Eager to enjoy the fight of fo much connubial happinefs, I fixed an early day to dine with him, and bufied myself in the anticipation of the elegant delights which my poetic imagination figured my friend to poffefs. When the hour arrived, I repaired to Mr. Homely's houfe, and was flown into his study, which, inftead of being furnished with books and maps, was ftrewed about with go-carts, dolls, whiftles, penny trumpets, and " cheap publications." I thought this rather ftrange furniture for a library, and imagined that nothing fhort of the ingenuity of the Sage of Laputa could extract food for ftudy from fuch a jumble of materials. Scarce had I made this reflection, when my ears were alarmed with a tremendous found, which, afcending the staircase, and burfting open the study door, exhibited four of my friend's fons and fix of his daughters, fhouting like wild Americans, with their arms ftrongly faftened with cords, and urged forward by another of the hopeful race, who brandifhed a whip over his head, and fent forth founds from it which might have filenced the thong of a French poftillion: this gentle paftime, it seems, they called playing at horfes. The infant banditti had paced round the room, and thrown down three chairs in their progrefs, when the second horfe in the team fell down, and was dragged by his playful affociates along the floor, in fpite of his angry cries and remonftrances. It required all the authority of their father to quell this hideous din, who fhortly made his appearance; and, notwithstanding the increased wrinkles on his brow, welcomed me by a cordial fhake by the hand, and led me up ftairs to the drawing-room, to introduce me to his wife. The drawing-room had discarded all superfluous ornaments, and boafted a negligence and plainnefs that Diogenes might not have been ashamed of. In one corner two mifchievous urchins had torn open a new pack of cards, and were building houfes

with them. In another stood a cradle and caudle-cup'; while rush-bottomed chairs, back-boards, fteel collars, and ftocks, ufurped the places of candelabrums, filk hangings, and mirrors. On my entrance, Mrs. Homely thook two children from her lap, and one from her fhoulder, and arofe to welcome me; exhibiting to my aftonished view the once flender Rachel converted into a broad clumfy dame, with all the marks of premature old age. After the ufual ceremonies I took my feat : and now my torments commenced. One child faftened my button with packthread to the back of the chair; another pierced the calf of my leg with a black pin; while a third infifted upon mounting behind me, and fwinging by my pigtail. I bore these tortures with the firmness of an American captive, hoping that the call to dinner would put an end to my fufferings. But my expectations were vain, and I queftion whether Sancho fuffered half the vexation that I did during the mockery of a banquet, though I confefs my fufferings were alleviated by obferving that the rest of the company came in for their share. Mrs. Homely fat at the head of the table with a rickety child on her knee, and infifted, like an indulgent mother as she was, that nine of her numerous brood fhould feat themselves at the board, which caufed all the din and disturbance that I expected. Two butter-boats were overfet on the fatin breeches of Deputy Maroon; the immaculate muflin of Mifs Bridle was fated to receive the contents of a wine-glass; and, to complete the calamity, a fine leg of pork was entirely flayed, that the children might devour the skin, under the fignificant name of cracklingMy friend, not quite reconciled to matrimonial trammels, feemed rather difturbed at this fcene of folly and confufion; but his helpmate, who had long buried politeness, and even decency, in the vortex of one inftinctive paffion, love for her offspring, was delight

ed with the buftle, and would not have the poor things fnubbed for the world. She looked round upon her diftorted brood with exultation, even priding herself upon their defects, and appeared to think that the had obtained a difpenfation from rule and reason, from the fole circumftance of having favoured the world with fourteen children.

Now, Mr. Editor, is it not a fhame that a parcel of idle fellows fhould fit down and write poetical panegyrics upon "wedded love," when it is notorious that nine times out of ten the married state is as I have defcribed it? We collegians, who take our ideas of life from books, are apt to imagine that marriage is attended by all that elegant felicity which your Thomfons and your Shenftones describe. I confefs, that at the age of nineteen fuch was my opinion; but the cafe of my friend Homely, and twenty other cafes which I might produce, have fince tended to diminish my credulity. Tell me, Sir, I e ntreat you, why fhould Hymen's torch and Cupid's bow be thus eternally at variance? Show me the policy of this conduct, that one woman, elegant and filly, fhould, after marriage, fuffer her elegance to evaporate, and her filinefs to remain; while another, who in her virgin ftate has charmed her admiring acquaintance with beauty, accomplishments, and tafte, fhould be content, when a wife, to absorb all other qualifications in the duties of houfemaid and nurse.

I am, &c.

SOLUS.

THE FIERY ELEMENT PERSONIFIED.
[Afcribed to Mr. Sheridan.]

IN poets, all my marks you'll fee,

Since flash and smoke reveal me:

Sufpect me always near Nat Lee

E'en Blackmore can't conceal me,

In Milton's page I glow by art,
One flame intenfe and even;
In Shakspear's blaze! à fudden start,
Like lightnings flafl'd from heav'n!
In many more, as well as they,
Through various forms I fhift;
I'm gently lambent when I'm Gay,
But brightest when I'm Swift.

From fmoke, fure tidings you may get,
It can't fubfift without me;
Or find me, like fome fond coquet,
With fifty fparks about me.

In other forms I oft am feen,

In breafts of Young and Fair;
And as the Virtues dwell within,
You'll always find me there.

I with pure, piercing, brilliant gleams,
Can arm Eliza's * eye!-
With modeft, foft, ethereal beams,

Sweet Mary's I fupply!

ENDYMION.

THE

CONVICT.

[From the Morning Poft.]

THE fun was dilating his orb in the weft;

And the still season's mellowing charm,

Diffus'd through all Nature, was felt in the breaft,
And the breast became kindly and warm.
And must I then part from thefe objects so fair?
In the pain of my spirit I said:

But, fubduing the thought, I made hafte to repair
To the cell where the CONVICT is laid.

* Ladies Eliza and Mary Birmingham, daughters of the Earl of Louth.

0 5

The

The thick-ribbed walls that o'ershadow the gate
Refound-and the dungeons unfold.

I paufe; and at length through the glimmering grate
That outcaft of pity behold.

His black matted head on his bosom is bent,
And deep is the figh of his breath;
While with ftedfast dejection his eye is intent
On the fetters that link him to death!

'Tis forrow enough on that visage to gaze,
That body difmifs'd from his care:

But my fancy has pierc'd to his heart, and pourtrays
More terrible images there.

His bones are confum'd, and his life-blood is dried

In wishes the past to undo;

And his crime, through the pains that o'erwhelm him, descried,
Still blackens and grows on his view.

When from the dark fynod, or blood-reeking field,
To his chamber the MONARCH is led,

All foothers of fense their soft virtue shall yield,
And filent attention fhall pillow his head.
If the lefs guilty CONVICT a moment should doze,
And oblivion his tortures appease,

On the iron that galls him his limbs must repose
In the damp-dripping vault of disease.

When full fain he would fleep, and has patiently tried

No longer his body to turn,

And the iron that enters fo deep in his fide

Has enter'd too deep to be borue;

While the jail-maftiff howls at the dull clanking chain,
From the roots of his hair there shall start

A thousand sharp punctures of cold-fweating pain,
And terror fhall leap at his heart!

But now he half-raises his deep-funken eye,
And the motion unfettles a tear!

It feems the low voice of defpair to fupply,
And asks of me, why am I here?

Poor victim! no idle intruder has stood

With o'erweening complacence our states to compare ;

But one whose first wifh is the wish to be good,

Is come as a brother thy forrows to share.

At