ARGUMENT OF THE FIRST BOOK. Historical deduction of feats, from the stool to the Sofa. -A School-boy's ramble. A walk in the country. -The Scene described. -Rural founds as well as fights delightful.-Another walk.-Mistake concerning the charms of folitude corrected. Colonnades commended. - Alcove, and the view from it. -The wilderness. The grove. The thresher.The neceffity and the benefits of exercise. The rworks of nature fuperior to, and in fome instances inimitable by, art. The wearisomeness of what is commonly called a life of pleasure. --Change of fcene Sometimes expedient.-A common defcribed, and the character of crazy Kate introduced.-Gipsies.The blessings of civilized life. That state moft favourable to virtue. -The South Sea islanders compaffionated, but chiefly Omai.-His present state of mind fuppofed.-Civilized life friendly to virtue, but not great cities. Great cities, and London in particular, allowed their due praise, but cenfured. -Fete champetre. The book concludes with a reflection on the fatal effects of dissipation and effeminacy upon our public meafures. THE TASK. : BOOK Ι. THE SOFA. I SING the SOFA. I, who lately sang Time was, when clothing sumptuous or for use, Save their own painted skins, our fires had none. As yet black breeches were not; satin smooth, Or velvet soft, or plush with shaggy pile: The hardy chief upon the rugged rock Wash'd by the fea, or on the grav'ly bank Thrown up by wintry torrents roaring loud, Fearless of wrong, repos'd his weary strength. Those barb'rous ages paft, fucceeded next The birth-day of invention; weak at first, Dull in defign, and clumsy to perform. Joint-stools were then created; on three legs Upborn they stood. Three legs upholding firm A massy slab, in fashion square or round. On such a stool immortal Alfred sat, And fway'd the sceptre of his infant realms: And fuch in ancient halls and manfions drear May still be seen; but perforated fore, And drill'd in holes, the solid oak is found, By worms voracious eating through and through. At length a generation more refin'd Improv'd the simple plan; made three legs four, Gave them a twisted form vermicular, And o'er the feat, with plenteous wadding stuff'd, Induc'd a splendid cover, green and blue, Yellow and red, of tap'stry richly wrought And woven close, or needle-work fublime. Now came the cane from India, smooth and bright With Nature's varnish; sever'd into stripes That interlac'd each other, these supplied Of texture firm a lattice-work, that brac'd The new machine, and it became a chair. But restless was the chair; the back erect Distress'd the weary loins, that felt no ease; The flipp'ry feat betray'd the fliding part That press'd it, and the feet hung dangling down, Anxious in vain to find the distant floor. These for the rich: the rest, whom fate had plac'd With base materials, fat on well-tann'd hides, If cushion might be call'd, what harder seem'd B2 No want of timber then was felt or fear'd In Albion's happy ifle. The umber stood Pond'rous and fixt by its own massy weight. But elbows ftill were wanting; these, some say, An alderman of Cripplegate contriv'd: And fome afcribe th' invention to a priest Burly and big, and studious of his eafe. But, rude at first, and not with easy flope Receding wide, they press'd against the ribs, And bruis'd the side; and, elevated high, Taught the rais'd shoulders to invade the ears. Long time elaps'd or e'er our rugged fires Complain'd, though incommodiously pent in, And ill at ease behind. The ladies first 'Gan murmur, as became the softer sex. Ingenious fancy, never better pleas'd Than when employ'd t' accommodate the fair, Heard the sweet moan with pity, and devis'd The soft settee; one elbow at each end, And in the midst an elbow it receiv'd, United yet divided, twain at once. So fit two kings of Brentford on one throne; And so two citizens who take the air, Close pack'd, and smiling, in a chaise and one. |