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L

A DIALOGUE.

IN Ruffel-street, enfued of late, Between two pofts a strange debate. -Two pofts-aye pofts- for pofts can In Latin, Hebrew, French or Greek, One Rubric thus addrefs'd the other: "A noble fituation, brother, "With authors lac'd from top to toe, "Methinks we cut a taring show, "The Dialogues of famous dead, "You know how much they're bought "Suppose again we raise their ghosts, "And make them chat through us two "A thing's half finish'd well begun, "So take the authors as they run. "The lift of names is mighty fine, "You look down this, and I that line. "Here's POPE and SWIFT, and STEELE "And CONGREVE, in the modern way. "Whilft you have thofe, I cannot speak "But found most wonderful in Greek.

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"With such a fhow of names before it."

"Modern, your judgment wanders wide," The antient Rubric ftrait reply'd.

"It grieves me much, indeed, to find
"We never can be of a mind,
"Before one door, and in one street,
"Neither ourselves nor thoughts can meet,
"And we, as brother oft with brother,
"Are at a distance from each other.
"Suppose among the letter'd dead,
"Some author fhould erect his head,
"And ftarting from his Rubric, pop
"Directly into Davies' fhop,

"Turn o'er the leaves, and look about
"To find his own opinions out;

66 D'ye think one author out of ten
"Would know his fentiments agen?
"Thinking your authors differ lefs in
"Than in their manner of expreffing.
""Tis ftile which makes the writer known,
"The mark he fets upon his own.

"Let CONGREVE fpeak as CONGREVE writ,

"And keep the ball up of his wit;

"Let

Let SWIFT be SWIFT, nor e'er demean "The fenfe and humour of the DEAN. "E'en let the antients reft in peace, "Nor bring good folks from Rome or Greece "To give a cause for past transactions, "They never dreamt of in their actions. "I can't help quibbling, brother post, " "Twere better we should lay the ghost, "But 'twere a task of real merit

"Could we contrive to raise their Spirit.

"Peace, brother, peace, tho' what you fay, "I own has reason in its way, "On Dialogues to bear so hard, "Is playing with a dang'rous card; "Writers of rank are facred things, "And crush like arbitrary kings. "Perhaps your fentiment is right, "Heav'n grant we may not suffer by't. "For fhould friend DAVIES overhear, "He'll publish ours another year."

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THOUGH

HOUGH winter its defolate train Of froft and of tempest may bring, Yet Flora steps forward again,

And nature rejoices in spring.

Though the fun in his glories decreast,
Of his beams in the evening is fhorn,
Yet he rifes with joy from the east,

And repairs them again in the morn.

But what can youth's funfhine recall,
Or the bloffoms of beauty restore?
When its leaves are beginning to fall,
It dies, and is heard of no more.

The fpring-time of love then employ, 'Tis a leffon that's eafy to learn,

For Cupid's a vagrant, a boy,

And his feafons will never return.

A FA

A FAMILIAR EPISTLE TO J. B. ESQ

SHALL
HALL I, from worldly friends estrang'd,

Embitter much, but nothing chang'd

In that Affection firm and true,

Which Gratitude excites to You;
Shall I indulge the Mufe, or ftifle
This meditation of a trifle?

But you, perhaps, will kindly take
The trifle for the Giver's fake,
Who only pays his grateful Mite,
The just acknowledgment of Right,
As to the Landlord duly fent
A pepper-corn fhall pass for rent,

Yet Trifles often fhew the Man,
More than his fettled Life and Plan:
These are the ftarts of inclination;
Those the mere glofs of EDUCATION,
Which has a wond'rous knack at turning
A Blockhead to a man of Learning;
And, by the help of form and place,
The child of Sin to babe of Grace,

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