Philander, mortally wounded by Cleora, as she was adjusting her tucker.
Ralph Gepley, Esq. hit by a random shot at the ring.
F. R. caught his death upon the water, April the first.
W. W. killed by an unknown hand, that was playing with the glove off, upon the side of the front-box in Drury-Lane.
Sir.Christopher Crazy, Bart. hurt by the brush of a whalebone petticoat.
Sylvius, shot through the sticks of a fan at St. James's church.
Damon, struck through the heart by a diamond necklace.
Thomas Trusty, Francis Goosequill, William Meanwell, Edward Callow, Esqrs. standing in a row, fell all four at the same time by an ogle of the widow Trapland.
Tom Rattle, chancing to tread upon a lady's tail as he came out of the playhouse, she turned full upon him, and laid him dead upon the spot.
Dick Tastewell, slain by a blush from the queen's box, in the third act of the Trip to the Jubilee.
Samuel Felt, haberdasher, wounded in his walks to Islington, by Mrs. Susannah Crosstich, as she was clambering over a stile.
R. F., T. W., S. I., M. P., &c. put to death in the last birth-day massacre.
Roger Blinko, cut off in the twenty-first year of his age by a white-wash.
Musidorus, slain by an arrow that flew out of a dimple in Belinda's left cheek.
Ned Courtly, presenting Flavia with her glove,
which she had dropped on purpose, she received it and took away his life with a curtsy.
John Gosselin, having received a slight hurt from a pair of blue eyes, as he was making his escape, was despatched by a smile.
Ştrephon, killed by Clarinda as she looked down into the pit.
Charles Careless, shot flying by a girl of fifteen, who unexpectedly popped her head upon him out of a coach.
Josiah Wither, aged threescore and three, sent to his long home by Elizabeth Jetwell, spinster.
Jack Freelove, murdered by Melissa in her hair.
William Wiseacre, Gent. drowned in a flood of tears by Moll Common.
John Pleadwell, Esq. of the Middle-Temple, barrister at law, assassinated in his chambers the 6th instant by Kitty Sly, who pretended to come to him for his advice. ADDISON.
I.
No. 378. WEDNESDAY, MAY 14.
Communicated by Mr. Pope. Aggredere, 0 magnos, aderit jam tempus, honores.
VIRG. ECL. Mature in years, to ready honours moye. DRIDEN.
I will make no apology for entertaining the reader with the following poem, which is written by a great genius, a friend of mine, in the coun
try, who is not ashamed to employ his wit in the praise of his Maker.
A SACRED ECLOGUE, COMPOSED OF SEVERAL PASSAGES OF
ISAIAH THE PROPHET.
Written in imitation of Virgils Pollio.
Yx nymphs of Solyma! begin the song,
To heav'nly themes sublimer strains belong.
The mossy fountains, and the sylvan shades,
The dreams of Pindus, and th' Aonian maids,
Delight no more- O thou my voice inspire
Who touch'd Isaiah's hallow'd lips with fire!
Rapt into future times, the bard begun,
A virgin shall conceive, a virgin bear a son:
From Jesse's root behold a branch arise,
Whose sacred flow'r, with fragrance fills the skies. (a)
Th' etherial spirit o'er its leaves shall move,
And on its top descends the mystic Dove.
Ye heav'ns! from high the dewy nectar pour,(6)
And in soft silence shed the kindly show'r!
The sick and weak, the healing plant shall aid, (c)
From storms a shelter, and from heat a shade.
All crimes shall cease, and ancient fraud shall fail:
Returning justice lift aloft her scale;(d)
Peace o'er the world her olive wand extend,
And white rob’d innocence from heav'n descend.
Swift fy the years, and rise th' expected morn!
Oh spring to light, auspicious Babe, be born!
See nature hastes her earliest wreaths to bring,
With all the incense of the breathing spring. (e)
(a) Isaiah, chap. xi. 1
(6) Chap. xlv. 8.
(c). Chap. xxv. 4.
(d) Chap. ix. 7.
(c) Chap. xxxv. 2.
See lofty Lebanon his head advance,
See nodding forests on the mountains dance,
See spicy clouds from lowly Sharon rise,
And Carmel's flow'ry top perfume the skies!
Hark! a glad voice the lonely desert cheers!(a)
Prepare the way! a God, a God appears!
A God! a God! the vocal hills reply,
The rocks proclaim th' approaching Deity.
Lo earth receives him from the bending skies!
Sink down ye mountains, and ye vallies rise!
With heads declin'd ye cedars homage pay!
Be smooth ye rocks, ye rapid floods give way!
The Saviour comes! by ancient bards foretold!
Hear bim ye deaf; and all ye blind behold!(6)
He from thick films shall purge the visual ray,
And on the sightless eye-ball pour the day. (c)
'Tis he th’ obstructed paths of sound shall clear,
And bid new music charm th' unfolding ear;
The dumb shall sing, the lame his crutch forego,
And leap exulting like the bounding roe.
No sigh, no murmur, the wide world shall hear,
From ev'ry face he wipes off ev'ry tear.
In adamantine chains shall death be bound, (d)
And hell's grim tyrant feel th' eternal wound.
As the good shepherd tends bis fleecy care, (e)
Seek freshest pastures and the purest air,
Explores the lost, the wand'ring sheep directs,
By day o'ersees them, and by night protects;
The tender lambs he raises in his arms,
Feeds from his hand and in his bosom warms:
Mankind shall thus his guardian care engage,
The promis’d Father of the future age. (f)
No more shall nation against nation rise, (g)
Nor ardent warriors meet with hateful eyes;
Nor fields with gleaming steel be cover'd o'er,
The brazen trumpets kindle rage no more;
(a) Isaiah, Chap. xl. 3, 4.
(6) Chap. xlii. 18.
(c) Chap xxxv. 5, 6.
(d) Chap. xxv. 8.
VOL. VIII.
3
(e) Chap. xl. 11.
(f) Chap. ix. 6.
(8) Chap. ii. 4.
But useless lances into scythes shall bend,
And the broad falchion in a ploughshare end.
Then palaces shall rise; the joyful son(a)
Shall finish what his short-liv'd sire begun:
Their vines a shadlow to their race shall yield,
And the same hand that sow'd shall reap the field.
The swain in barren deserts with surprise(6)
Sees lilies spring, and sudden verdure rise,
And starts amidst the thirsty wilds to hear
New falls of water murmuring in his ear.
On rifted rocks, the dragon's late abodes,
The green reed trembles, and the bulrush nods.
Waste sandy valleys, once perplex'd with thorn, (c)
The spiry fir and shapely box adorn;
To leafless shrubs the flow'ring palms succeed,
And od’rous myrtle to the noisome weed.
The lambs with wolves shall graze the verdant mead, (d)
And boys in flow'ry bands the tiger lead;
The steer and lion at one crib shall meet,
And harmless serpents lick the pilgrim's feet.
The smiling infant in his hand shall take
The crested basilisk and speckled snake;
Pleas'd the green lustre of the scales survey,
And with their forky tongue and pointless sting shall play.
Rise, crown'd with light, imperial Salem rise! (e)
Exalt thy tow'ry head, and lift thy eyes!
See a long race thy spacious courts adorn; (f)
See future sons and daughters yet unborn,
In crowding ranks, on ev'ry side arise,
Demanding life, impatient for the skies!
See barb'rous nations at thy gates attend, (g)
Walk in thy light, and in thy temple bend:
See thy bright altars throngd with prostrate kings,
And heap'd with products of Sabæan springs!(h)
For thee Idume's spicy forests blow,
And seeds of gold in Ophir's mountains glow.
(a) Isaiah, Chap. Ixv. 21, 22. (e) Chap. lx. 1.
(6) Chap.xxxv. 1, 7.
(f) Chap. Ix. 4. (c) Chap. xli. 19, and ch. lv. 13.
(g) Chap. Ix. 3. (d) Chap. xi. 6, 7, 8.
(h) Chap. l.. 6.
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