Go find out the maid that is form'd on my plan,
And I'll love her for ever-I mean, if I can.
-47

THE world, my dear Myra, is full of deceit,
And friendship's a jewel we feldom can meet;
How ftrange does it feem, that in fearching around,
This fource of content is fo rare to be found?
O, friendship! thou balm, and rich fweetner of life;
Kind parent of eafe, and compofer of ftrife;
Without thee, alas! what are riches and pow'r,
But empty delufion, the joys of an hour.

How much to be pris'd and esteem'd as a friend,
On whom the may always with fafety depend?
(Our joys, when extended, will always increafe,
And griefs, when divided, are hufh'd into peace:
When fortune is fmiling, what crouds will appear
Their kindness to offer, and friendship fincere;
Yet change but the profpect, and point out diftrefs,
No longer to court you they'll eagerly prefs.

Hence, girls! beware-look fharp-take care
For men are wond'rous fly.

That Proteus, man, like him of old,
A thoufand forms will take;
His venal foul is all for gold,

A crocodile, or fnake.

See his dire thread ! this fpider spread
To catch the female fly:
Hence, girls! beware-look fharp-take care
For men are wond'rous fly.

A porcupine, with rage infpir'd,
At nymphs he darts his quills;
A bafilifk by frenzy fir'd,

His glance by poifon kills:
With fraudful arts he fteals their hearts,
Then throws the baubles by:
Hence, girls! beware-look fharp-take car
For men are wond'rous fly.

Was the whole race of men to meet,
In one wide-fpreading plain,
Of constancy, of faith, to treat,

And virtue's fpotless train,
To find a youth renown'd for truth,
Whole ages you might try :
Hence, girls beware-look fharp-take ca
For men are wond'rous fly.

Thus wretched exiles, when they roam,
Meet pity ev'ry where;
But languish for their native home,
Though death attends them there.

To reafon, ye fair-ones, affert your pretence,
Nor hearken to language beneath common sense:
When angels man call ye, and homage would pay,
If you credit the tale, you're as faulty as they.
Ten thousand gay fcenes are prefented to view,
Ten thoufand oaths fwore, but not one of them true;
Such paffions, O heed not, unless to deride,
Let a victim you fall to an ill-grounded pride.
Prefer ye the dictates of virtue to found,
True bleffings can ne'er without goodnefs be found;
Leave foily and fashions, misguiders of youth,
And ftick to their oppofites, freedom and truth,

See how Aurora fmiles on fpring,
See how the larks arife and fing,
To hail the infant day.

Mufic fhall wake the morn-the day
Shall roll unheeded as we play

In wiles, impell'd by love: When weary, we shall deign to ref Alternate on each other's breaft,

While Cupid guards the grove.

What prince can boaft more happiness Than I (poffeffing thee) poffefs?

All care is banish'd hence, Say, mortals, who our deeds defpife, In what fuperior pleasure lies,

Than love and innocence?

And when in Thetis' lap to reft,

He ftreaks with gold the ruddy weft,
He not fo beauteous as, undreft,

Appears my lovely Peggy.
When Zephyr on the vi'let blows,
Or breathes upon the damask rofe,
It does not half the fweets difclofe,

As does my lovely Peggy.
I ftole a kife the other day,
And, (truft me) nought but truth I fay,
The fragrance of the blooming May
Was not fo fweet as Peggy.

Was the array'd in ruftic weed,
With her the bleating flocks I'd feed,
And pipe upon the oaten reed;

To please my lovely Peggy:
With her a cottage would delight;
All's happy when the's in my fight;
But when she's gone, 'tis endless night,
All's dark without my Peggy

While bees from flow'r to flow'r ftill rove,
And linnets warble thro' the grove,
Or ftately fwans the water love,

So long fhall I love Peggy:

And when death, with his pointed dart,
Shall ftrike the blow that rives my heart,
My words fhall be when I depart,
Adieu, my lovely Peggy.

No wonder that thefe trifles please,

Transfix their hearts, and charms their ear; Their nuptial union foon muft cease,

Nor can furvive the circl'ing year.

Far nobler gifts my fancy warms, -
Far nobler gifts muft ftrike my eyes; -
I rove in queft of brighter charms,
And feek a mate difcreetly wife..
In Chloe all thofe charms combine,
That wit and virtue can imparti
She then fhall be my Valentine,

And ever triumph o'er my heart.

57

WHEN, lovely maid, with thee I join'd -

In humble fuit to heav'n, Unufual comfort cheer'd my mind,

And spoke my faults forgiv'n.
My griefs were hufh'd, my joy ferene,
No anxious care I knew:

Loft to my thought this earthly fcene,
All but my love for you.

Fain would I think, that thou, dear maid,
By pitying heav'n was fent
To lend an erring finner aid,

And teach him to repent.
Vouchfafe me ftill the pious care,
O! crown the great defign;
Reward my paffion, charming fair,
And fix me heav'n's—and thine.

58
YES, there are the fcenes where with Iris I ftray'd
But thort was her fway for fo lovely a maid:
In the bloom of her youth to a cloyfter the run;
In the bloom of her graces, too fair for a nun!
Ill-grounded, no doubt, a devotion must prove
So fatal to beauty, fo killing to love!

Yes, these are the meadows, the thrubs & the plaint; Once the scene of my pleasures, the scene of my pains, How many foft moments I fpent in this grove! How fair was my nymph! and how fervent my love!

eftill, tho' my heart, thine emotion give o'er; emember, the feafon of love is no more.

ith her how I ftray'd amid fountaine and bow'rs, r loiter'd behind, and collected the flow'rs! hen breathlefs, with ardour, my fair one purfu'd, nd to think with what favor my garland the view'd!

Swear this moment to forget her,
And the next my oath deny.
Now prepare with fcorn to treat her,
Ev'ry charm in thought I brave;
Then, relapfing, fly to meet her,
And confess myself her slave.

62

59

V'RY blifs that heav'n can give, ith dear Myra is to live, war her talk, and fee her fmile,' ndly gazing all the while :

Onftantly with raptures trace
='ry charm of mind and grace;
watch her to my glowing breaft,
Then with tenderness oppreft.
Ev'ry blifs, &c.

at of thefe, if once depriv'd,
ng, too long, I fhall have liv'd;
ankly I'd refign my breath;
yra loft is worfe than death.
Ev'ry blifs, &c.

бо

VHen I think on your truth, I doubt you no more; lame all the fears I gave way to before; ay to my heart, be at reit, and believe

hat whom once he has chosen the never will leave. t, ah! when I think on each ravishing grace, at plays in the smiles of that heavenly face, y heart beats again; I aga'n apprehend me fortunate rival in every friend.

efe painful fufpicions you cannot remove, ace you neither can leffen your charms nor my love it doubts caus'd by paffion, you never can blame, r they are not ill-founded, or you feel the fame.

61

TILL in hopes to get the beter Of my flubborn flame I try,

Two linnets I had ta'en,
The little warblers feem'd to pray
For liberty again :

Unheedful of their plaintive notes

I fung across the mead;

In vain they tun'd their pleafing throats,
And flutter'd to be freed.

As paffing thro' the tufted grove

Near which my cottage ftood,

I thought I faw the Queen of Love,
When Chlora's charms I view'd:
I gaz'd, I lov'd, I prefs'd her stay,
To hear my tender tale,
But all in vain-fhe fled away,

Nor could my fighs prevail.

Soon thro' the wound, which love had made,
And thus I (as compaffion bade)
Came pity to my breast,

The feather'd pair addrefs'd:
"Ye little warblers, chearful be,
"Remember not ye flew ;
For I who thought myself fo free,
"Am far more caught than you.'
63-
WHEN beauty on the lover's foul
Imprints its first and faireft charms,
It foon does reafon's force controul,
And ev'ry paffion quite difarms.
'Tis beauty triumphs o'er the brave,
As ev'ry feature blooms divine;
'Tis beauty makes the king a flave,
When in an angel's form, like thine.
N 2

64
OF woman to tell you my mind,

And I fpeak from th' experience I've had,
Not two out of fifty you'll find,
Be they daughters or wives,
But are plagues of our lives,

And enough to make any man mad.

The wrong and the right Being fet in their Gight, They're fure to take hold of the wrong; They'll cajole and they'll whimper, They'll whine and they'll fnivel, They'll coax and they'll fimperIn short, they're the devil; And so there's an end of my fong.

66

HEAR
me, blooming goddess, hear me!
Queen of fmiles and foft defire;
Send the beauty to endear me,

Who has lit this am'rous fire.

Oh! how fweet the mild dominion
Of the charmer we approve!
Honour clips the wanton pinion,
And we're willing flaves to love.

67
To heal the smart a bee had made
Upon my Chloe's face,
Honey upon her cheek fhe laid,

And bid me kifs the place.
Pleas'd, I obey'd, and from the wound
Imbib'd both fweet and smart;

The honey on my lips I found,
The fting within my heart.

- 68

WHEN real joy we mifs,

'Tis fome degree of bliss,
To reap ideal pleasure,

And dream of hidden treasure.
The foldier dreams of wars,
And conquers without scars;
The failor in his fcep
With fafety ploughs the deep:

So I, through fancy's aid,
Enjoy my heav'nly maid,
And, bleft with thee and love,
Am greater far than Jove.