just praises that attend it. Comedy and Satire, to correct whilst they divert us, and wage implacable war with vice and folly. Elegy, to weep over the tombs of such as deserve to be lamented; and Pastoral, to sing the innocence and pleasures of rural life.

To promote such desirable ends the study of Poetry has ever met with the sanction and encouragement of men the most eminent for their wisdom and virtue and it is much to be feared that those whose imaginations are not enlivened by the charms of Poetry, must either have their affections depraved, or be naturally insensible of the exquisite pleasure resulting from the proper exercise of them.

To allure those who are inattentive to the excellence of virtue, and direct their thoughts to the noblest qualifications, induced the Editor of this small volume to select such poems as have been universally esteemed the first ornament of the english language, and admired not only for purity of sentiment, but for beauty and harmony of numbers.

THE

BEAUTIES

OF

ENGLISH POETRY.

THE MISER AND PLUTUS.

BY GAY.

THE wind was high, the window shakes, With sudden start the Miser wakes;

Along the silent room he stalks,

Looks back, and trembles as he walks.
Each lock and ev'ry bolt he tries,
In ev'ry creek and corner pries,
Then opes the chest with treasure stor'd,
And stands in rapture o'er his hoard.
But now, with sudden qualms possest,
He wrings his hands, he beats his breast ;
By conscience stung he wildly stares,
And thus his guilty soul declares.

Had the deep earth her stores confin'd, This heart had known sweet peace of mind; But virtue's sold. Good Gods! what price Can recompense the pangs of vice!

O bane of good! seducing cheat !
Can man, weak man, thy power defeat?
Gold banish'd honour from the mind,
And only left the name behind;

A

Gold sow'd the world with every ill;
Gold taught the murd❜rer's sword to kill
'Twas gold instructed coward hearts
In treach'ry's more pernicious arts.
Who can recount the mischiefs o'er?
Virtue resides on earth no more!
He spoke, and sigh'd. In angry mood
Plutus, his god, before him stood.
The Miser, trembling, lock'd his chest;
The vision frown'd, and thus address'd.
Whence is this vile ungrateful rant,
Each sordid rascal's daily cant?

Did I, base wretch! corrupt mankind ?
The fault's in thy rapacious mind.
Because my blessings are abus'd,
Must I be censur'd, curs'd, accus'd?
Ev'n virtue's self by knaves is made
A cloak to carry on the trade;

And pow'r (when lodg'd in their possession )
Grows tyranny and rank oppression.
Thus when the villain crams his chest,

Gold is the canker of the breast;
'Tis av'rice, insolence, and pride,
And ev'ry shocking vice beside :
But when to virtuous hands 'tis given,
It blesses like the dews of heav'n :

Like Heav'n it hears the orphan's cries,
And wipes the tears from widows' eyes.
Their crimes on gold shall Misers lay,
Who pawn'd their sordid souls for pay?
Let bravoes, then, when blood is spilt,
Upbraid the passive sword with guilt.

THE CA MELIO N.

With eyes,

BY MERRICK.

OFT it has been my lot to mark
A proud, conceited, 'talking spark,
that hardly serv'd at most
To guard their master 'gainst a post:
Yet round the world the blade has been
To see whatever could be seen.

Returning from his finish'd tour,
Grown ten times perter than before,
Whatever word you chance to drop,
The travell'd fool your mouth will stop;
« Sir, if my judgment. you'll allow —
» I've scen and sure
ought to know”.
So begs you'd pay a due submission,
And acquiesce in his decision.

Two travellers of such a cast,
As o'er Arabia's wilds they past,
And on their way in friendly chat,
Now talk'd of this, and then of that,
Discours'd awhile, 'mongst other matter,
Of the Camelion's form and nature.
« A stranger animal, » cries one,

» Sure never liv'd beneath the sun :
» A lizard's body lean and long,
» A fish's head, a serpent's tonguë,
» Its tooth with triple claw disjoin'd;
» And what a length of tail behind!

» How slow its pace! and then its hue » Who ever saw so fine a blue?»

« Hold there, » the other quick replies, » 'Tis green - I saw it with these eyes, » As late with open mouth it lay, » And warm'd it in the sunny ray; » Stretch'd at its ease the beast I view'd, And saw it eat the air for food. » » I've seen it, Sir, as well as you, » And must again affirm it blue ; » At leisure I the beast survey'd « Extended in the cooling shade.

>> 'Tis green, 'tis green, Sir, I assure ye — » Green! » cries the other in a fury

--

Why, Sir d'ye think I've lost my eyes? » » 'Twere no great loss,» the friend replies, » For if they always serve you thus,

» You'll find 'em but of little use. »

So high at last the contest rose, From words they almost came to blows: When luckily came by a third ;

To him the question they referr'd ;

And begg'd he'd tell 'em, if he knew,
Whether the thing was green or blue.

« Sirs, » cries the umpire, « cease your pother—

» The creature's neither one nor t'other.

» I caught the animal last night,

» And view'd it o'er by candle-light:
» I mark'd it well- 'twas black as jet-
» You stare-but, Sirs, I've got it yet,
» And can produce it. » — « Pray, Sir, do :
» I'll lay my life the thing is blue. »