Difconfolate away fhe flies,
And at her daddy's feet fhe lies;
Sighs, fobs, and groans, calls to her aid,
And tears, that readily obey'd;
Then aggravates the vile offence,
Exerting all her eloquence :
The cause th' indulgent father heard,
And culprit fummon'd foon appear'd;
Some tokens of remorfe he fhow'd,
And promis'd largely to be good.
As both the tender father prefs'd
With equal ardour to his breast,
And smiling kiss'd, "Let there be peace,"
Said he; "let broils and difcord cease:
"Each day, my children, thus employ
« The faithful mirror; you, my boy,
"Remember that no vice difgrace
"The gift of heaven, that beauteous face:
"And you, my girl, take special care
"Your want of beauty to repair
Or, the FAITHFUL MINISTER OF STATE.
A Long defcent, and noble blood,
Is but a vain fantastic good,
Unless with inbred virtues join'd,
An honest, brave, and generous mind.
B b 4
All that our ancestors have done,
Nations reliev'd, and battles won;
The trophies of each bloody field,
Can only then true honour yield,
When, like Argyll, we fcorn to owc,
And pay that luftre they bestow;
But, if, a mean degenerate race,
Slothful we faint, and flack our pace,
Lag in the glorious course of fame,
Their great atchievements we disclaim.
Some bold plebeian soon shall rise,
Stretch to the goal, and win the prize.
For, fince the forming hand of old,
Caft all mankind in the fame mold;
Since no distinguish'd clan is blest
With finer porcelain than the reft;
And fince in all the ruling mind
Is of the fame celeftial kind;
'Tis education fhews the way
Each latent beauty to display;
Each happy genius brings to light,
Conceal'd before in shades of night:
So diamonds from the gloomy mine,
Taught by the workman's hand to shine,
On Cloe's ivory bofom blaze,
Or grace the crown with brilliant rays.
Merit obfcure fhall raife its head,
Though dark obftructing clouds o'erfpread;
Heroes, as yet unfung, fhall fight
For flaves opprefs'd, and injur'd right;
And able statesmen prop the throne,
To Battle-Abbey-Roll * unknown.
Sha Abbas, with fupreme command,
In Perfia reign'd, and bless'd the land;
A mighty prince, valiant, and wife,
Expert, with fharp difcerning eyes,
To find true virtue in disguise.
Hunting (it feems) was his delight,
His joy by day, his dream by night:
The fport of all the brave and bold,
From Nimrod, who, in days of old,
Made men as well as beafts his prey,
To mightier George, whofe milder fway
Glad happy crowds with pride obey.
In queft of his fierce favage foes,
Before the fun the monarch rose,
The grizly lion to engage,
By baying dogs provok'd to rage;
In the close thicket to explore,
And push from thence the bristled boar:
Or to pursue the flying deer,
While deep-mouth'd hounds the vallies chear;
And echo from repeating hills
His heart with joy redoubled fills.
Under a rock's projecting shade,
A fhepherd boy his feat had made,
* A record which contained the names of the chief
men that came over with the Conqueror.
Happy as Crœfus on his throne,
The riches of the world his own.
Content on mortals here below,
Is all that heaven can beftow.
His crook and fcrip were by him laid,
Upon his oaten pipe he play'd;
His flocks fecurely couch'd around,
And feem'd to liften to the found.
Returning from the chace one day,
The king by chance had loft his way:
Nor guards, nor nobles, now attend;
But one young lord, his bofom friend.
Now tir'd with labour, fpent with heat,
They fought this pleasant cool retreat;
The boy leap'd active from his feat,
And, with a kind obliging grace,
Offer'd the king unknown his place.
The Perfian monarch, who fo late,
Lord of the world, rul'd all in ftate;
On cloth of gold and tiffue trod,
Whole nations trembling at his nod;
With diamonds and with rubies crown'd,
And girt with fawning flaves around;
Behold him now: his canopy
Th' impending rock, each fhrub, each tree,
That grew upon its fhaggy brow,
To their great prince obfervant bow;
Yield, as in duty bound, their aid,
And bless him with a friendly shade,
On the bare flint, he fits alone,
And, oh! would kings this truth but own,
The fafer, and the nobler throne !
But where do I digrefs? 'tis time
To check this arrogance of rhyme.
As the judicious monarch view'd
The ftripling's air, nor bold nor rude,
With native modesty fubdued;
The blush that glow'd in all its pride
Then trembled on his cheeks and dy❜d.
He grew inquifitive to trace
What foul dwelt in that lovely cafe :
To every question, serious, gay,
The youth reply'd without delay;
His answers for the most part right,
And taking, if not appofite :
Unftudy'd, unaffected fenfe,
Mix'd with his native diffidence.
The king was charm'd with such a prize,
And stood with wonder in his eyes;
Commits his treasure to the care
young bids him not spare For coft, or pains, t' enrich his breast With all the learning of the East.
He bow'd, obey'd, well-cloath'd, well-fed,
And with his patron's children bred;
Still every day the youth improv'd,
By all admir'd, by all belov'd.
Now the first curling down began
To give the promise of a man ;
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