EDWIN AND ANGELINA. TURN, gentle hermit of the dale, "And guide my lonely way "To where yon taper cheers the vale "With hospitable ray. "For here forlorn and lost I tread, "With fainting steps and slow; "Where wilds, immeasurably spread, "Seem length'ning as I go." "Forbear, my son," the hermit cries, "To tempt the dang'rous gloom; "For yonder phantom only flies "To lure thee to thy doom. "Here to the houseless child of want "My door is open still; "And, tho' my portion is but scant, "I give it with good will. "Then turn to-night, and freely share "Whate'er my cell bestows; "My rushy couch and frugal fare, "My blessing and repose. "No flocks that range the valley free "To slaughter I condemn ; "Taught by that power that pities me, "I learn to pity them : "But from the mountain's grassy side "A guiltless feast I bring; "A scrip with herbs and fruits supplied, "And water from the spring. "Then, pilgrim, turn, thy cares forego; All earth-born cares are wrong: "Man wants but little here below, "Nor wants that little long." Soft as the dew from heaven descends, The modest stranger lowly bends, Far in a wilderness obscure The lonely mansion lay; A refuge to the neighb'ring poor, No stores beneath its humble thatch To take their ev'ning rest, And spread his vegetable store, And gaily press'd and smil'd; To soothe the stranger's woe; And tears began to flow. His rising cares the hermit spied, "Reluctant dost thou rove? "Or grieve for friendship unreturn'd, "Or unregarded love? "Alas! the joys that fortune brings "Are trifling and decay; "And those who prize the paltry things "More trifling still than they. "For shame! fond youth, thy sorrows hush, Alternate spreads alarms; "But let a maid thy pity share, "Whom love has taught to stray; "Who seeks for rest, but finds despair Companion of her way. "My father liv'd beside the Tyne, "A wealthy lord was be; "And all his wealth was mark'd as mine, "He had but only me. "To win me from his tender arms "Unnumber'd suitors came; "Who prais'd me for imputed charms, "And felt, or feign'd a flame. "Each hour a mercenary crowd "With richest proffers strove ; "Among the rest young Edwin bow'd, "But never talk'd of love. "In humble, simplest habit clad, "No wealth or power bad he; "Wisdom and worth were all he had, "But these were all to me. "The blossom op'ning to the day, "The dews of Heaven refin'd, "Could nought of purity display "To emulate his mind. "The dew, the blossoms of the tree, "With charms inconstant shine; "Their charms were his, but, woe to me! "Their constancy was mine. "For still I tried each fickle art, "Importunate and vain ; "And while his passion touch'd my heart, "I triumph'd in his pain; "Till, quite dejected with my scorn, "But mine the sorrow, mine the fault! "And there forlorn, despairing, hid, "And so for him will I!" "Forbid it, Heaven!" the hermit cried, And clasp'd her to his breast: The wond'ring fair one turn'd to chide--'Twas Edwin's self that press'd. "Turn Angelina, ever dear, "My charmer, turn to see "Thy own, thy long-lost Edwin here, "Restor'd to love and thee! "Thus let me hold thee to my heart, "And ev'ry care resign; "And shall we never, never part, "My life my all that's mine? "No, never from this hour to part; "We'll live and love so true, "The sigh that rends thy constant heart "Shall break thy Edwin's too!" AN ELEGY, ON THE DEATH OF A MAD DOG. Good people all, of every sort, In Islington there was a man, Whene'er he went to pray. When he put on his clothes. And in that town a dog was found, Both mongrel, puppy, whelp, and hound, |This dog and man at first were triends ; The dog to gain his private ends Around from all the neighbouring streets And swore the dog had lost his wits, To bite so good a man. The wound it seem'd both sore and sad To ev'ry Christian eye; And while they swore the dog was mad, But soon a wonder came to light, RETALIATION. A POEM. The title and nature of this Poem shew that it owed its birth to some preceding circumstances of festive uneniment, which from the wit of the company, and the very ingenious author's peculiar ouditie, were probably enlivenci by some strokes of humour. Tuis piece was only intended for the Docter's private amusement, and that of the particular friends who were its subject; and he unfortunately did not live to revise, or even finish it, in the manner which le intended. The public have, however, already shewn how much they were pleased with its appearance, even in its present state. Or old, when Scarron his companions invited,,, Each guest brought his dish, and the feast was united; If our landlord * supplies us with beef and with fish, Our Garrick's †† a salad, for in him we see Let each guest bring himself, and he brings That Hickey's a capon; and by the same Our Dean + shall be venison, just fresh from Magnanimous Goldsmith a gooseberry fool: Till all my companions sink under the table; And Dick with his pepper shall heighten Then with chaos and blunders encircling my their savour; Our Cumberland's sweet-bread its place shall obtain, And Douglas ** is pudding substantial and plain; *The master of the St. James's Coffee house, where the Doctor, and the friends he has characterized in this poem, held an occasional club. † Dr. Barnard, Dean of Derry in Ireland, author of many ingenious pieces. Mr. Edmund Burke, Member for Wendover, and one of the greatest orators in this kingdom. Mr. William Burke, late Secretary to General Conway, and Member for Bedwin. Mr. Richard Burke, Collector of Grenada, no less remarkable in the walks of wit and humour than his brother Edmund Burke is justly distinguished in all the branches of useful and polite literature. Author of the West Indian, Fashionable Lover, the Brothers, and other dramatic pieces. ** Dr. Douglas, Canon of Windsor, an ingenious Scotch gentleman, who has no less distinguished himself as a citizen of the world, than a sound critic, in detecting several literary mistakes, or rather forgeries, of his country Who, born for the universe, narrow'd his mind, || But, missing his mirth and agreeable vein, And to party gave up what was meant for mankind; Tho' fraught with all learning, yet straining his throat To persuade Tommy Townshend * to lend him a vote: Who, too deep for his hearers, still went on refining, As often we wish'd to have Dick back again. Here Cumberland lies, having acted his parts, The Terence of England, the mender of hearts; A flattering painter who made it his care are. And thought of convincing while they thought His gallants are all faultless, his women di of dining; Tho' equal to all things, for all things unfit, Too nice for a statesman, too proud for a wit: For a patriot too cool; for a drudge disobedicut; And too fond of the right to pursue the expe dient. In short, 'twas his fate, unemploy'd or in place, Sir, To eat mutton cold, and cut blocks with a razor. Here lies honest William, whose heart was a mint, vine, And comedy wonders at being so fine; His fools have their follies so lost in a crowd Of virtues and feelings, that folly grows proud; And coxcombs alike in their failings alone, Adopting his portraits are pleas'd with their Own. Say, where has our poet this malady caught, Or wherefore his characters thus without fault? While the owner ne'er knew half the good that Say, was it that villainy directing his view was in't The pupil of impulse, it forc'd him along, His conduct still light, with his argument wrong; Still aiming at honour, yet fearing to roam, The coachman was tipsy, the chariot drove home: Would you ask for his merits, alas! he had none; What was good was spontaneous, his faults were his own. Here lies honest Richard, whose fate I must sigh at, Alas, that such frolic should now be so quiet! What spirits were his, what wit and what whim, Now breaking a jest, and now breaking a limb; t Now wrangling and grumbling to keep up the bail, Now teasing and vexing, yet laughing at all! * Mr. T. Townshend, Member for Whitechurch. +Mr. Richard Burke. This gentleman having slightly fractured one of his arms and legs at different times, the Doctor has rallied him on those accidents as a kind of retributive justice for breaking his jests upon other people. To find out men's virtues, and finding them few, Quite sick of pursuing each troublesome elf, He grew lazy at last, and drew from himself? Here Douglas retires from his toils to relax, The scourge of impostors, the terror of quacks; Come, all ye quack bards, and ye quacking divines, Come and dance on the spot where your tyrant reclines. When Satire and Censure encircled bis throne, I fear'd for your safety, I fear'd for my own; But now he is gone, and we want a detector, Our Dodds shall be pious, or Kenricks shall lecture; Macpherson write bombast, and call it a style; Our Townshend make speeches; and I shall compile; New Lauders and Bowers the Tweed shall cross over, No countryman living their tricks to discover: Detection her taper shall quench to a spark, And Scotchman meet Scotchman and cheat in the dark. Here lies David Garrick, describe him who can? An abridgement of all that was pleasant in man; As an actor, confest without rival to shine, Yet with talents like these, and an excellent | Old Shakspeare receive him with praise and heart, The man has his failings, a dupe to bis art; Like an ill-judging beauty his colours he spread, And be-plaster'd with rouge his own natural red. On the stage he was natural, simple, affecting. 'Twas only that when he was off he was acting; With no reason on earth to go out of his way, He turn'd and he varied full ten times a day; Tho' secure of our hearts, yet confoundedly sick with love, And Beaumonts and Bens be his Kellys above. Here Hickey reclines, a most blunt, pleasant creature, And slander itself must allow him good nature: He cherish'd his friend, and he relish'd a bumper ; Yet one fault he had; and that one was a thumper; Perhaps you may ask if the man was a miser? I answer, No, no, for he always was wiser: If they were not his own by finessing and Too courteous, perhaps, or obligingly flat? trick; His very worst foe can't accuse him of that." He was, could he help it a special attorney. and to tell you my He was not left a wiser or better behind: bland; Still born to improve us in every part, When they talk'd of their Raphaels, Corregios, and stuff, He shifted his trumpet, and only took souff Sir Joshua Reynolds was so remarkably deaf as to be under the necessity of using an ear-trumpet in company. END OF THE BEAUTIES OF GOLDSMITH. |