THE UNIVERSAL APPARITION.
A RAKE, by ev'ry passion rul'd,
With ev'ry vice his youth had cool'd;
Disease his tainted blood assails,
His spirits droop, his vigour fails;
With secret ills at home he pines,
And, like infirm old age, declines.
As, twing'd with pain, he pensive sits,
And raves, and prays, and swears by fits;
A ghastly PHANTOM, lean and wan,
Before him rose, and thus began :-
My name perhaps hath reach'd your ear: Attend, and be advis'd by CARE. Nor love, nor honour, wealth, nor pow'r, Can give the heart a cheerful hour, When health is lost. Be timely wise: With health all taste of pleasure flies.
Thus said, the PHANTOM disappears, The wary counsel wak'd his fears; He now from all excess abstains, With physic purifies his veins; And, to procure a sober life, Resolves to venture on a wife.
But now again the SPRITE ascends;
Where'er he walks his ear attends;
Insinuates that beauty's frail;
That perseverance must prevail;
With jealousies his brain inflames,
And whispers all her lovers' names.
In other hours she represents
His houshold charge, his annual rents,
Increasing debts, perplexing duns,
And nothing for his younger sons.
Straight all his thought to gain he turns, And with the thirst of lucre burns. But when possess'd of FORTUNE's store, The SPECTRE haunts him more and more Sets WANT and MISERY in view,
Bold thieves, and all the murd'ring crew; Alarms him with eternal frights,
Infests his dreams, or wakes his nights.
How shall he chase this hideous guest? Pow'r may perhaps protect his rest
To pow'r he rose. Again the SPRITE
Besets him morning, noon, and night;
Talks of AMBITION's tott'ring seat,
How envy persecutes the great;
Of rival hate, of treach'rous friends,
And what disgrace his fall attends.
The court he quits to fly from CARE, And seeks the peace of rural air: His groves, his fields, amus'd his hours He prun'd his trees, he rais'd his flow'rs, But CARE again his steps pursues; Warns him of blasts, of blighting dews, Of plund'ring insects, snails and rains, And droughts that starv'd the labour'd plains. Abroad, at home, the SPECTRE's there: In vain we seek to fly from CARE.
At length he thus the GHOST addrest:-
Since thou must be my constant guest,
Be kind, and follow me no more;
For CARE, by right, should go before.
THE TWO OWLS AND THE SPARROW.
Two formal owLs together sat,
Conferring thus in solemn chat :—
How is the modern taste decay'd!
Where's the respect to wisdom paid!
Our worth the GRECIAN sages knew;
They gave our sires the honour due,
They weigh'd the dignity of fowls,
And pry'd into the depth of owLS:
ATHENS, the seat of learned fame,
With gen'ral voice rever'd our name;
On merit title was conferr'd,
And all ador'd th' ATHENIAN bird.
Brother, you reason well, replies The solemn mate, with half-shut eyes;
Right. Athens was the seat of learning,
And truly wisdom is discerning.
Besides, on PALLAS' helm we sit,
The type and ornament of wit:
But now, alas! we're quite neglected,
And a pert SPARROW's more respected.
A SPARROW, who was lodg'd beside, O'erhears them sooth each other's pride, And thus he nimbly vents his heat :—
Who meets a fool must find conceit.
I grant you were at ATHENS grac'd,
And on MINERVA's helm were plac'd;
But ev'ry bird that wings the sky,
Except an owL, can tell you why.
From hence they taught their schools to know
How false we judge by outward show;
That we should never looks esteem,
Since fools as wise as you might seem.
Would ye contempt and scorn avoid,
Let your vain glory be destroy'd;
Humble your arrogance of thought,
Pursue the ways by nature taught,
So fhall ye find delicious fare,
And grateful farmers praise your care;
So shall sleek MICE your chase reward,
And no keen CAT find more regard.
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