High to foar, and deep to dive,
Nature gives at thirty-five.
Ladies, ftock and tend your hive,
Trifle not at thirty-five;

For, howe'er we boaft and ftrive,
Life declines from thirty-five:
He that ever hopes to thrive
Muft begin by thirty-five;

And all who wifely wish to wive

Must look on Thrale at thirty-five.

IMPROMPTU on hearing Mifs THRALE confulting with a friend about a gown and hat fhe was inclined to wear.

EAR the gown, and wear the hat,

WEAR

Snatch thy pleasures while they last;

Hadft thou nine lives, like a cat,

Soon those nine lives would be past.

IMPROMPTU TRANSLATION of an AIR in the CLEMENZA DE TITO of METASTASIO, beginning, "Deb fe piacermi vuoi.”

OULD you hope to gain my heart,
Bid your teizing doubts depart;

He who blindly trufts, will find
Faith from every generous mind:
He who still expects deceit,
Only teaches how to cheat.

TRANSLATION of a SPEECH of AQUILEIO, in the ADRIANO of METASTASIO, beginning, "Tu che in Corte invechiafti."

G

ROWN old in courts, thou art not furely one Who keeps the rigid rules of ancient honour; Well fkill'd to foothe a foe with looks of kindness, To fink the fatal precipice before him,

And then lament his fall with feeming friendship: Open to all, true only to thyfelf,

Thou know'ft thofe arts which blaft with envious praife,

Which aggravate a fault with feign'd excufes,

And drive discountenanc'd virtue from the throne:
That leave the blame of rigour to the prince,
And of his ev'ry gift ufurp the merit ;
That hide in feeming zeal a wicked purpose,
And only build upon another's ruin.

POEM

ATA.

[ Jan. 20, 21, 1773. ]

ITE qui varias vices

Rerum perpetuus temperat Arbiter,

Læto cedere lumini

Noctis triftitiam qui gelidæ jubet,
Acri fanguine turgidos,
Obductofque oculos nubibus humidis

Sanari voluit meos.

Et me, cuncta beans cui nocuit dies,

Luci reddidit et mihi.

Qua te laude, Deus qua prece profequar?

Sacri difcipulus libri

Te femper ftudiis utilibus colam:

Grates, fumme Pater, tuis

Recte qui fruitur muneribus, dedit.

[Dec. 25, 1779. ]

NUNC dies Chrifto memoranda nato
Fulfit, in pectus mihi fonte purum
Gaudium facro fluat, et benigni

Gratia Cœli!

Christe da tutam trepido quietem,
Chrifte, fpem præfta ftabilem timenti;

Da fidem certam, precibufque fidis

Annue, Chrifte.

SUMM

[ In Lecto, die Paffionis. Apr. 13, 1781. Ì

UMME Deus, qui femper amas quodcunque creâfti;
Judice quo, fcelerum eft pænituiffe falus :

Da veteres noxas animo fic flere novato,

Per Chriftum ut veniam fit reperire mihi.

[ In Lecto. Dec. 25, 1782.]

PE non inani confugis,

SPE

Peccator, ad latus meum;

Quod pofcis, haud unquam tibi
Negabitur folatium.

SUM

[ Nocte, inter 16 et 17 Junii, 1783 *. ]

UMME Pater, quodcunque tuum † de corpore
Numen

Hoc ftatuat, $ precibus Chriftus adeffe velit :
Ingenio parcas, nec fit mihi culpa ¶rogâffe,
Qua folum potero parte, placere tibi.

**

*The night above referred to by Dr. Johnson was that in which a paralytick ftroke had deprived him of his voice, and, in the anxiety he felt left it fhould likewife have impaired his understanding, he compofed the above Lines, and faid concerning them, that he knew at the time that they were not good, but then that he deemed his difcerning this, to be fufficient for the quieting the anxiety before mentioned, as it fhewed him that his power of judging was not diminished.

+ Al. tuæ.
§ Al. votis.

Al. leges.
¶Al. precari.

Al. ftatuant. ** Al. litare,

[Cal.

SUMME

Cal. Jan. in lecto, ante lucem. 1784. ]

UMME dator vitæ, naturæ æterne magifter,
Caufarum feries quo moderante fluit,

Refpice quem fubigit fenium, morbique feniles,
Quem terret vitæ meta propinqua fuæ,
Refpice inutiliter lapfi quem pœnitet ævi;
Recte ut poeniteat, refpice, magne parens.

PATER

ATER benigne, fumma femper lenitas,
Crimine gravatam plurimo mentem leva:
Concede veram poenitentiam, precor,
Concede agendam legibus vitam tuis.
Sacri vagantes luminis greffus face

Rege, et tuere, quæ nocent pellens procul;
Veniam petenti, fumme da veniam, pater;
Veniæque fancta pacis adde gaudia :
Sceleris ut expers omni, et vacuus metu,
Te, mente purâ, mente tranquillâ colam:
Mihi dona morte hæc impetret Chriftus fuâ.

[ Jan. 18, 1784. ]

SUMME Pater, puro colluftra lumine pectus,

Anxietas noceat ne tenebrofa mihi.

In me fparfa manu virtutum femina larga
Sic ale, proveniat meffis ut ampla boni.
Noctes atque dies animo fpes læta recurset,
Certa mihi fancto flagret amore fides.
VOL. XI.

Cc

Certa