And emperors, in Parian marble frown;

While the bright dames, to whom they humbly fued,

Still fhew the charms that their proud hearts fubdued.

Fain would I Raphael's godlike art rehearse,
And fhew th' immortal labours in my verse,
Where, from the mingled ftrength of fhade and
light,

A new creation rifes to my fight;

Such heavenly figures from his pencil flow,
So warm with life his blendid colours glow,
From theme to theme with fecret pleasures toft,
Amidft the foft variety I'm loft.

Here pleasing airs my ravifh'd foul confound
With circling notes and labyrinths of found;
Here domes and temples rife in diftant views,
And op'ning palaces invite my Mufe.
How has kind Heaven adorn'd the happy land,
And scatter'd bleffings with a wasteful hand!
But what avail her unexhaufted ftores,
Her blooming mountains, and her funny fhores,
With all the gifts that Heaven and earth impart,
The fmiles of nature, and the charms of art,
While proud Oppreffion in her valleys reigns,
And Tyranny ufurps her happy plains?
The poor inhabitant beholds in vain

The redd'ning orange and the fwelling grain;

Joylefs

Joylefs he fees the growing oils and wines,
And in the myrtle's fragrant fhade repines;
Starves, in the midst of nature's bounty curft,
And in the loaden vineyard dies for thirst.
Oh Liberty, thou goddess heavenly bright,
Profufe of blifs, and pregnant with delight!
Eternal pleasures in thy prefence reign,
And fmiling Plenty leads thy winter train;
Eas'd of her load, Subjection grows more light,
And Poverty looks cheerful in thy fight;
Thou mak'it the gloomy face of Nature gay,
Giv'ft beauty to the fun, and pleafure to the Day.
Thee, goddefs, thee Britannia's ifle adores;
How has fhe oft exhaufted all her ftores,

How oft, in fields of death, thy prefence fought,
Nor thinks the mighty prize too dearly bought!
On foreign mountains may the fun refine
The grape's foft juice, and mellow it to wine;
With citron groves adorn a distant foil,
And the fat olive fwell with floods of oil;
We envy not the warmer clime, that lies

In ten degrees of more indulgent fkies;
Nor at the coarfenefs of our heaven repine,
Tho' o'er our heads the frozen Pleiads fhine:

'Tis Liberty that crowns Britannia's ifle,

And makes her barren rocks and her bleak moun

tains fmile.

Others with tow'ring piles may please the fight,

And

And in their proud aspiring domes delight;
A nicer touch to the ftretch'd canvas give,
Or teach their animated rocks to live;
'Tis Britain's care to watch o'er Europe's fate,
And hold in balance each contending ftate;
To threaten bold prefumptuous kings with war,
And anfwer her afflicted neighbour's prayer.
The Dane and Swede, rous'd up by fierce alarms,
Blefs the wife conduct of her pious arms;
Soon as her fleets appear, their terrors cease,
And all the northern world lies hush'd in peace.
Th' ambitious Gaul beholds, with fecret dread,
Her thunder aim'd at his afpiring head,
And fain her godlike fons would difunite
By foreign gold, or by domeftic fpite;
But ftrives in vain to conquer or divide,
Whom Naffau's arms defend and counfels guide.
Fir'd with the name, which I fo oft have found
The diftant climes and diff'rent tongues refound,
I bridle in my struggling Mufe with pain,
That longs to launch into a bolder ftrain.
But I've already troubled you too long,
Nor dare attempt a more advent'rous fong.
My humble verse demands a fofter theme,
A painted meadow, or a purling ftream;
Unfit for heroes, whom immortal lays,

And lines like Virgil's or like yours, fhould praife.

AN

An ANECDOTE.

R. Hugh Latimer, one of the primitive reformers, was raised to the Bishoprick of Worcefter in the reign of Henry the Eighth. It was the cuftom of those times for each of the Bishops to make prefents to the King of a purse of gold on New Year's day. Bifhop Latimer went with the rest of his brethren to make the ufual offerings, but inftead of a purfe of gold, prefented the King with the New Teftament, in which was a leaf doubled down to the following paffage, Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge.

M

ANECDOTE

OF

Dr. Jardine and Mr. Hume.

R. Hume, and the late Rev. Dr. Jardine, one of the minifters of Edinburgh, lived in habits of much intimacy. Religion, natural and revealed, was frequently the fubject of conversation. It happened one night, after they had entertained themfelves with theological controverfy, that Mr. Hume's politenefs, when bidding adieu, would not permit Dr. Jardine (whofe ceconomy was not incumbered

cumbered with many domefticks) to light him down the stairs. Mr. Hume ftumbled in the dark and the Doctor hearing it, ran to his affiftance with a candle, and when he had recovered, his gueft faid to him, "David, I have often told you not to rely too much upon yourself, and that natural light is not fufficient. This pleasantry Mr. Hume never relished.

THE HAPPY PAIR,

OR

Virtue and Conftancy rewarded.

ERASTUS, at the expiration of his clerkship

to a merchant, faw himself in poffeffion of a fortune, which in a few years, with fuccefs, might have increased to the height of his ambition. He made a favourable impreffion on the heart of the fair Eliza, his master's daughter, and married her foon after he was fettled, with the confent of her father, who retired from bufinefs, and paffed the remainder of his days in ease and calmness.

They had but a few years enjoyed the happiness they imparted to each other, before Eraftus, by unexpected loffes, and the bankruptcy of a house Bb abroad,