TO G. WENTWORTH, ESQ. Grant youthful friendship is a feeble chain, Its feelings fervent, but its fervor vain ; Bright hues may dazzle, beauty lead astray, Or anger mar its concord in a day: Yet, may not early league remain as true As that maturer friendship ever knew? Nay, may it not from youth to age endure, Uninterested, earnest, faithful, sure; Be sorrow's prop, as misery's support, And share in danger, as it shares in sport? Oh! may it not, in confidence, impart Th' unwonted secrets of an open heart? It may, indeed; for well Heav'n has design'd Heart should with heart partake, and mind with mind; This does to life, indeed, true value lend, For ev'ry bliss is doubled in a friend. Such was thine ever, Wentworth, unto me, But, prithee, Wentworth, 'midst this promis'd bliss The page which mem'ry should delight to trace: But should, on future life, a crowd attend, Oh! turn from them, to waste a thought on me. CHARLES DASHWOOD. MOONLIGHT. Is there a man can see the glorious Sun Of dazzling splendor, which, from pole to pole, The moon, which shines when day has ceas'd to be. We may, with peaceful soul, her disk admire, And feel within, her softer, holier, fire. Though calm her course, though tranquil be her beam, I would not change her modest, milder gleam For all the splendor of meridian day, And, with it, lose the thoughts that round me stray, When the pale moon, with tints of silver hue, Adds charms ne'er known before, to scenes I hourly view. G. SELWYN. TO SLEEP. Come, Sleep, and to a wretch's eyes Oft hast thou still'd my throbbing breast, Oft hast thou caus'd a blissful change Hast chains of pleasure wrought. Thus, in successive scenes of joy Again, sweet Sleep, would I enjoy, That calm repose which brings relief Oh, give me visions, peaceful, bright; Let sweet contentment waft me down Should it, again, be mine to tread, LATHAM. WHAT IS A BORE? What is a bore? That disagreeable visitor, whom we are so often doomed to encounter-that enemy who attacks every individual in some different shape. I confess the word puzzles me no little, but since Dr. Johnson has not deigned to give it an explanation, and though I feel confident that the generality of my readers are well acquainted with the meaning of this ominous monosyllable, I shall, nevertheless, attempt to lay before you the various definitions of many people, who so widely differ in the estimate they form of a bore. "What a bore it is!" says Lady Emily, " to spend a week with a friend in the country, where there are no ' at homes,' no routs, no conversaziones, no concerts, no operas; nothing but walks in the country, through dirty lanes or swampy fields, and a dull rubber of whist after tea.' "What a bore it is!" simpers Miss F., just emerged from the recesses of a boarding school, "to spend the spring in town, where you can see nothing but smoky houses, carts, and carriages, all the day long, and cannot get a glimpse of the green fields, budding trees, and frisking lambs; and where you hear the perpetual din of rattling wheels, instead of the sweet warblings of the nightingale." "What a bore it is!" sighs the disappointed lover who has just received a not at home,'-" I have called here three times within the last four days, and the dear, cruel, little creature has denied herself each time-I really begin to think she loves some one else better than myself." "What a bore it is!" drawls Frederick Finewaist, the Fop, "that the rascal Stultz has not sent my coat home. I positeevely declare I shall not be able to go to Lord C's. I must send my apology-how provoking! What a bore it is, to dine with a vulgar man, or to be recognized by an old-fashioned acquaintance or country cousin, when lounging in Hyde Park." the "What a bore it is!" swears Colonel Lgamester, "to dine with my saintly uncle, who never stakes more than half-a-crown a rubber; forswears dice -looks on the Sporting Magazine in the light of the history of Belial, and goes to bed regularly at 10 o'clock." "What a bore it is!" says the M. P., "to be in the minority-to have your bill thrown out,* or to spend thousands on an election that your adversary gains.' " "It is a bore," says the Bon-vivant, "to dine with a man who never has more than one joint of meat on the table, who is stingy with his wines, and, at whose house you cannot eat as much as you like, without being noticed." "What a horrid bore it is!" declares the school-boy, "to return to school after the holidays. A rainy day is a bore-particularly in the cricket season." And my friend Palmer, thinks it a far greater bore to have a dry correspondent, or troublesome contributor. If I would complete my catalogue, it would be necessary for me to give as many definitions as there are people in the world-for that which is the subject of the greatest annoyance to one, is to another the summum bonum of all earthly happiness: as Horace says→→ Quot capitum vivunt totidem studiorum Millia. Of one thing I am convinced, that my readers (if by chance I have any) will agree, that it is a bore to wade through my compositions, and I shall, therefore, prevent their falling asleep, by wishing them a very good bye. F. DARLINGTON. * To be coughed down, when making your maiden speech. S |