards or fo.
This bumpkin had, it feems, been told
The ftory of the cup of gold,
Which fame reports is to be found
Juft where the Rainbow meets the ground;
He therefore felt a fudden itch
To feize the goblet, and be rich;
Hoping, yet hopes are oft but vain,
No more to toil thro' wind and rain,
But fit indulging by the fire,
"Midft eafe and plenty, like a 'fquire.
He mark'd the very spot of land
On which the Rainbow feem'd to stand,
And, fepping forwards at his leifure,
Expected to have found the treasure.
But as he mov'd, the colour'd ray
Still chang'd its place, and flipp'd away,
As feeming his approach to thun.
From walking he began to run;
But all in vain, it still withdrew
As nimbly as he could purfue.
At laft, thro' many a bog and lake,
Rough craggy road, and thorny brake,
It led the eafy fool, till night
Approach'd, then vanifh'd in his fight,
And left him to compute his gains,
With nought but labour for his pains.

$328. The Rake and the Hermit. A YOUTH, a pupil of the town, Philofopher and atheist grown, Benighted once upon the road, Found out a hermit's lone abode. Whofe hospitality in need

Wilkie.

Relicv'd the traveller and his steed;
For both fufficiently were tir'd,
Well drench'd in ditches, and bemir'd.
Hunger the first attention claims;
Upon the coals a rather flames.
Dry crufts, and liquor fomething ftale,
Were added to make up a meal;

At which our trav'ller, as he fat, By intervals began to chat.—

'Tis odd, quoth he, to think what ftrains
Of folly govern fome folks' brains :
What makes you choose this wild abode?
You'll fay, 'Tis to converse with God.
Alas, I fear, 'tis all a whim;

You never faw or spoke with him.
They talk of Providence's pow'r,
And say, it rules us ev'ry hour:
To me all nature seems confufion,
And fuch weak fancies mere delufion.
Say, if it rul'd and govern'd right,
Could there be fuch a thing as night;
Which, when the fun bas left the fkies,
Puts all things in a deep difguife?
If then a traveller chance to ftray
The leaft ftep from the public way,
He's foon in endleís mazes loft,
As I have found it to my coit.
Bendes, the gloom which naturs wears
Affifts imaginary fears,

Of ghofts and goblins from the waves
Of fulph'rous lakes and yawning graves;
All fprung from fuperftitious feed,
Like other maxims of the creed.
For my part, I reject the tales
Which faith fuggefts when reafon fails;
And reafon nothing understands,
Unwarranted by eyes and hands.
Thefe fubtle effences, like wind,
Which fome have dreamt of, and call mind,
It ne'er admits; nor joins the lie,
Which fays men rot, but never die.
It holds all future things in doubt,
And therefore wifely leaves them out:
Suggefting what is worth our care,
To takes things prefent as they are,
Our wifeft courfe: the reft is folly,
The fruit of spleen and melancholy.-

Sir, quoth the Hermit, I agree
That Reafon fill our guide thould be;
And will admit her as the test
Of what is true, and what is best;
But Reafon fure would bluth for fhame
At what you mention in her name;
Her dictates are fublime and holy;
Impiety 's the child of Folly;
Reaton with meafur'd fteps and flow,
To things above from things below
Afcends, and guides us thro' her sphere
With caution, vigilance, and care.
Faith in the utmoft frontier ftands,
Andafen puts us in her hands;
But not till her commiffion giv'n
Is found authentic, and from Heav'n.
'Tis ftrange, that man, a reas'ning creature,
Should mils a God in viewing nature;
Whofe high perfections are difplay'd
In ev'ry thing his hands have made:
Ev'n when we think their traces loft,
When found again, we fee them most:
The night itself, which you would blame
As fomething wrong in nature's frame,

is but a catain to invest

Ber wear children when at rest:

e that which mothers draw to keep ught of from a child alleep. Bule, the fears which darkness breeds 4tzak rugments) in vulgar heads, Are far from wielets, when the mind

, and to earth confin'd; Take the worldling think with pain On treats, and oaths, and ill-got gain; Forest the ruffian's hand the knife Je unft his neighbour's life; Adence of virtue's caufe, A cuction of the laws. Ausne, where wildom dwells, Aad peritious dread expels, The Sort mjcity of night Eto ake a nobler flight; Wts d angels to explore The war ies of creating pow'r; Andlits on contemplation's wings Above the phere of mortal things. Wk for, and tread thofe dewy plains get in awful filence reigns; Three, the air is still, Te and listening on each hill, To be founds that fink and fwell, Wing from the ev'ning bell, Wees bowl, and beetles hum,

S make filence still more dumb:
Andy a folly, math and rude,
Lure one acred hour intrude.
The rare your eyes to heaven's broad frame,
Aquote thofe lights by name
We to thick, and spread fo far;
Gin in ev'ry star,

annumber'd planets roll, Wahoot athwart the whole; to fyftem ranging, Terraves benefits exchanging, Ang from their flaming hair

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got needed ev'ry whereEn glorious scene, and fay The gat dicovers less than day; This crite ufelefs, and a fign The chance difpofes, not defign:

muntains it, I'll pronounce bacher mad, or elle a dunce; hn, tho' tis far from strong,

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on and out that nothing's wrong, and evidences clear

contrivance ev'ry where.

Te Henat ended, and the youth kez convert to the truth;

the yielded, and confefs'd

I was order'd for the best.

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Would often boaft his matchlefs skill
To curb the fteed, and guide the wheel;
And as he pafs'd the gazing throng
With graceful cafe, and fmack'd the thong,
The idiot wonder they exprefs'd

Was praife and transport to his breast.

At length, quite vain, he needs would fnew His malter what his art could do; And bade his flaves the chariot lead

To Academus' facred fhade.

The trembling grove confefs'd its fright,
The wood-nymphs started at the fight;
The Mufes drop the learned lyre,
And to their inmoft thades retire.
Howe'er the youth, with forward air,
Bows to the age, and mounts the car;
The lafh refounds, the courfers spring,
The chariot marks the rolling ring;
And gathering crowds, with eager eyes,
And houts, pursue him as he flies.

Triumphant to the goal return'd,
With nobler thirit his bofom burn'd;
And now along th` indented plain
The felf-fame track he marks again;
Purfues with care the nice defign,
Nor ever deviates from the line.

Amazement feiz'd the circling crowd;
The youths with emulation glow'd;
Ev'n bearded fages hail'd the boy,
And all but Plato gaz'd with joy.
For he, deep-judging fage, beheld
With pain the triumphs of the field:
And when the charioteer drew nigh,
And, flush'd with hope, had caught his eye,
Alas! unhappy youth, he cried,
Expect no praise from me (and figh'd.)
With indignation I furvey

Such fkill and judgment thrown away.
The time profusely squander'd there
On vulgar arts, beneath thy care,
If well employ'd, at lefs expence,
Had taught thee honour, virtue, fenfe,
And rais'd thee from a coachman's fate
To govern men, and guide the state.

§ 330. The Bee, the Ant, and the Sparrow. Dr. Cotton. Addreffed to Phoebe and Kitty C. at BoardingSchool.

My dears, 'tis faid, in days of old

That beafts could talk, and birds could fcold:
But now, it seems, the human race
Alone engrofs the speaker's place.
Yet lately, if report be true,

(And much the tale relates to you)
There met a Sparrow, Ant, and Bee,
Which reafon'd and convers'd as we.

Who reads my page will doubtless grant
That Phe's the wife induftrious Ant;
And all with half an eye may fee
That Kitty is the bufy Bee.

Here then are two-but where's the third?
Go fearch the fchool, you'll find the bird.

Your

Your fchool! I ask your pardon, Fair;
I'm fure you'll find no Sparrow there.

Now to my tale-One fummer's morn
A Bee rang'd o'er the verdant lawn;
Studious to husband ev'ry hour,
And make the most of ev'ry flow'r.
Nimble from stalk to ftalk the flies,
And loads with yellow wax her thighs;
With which the artist builds her comb,
And keeps all tight and warm at home:
Or from the cowflip's golden beils
Sucks honey, to enrich her cells:
Or ev'ry tempting rofe purfues,
Or fips the lily's fragrant dews;
Yet never robs the thining bloom
Or of its beauty or perfume.
Thus the difcharg'd in ev'ry way
The various duties of the day.

It chanc'd a frugal Ant was near,
Whofe brow was wrinkled o'er by care:
A great œconomift was the,
Nor lefs laborious than the Bee;
By penfive parents often taught
What ills arife from want of thought;
That poverty on floth depends;
On poverty the lofs of friends;
Hence ev'ry day the Ant is found
With anxious iteps to tread the ground;
With curious fearch to trace the grain,
And drag the heavy load with pain.

The active Bee with pleafure faw
The Ant fulfil her parent's law.
Ah! fifter labourer, fays the,
How very fortunate are we !
Who, taught in infancy to know
The comforts which from labour flow,
Are independant of the great,

Nor know the wants of pride and state.
Why is our food so very sweet?
Because we earn before we eat.
Why are our wants so very few?
Because we nature's calls pursue.
Whence our complacency of mind?
Because we act our parts affign'd.
Have we inceffant talks to do?
Is not all nature busy too?

Doth not the fun, with conftant pace,
Perfift to run his annual race?
Do not the ftars, which fhine fo bright,
Renew their courfes ev'ry night?
Doth not the ox obedient bow
His patient neck, and draw the plough?
Or when did e'er the gen'rous fteed
Withhold his labour or his fpeed?
If you all nature's fyftem fcan,
The only idle thing is man.

A wanton Sparrow long'd to hear

Their fage difcourfe, and straight drew near.
The bird was talkative and loud,
And very pert and very proud;
As worthlefs and as vain a thing,
Perhaps, as ever wore a wing.
She found, a on a fpray the fat,
The little friends were deep in chat;

That virtue was their fav'rite theme,
And toil and probity their scheme :
Such talk was hateful to her breast;
She thought them arrant prudes at best.
When to difplay her naughty mind,
Hunger with cruelty combin'd,
She view'd the Ant with favage eyes,
And hopp'd and hopp'd to fnatch her priz
The Bee, who watch'd her op'ning bill,
And guefs'd her fell defign to kill,
Afk'd her from what her anger role,
And why the treated Ants as foes?
The Sparrow her reply began,
And thus the converfation ran:

Whenever I'm difpos'd to dine,
I think the whole creation mine;
That I'm a bird of high degree,
And ev'ry infect made for me.
Hence oft I fearch the emmet-brood
(For emmets are delicious food),
And oft, in wantonnefs and play,
I flay ten thousand in a day.
For truth it is, without difguife,
That I love mifchief as my eyes.

Oh! fie! the honeft Bee replied,
I fear you make bafe men your guide;
Of ev'ry creature fure the worit,
Though in creation's fcale the first!
Ungrateful man! 'tis ftrange he thrives,
Who burns the Bees to rob their hives!
I hate his vile administration,
And fo do all the emmet nation.
What fatal foes to birds are men,
Quite to the Eagle from the Wren!
O! do not men's example take,
Who mifchief do for mischief's fake;
But fpare the Ant-her worth demands
Efteem and friendship at your hands.
A mind with ev'ry virtue bleft,
Muft raife companion in your breast.

Virtue rejoin'd the fneering bird, Where did you learn that Gothic word? Since I was hatch'd, I never heard That virtue was at all rever'd. But fay it was the ancients' claim, Yet moderns difavow the name; Unlefs, my dear, you read romances, I cannot reconcile your fancies. Virtue in fairy tales is feen To play the goddess or the queen; But what's a queen without the pow'r Or beauty, child, without a dow'r? Yet this is all that virtue brags, At beft 'tis only worth in rags. Such whims my very heart derides: Indeed you make me burst my fides. Truft me, Mifs Bee-to speak the truth, I've copied men from earlieft youth; The fame our tafte, the fame our school, Paffion and appetite our rule; And call me bird, or call me finner, I'll ne'er forego my fport or dinner. A prowling cat the mifcreant fpies, And wide expands her amber eyes:

N

Near and more near Grimalkin draws; wap er tail, protends her paws; paging on her thoughtless prey, ere the vicious bird away. Thas in her cruelty and pride, The wicked wanton Sparrow died.

$31. The Bears and Bees.

Astas

Merrick.

ying Bears in wanton mood,
Forthing from a neighb'ring wood,
Came where th' induftrious Bees had stor'd
Is their luscious hoard;
Othey feiz'd with eager hafte
Lars on the rich repat."
At this the little crew
Aether ears vindictive flew.
The Mts, unable to fuftain
Talcombat, quit the plain;

1 with rage, and mad with pain,
Therative Lelter they regain;
Th, and now, difcreeter grown,
Tease their rithnefs they bemoan;
As by dear experience gain,
The pe's ever bought with pain.
So the gilded baits of vice
Aefore our longing eyes,
Why halte we fnatch our fill,
An down the latent ill;
But when experience opes our eyes,
Ay the fancied pleasure flies:
ks, but oh! too late we find
Leaves a real fting behind.

1332. The Camelion. Merrick. Cheen my lot to mark A conceited talking spark, What hardly ferv'd at most Together mafter gainst a post; Yet and the world the blade has been, Toe watever could be seen : Reg from his finith'd tour, Gw ten times perter than before; Wer word you chance to drop, Cervel'd fool your mouth will stop: fry judgment you'll allowteen-and fure I ought to know". youd pay a due fubmiflion, quece in his decision. Travellers of fuch a caft, Arabia's wilds they pafs'd, their way in friendly chat kid of this, and then of that, and a while, mongst other matter, The Camelion's form and nature.

ranger animal," cries one,

Me ever liv'd beneath the fun :
d's body, lean and long,
Ath's head, a ferpent's tongue;
with triple claw disjoin'd;
indrata length of tail behind!
Howowits pace! and then its hue-
Whoever faw to fine a blue?"

Had there," the other quick replies,
Ta green,-1 faw it with these eyes,

As late with open mouth it lay, And warm'd it in the funny ray; Stretch'd at its ease the beast I view'd, And faw it eat the air for food." "I've seen it, Sir, as well as you, "And must again affirm it blue. "At leifure I the beaft furvey'd, "Extended in the cooling fhade."

'Tis green, 'tis green, Sir, I affure ye.'"Green!" cries the other in a furyWhy, Sir, d'ye think I've loft my eyes?" Twere no great lofs, the friend replies, For, if they always ferve you thus, You'll find them but of little ufe." So high at laft the conteft rofe, From words they almoft came to blows: When luckily came by a thirdTo him the queftion they referr'd; And begg'd he'd tell 'em, if he knew Whether the thing was green or blue.

"Sirs," cries the umpire, "ceate your pother, "The creature 's neither one nor t'other: "I caught the animal last night, "And view'd it o'er by candlelight: "I mark'd it well-'twas black as jet"You ftare-but, Sirs, I've got it yet, "And can produce it." "Pray, Sir, do: I'll lay my life, the thing is blue.' "And I'll be fworn that when you've seen "The reptile, you'll pronounce him green." Well then, at once, to cafe the doubt,' Replies the man, I'll turn him out: And when before your eyes I've fet him, If you don't find him black, I'll eat him.' He faid; then full before their fight Produc'd the beaft, and lo-'twas white. Both ftar'd; the man look'd wond'rous wife"My children," the Camelion cries (Then first the creature found a tongue),

You all are right, and all are wrong: "When next you talk of what you view, "Think others fee as well as you: "Nor wonder, if you find that none "Prefers your eyefight to his own.”

§333. The Monkeys. A Tale. Merrick.
WHOE'ER, with curious eye, has rang'd
Through Ovid's tales, has feen
How Jove, incens'd, to Monkeys chang'd
A tribe of worthlefs men.

Repentant foon, th' offending race
Entreat the injur'd pow'r

To give them back the human face,
And reafon's aid restore.

Jove, footh'd at length, his ear inclin'd,
And granted half their pray'r;
But t'other half he bade the wind
Difperfe in empty air.

Scarce had the thund'rer giv'n the nod
That shook the vaulted skies,
With haughtier air the creatures strode,
And itretch'd their dwindled fize.

The

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