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134

Poetical ESSAYS in Shew'd where my judgment was difplac'd; Refin'd my fancy and my taste.

Behold that beauty juft decay'd,
Invoking art to nature's aid;
Forfook by her admiring train
She fpreads her tatter'd nets in vain ;
Short was her part upon the stage;
Went fmoothly on for half a page;
Her bloom was gone, fhe wanted art,
As the fcene chang'd, to change her part:
She whom no lover could refift,
Before the fecond act, was hifs'd,
Such is the fate of female race
With no endowments but a face;
Before the thirtieth year of life
A maid forlorn, or hated wife.

Stella to you, her tutor, owes,
That he has ne'er refembled thofe ;
Nor was a burthen to mankind
With half her courfe of years behind.
You taught how I might youth prolong,
By knowing what was right and wrong;
How, from my heart to bring fupplies
Of luftre to my fading eyes;
How foon a beauteous mind repairs
The lofs of chang'd or falling hairs;
How wit and virtue, from within
Send out a fmoothness o'er the skin :
Your lectures could my fancy fix,
And I can pleafe at thirty fix.
The fight of Chloe at fifteen
Coquetting, gives not me the spleen;
The idol now of every fool

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"Till time fhall make their paffions cool;
Then tumbling down time's fteepy hill,
While Stella holds her ftation ftill.
Oh! turn your precepts into laws,
Redeem the women's ruin'd caufe
Retrieve loft empire to our fex,
That men may bow their rebel necks.
Long be the day that gave you birth,
Sacred to friendship, wit and mirth;
Late dying may you caft a fhred
Of your rich mantle o'er my head;
To bear with dignity my forrow,
One day alone, then die to-morrow.

Epitaph on the late Mr. John Hippefley, of facetious Memory; buried at Clifton in Gloucestershire.

WHEN the flage heard that death

had ftruck her John, Gay comedy her fables first put on ; Laughter lamented that her fav'rite dy'd; And mirth berfelf ('tis ftrange!) laid down and cry'd ; [to mourn,

Wit droop'd his head, e'en humour feem'd And folemnly fat penfive o'er his urn.

On Mils BETSY LONG. (See Lond. Mag. for June 1754, p. 279.) OVE all the pride of beauty now had

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In turns Alcmena, Danax, Leda lov'd;

5

MARCH, 1755.

With many more, who all had ceas'd to charm ; [warm; Their beauties grown familiar: He lefs At length refolv'd to form one fair compleat,

In whom the energy of all fhould meet ; All charms wherein each did the the reft furpafs, {mafs;

remov'd,

He pick'd; and join'd them in one happy With care each blemish from the work [lov'd; Then look'd and found it worthy to be Pleas'd thus love's grateful empire to pro[fair one LONG.

long,

He fmil'd; then nam'd th' accomplish'd Norwich,

Feb. 28, 1755.

IN

ERASTES.

The SURPRIZE.

N Goodwood grove, with beach o'er
grown,

A noted temple stands ;
Ancient the plan to fame well known,
But built by modern hands.
Such erft in Rome Agrippa plac'd,
As travellers can tell,
Nought differs this in ftile or tafte;
It may perhaps in smell.
To all, both gods and goddeffes,
His fabrick was addreft;
Here only one the vot'ry fees,

But one worth all the rest.

To them in vain you fhew your ails
In vain relate your grief
Here Cloacina feldom fails

To give the wretch relief.
Open on top the dome is made,
Below three altars rife ;
On these the frankincenfe is laid,

Thro' that, afcends the fkies.
Hither three virgins, fair as thofe
-We graces call, repair,

And fuch they are, but for their clothes, Which t'others never wear.

Each to her altar inftant hies,

Her cenfer in her hand,
The goddess fees them from the skies,
Defcends and takes her ftand,
To do her duty all in hafte,

Each fuppliant bends the knee,
Who firft was in fit posture plac'd,
By much the happiest the.
Touch'd with compunction to the quick,
Their pains they could not fmother,
Ejaculations, thick and thick,

Succeeded one another.

Pleas'd all this while the goddess bends

Fler noftrils from the top,

And foufis, while every altar fends

Its curling odour up.

But fudden lo! A dreadful man,

Appearing to their fight,

This way and that, amaz'd, they ran,
Was ever fuch a fight!

Some

Poetical ESSAYS in MARCH, 1755.

Same have averr'd, but this how true

As yet I have not found, Incenfe and holy water too, Were spread upon the ground. Of foolish virgins and of wife, You oft have heard before, As you the latter title prize, Hence forward shut the door.

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By fair Narciffa's brighter eyes
Thus doubly we expire:
Chearless if the their light denies,
And fcorch'd beneath their fire.

On Mifs N. Ws, of Birmingham.
T W-s birth, imperial Jove

A To council call'd the pow'rs above;

Refolv'd that all should lend their aid,
With various charms to deck the maid:
To Pallas first the talk affign'd
With wildems pow'r to form her mind
Then Venus breat'h deach winning grace,
Each female beauty o'er her face;
A face by which all hearts are won,
Too dangerous to be gaz'd upon!
The eafy mein, th' attractive fmile,
At once to pleafe, and to beguile.
The god of love his art fupplies,
And fhoots his lightning from her eyes;
The fifter graces next prepare,
Their choiceft presents for the fair,
Politeness, freedom, wit, and cafe,
Each charm to win, each art to please :
Diana all her breast infpires,
And there the breaths her cbafter fires,
Such heav'nly beauties to fecure,
And keep her virgin luftre pure.
Thus form'd accomplish'd at her birth,
The lovely nymph appears on earth;
Her beauty foon extends her reign,
Surrounded by a num'rous train
Of youths who feel the gentle fire,.
Who flatter, worship, and admire.
Some on frail glafs infcribe a name,
That loudly fills the mouth of fame;
Others in admiration fervent;
Have fcribbled-like your humble fervant.

Whenever Cupid fhall refign,
This beauteous maid at hymen's fhrine;
Form'd to adorn each ftate of life,

The belle fhall rife th' accomplish'd wife;
Well skill'd in ev'ry prudent part,
To please the eye, or charm the heart;

Gently to footh a husband's breaft;
When anxious cares disturb his rest ;
To manage each domeftick call,
Or thine with luftre at the ball,
Belov'd, admir'd, esteem'd by all.
Birmingham, Jan. 1755.

135

PROLOGUE and EPILOGUE to the new Tragedy of APPIUS, lately acted at the Theatre-Royal in Covent-Garden.

PROLOGUE. Spoken by Mr. Cibber.

fame,

How great the poet's tafk, aobo, new to
Seeks by the drama to procure a manol
The wife's mighty labour at an end,
Friends bemust have, -to judge, to recommend-
Few care to judge. -What the bfl judges feet,
Ev'n they, thro' modeft diffidence conceal.-
Witlings and criticks of a baftard kind,
See faults indeed; but are to beauties blind.
Such, keen to nibble at a word or phrafe,
Refign to men of sense the task of praise.—
Some-rifing merit, from its darn, oppose:
To fuch, arival is the worst of fees.
'Twere endless, it were needless to relate
The well-known bardships of an author's fate.
Each bardhip, ev'ry obstacle surpast,
Virginius comes upon the flage at laft:
That father comes, whefe dire, whofe mournful
deed

Rome from the bloody yoke of Appius freed.
For this his name was to his country dear.--
What drew the Roman, claims the British

tear.

Our author hopes flight errors you'll excufe ; Since cubo could ever Loaft a faultless mufe? His Roman fubject, with attention due, With candour treated, be fubmits to you. To your bigh judgment be fubmits bis caufe Alike refign'd to cenfure or applause.— Britons! your native equity display z And judge, like Romans, of what Romans jay.

EPILOGUE. Written by a FRIEND. Spoken by Mrs. Bellamy.

IT

TOLD the bard-(ay, yonder be ftands quaking, Alas! poor foul, he's in a pitecus taking !)I hope, Sir, you'll excufe what I fall fay But truely, Sir, I tremble for your play. There's a wild greatness in the plot, Iorun : But then, I doubt, it may difpleafe the town. "The town (reply'd our author) disapprove "A plot that's built on liberty and love "Is not the fav'rite character a woman? "The moral chafte and pure? The subject

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136

Poetical ESSAYS in MARCH, 1755.

The flory may (for ought I know) be true:
But bere no tale improbable will do.-
What rather perish by untimely fate,
Than fmile upon a princely magiftrate!
So rafb be could not reign another year;
So rich, fhe might have had ten thousand clear?
And then what wife Plebeian would decline
A match with the decemvir's concubine ?-
"How (fays a critick) quit ber faithful lover,
"Young, bandfume, brave, for fuch a wicked

Tover?

"For one- -(arboufandother faults combining)"That now was to the vale of years declining ?"—

So then, had Appius been but five and twenty, The maid perhaps would not have prov'd so dainty.

Icilius vow'd indeed, and promis'd well :
But where was be when bis Virginia fell?
He forld bave freen'd from death his blooming
bride;

Or, dy a,-like a true Lover,-by ber Ade.-
Virginia's death he never could furvive ;
But that he was,-in duty,-bound to live.-
He liv'd then, to diffolve bis country's chain z
Avenge his mistress, and-make love again.

Then for the grim old fire, with frenzy wild,
To be the butcher of his only child !—
True, 'twas the virgin daughter's choice to die,
Rather than bear to live in infamy.—
This must be Roman, English, or romance :—
Such virtue would not be believ'd in France.

On the intended Academy for the Encourage-
ment of Genius, and the Establishment of
Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, &c.
with the Arts depending.

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In vain defert glows bright within its sphere
The beam of fair indulgence shines not
here;
[born-

A foreign tafte degrades the British-
Oh! Shame-to honour realms whofe
faith ye fcorn!

[home,

Shall this neglect, this dearth of arts at
Shall incenfe rife to fcience but at Rome;
Shall genius perifh in its infant state,
Shall this continue ?-anfwer me ye great!
Sown by th'induftrious hind, the gene-
rous grain,

[rain,
Warm'd by the fun, and fofter'd by the
Expands, with plenteous afpect, o'er the
Jand,
[hand.

And tenfold increase fwells the peafant's
Thus nature plants within the human
heart

The feeds of genius and the love of art;
But vain! un efs the fun of greatness shine;
Then, like herself, th' effect refults divine,

Yefoul-bright few! ye heav'nly-favour'd

wife !

Ye Chesterfields! ye Lytteltons, arife! The Era's come when your approving voice

Shall make the fons of liberty rejoice;
Eternal wreaths fhall grace your deathless
name,

And unborn ages thus tranfmit your fame:
"These were the great who lov'd their
native ifle,
[fmile."
"Encourag'd genius, and made science
Oh, fan in other minds your patriot zeal!
Infpirit fenates with the warmth you feel!
And glory foon with emulation fir'd,
Shall dignify th' admirers to th' admir'd ;
Britannia fhine in more refulgent charms,
And reign victoriously in arts as arms.
BOYCE.

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THE

Monthly Chronologer.

Hiladelphia, Jan. 2. Five trial of near nine hours, the jury found

days ago we received certain intelligence, that a body of near 6000 of the best troops of France, felected and fent over upon this particular fervice, are just arrived at the lower fort upon the Ohio, and are employed, even in this rigorous feafon, in fortifying that country. In September laft, the French men of war that brought them over, were feen not far from the entrance of the river St. Laurence, into which we are now certain they went, and landed at Quebec. After a fhort ftay in that city, they were seen by our Indian traders paffing the lakes Ofwego and Erie, in a prodigious number of battoes; of which the feveral governors received notice, tho' we did not then conjecture that it was an armament from Old France.

TUESDAY, Feb. 25.

The chancellor, lord high fteward, and two reprefentatives of the university of Oxford, waited on the counters dowager of Pomfret, with a letter of thanks, under the univerfity feal, for her intended noble benefaction, of the Pomfret collection of antique ftatues, bufts, and other marbles, to that university. (See p. 131.)

The houfe of Thomas Chambers, Efq; at Studley, in Warwickshire, with all the furniture, was confumed by fire.

SATURDAY, March 1.

A fugar baker's houfe near the Blue Boar Inn, in Holborn, was confumed by fire.

TUESDAY, 4.

A houfe was confumed by fire in Oxford Road.

Ended the feffions at the Old-Bailey, when William Burk, for robbing Mr. Manby on Tower-hill; John Burton, for breaking the dwelling houfe of John Hall, in Warwick-lane, and stealing a 'quantity of goods; Edward Haines, for stealing goods from a warehoufe, and Thomas King, for ftealing a filver tankard from an house in the Old Artillery -ground, received fentence of death; thirty-seven to be tranfported for feven years, one for 14 years, and one to be branded.

Stephen McDonald, John Berry, James Egan, and James Salmon, four thieftakers, were tried as acceffaries before the fact, in procuring the faid James Salmon to be robbed by Peter Kelley and John Ellis, in the county of Kent (for which they were both convicted laft affizes at Maidstone) with intent to get the reward on their conviction. After a

March, 1755

them guilty at common law, but returned a verdict fpecial, upon the two particular statutes on which they were indicted. Thefe wretches have received 1720l. from the Treafury, for perions taken by, and condemned on their evidence, at the Old-Bailey only, and they have enfnared, there and elfewhere, upwards of 70 men, &c.

SATURDAY, 8.

Was held a general court of the Free British Fishery, when Mr. Alderman Bethell, the prefident, acquainted the pro. prietors with the favourable reception which the Hon. houfe of commons had given to the fociety's petition; and the refolutions of that Hon. houfe were read. A very worthy member of the council then gave them an account of the fituation of their affairs, and very plainly fhewed, that the errors hitherto fallen into were very remediable, the loffes hitherto fuftained retrievable, and that by the bleffing of Providence this noble undertaking might yet be made a great national advantage, as well as prove beneficial to the proprietors, who, in general, without private views, have embarked a very large fum of money to carry on fo defirable and publick an undertaking. Upon which it was agreed, with great alacrity, to carry on this commercial defign with fpirit and application, and in purfuance thereof a call of five per cent. was voted, to be paid in two months. The thanks of the proprietors were very justly voted to the prefident, vice-prefident, and gentlemen of the council, for the attention they had given to the fociety's affairs in general, and in particular for their endeavours to carry into execution the fociety's petition to the Hon. houfe of commons.

TUESDAY, II.

The term for the bounty to feamen, (fee p. 89.) being expired, a new proclamation was iffued for continuing the bounties of 31. and 40s. till the last day of March, and for granting the like bounty to feamen, who entered on or before Feb. 6. laft, with thofe that fince entered, and for continuing the rewards for discovery of concealed feamen. Alfo promifing 20s. to fuch able-bodied landmen, as have entered fince the 23d of January, or fhall enter before the last of March. FRIDAY, 14.

At a court of common council, Mr. Thomas Beach was elected coroner for the city of London, &c. in the room of Mr. King, deseafed. Mr. George Crew

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138 The MONTHLY CHRONOLOGER. March

was the other candidate, and the num

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MONDAY, 17.

The eight following malefactors were executed at Tyburn, pursuant to their fentence, viz. John Prefton, John Dyfon, Jofeph Gill, William Burk, Edward Delarand, Thomas Trevis, Edward Haynes, and John Burton. The furgeons got four of their bodies.

Burk behaved remarkably decent, and declared, that Gill and limfelf committed the robbery for which one Robins is now under fentence of death, whofe execution was refpited for three weeks, as was that of John Moody for 10 days, and the other four malefactors were ordered for transportation.

THURSDAY, 20.

His majefty went to the house of peers, and gave the royal affent to a bill, for vefting Montague-house in trustees, and enabling them to convey it to the trustees

of the British Mufeum for a general repo. fitory; for preventing the holding of any market in the High-ftreet in the Borough of Southwark; for establishing a ferry acrofs the Thames from Ratcliff to Rotherhithe; for enlightening the streets, &c. of St. Bartholomew the Great, in the city of London; for enlightening the streets, establishing a watch, &c. in the city of Briftol; for enlightening the ftreets, &c. at Leeds, in Yorkshire; for allowing further time for the enrollment of deeds and wills made by Papists; for diffolving the marriage of Richard Morgan, Efq; and Anne Hall, and to enable him to marry again; and to a great number of other private bills.

Was held a general court of the governors and company of the Bank of England, when a dividend of 24 per cent. was declared for the half year ending the 5th of next month.

MONDAY, 24.

Arrived an exprefs at the Admiralty, brought by the Gibraltar, advifing, that commodore Keppel was arrived at Virginia with the Norwich and the Centurion; but five days before their arrival

they met with a storm, which did them fome damage.

WEDNESDAY, 26.

Both houfes of parliament waited on his majesty with their addresses. (See p. 103.) The commons addrefs was much the fame in fubftance with the lords.

At Winchester affizes, three perfons were capitally convicted, one of them, a woman, for murder: At Hertford, 6, two of them for a murder committed. three years fince: At Northampton, 2, but afterwards reprieved: At Aylesbury, 2, Davis the tallowchandler, for robbing the mail, and another for the highway, who was reprieved: At Oxford, 7, four of whom were reprieved. Six were capitally convicted at Salisbury, three at Worcester, five at Chelmsford, four of whom were reprieved, two at Huntingdon; but at Dorchefter none: At Lancafter, 1, for the murder of his wife: At Cambridge, : At Huntingdon, 1: At Nottingham, I, who was reprieved: At Exeter, 3: At Stafford, 5, who were reprieved At Shrewsbury, 1, who was reprieved, and at Rochester, 4.

A LIST of SHIPS in Commission, March 13, 1755.

Ships Names. Royal George, Barfleur, St. George, Prince, Ramillies,

Prince George, Torbay,

Culloden,

Monarch,

Terrible,

Captains.

Roger Martin,

Guns.

100

Lord Harry Poulet, 90

John Storr,

ga

Charles Saunders,

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Francis Holborn,

90

G. Bridges Rodney, go

Charles Colby,

74

Henry Ward,

74

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Buckingham,

Michael Everit,

70

Yarmouth,

Harry Norris,

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