Page images
PDF
EPUB

XI.

Drive av'rice from your breafts, ye fair,

Monster of fouleft mien:

Ye would not let it harbour there,
Could but its form be feen.

XII.

It made a virgin put on guile,
Truth's image break her word,
A Lucia's face forbear to fmile,
A Venus kill her bird.

JOVE

AND

SEMEL E.

Occafioned by a Lady's faying, That none of the ancient poetical ftories reflected fo much on the vanity of women, as that of Phaëton does on the ambition of men.

OVE for amufement quitted oft his skies,

[ocr errors]

To vifit earth, contracted to our fize;

And lov'd (however things in heav'n might go)
Exceedingly a game of romps below.
Mifs Semele he pick'd up, as he went,

And thought he pleas'd her to her heart's content.
But minds afpiring ne'er can be at ease;
Once known a god, as man he ceas'd to please.
In tenderest time, which women know, 'tis faid,
Thus fhe befpake the loving god in bed.

Thou, who gav'ft Dædalus his mazy art,
And knoweft all things but a woman's heart,

aN

R 2

Heat

Hear my request for fomething yet untry'd,
And fwear by Styx, I fhall not be deny'd.

Fond Jove, like men, the better to fucceed,
Took any oath; then bade the girl proceed.
In human guife, great Jove, leave off to rove,
Deceiving woman-kind, and pilf'ring love: .
What are thofe joys, which as a man you give,
To what a god of thunder can atchieve?
Such weight of love, and might of limbs employ,
As give immortal madams heav'nly joy.

Jove came array'd, as bound by cruel fate,
And Semele enjoy'd the god in state:
When flaming fplendors round his beamy head
Divinely fhone, and ftruck the mortal dead.

Faint from the course though we awhile retreat,
To cool and breathe before another heat;
The gods can't know, fresh with eternal prime,
Love's ftinted paufe, nor want recruits from time;
But muft with unabating ardours kifs,

And bear down nature with excefs of blifs.

Learn hence, each fair one, whom like beauties grace,

Poffefs'd of lawlefs empire by your face,

Not to do what you lift, because you may,

Let cool difcretion warm defires allay;
And itching curiofity believe,

A lurking taint deriv'd from mother Eve.

Spare then the men, ye fair, and frankly own,
Your fex, like ours, has had its Phaeton.

THE

THE SEEKER.

WHEN I first came to London, I rambled about

From fermon to fermon, took a flice and went

out.

Then on me, in divinity batchelor, try'd ́
Many priests to obtrude a Levitical bride;
And urging their various opinions, intended

To make me wed fyftems, which they recommended.
Said a letch'rous old fry'r skulking near Lincoln's-inn,
(Whofe trade's to abfolve, but whofe paftime's to fin;
Who, fpider-like, feizes weak protestant flies,
Which hung in his fophiftry cobweb he fpies ;)
Ah! pity your foul'; for without our church pale,
If you happen to die, to be damn'd you can't fail ;
The Bible, you boaft, is a wild revelation :
Hear a church that can't err if you hope for falvation.
Said a formal non-con, (whofe rich stock of grace
Lies forward expos'd in fhop-window of face,)
Ah! pity your foul: come, be of our fect:
For then you are fafe, and may plead you're elect.
As it ftands in the Acts, we can prove ourselves faints,
Being Chrift's little flock every where spoke against..

Said a jolly church parfon, (devoted to cafe,
While penal law dragons guard his golden fleece,)
If you pity your foul, I pray listen to neither;
The first is in error, the last a deceiver:

[blocks in formation]

That our's is the true church, the fenfe of our tribe is, And furely in medio tutiffimus ibis.

Said a yea and nay friend with a stiff hat and band, (Who while he talk'd gravely would hold forth his hand, Dominion and wealth are the aim of all three, Though about ways and means they may all difagree; Then prithee be wife, go the quakers bye-way, 'Tis plain, without turnpikes, fo nothing to pay.

ON BARCLAY'S APOLOGY FOR THE QUAKERS

T

HESE fheets primæval doctrines yield,
Where revelation is reveal'd;

Soul-phlegm from literal feeding bred,
Syftems lethargic to the head

They purge, and yield a diet thin,
That turns to gofpel-chyle within.
Truth fublimate may here be feen
Extracted from the parts terrene.

This celebrated book was written by its author, both in Latin and English, and was afterwards tranflated into High Dutch, Low Dutch, French, and Spanish, and probably into other languages. It has always been esteemed a very ingenious defence of the principles of Quakerifm, even by thofe who deny the doctrines which it endeavours to establish. The author was born at Edinburgh in 1648, and received part of his education at the Scots College in Paris, where his uncle was principal. His father became one of the earliest converts to the new feet, and from his example, the fon feems to have been induced to tread in his feps. He died on the 30 of October, 1690, in the 424 year of his age.

In these is shewn, how men obtain
What of Prometheus poets feign:
To fcripture plainness dress is brought,
And speech, apparel to the thought.
They hifs from inftinct at red coats,
And war, whofe work is cutting throats,
Forbid, and press the law of love:
Breathing the spirit of the dove.
Lucrative doctrines they deteft,
As manufactur'd by the priest;

And throw down turnpikes, where we pay
For ftuff, which never mends the way;
And tythes, a Jewish tax, reduce,
And frank the gofpel for our use.
They fable standing armies break;
But the militia ufeful make:

Since all unhir'd may preach and pray,"
Taught by these rules as well as they ;
Rules, which, when truths themselves reveal,
Bid us to follow what we feel.

The world can't hear the small still voice,

Such is its buftle and its noise;
Reason the proclamation reads,

But not one riot paffion heeds.
Wealth, honour, power the graces are,
Which here below our homage fhare:
They, if one votary they find
To mistress more divine inclin❜d,
In truth's purfuit to caufe delay
Throw golden apples in his way.

[blocks in formation]
« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »