Then lifting his lid in a delicate way, And opening his mouth with a smile quite engaging, The Box in reply was heard plainly to say, What a filly dispute is this we are waging! If you have a little of merit to claim, thank the sweet-smelling Virginian You may weed; And I, if I seem to deferve any blame, The beforemention'd drug in apology plead. Thus neither the praise nor the blame is our own, No room for a fneer, much less a cachinnus, We are vehicles, not of tobacco alone, But of any thing else they may choose to put in us. THE FLATTING MILL. An Illuftration. HEN a bar of pure filver or ingot of gold length, It is paff'd between cylinders often, and roll'd Thus tortured and squeezed, at last it appears Like a loose heap of ribbon, a glittering show, Like mufic it tinkles and rings in your ears, And, warm'd by the preffure, is all in a glow. This process achieved, it is doom'd to fuftain Alas for the Poet, who dares undertake Το If he wish to instruct, he must learn to delight, Smooth, ductile, and even his fancy must flow, Muft tinkle and glitter like gold to the fight, And catch in its progrefs a fenfible glow. After all he must beat it as thin and as fine EPITAPH ON A FREE BUT TAME REDBREAST, A Favourite of Mifs Sally Hurdis. HESE are not dewdrops, these are tears, For absent Robin, who fhe fears, With too much caufe, is dead. One morn he came not to her hand As he was wont to come, Alarm'd, fhe call'd him, and perplex'd She therefore raised him here a tomb, Though where he fell, or how, None knows, fo fecret was his doom, Nor where he moulders now. Had half a score of coxcombs died Poor Sally's tears had foon been dried, But Bob was neither rudely bold Nor spiritleffly tame; Nor was, like theirs, his bofom cold, But always in a flame. SONNET Addreffed to William Hayley, Efq. SAYLEY-thy tenderness fraternal shown Such as it is has made my heart thy own, Not more to admire the Bard than love the Man. June 2, 1792. AN EPITAPH. ERE lies one who never drew Blood himself, yet many flew ; Gave the gun its aim, and figure Made in field, yet ne'er pull'd trigger. Armed men have gladly made Would advance, present, and fire- Neptune was he call'd, not He 1792. ON RECEIVING HAYLEY'S PICTURE. ON language warm as could be breathed or penn'd Thy picture speaks the original my friend, Not by those looks that indicate thy mind— They only speak thee friend of all mankind; Expreffion here more foothing ftill I see, That friend of all a partial friend to me. January, 1793. |