Builds in his copfe a favourite bench,
And stores the pond with carp and tench.-
But ah! too foon his thoughtless breaft
By cares domeftic is oppreft;

And a third butcher's bill, and brewing,
Threaten inevitable ruin:

For children fresh expences yet,

And Dicky now for school is fit.

66

Why did I fell my college life

(He cries) for benefice and wife?

"Return, ye days! when endless pleasure
"I found in reading, or in leisure !

"When calm around the common room
"I puff'd my daily pipe's perfume!
"Rode for a ftomach, and infpected
"At annual bottlings, corks felected:
"And din'd untax'd, untroubled, under
"The pourtrait of our pious founder!
"When impofitions were supply'd
"To light my pipe-or footh my pride-
"No cares were then for forward peas
"A yearly longing-wife to please ;

My thoughts no chrift'ning dinner croft, "No children cry'd for butter'd toast; "And ev'ry night I went to bed, "Without a Modus in my head !" Oh! trifling head, and fickle heart!

Chagrin'd at whatsoe'er thou art;

A dupe

A dupe to follies yet untry'd,

And fick of pleasures, scarce enjoy'd!
Each prize poffefs'd, thy tranfport ceases,
And in pursuit alone it pleases.

The

D

FIRES ID E.

By Dr. COTTON.

I.

EAR Chloe, while the bufy crowd,
The vain, the wealthy, and the proud,
In Folly's maze advance;

Tho' fingularity and pride

Be call'd our choice, we'll step afide,
Nor join the giddy dance.

II.

From the gay world we'll oft retire
To our own family and fire,

Where love our hours employs ;

No noify neighbour enters here,
No intermeddling stranger near,

To fpoil our heart-felt joys,

III. IF

If folid happiness we prize,
Within our breaft this jewel lies;

And they are fools who roam:

The world has nothing to beftow,

From our own selves our joys must flow,
And that dear hut, our home.

IV.

Of reft was Noah's dove bereft,
When with impatient wing she left
That fafe retreat, the ark;
Giving her vain excurfion o'er,
The disappointed bird once more
Explor'd the facred bark.

V.

Tho' fools fpurn Hymen's gentle pow'rs,
We, who improve his golden hours,
By sweet experience know,

That marriage rightly understood,'
Gives to the tender and the good
A paradife below.

VI.

Our babes fhall richest comforts bring,
If tutor'd right, they'll prove a spring,
Whence pleasures ever rise :

We'll form their minds with ftudious care,
To all that's manly, good, and fair,

And train them for the kies.

VII. While

VII.

While they our wifeft hours engage,
They'll joy our youth, fupport our age,
And crown our hoary hairs:
They'll grow in virtue ev'ry day,
And thus our fondest loves repay,

And recompenfe our cares.
VIII.

No borrow'd joys! they're all our own,
While to the world we live unknown,
Or by the world forgot:

Monarchs! we envy not your state,

We look with pity on the great,
And blefs our humbler lot.

IX.

Our portion is not large indeed,
But then, how little do we need,

For Nature's calls are few!

In this the art of living lies,

To want no more than may fuffice,

And make that little do.

X.

We'll therefore relish with content

Whate'er kind Providence has fent,

Nor aim beyond our pow'r;

For if our ftock be very small, 'Tis prudence to enjoy it all,

Nor lofe the prefent hour,

XI.

To be refign'd, when ills betide,
Patient, when favours are deny'd,

And pleas'd with favours giv'n;
Dear Chloe, this is wisdom's part,
This is that incense of the heart,

Whose fragrance smells to heav'n.
XII.

We'll afk no long protracted treat,

(Since winter life is feldom fweet ;) But when our feaft is o'er,

Grateful from table we'll arise,

Nor grudge our fons with envious eyes, The relicks of our store.

XIII.

Thus hand in hand thro' life we'll

Its checker'd paths of joy and woe

go,

With cautious fteps we'll tread ;
Quit its vain scenes without a tear,
Without a trouble or a fear,

And mingle with the dead.
XIV.

While Confcience, like a faithful friend,

Shall, thro' the gloomy vale attend,

And cheer our dying breath;
Shall, when all other comforts cease,
Like a kind angel whisper peace,

And smooth the bed of death.