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PROTOGENES AND APELLES.

WHEN

HEN poets wrote, and painters drew,
As nature pointed out the view:
Ere Gothic forms were known in Greece,
To fpoil the well-proportion'd piece :
And in our verse ere monkish rhimes
Had jangl'd their fantaftic chimes:
Ere on the flow'ry lands of Rhodes
Thofe knights had fix'd their dull abodes,
Who knew not much to paint or write,
Nor car'd to pray, nor dar'd to fight:
Protogenes, hiftorians note,

Liv'd there, a burgefs fcot and lot;
And, as old Pliny's writings fhow,
Apelles did the fame at Co.

Agreed these points of time and place,
Proceed we in the prefent cafe.
Piqu'd by Protogenes's fame,
From Co to Rhodes Apelles came;
To fee a rival and a friend,
Prepar'd to cenfure, or commend,
Here to abfolve, and there object,
As art with candor might direct.
He fails, he lands, he comes, he rings:
His fervants follow with the things:
Appears the governante of the house:
For fuch in Greece were much in ufe :
If young or handsome, yea or no,
Concerns not me, or thee to know.
VOL. II.

C

Does 'Squire Protogenes live here?
Yes, Sir, fays fhe with gracious air,
And curt'fey low; but juft call'd out
By lords peculiarly devout;

Who came on purpose, Sir, to borrow
Our Venus, for the feast to-morrow.
To grace the church: 'tis Venus' day:
I hope, Sir, you intend to flay,
To fee our Venus: 'tis the piece
The most renown'd throughout all Greece,
So like th' original, they fay,

But I have no great skill that way.
But, Sir, at fix ('tis now paft three)
Dromo must make my master's tea :
At fix, Sir, if you pleafe to come,
You'll find my master, Sir, at home.

Tea, fays a critic big with laughter, Was found fome twenty ages after: Authors, before they write, fhou'd read. 'Tis very true but we'll proceed.

And, Sir, at prefent wou'd you please To leave your name-fair maiden, yes.

Reach me that board.

No fooner spoke

But done. With one judicious ftroke,

On the plain ground Apelles diew

A circle regularly true;

And will you pleafe, fweet heart, faid he,

To fhew your mafter this from me?

By it he prefently will know,
How painters write their names at Co.
He gave the pannel to the maid.
Smiling and curt'fing, Sir, fhe faid,

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And Sir, for fear of all disaster
I'll keep it my own felf: fafe bind,
Says the old proverb, and fafe find.
So, Sir, as fure as key or lock-
Your fervant Sirat fix o'clock.
Again at fix Apelles came;

Found the fame prating civil dame.
Sir, that my mafter has been here,
Will by the board itself appear.
If from the perfect line he found,
He has prefum'd to fwell the round,
Or colours on the draught to lay;
'Tis thus (he order'd me to say)
Thus write the painters of this ifle:
Let thofe of Co remark the style.

She faid; and to his hand restor'd
The rival pledge, the miffive board.
Upon the happy line were laid
Such obvious light, and easy shade;
That Paris' apple ftood confeft,
Or Leda's egg, or Cloe's breaft.

Apelles view'd the finish'd piece; And live, faid he, the arts of Greece! Howe'er Protogenes and I

May in our rival talents vie;

Howe'er our works may have exprefs'd,
Who trueft drew, or colour'd beft;
When he beheld my flowing line;
He found at least I could defign:
And from his artful round, I grant,
That he with perfect skill can paint.

The dulleft Genius cannot fail
To find the moral of my tale :
That the diftinguifh'd part of men,
With compafs, pencil, fword, or pen,
Shou'd in life's vifit leave their name,
In characters, which may proclaim,
That they with ardor ftrove to raise
At once their arts, and country's praife;
And in their working took great care,
That all was full, and round, and fair.

DEMOCRITUS AND HERACLITUS.

EMOCRITUS, dear droll, revisit earth,

DE

And with our follies glut thy heighten'd mirth: Sad Heraclitus, ferious wretch, return, In louder grief our greater crimes to mourn. Between you both I unconcern'd stand by: Hurt, can I laugh? and honeft, need I cry?

T

For my own Tomb fone.

O me 'twas giv'n to die: to thee 'twas giv'n To live: alas! one moment fets us ev❜n. Mark! how impartial is the will of Heav'n?

D

GUALTERUS DANISTONUS ad Amicos.

UM ftudeo fungi fallentis munere vitae, Adfectoque viam fedibus Elyfiis, Aretoa florens fophia, Samiifque fuperbus Difcipulis, animas morte carere cano.

Has ego corporibus profugas ad fidera mitto;
Sideraque ingreffis otia blanda dico;
Qualia conveniunt divis, queis fata volebant
Vitai faciles molliter ire vias:

Vinaque coelicolis media inter gaudia libo;
Et me quid majus fufpicor effe viro.
Sed fuerint nulli forfan, quos fpondeo, coeli;
Nullaque fint Ditis numina, nulla Jovis.
Fabula fit terris agitur quae vita relictis;

Quique fuperftes, homo; qui nihil, efto Deus. Attamen effe hilares, et inanes mittere curas Proderit, ac vitae commoditate frui, Et foftos agitaffe dies, aevique fugacis Tempora perpetuis detinuiffe jocis. His me parentem praeceptis occupet orcus,

Et mors; feu divum, feu nihil effe velit: Nam fophia ars illa eft, quae fallere fuaviter horas Admonet, atque orci non timuiffe minas.

IMITATE D.

TUDIOUS the busy moments to deceive,

ST

That fleet between the cradle and the grave, I credit what the Grecian dictates fay,

And Samian founds o'er Scotia's hills convey.
When mortal man refigns his tranfient breath;
The body only I give o'er to death,

The parts diffolv'd, and broken frame I mourn:
What came from earth, I fee to earth return.
The immaterial part, th' aethereal foul,

Nor can change vanquish, nor can death controul.

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