CU D DY. LOBBIN CLOU T. Answer, thou carle, and judge this riddle right, CLODDIPOL E.. Forbear, contending louts, give o'er your strains ; To these we shall subjoin the following eclogue, or foli. loquy, written by a lady; which contains a proper lesson to those of her own sex, who are so weak as to value them. felves on that fading flower, beauty ; and feems intended to recommend something more estimable to their culture and consideration. The ornaments of the mind are not so easily effaced as those of the body; and tho' beauty may captivate and secure the affections for a time, yet a man of sense will never so much esteem a fine wife, as a wise one. The SMALL-Pox. A Town Eclogue. . By the Right Hon. L. M. W.M. The wretched Flavia on her couch reclin'd, • How am I chang’d? alas ! how am I grown? • Ah ! faithless glass, my wonted bloom restore ; Alas ! I rave, that bloom is now no more ! Ev’n youth itself to me is useless now. With what contempt ye saw me oft despise With scorn rejected, or with triumph wore ! For me the patriot has the house forsook, For me the beau has aim'd to be a wit. Has dar'd to speak with spirit not his own; } } fhine ; • Fir'd by one wish, all did alike adore ; • As round the room I turn my weeping eyes, That picture, which with pride I us'd to show, « The loft resemblance but upbraids me now. • And thou, my toilette ! where I oft have sate, · While hours unheeded pass'd in deep debate, - How curls should fall, or where a patch to place, • If blue or scarlet best became my face ; · Now on some happier nymph your aid bestow « On fairer heads, ye useless jewels, glow! No borrow'd lustre can my charms restore ; • Beauty is Aed, and dress is now no more! • Ye meaner beauties, I permit ye • Go, triumph in the hearts that once were mine ; • But midst your triumphs with confusion know, · Tis to my ruin all your arms ye owe. • Wou'd pitying heav'n restore my wonted mein, • Ye ftill might move unthought of, and unseen: • But oh ! how vain, how wretched is the boaft • Of beauty faded, and of empire loft! • What now. is left but weeping, to deplore My beauty fled, and empire now no more ! • Ye, cruel chymists, what with-held your aid? • Could no pomatums save a trembling maid ? • How false and trifling is that art ye boaft ; • No art can give me back my beauty loft ! • In tears, surrounded by my friends I lay, • Mak'd o'er, and trembled at the fight of day; • MIRMEL10 came my fortune to deplore, • (A golden-headed cane well carv'd be bore) • Cordials, he cry'd, my spirits muft restore ! • Beauty is fied, and spirit is no more ! ' Galen, the grave; officious SQUIRT, was there, • With fruitless grief, and unavailing care : • Machaon too, the great Machaon, known • By his red cloak and his superior frown; · And why, he cry'd this grief and this despair • You shall again be well, again be fair ; • Believe my oath ; (with that an oath he swore) - False was this oath ; my beauty is no more ! Cease, hapless maid, no more thy tale pursue, « Forsake mankind, and bid the world adieu ! • Monarchs and beauties rule with equal sway ; • All strive to serve, and glory to obey : « Alike unpitied when depos'd they grow, . Men mock the idol of their former vow. • Adieu ! ye parks !-in some obscure recess, Where gentle itreams will weep at my distress, • Where no false friend will in my grief take part, • And mourn my ruin with a joyful heart ; « There let me live in some deserted place, • There hide in shades this lost inglorious face. Ye operas, circles, I no more must view! • My toilette, patches, all the world adieu ! We have given the rules usually laid down for pastoral writing, and exhibited some examples which were written on this plan; but we must beg leave to observe, that this poem may sometimes partake of more dignity, and aspire even to the fublime, without deviating from nature and right reason. The sublime which arises from tumults, wars, and what are too often falsely called great actions, the Pastoral abhors ; but that which is blended with the tender and pathetic may be introduced with propriety and elegance. And, indeed, if we consider that the firft shepherds were many of them princes (for that Abraham, Mofes, and David, were such, we have the testimony of the scriptures) it will seem fomewhat extraordinary that fuch pains Should have been taken to exclude the sublime from pastoral writing; and we shall be inclined to admit Virgil's Pollio, the Song of Solomon, and Pope's Mefiab, as Pastorals, 'till better reasons are offered to the contrary than have yet appeared ; for the true characteristic of Paftoral, and what diftinguishes it from other writings, is its fole confinement to rural affairs, and and if this be observed it can lose nothing of its nature by any elevation of sentiment or di&tion. As an example of the more dignified and sublime fort of Pastoral, we fhall give the young student Pope's MESSIAH, which was written in imitation of Virgil's Pollio, together with the translations he has added from Ifaiab, and Virgil, that the reader may fee what use both poets have made of the sentiments and diction of the prophet. Messiah. A sacred Eclogue. In Imitation of VIRGIL'S Pollio ; which is supposed to have been taken, in part, froin a sibyliine prophecy that foretold the coming of Christ. Ye nymphs of Solyma! begin the song ; Rapt into future times, the bard begun, 10 20 Ver. 8. A virgin shall conceive- All crimes shall cease, &c.] Jam nova progenies cælo demittitur alto. Pacatumque reget patriis virtutibus orbem. Now the virgin returns, now the kingdom of Saturn returns, now a new Progeny is sent down from bigh beaven. By means of thee, whatever reliques of our crimes remain, shall be wiped away, and free the world from perpetual fears. He shall govern the eartb in peace, wirb the virtues of bis father. Isaiah, chap. vii. ver. 14. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son~ ~Chap. ix. ver. 6, 7. Unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given ; the prince of peace : of the increase of bis government, and of bis peace, there shall be no end : upon the throne of David, and upon, bis kingdom, to order and to ejtablish it, with judgment, and with justices for ever and ever. • 1 Isaiah, chap. xi. ver. 1. 2 Ch. xlv. ver, 8, 3. Ch. xxv. ver. 4. 4 Ch. ix, ver, 7 |