If then, ftern Wisdom at my gate

Should knock with all her formal train,

Tell her I'm bufy-she may wait,

Or if the chooses-call again.

* OLD AGE THE SEASON OF FRIEND. SHIP AND NOT OF LOVE.

I

AN IMITATION FROM VOLTAIRE.

Se vous voulez que j'aime encore, &c.

F in this bofom love you'd raife,
Love's long loft season back invite,
And to the twilight of my days
The rofy dawn of youth unite.
From scenes where Bacchus takes his ftand,
And Venus fires the youthful heart;
Time feizing on my wither'd hand
And frowning, warns me to depart.
Against the terrors of his rage
My drooping foul let reason steel,
Who wants the fpirit of his age,
Muft all his age's evil feel.

Let Youth enjoy the fmiles of Fate,
The yielding Fair, the fparkling Glafs,
Two Moments from our mortal date,
Let one to wisdom facred pass.

But-Fly ye, to return no more.
Illufions, Follies; Love and Joy,
Ff 2

Celestial

Celeftial Gifts of genial power,
Life's fharpeft forrows to destroy.
Twice do we die, fo fate decrees;

To ceafe to Love and to be loved
Is death, and worfe than death; to cease
To live is what I'll bear unmoved.
Thus trembling with awaken'd fire,
The lofs of youthful joys I mourn'd,
And to the paths of fond defire,
My wandering foul again return'd.
When lo! to footh my troubl'd mind,
Friendship defcended from above,
As fweet, as tender, and as kind,

But charm'd-but ravifh'd lefs than Love.
Pleas'd with her beauties as fhe ftept,
Struck with her fplendor as fhe fhone,
Friendship I follow'd,but I wept,
Now forc'd to follow her alone.

C

*AN INVOCATION.

ELESTIAL harmony defcend,
The wrinkl'd brow of care unbend,
Thy chearful voice let forrow hear,
And ceafe to drop the penfive tear;
Bid joy, ecftatic joy impart
Its pleafing influence to the heart,
Defcend celeftial harmony,

Joy owes its fweeteft charm to thee.

When

When love the bofom fills, 'tis thine
His power to heighten and refine,
Thy thrilling warblings foft and flow,
Attuned to melting paffion flow,
And bid the foul enraptured prove,
That mufic is the voice of love;
Descend celestial harmony,

Love owes its sweetest charm to thee.
Enchanting power 'tis thine to ftill
The ftorms that life's fad circle fill;
The burthen of our woes to ease,
And make our pleasures doubly please;
Each tender feeling to refine

Through life, enchanting power 'tis thine;
Defcend celeftial harmony,

Life owes its sweetest charm to thee.

* ON FOUR BEAUTIFUL SISTERS.

E Daughters of H

YE

each mortal may fee Such fymptoms of sweetness, of beauty fuch

traces

In every dear feature-that were you but three, Each mortal would whisper, " Behold the three Graces."

But fince heavenly charmers, your number is four, A fourth heavenly name must be fix'd on between

us;

Each mortal, whofe eyes the fair group shall explore Muft whisper "Behold the three Graces and

Venus."

Yet whom to diftinguifh with Venus's name,

Is a point that must puzzle a poor rhyming elf; For the handmaids of beauty to rank cannot claim With the sweet smiling goddess of beauty herself. 'Tis not in your charms the diftinction I'll feek, With equal attraction beholders they feast; So fparkling each eye, and so blooming each cheek, Each nymph is a Venus-in beauty at least. But Venus, by bards, young and old 'tis confeffed, Was gifted with kindness united to beauty; And still was her heart with this maxim impreft, "To wound is my Fate-but to heal is my Duty." Since then the contention of charms is in vain, The claim beauty cannot, let kindness discover; Let this be the praife that ye ftrive to obtain,

Who foonest shall grant the fond suit of her lover. Thus who fhall be Venus will be a plain cafe,

The point to decide with fuccefs I've been trying, Each nymph that is prudish, fhall be but a Grace, And the nymph fhall be Venus, that's kind and complying.

* Upon my foul when I advised

One of you four to copy Venus,

Sweet By! faith I ne'er furmised,

You'd form this mifconftruction heinous.

Was

Mifs B. H. married a gentleman engaged in the Iron

works at S.

ON THE DEATH OF MISS F. H'S LOVER.

Was there alas! no other

way,
You could the goddess imitate;
Than in what most her folly lay,
Her choice prepofterous of a mate?
But fince 'tis past, I'll still rejoice,
If you the copy will purfue;
Refembling Venus in her choice,

And treatment of her chosen too.

In decking heads much time you've spent,
'Tis well-that business follow now;
And don't forget what ornament,
Your Venus plac'd on Vulcan's brow.

* On the DEATH of Mifs F. H'S LOVER.

TH

HE youth of Peleus' verdant plain,
To fate refigns his struggling breath;
Each friend in pity's bitter ftrain,

Laments th' untimely ftroke of death.
But oh his Fanny's tender heart,
Feels the keen pang that's felt by few;
For wounded by a double dart,

She weeps her friend and lover too.
Sorrowing the mourns his early doom,
His truth, his wond'rous worth recalls;
And o'er fair merit's hallow'd tomb,
The lovely tear of beauty falls.
The tear of beauty falls-yet ftill
Not e'en that tear fhall ought avail,

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