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POETICAL WORKS

OF

JOHN GA Y.

INCLUDING HIS

FABLE S.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

WITH THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR.

FROM THE ROYAL QUARTO EDITION OF 1720,

His jocamur, ludimus, amamus, dolemus, queriinur, irafci-
mur; defcribimus aliquid modo preffius, modo elatius:
atque ipfa varietate tentamus efficere, ut alia aliis, quæ-
dam fortaffe omnibus placeant.
PLIN. EPIST.

Of manners gentle, of affections mild;
In wit a man, fimplicity a child:

With native humour temp'ring virtuous rage;
Form'd to delight at once, and lafh the age:
Above temptation in a low eftate,
And uncorrupted evin amongst the great:
A fafe companion, and an eafy friend;
Unblam'd thro' life, lamented in thy end:
Thefe are thy honours!...

POPE.

Bell's fecond edition.

VOL. II.

EDINBURG:

AT THE Apollo Prels, BY THE MARTINS,

Anno 1784.

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Fatigu'd at laft, a calm retreat I chofe,

And footh'd my harass'd mind with fweet repofe;
Where fields, and fhades, and the refreshing clime,
Infpire the fylvan fong, and prompt my rhyme.
My Mufe shall rove thro' flow'ry meads and plains,
And deck with Rural Sports her native ftrains,
And the fame road ambitiously purfue,

Frequented by the Mantuan fwain and you.

RURAL SPORTS. TO POPE.

EDINBURG:

AT THE Apollo Press, BY THE MARTINE,
Anno 1784.

1

TO A LADY.

Occafioned by the arrival of her Royal Highneft.
MADAM, to all your censures I submit,
And frankly own I should long fince have writ ?
You told me, filence would be thought a crime,
And kindly strove to tease me into rhymë.
No more let trifling themes your Muse employ,
Nor lavish verfe to paint a female toy:
No more on plains with rural damfels fport,
But fing the glories of the British court.

By your commands and inclination fway'd,
I call'd th' unwilling Mufes to my aid;
Refolv'd to write the noble theme I chose,
And to the Princess thus the poem rose.

15

Aid me, bright Phoebus! aid, ye facred Niñe!
Exalt my genius, and my verfe refine.
My strains with Carolina's name I grace,
The lovely parent of our royal race.
Breathe foft, ye Winds! ye Waves! in filence sleep,
Let profp'rous breezes wanton o'er the deep,
Swell the white fails, and with the streamers play,
To waft her gently o'er the wat’ry way.
20

Here I to Neptune form'd a pompous pray'r,
To rein the winds and guard the royal fair;
Bid the blue Tritons found their twisted shells,
And call the Nereids from their pearly cells.

Aj

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