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Childhood and youth engage my pen; "Tis labour loft to talk to men.

Youth may, perhaps, reform when wrong; Age will not listen to my fong.

He who at fifty is a fool,

Is far too ftubborn grown for school.

What is that vice which still prevails, When almost every paffion fails: Which with our very dawn begun, Nor ends, but with our setting fun : Which, like a noxious weed, can spoil The fairest flow'rs, and choak the foil? "Tis SLANDER.-And, with fhame I own, The vice of human-kind alone.

Be SLANDER then my leading dream,
Tho' you're a ftranger to the theme:
Thy fofter breaft, and honeft heart,
Scorns the defamatory art ;
Thy foul afferts her native skies,
Nor asks detraction's wings to rife:
In foreign spoils let others shine,
Intrinfic excellence is thine.

The

The bird, in peacock's plumes who shone,
Cou'd plead no merit of her own :

The filly theft betray'd her pride,
And spoke her poverty befide.

Th' infidious fland'ring thief is worse
Than the poor rogue who steals your purse.
Say, he purloins your glitt'ring store :
Who takes your gold, takes 'trash--no more';
Perhaps, he pilfers—to be fed—

Ah! guiltless wretch who fteals for bread!
But the dark villain, who fhall aim
To blast, my fair, thy fpotless name,
He steals a precious gem away,
Steals what both INDIES can't repay.
Here the strong pleas of want are vain,
Or the more impious pleas of gain.
No finking family to fave!

No gold to glut th' infatiate knave!

Improve the hint of Shakespear's tongue, 'Twas thus immortal Shakespear fung*.

* Othello.

A 2

And

And trust the Bard's unerring rule,
For nature was that poet's school.

As I was nodding in my

chair,

I faw a rueful wild appear:
No verdure met my aching fight,
But hemlock, and cold aconite;
Two very pois'nous plants, 'tis true,
But not fo bad as vice to you.

The dreary profpect fpread around! Deep fnow had whiten'd all the ground! A bleak and barren mountain nigh, Expos'd to every friendless íky!

Here foul-mouth'd SLANDER lay reclin'd, Her fnaky treffes hifs'd behind :

*A bloated toad-ftool rais'd her head ; "The plumes of ravens were her bed : "She fed upon the viper's brood,

"And flak'd her impious thirft with blood."

The rifing fun and western ray Were witness to her diftant fway.

* Garth's Dispensary.

The

The tyrant claim'd a mightier host,'
Than the proud Perfian e'er cou'd boaft.
No conqueft grac'd Darius' fon+;
By his own numbers half undone !
Succefs attended SLANDER's pow'r ;
She reap'd fresh laurels ev'ry hour.
Her troops a deeper fcarlet wore,
Than ever armies knew before.

No plea diverts the Fury's rage; The Fury fpares nor fex nor age. Ev'n merit, with deftructive charms, Provokes the vengeance of her arms.

Whene'er the tyrant founds to war, Her canker'd trump is heard afar. PRIDE, with a heart unknown to yield, Commands in chief, and guides the field.

+ XERXES king of Perfia and fon of Darius. He invaded Greece with an army confifting of more than a million of men (fome fay more than two millions) who, together with their cattle, perifh'd in great meafure through the inability of the countries to fupply fuch a vast hoft with provision.

He stalks with vaft gigantic ftride,

And fcatters fear and ruin wide.
So the impetuous torrents sweep
At once whole nations to the deep.

REVENGE, that bafe* Hefperian, known A chief support of SLANDER's throne, Amidst the bloody croud is seen,

And Treachery brooding in his mien ;
The monster often chang'd his gate,
But march'd refolv'd and fix'd as fate.
Thus the fell kite, whom hunger ftings,
Now flowly moves his out-ftretch'd wings;
Now fwift as lightning bears away,
And rushes headlong on his prey.

ENVY commands a fecret band, With fword and poifon in her hand. Around her haggard eye-balls roll; A thousand fiends poffefs her foul.

* Hefperia includes Italy, as well as Spain, and the inhabitants of both are remarkable for their revengeful difpofition.

The

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