Blefs'd ftate! where fouls each other draw, • Where love is liberty and law!'

The choiceft blessing found below,
That man can wish, or Heav'n bestow!
Trust me, these raptures are divine,
For lovely Chloe once was mine!
Nor fear the varnish of my style;
Tho' poet, I'm eftrang'd to guile.
Ah, me! my faithful lips impart
The genuine language of my heart!
When bards extol their patrons high,
Perhaps 'tis gold extorts the lye;
Perhaps the poor reward of bread-
But who burns incenfe to the dead!
He, whom a fond affection draws,
Careless of cenfure or applaufe;
Whofe foul is upright and fincere,
With nought to wish, and nought to fear.
Now to my visionary scheme
Attend, and profit by my dream.
Amidst the flumbers of the night,

A ftately temple rofe to fight;
And ancient as the human race,
If Nature's purposes you trace:
This fane by all the wise rever'd,
To wedlock's pow'rful god was rear'd.
Hard by I faw a graceful fage,
His locks were frofted o'er by age;

His garb was plain, his mind ferene,

And wisdom dignify'd his mien.

With curious fearch his name I fought,
And found 'twas Hymen's fav'rite-Thought.
Apace the giddy crowds advance,

And a lewd fatyr led the dance.

I griev'd to see whole thousands run, For, oh! what thousands were undone !

The

The fage when these mad troops he spy'd,
In pity flew to join their fide:
The difconcerted pairs began

To rail against him to a man ;

Vow'd they were strangers to his name,
Nor knew from whence the dotard came.

Highly concerns impetuous youth.
Long ere the honey-moon could wane,
Perdition feiz'd on ev'ry twain;
At ev'ry house, and all day long,
Repentance ply'd her scorpion thong :
Difguft was there with frowning mien,
And ev'ry wayward child of Spleen.
Hymen approach'd his awful fane,
Attended by a numerous train.

Love, with each soft and nameless grace,
Was firft in favour and in place :
Then came the god with folemn gait,
Whofe ev'ry word was big with fate;
His hand a flaming taper bore,
That facred fymbol, fam'd of yore.
Virtue, adorn'd with ev'ry charm,
Suftain'd the god's incumbent arm;
Beauty improv'd the glowing scene
With all the roses of eighteen :
Youth led the gaily fmiling fair,

His purple pinions wav'd in air;

Wealth, a close hunks, walk'd hobbling nigh,

With vulture-claw and eagle-eye,

Who threefcore years had feen, or more,

('Tis faid his coat had seen a score;) Proud was the wretch, tho' clad in rags,

> Prefuming much upon his bags.

A female next her arts display'd, Poets alone can paint the maid;" z T 2

Truft

Truft me, Hogarth, (tho' great thy fame)
'Twould pofe thy skill to draw the fame;
And yet thy mimick pow'r is more
Than ever painter's was before.
Now fhe was fair as Cygnet's down,
Now as Mat Prior's Emma, brown;
And changing as the changing flow'r,
Her dress the varied ev'ry hour.

'Twas Fancy, child!-you know the fair-
Who pins your gown, and fets your hair.
Lo! the god mounts his throne of state,
And fits the arbiter of fate :

His head with radiant glories drefs'd,
Gently reclin'd on Virtue's breast.
Love took his ftation on the right;
His quiver beam'd with golden light
Beauty ufurp'd the fecond place,
Ambitious of diftinguifh'd grace ;*
She claim'd this ceremonial joy,
Because related to the boy.;

(Said it was her's to point his dart,
And speed it's paffage to the heart)'
While on the god's inferior hand
Fancy and Wealth obtain'd their ftand.

And now the hallow'd rites proceed,
And now a thoufand heart-ftrings bleed,
I faw a blooming, trembling bride,
A toothless lover join'd her fide;"
Averfe fhe turn'd her weeping face,
And fhudder'd at the cold embrace.
But various baits their force impart ;
Thus titles lie at Celia's heart.
A paffion much too foul to name,
Cofts fupercilious prudes their fame:
Prudes wed to publicans and finners,
The hungry poet weds for dinners.

The

The god, with frown indignant, view'd The rabble, covetous or lewd;

By ev'ry vice his altar ftain'd,

By ev'ry fool his rites prophan'd:
When Love complain'd of Wealth aloud,
Affirming Wealth debauch'd the crowd;
Drew up in form his heavy charge,
Defiring to be heard at large.

The god confents, the throng divide,
The young efpous'd the plaintiff's fide;
The old declar'd for the defendant,
For age is money's fworn attendant.

Love faid, that wedlock was defign'd
By gracious Heav'n to match the mind;
To pair the tender and the juft,
And his the delegated truft:

That Wealth had play'd a knavish part,
And taught the tongue to wrong the heart,

But what avails the faithlefs voice?

The injur'd heart difdains the choice.

Wealth ftraight reply'd, that Love was blind,

And talk'd at random of the mind:

That killing eyes, and, bleeding hearts,
And all th' artillery of darts,
Were long ago exploded fancies,
And laugh'd at, even in romances.
Poets indeed ftyle love a treat,
Perhaps for want of better meat:
And love might be delicious fare,
Could we, like poets, live on air.
But grant that angels feaft on love,
(Those purer effences above)

Yet Albion's fons, he understood,
Preferr'd a more fubftantial food.

Thus while with gibes he drefs'd his cause,

His grey admirers hemm'd applaufe

With feeming conqueft pert and proud,
Wealth fhook his fides, and chuckled loud;
When Fortune, to reftrain his pride,
And fond to favour Love befide,
Op'ning the mifer's tape-ty'd veft,
Disclos'd the cares which ftung his breast:
Wealth stood abafh'd at his difgrace,
And a deep crimson flush'd his face.
Love fweetly fimper'd at the fight;
His gay adherents laugh'd outright.
The god, tho' grave his temper, fmil'd,
For Hymen dearly priz'd the child.
But he who triumphs o'er his brother,
In turn is laugh'd at by another.
Such cruel fcores we often find
Repaid the criminal in kind:
For Poverty, that famifh'd fiend!
Ambitious of a wealthy friend,
Advanc'd into the mifer's place,
And ftar'd the ftripling in the face;
Whofe lips grew pale, and cold as clay;
I thought the chit would fwoon away.
The god was ftudious to employ
His cares to aid the vanquish'd boy;
And therefore iffu'd his decree,
That the two parties ftraight agree:

When both obey'd the god's commands,

And Love and Riches join'd their hands,
What wond'rous change in each was wrought,
Believe me, fair, furpaffes thought.

If Love had many charms before,
He now had charms ten thousand more :
If Wealth had ferpents in his breast,
They now were dead, or lull'd to reft.

Beauty, that vain, affected thing,
Who join'd the hymeneal ring,

Approach'd