But yet believe thy undefigning friend,

When truth and genius for thy choice contend,
Tho' both have weight, when in the balance caft,
Let probity be first, and parts the last.

On these foundations if thou dar'ft be great,
And check the growth of folly and deceit,
When party rage shall droop thro' length of days,
And calumny be ripen'd into praise,

Then future times fhall to thy worth allow
That fame, which envy would call flattery now.

Thus far my zeal, tho' for the task unfit,
Has pointed out the rocks where others split.
By that infpir'd, tho' ftranger to the Nine,
And negligent of any fame but thine,
I take the friendly but fuperfluous part;
You act from nature, what I teach from art.

REFLECTIONS in SICKNESS.

T

I.

ILL now, my SOUL, this earthly load
Was healthy, found, and strong;

My even spirits gently flow'd,

Smooth roll'd life's tide along.

II.

My eyes with ardent brightnefs fhone,
My cheeks gay rofes grac'd,

My nerves retain'd their wonted tone

With active vigour brac'd.

But

III.

But now how chang'd! my fabrick reels
Scarce equal to the weight,
My heart with rapid motion feels
Each pulfe diforder'd beat.

IV.

Dim roll my eyes, my visage fades,
My hollow cheeks decay,
Each part the dire difeafe invades,
And nature pines away.

V.

To day the gaudy flow'r we view
In blooming beauty rise,
To morrow, touch'd with baneful dew,
It languishes and dies.

VI.

Turn then, my SOUL, thy thoughts to GoD,
Who made this brittle frame,

For life depends upon his nod,

And health is in his name.

VII.

'Tis HE, HE only can reftrain

My blood's impetuous tide,
He who repell'd th' encroaching main,
And bad its rage fubfide.

VIII.

He can refume (whofe will be done}

That breath his bounty gave;

Nor afk I, if my fands are run,
One moment from the grave.

My

IX.

My fated taste dull pleasure palls,

And all my fancy cloys;

Why fhould I dread the voice that calls

To folid endless joys?

ZENO.

The COURT of the LION.

A

From LA FONTAINE.

Lion, worn with length of years,
Indulg'd unufual doubts and fears:
Though once reputed mild and fage,
Sufpicion haunts his gloomy age.
His fubjects' different thoughts to found,
He sent his royal mandate round;
Without excufe his writs import
A general rendezvous at court.
His tyrant rage each favage fear'd,
The day was fix'd, the beafts appear'd.

Far in a foreft's awful fhade
The royal brute his den had made;
About the cavern scatter'd lay

The fragments of his mangled prey;
The offals rotting on the ground
Infected half the country round.

The furly bear, unus'd to think, Stopt clofe his nofe t' avoid the ftink: His faucy nicenefs much difpleas'd, And guards th' offending victim feiz'd

The

The ape, to prove his judgment found,
Swore heav'nly perfume breath'd around:
As ill his flattering lie fucceeds,
Beneath the lion's paw he bleeds.

The king roll'd round his fiery eyes,
At length the trembling fox he spies.
Approach, he cry'd, fay, what dost think?
Is here a perfume or a stink?

My liege, I ftrive in vain to tell,
A cold has quite deftroy'd my fmell.

Flattery too grofs offends the wife
And faucy truth the great despise ¿
But each his wary art commends,
Who neither flatters nor offends.

The DISINTERESTED LOVER.

I

I

'VE wonder'd which, when poets fing

Transporting DELIA's praife,

They moft endeavour to obtain,

The Lady or the Bays.

II.

One might fuppofe, a face fo fair

The hardest heart would move,

And that thofe features would infpire

All who behold with love.

III.

Young STREPHON fung in nobleft strains,
And DELIA was his theme,

But he, the laurel crown obtain'd,
Defpis'd the matchless dame.

NUMB. II.

K

O STRE

IV.

O STREPHON, STREPHON, could you then

Thus act fo mean a part,

And difregard th' united charms

Of nature and of art?

V.

Could then that more than mortal face,
That love-commanding mein,
Those sparkling eyes and ruby lips
With breaft unmov'd be feen?

VI.

Could thirst of glory make you thus
So grofs a fault commit,
As to defpife th' intrinfick worth

Of beauty join'd to wit?

VII.

We all, I own, are fond of fame,
And candidates for praife,

But let me only DELIA have,

And take who lift the Bays.

T. N.

On a Young Lady taken ill at an Affembly.

A By

S mortals languifh, when the rays of light
envious clouds are hid from human fight,
So when inclement heav'n had caft a fhade
On CELIA's charins and graces, lovely maid,
A fudden anguifh feiz'd each generous breaft,
And in her wound a double part confeft.
No more with gaiety the dance goes round,
No more we mind attractive mufick's found.

But