I

A FAIRY SONG.

BY THE SAME.

CAN figh, and I can pray,

Watch and weep the hours away,
Tune fad Philomela's throat,
Or in thin air lightly float;
Glimmer in the moon's wan beam,
Or through twilight faintly gleam;
I can mark the landfcape fade,
'Mid the poplar's quiv'ring shade,
While at night in dewy ring,
Many a tender plaint I fing,
Airy forms unnumber'd wake,
On the stream, or on the brake;
See the floating legions fly,
Tear for tear, and figh for figh;
See the streams that mingling flow,
Balfam to the breast of woe.
Hark! O hark!-that dulcet ftrain,
How it foothes the fenfe of pain!
Sounds fo fweet, like fhadows gay,
Quickly rife and quick decay,
On a lily's foow-white breaft,
Oft I hufh my foul to reft;
Sadly fing, and fadly play
Many a foft and melting lay:
Wake in ev'ry eye I fee,
Tears of fenfibility;

With my small, but piercing dart,
Ope the fluices of the heart.
Mark the gems in pity's eye,
Waft the precious pearls on high;
See they grace the cryftal cave
Wash'd by mild compaffion's wave.
There enwrapt in amber cell,
Liftening to the curfew-bell,
Oft I pals the livelong hour,
Thron'd in fair ambrofial bow'r.

Dear thefe fcenes fhall ever be !
Dear go forrow, and to me!

I rofe, and haften'd to the grove,
With eager fteps and anxious mind;
I rofe, the elfin's truth to prove,
And hop'd the promis'd nymph to find.

My fairy took me by the hand,
And chearfully we ftepp'd along;
She stopp'd but on the new-plough'd land,
To hear the ruffet woodlark's fong.

We reach'd the grove-I look'd around,
My fairy was no longer near;
But of her voice I knew the found,
As thus the whifper'd in my ear:

"The nymph, fair Health, you came to « find,

Within thefe precins loves to dwell; "Her breath now fills the balmy wind; "This path will lead you to her cell."

I bended to the primrose low,

And afk'd if Health might there refide:
"She left me," faid the flower," but now,
"For yonder violet's purple pride."

I queftion'd next the violet's queen,
Where buxom Health was to be found?
She told me, that fhe late was feen
With cowflips toying on the ground.

Then thrice I kifs'd the cowflips pale,
And in their dew-drops bath'd my face;
I told them all my tender tale,
And begg'd their aid coy health to trace.

"

Quod petis hic eft.

Some rude engraver's hand had etch'd
A baby's Angel's face.

John fwallow'd firft a mod'rate fup;
But Joan was not like John;
For, when her lips once touch'd the cup,
She fwill'd till all was gone.

John often urg'd her to drink fair.
But the ne'er chang'd a jot;
She lov'd to fee the Angel there,

And therefore drain'd the pot.

When John found all remonftrance vain,
Another card he play'd;

And, where the angel ftood fo plain,
He got a devil portray'd.

Joan faw the horns, Joan faw the tail,
Yet Joan as ftoutly quaff'd;

And ever, when the feiz'd her ale,
She clear'd it at a draught.

John ftar'd, with wonder petrify'd,
His hairs rofe on his pate;

Plain folk, in humble plight;

One only tankard crown'd their board,
And that was fill'd each night.

Along whofe inner bottom íketch'd,
In pride of chubby grace,

"At this enormous rate?”.

O John," said she, " am I to blame? I can't in confcience ftop;

For fure 'twould be a burning fhame

To leave the devil a drop!"

HOUSE OF LORDS.

April 27.

the debts, by appropriating for a time the revenue of the Dutchy of Cornwall,

from his Majefty on the fubject of the Prince of Wales's debts, of which the following is the fubftance:

"His Majefty relies on the liberality and affection of the House of Lords, and on the fatisfaction they expreffed on the nuptials of their Royal Highneffes the Prince and Princess of Wales, for taking fuch measures as will enable his Majesty to form an establishment for their Royal Highneffes, fuitable to their rank and dignity.

His Majefty laments that, in an event, on all other accounts fo advantageous, no provifion which Parliament may be inclined to make can be fecured to their Royal Highneffes till the Prince is relieved from the obligations which he is under at prefent. But however anxious his Majefty muft feel for the fettlement of his Royal Highness's debts, he does not call upon Parliament for a loan for this purpofe; but recommends the propriety of making an ample provifion for the Prince's eftablishments, and that they would form a plan for the payment of

other incomes; and that proper fteps may be taken for the regulation of his Royal Highness's expenditure, to prevent any new incumbrances.

Lord Grenville moved that his Majel ty's Meffage be taken into confideration on Friday next, and that the Houfe be fummoned. Ordered.

May 1. After the private bufinefs was difpofed of, the order of the day was read, for taking into confideration his Majefty's Meffage relative to the Prince of Wales's debts.

Lord Grenville ftated to the House, that, as the fubject of the Meffage was a fubject of finance, and came more particularly within the province of the Houfe of Commons, he thought it would be improper for this Houfe to difcufs the fubject till it fhould come in a regular form from the Commons; he fhould therefore, content himself for the prefent to move, that an humble Addrefs be prefented to his Majefty, to thank his Majefty for his Majefty's moft gra cious communication, and to affure his

Majefty

Majefty of the Conftant and dutiful attachment of this Houfe to his Majefty's royal perfon, family, and government, and of their readiness to concur in enabling his Majefty to make a provifion for their Royal Highneffes the Prince and Princess of Wales, fuitable to their high rank and dignity. The Addrefs was carried nem. con.

May 13. Council was this day finally heard on the York-buildings appeal. Lord Thurlow and the Lord Chancellor both flated their reasons why it was their opinion that the interlocutor of the Court of Seffion in Scotland fhould be reverfed. Their Lordships then ordered accordingly that the interlocutor be reversed, and that the courts of feflion fhould take into confideration Mr Mackenzie's different cofts and expence. This appeal has continued fince the year 1784, a fpace of eleven years.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

April 27.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer prefented a Meffage from his Majefty, of the fame purport as that delivered in the Lords, which was read by the Speaker: when Mr Pitt moved, that it be referred to a Committee of Supply.

Mr Stanley was aftonifhed that the Prince of Wales's debts fhould be again mentioned to the Houfe. He moved, therefore, that the Addrefs in answer to his Majefty's Meffage, in May 1787, be read.

Mr Grey moved, that the King's Meffage, to which it referred, might alfo be read; which being agreed to, they were both read.

Among other things, the Meffage faid, that his Majefty had received from his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales the strongeft affurances that no fuch embarraffments fhould again occur."

Mr Stanley was forry to be forced to obferve, that Parliament had moft liberally extricated his Royal Highnefs from his embarraffments, under a folemn promife that no future application would be made for the fame purpofe; notwithstanding which, they were now called upon to make a fimilar provifion. He therefore moved, "that the Houfe be called over previous to the confideration of his Majefty's Meffage ;" but, in fo doing, he difclaimed any thing difrefpectful to the illuftrious perfon concern

ed.

The Speaker obferved, that such a motion was now irregular, as the Meffage

could only be taken into confideration is a Committee of Supply; but the Hon. Member might make fuch a motion in the Committee by way of amendment. The motion for referring the Meffage to a Committee was put, and carried.

May 5. The Houfe, in a Committee on bounty to mafters and furgeons of flave. trade fhips, voted a bounty of rool. to each mafter, and 50l. to each furgeon, of flave-fhips, if not more than two in each hundred fhall have died, and 51. to the furgeon when not more than three in each hundred fhall have died, to be reported to-morrow.

May 13. The Chancellor of the Exche quer moved, that the Houfe refolve itfelf into a Committee, for taking into confideration his Majefty's Meffage on the establishment and debts of the Prince of Wales; which being read, two objects, he faid, were recommended in his Majefty's Meffage which ought to be kept separate one from another. The firft was to fettle a fuitable eftablishment on their Royal Highneffes the Prince and Princefs of Wales; the fecond was to extricate his Royal Highness from the embarraffing incumbrances to which, for the prefent, he was unfortunately fubject. He propofed an augmentation of 65,000l. a year; 25,000l. of which he propofed to appropriate to the extinction of his debts, with 13,000l. a year, arifing out of the Dutchy of Cornwall, to be erected into a fund at compound intereft.

There were other articles, to come before the Committee of Supply, fuch as 25,000l. for completing Carleton houfe, which he propofed fhould be infured to the Crown ; 27,000l, or 28,cool. to defray the preparatory expences of the marriage; and 50,000l. as a jointure to her Royal Highness, which did not exceed what was formerly granted on fimilar occafions. He then ftated, the claims on his Royal Highness from his creditors amounted to 620,000l. On the nature and amount of thefe debts he dwelt with much becoming feverity, though he lamented the neceflity he was under of animadverting on the prodiga lity which had occafioned them. He concluded by moving, that a yearly fum, not exceeding 65,000l. be granted to his Majefty, to enable him to make fuch additions to the eftablishment of his Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales as may become the dignity affumed by him on the late happy event of his marriage.

Mr Grey thought 40,000l. a year a fuf

ficient