Thus, if at Rome thy hand the steel applies,
Tho' feas may roll between, or mountains rise,
To this fome fifter needle will incline,
Such nature's myftic pow'r, and dark defign!
Thus, to thy diftant friend if fate denies
To breath in miffive intercourfe thy fighs;
Mindful, a flat and spacious orb provide,
And let thy ready pencil on the fide
Th' expreffive elements of childhood trace,
And in due rank each order'd letter place.
In the mid orb, thy needle next be shewn,
Strong with magnetic force, and virtue not it's own.
Which quivering ftill, in changeful turnings toft,
May touch the letter, which fhall please thee moft.
Emblem of this a fecond orb compofe,
Alike with letters grac'd, in order'd rows:
Next place the steel, to thy first pattern true,
From the fame ftone whofe pow'r attractive grew.
This faithful inftrument of love fincere,
To diftant climes thy parting friend shall bear,
At first inform'd on what peculiar day,
To mark th' inftructive steel, and point its varied way.
If to your distant friend, due terms agreed,
You long the secrets of your foul to speed;
The letters mark fucceffive as they stand,
The ready needle move with meaning hand;
And as just thought requires, not wanton chance,
Now here now there direct the flender lance;
To each the motion of thy fteel difpenfe,
Lo, letters leap obedient into fenfe!
Meantime thy distant friend with conscious eye,
Perceives the fond spontaneous fympathy;
While his own fteel in like rotation flies,
And bids the gradual fyllables arise:
Each word he marks to full perfection brought,
And eyes th' expreffive point, interpreter of thought.
He too, when refts unmov'd his potent spell,
Each fentiment refponfive can reveal;
Roufes alike his letters from their reft,
And in return unloads his grateful breaft.
Oh! that this tale would grow to lasting fame,
And practice authorise the letter'd frame!
Then might the kind epiftle fafely stray,
Nor fear the frowning thief, nor watry way :
Princes might deign to form the gay device,
While we dull fcribes from fable feas arise,
Wash'd from our ink, nor doom'd to write again,
Place on Magnefia's fhores the votive pen.
On AMBROSE PHILLIPS, Efq;
E lovers of the mufe! oh thou whose breast Glows with her raptures, be thy joys fuppreft! Here PHILLIPS lies!Mute is the charming lyre, That harmoniz'd the tender Sapphic fire:
Ah! filent is the Theocritian reed,
That ev'n the pipe of MARO could exceed!
For ever mute!-Lo! Britain's genius weeps !
MELPOMONE fits penfive where her PHILLIPS fleeps!
Who now fhall the brave hero's deeds rehearse,
In all the folemn pomp of tragic verse?
Ah! few, too few, adorn the British fhore,
Since SHAKESPEARE, ROWE, and PHILLIPS are no more.
EPIGRAM extempore on a COLD POET.
By EBENEZER PENTWEAZLE, of Truro in the County of Cornwall, Efq;
RIGIDIO's mufe, from ardour free,
Whene'er he tunes his lyre,
Gives him a leaden policy
T'infure his works from fire,
In the Window of FLA VIA's Bed-chamber.
N Paphos and Idalium, poets fing,
Luxuriant nature look'd perpetual spring:
The blushing rofe, for ever fresh in bloom,
Breath'd round Calypfo's grot a glad perfume:
Lo! fuch the joyful fpring where FLAVIA fmiles,
Fresher than Eden, or th' Hefperian ifles.
See where yon ORANGE does its fruit unfold
Of lively green and vegetable gold:
Charm'd by the beams of her enlivening eyes,
Mark how the plants before her windows rise :
Pure as her breath, or an Arabian gale,
Ten thousand sweets the fragrant flow'rs exhale.
Thrice happy plant, t' enjoy this heav'nly place!
What youth but would* PHILEMON's fate embrace?
Sure 'tis the tree of life ;- -what foul comes here
Senfelefs of new-born life, when FLAVIA's near?
Now as of old each goddefs claims her tree, VENUS her myrtle boafts, and FLAVIA thee: Thrice happy plant! by this protection known, Wide fhall thy fame extend as her renown:
OVID. Met. L. viii. V. 714
Rais'd in her chamber, an Elyfian leat,
Mankind fhall own thy magic virtue great;
A sprig from thee fhall young admirers love,
As NOAH did the burthen of the dove.
MINERVA'S olive aw'd the world to peace;
The SIBYL's branch made Stygian fury cease:
These could the paffions of the fierce controul,
And charm to reft the tumults of the foul:
Thy pow'r, fuperior, raptures can impart,
With joy, and love, and FLAVIA fill each heart.
On + Ida's brow when Jove enjoy'd his queen,
The teeming earth, t' improve the wanton scene,
From FLORA's lap pour'd forth a vernal bed,
And for the god a couch of vi'lets spread:
Yet for this orange-bow'r fure JOVE would now
Forfake his heav'nly queen and Ida's brow.
Part of the first CANTO of HUDIBRAS
Tranflated into LATIN DOGGREL.
When civil dudgeon first grew high,
And men fell out they knew not why, &c,
UM arfit civica phrenesis,
Pacis hominibus pertæfis;
Nec cuiquam nota fuit caufa,
Tam dira quæ produxit aufa;
Cum triftes iræ, & furores,
Multum elicerent cruoris ;
Et, velut qui funt mente capti,
Præ mero ire parum apti;
Sic hi pugnabant, dum pro more
Religio cuique eft in ore;
Hoм. Iliad. L. xiv. V. 347.
Hanc coluit quifque nomen tenus,
Sed nemo novit quodnam genus:
Cum præco altâ e teftudine,
Auritâ ftante multitudine,
Hanc dedit exhortationem,
Ut foveant feditionem;
Et manu tufum ecclefiafticâ
Pulvinar movit vi elafticâ :
Tunc ivit foras nofter Heros,
Ut vinceret gigantes feros.
Afpectum fi quis obfervaret,
Hunc florem equitum juraret;
Nam nufquam genu flexum dedit,
Nifi cum titulum accepit;
Nec ictum æquâ tulit mente,
Nifi ab honorario ente.
Duplicem fcivit ufum chartæ,
Tantâ, ut nullus alter, arte,
Mercurio doctus tàm, quam Marte.
Clarus in bello, in pace quoque,
Et jure Cæfar ex utroque.
(Sic victum forices, ut ferunt,
Utroque elemento quærunt)
Sed multus author litem gerat,
An fortior, an prudentior erat,
Hi illud, illi hoc defendant;
Sed, licet acriter contendant,
Tam parva fuit differentia,
Vix, & ne vix vicit prudentia.
Hinc habuerunt illum mulţi
Aptum perfungi vice ftulti.
Nam fic MONTAGNUS vacans otio,
Omnique liber a negotio,
Dum lufit molliter cum fele,
Fudiffe fertur hoc querelæ ;
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