I have often thought, that there is no way to effectual for the Cure of this general Infirmity, as a Man's reflecting upon the Motives that produce it. When the

Paffion proceeds from the Senfe of any Virtue or Perfection in the Perfon beloved, I would by no means difcourage it, but if a Man confiders that all his heavy Complaints of Wounds and Deaths rife from fome little Affectations of Coquetry, which are improved into Charms by his own fond Imagination, the very laying before himself the Caufe of his Diftemper, may be fufficient to effect the Cure of it..

IT is in this view that I have looked over the feveral Bundles of Letters which I have received from dying People, and compofed out of them the following Bill of Mortality, which I fhall lay before my Reader without any further Preface, as hoping that it may be useful to him in difcovering thofe feveral Places where there it moft Danger, and thofe fatal Arts which are made ufe of to deftroy the Heedlefs and Unwary.

LYSANDER, flain at a Puppet-fhow on the third of September.

Thirfis, fhot from a Cafement in Pickadilly.

T. S. wounded by Zelinda's Scarlet Stocking, as the was ftepping out of a Coach.

Will. Simple, fmitten at the Opera by the Glance of an Eye that was aimed at one who stood by him.

Tho. Vainlove, loft his Life at a Ball.

Tim. Tattle, kill'd by the Tap of a Fan on his left Shoulder by Coquetilla, as he was talking carelefly with her in a Bow-window.

Sir Simon Softly, murder'd at the Play-house in Drurylane by a Frown.o

Philander, mortally wounded by Cleora, as fhe was adjufting her Tucker.

Ralph Gapely, Efq; hit by a random Shot at the Ring. F. R. caught his Death upon the Water, April the 3 1ft. W. W. killed by an unknown Hand, that was playing with the Glove off upon the Side of the Front-Box in Drary-Lane.

Sir Chriftopher Crazy, Bart. hurt by the Brush of a Whalebone Petticoat.

Sylvius,

Sylvius, hot through the Sticks of a Fan at St. James's Church.

Damon, ftruck thro' the Heart by a Diamond Necklace.

Thomas Trufty, Francis Goofequill, William Meanwell, Edward Callow, Efqrs; ftanding in a Row, fell all four at the fame time, by an Ogle of the Widow Trapland.

Tom. Rattle, chancing to tread upon a Lady's Tail as he came out of the Play-houfe, fhe turned full upon him, and laid him dead upon the Spot.

Dick Taftewell, flain by a Blush from the Queen's Box in the third Act of the Trip to the Jubilee.ne

Samuel Felt, Haberdafher, wounded in his Walk to Iflington by Mrs. Sufannah Crofsftich, as he was elambering over a Stile:

R, F. T,W. S, 1. M, P. &c. put to Death in the last Birth-Day Maffacre,.

Roger Blinko, cut off in the twenty firft Year of his Age by a White-wash.

Mufidorus, flain by an Arrow that flew out of a Dimple in Belinda's Left Cheek.

Ned Courtly prefenting Flavia with her Glove (which The had dropped on purpofe) fhe receiv'd it, and took away his Life with a Curtfy.

John Goffelin having received a flight Hurt from a Pair of blue Eyes, as he was making his Efcape was difpatch'd by a Smile.

Strephon, killed by Clarinda as fhe looked down into the Pit.lowin

Charles Careless, fhot flying by a Girl of fifteen, who unexpectedly popped her Head upon him out of a Coach. Jofiah Wither, aged threefcore and three, fent to his long home by Elizabeth Jet-well, Spinster.

Jack Freelove, murder'd by Meliffa in her Hair.

William Wifeaker, Gent. drown'd in a Flood of Tears by Mell Common.

John Pleadwell, Efq; of the Middle Temple, Barrister at Law, affaffinated in his Chambers the fixth Inftant by Kitty Sly, who pretended to come to him for his Advice.

I

Wednesday,

14

N 378.

Wednesday, May 14.

Aggredere, O magnos, aderit jam tempus, honores. Virg.

I

Will make no Apology for entertaining the Reader with the following Poem, which is written by a great Genius, a Friend of mine, in the Country, who is not alham'd to employ his Wit in the praife of his Maker.

MESSI A H.

A facred Eclogue, compos'd of feveral Paffages of Ifaiak the Prophet.

Written in Imitation of Virgil's POLLIO

Y To heav'nly Themes fublimer Strains be

E Nymphs of Solyma! begin the Song:

long.

The Moffy Fountains, and the fylvan Shades,
The Dreams of Pindus and th' Aonian Maids,
Delight no more O thou my Voice infpire,
Who touch'd Ifaiah's hallow'd Lips with Fire!

RAPT into future times, the Bard begun,
A Virgin fhall conceive, a Virgin bear a Son!
From Jeffe's Root behold a Branch arife,

Ifaiæ, Cap

Whofe facred Flow'r with Fragrance fills the 11. v. I.

Skies.

Th' Ethereal Spirit o'er its Leaves fhall move,

And on its Top defcends the Myftick Dove.

Ye Heav'ns! from high the dewy Nectar pour, Cap. 45% And in foft Silence fhed the kindly Show'r!

V. 8.

Cap. 25,

The Sick and Weak, the healing Plant fhall aid,
From Storms a Shelter, and from Heat a Shade. v. 4.
All Crimes fhall ceafe, and ancient Fraud fhall
fail;

Returning Justice lift aloft her Scale;

Cap. 9. v. 7

Peace

Cap. 35.

V. 2.

Cap. 40.
V. 3, 4.

C. 42. v. 18.
Cap. 35.
▼, 5, 6.

Cap. 25.

v. 8.

Cap. 40.

V. II.

Peace o'er the World her Olive Wand extend,
And white-rob'd Innocence from Heav'n de-
fcend.

Swift fly the Years, and rife th' expected Morn!
Oh Spring to Light, aufpicious Babe be born!
See Nature haftes her earliest Wreaths to bring,
With all the Incenfe of the breathing Spring:
See lofty Lebanon his Head advance,

See nodding Forefts on the Mountains dance,
See fpicy Clouds from lowly Sharon rife,
And Carmel's flowry Top perfumes the Skies!
Hark! a glad Voice the lonely Defart chears;
Prepare the way! a God, a God appears:
A God! a God! the vocal Hills reply,
The Rocks proclaim th' approaching Deity.
Lo Earth receives him from the bending Skies!
Sink down ye Mountains, and ye Vallies rife!
With Heads declin'd, ye Cedars, Homage pay;
Be fmooth ye Rocks, ye rapid Floods give way!
The SAVIOUR comes! by ancient Bards
foretold;

Hear him, ye Deaf, and all ye Blind behold!
He from thick Films fhall purge the vifual Ray,
And on the fightlefs Eye-ball pour the Day.
'Tis he th' obftructed Paths of Sound fhall clear,
And bid new Mufick charm th' unfolding Ear.
The Dumb fhall fing, the Lame his Crutch
forego,

And leap exulting like the bounding Roe ;
No Sigh, no Murmur the wide World shall hear,
From ev'ry Face he wipes off ev'ry Tear.
In Adamantine Chains fhall Death be bound,
And Hell's grim Tyrant feel th' eternal Wound.
As the good Shepherd tends his fleecy Care,
Seeks fresheft Paftures and the pureft Air,
Explores the loft, the wandring sheep directs,
By day o'erfees them, and by night protects;
The tender Lambs he raises in his Arms,
Feeds from his Hand, and in his Bofom warms:
Mankind fhall thus his Guardian Care engage,
C. 9.v. 6. The promis'd Father of the future Age.

C. 2. V. 4.

Cap. 65

V. 21, 22.

No more fhall Nation against Nation rife,
Nor ardent Warriors meet with hateful Eyes,
Nor Fields with gleaming Steel be cover'd o'er,
The Brazen Trumpets kindle Rage no more;
But ufelefs Lances into Scythes fhall bend,
And the broad Falchion into a Plow-fhare end.
Then Palaces fhall rife; the joyful Son
Shall finish what his fhort-liv'd Sive begun;
Their Vines a Shadow to their Race fhall yield,
And the fame Hand that fow'd fhall reap
the
Field.
The Swain in barren Defarts with Surprize Cap. 35.
Sees Lillies fpring, and fudden Verdure rife,
And starts amidst the thirsty Wilds to hear
New Falls of Water murmuring in his Ear:
On rifted Rocks, the Dragon's late Abodes,
The green Reed trembles, and the Bulrush
nods.

V. 1, 7.

Wafte fandy Vallies, once perplex'd with Thorn, Cap. 41. The fpiry Fir and Shapely Box adorn:

V. 19. and
Cap. 55.
To leaflefs Shurbs the flow'ring Palms fucceed, v. 13.
And od rous Myrtle to the noisome Weed.
The Lambs with Wolves fhall graze the verdant Cap. 11.
Mead,

And Boys in flowry Bands the Tyger lead;
The Steer and Lion at one Crib fhall meet,
And harmless Serpents lick the Pilgrim's Feet.
The fmiling Infant in his Hand fhall take
The crefted Bafilisk and Speckled Snake ;
Pleas'd, the green Luftre of the Scales furvey,
And with their forky Tongue and pointless Sting
Shall play.

V. 6, 7,

C. 60. V. 4.

Rife, crown'd with Light, imperial Salem rife! C. 60. V. 1.
Exalt thy tow'ry Head, and lift thy Eyes!
See, a long Race thy fpacious Courts adorn;
See future Sons and Daughters yet anborn
In crowding Ranks on ev'ry fide arife,
Demanding Life, impatient for the Skies!
See barb'rous Nations at thy Gates attend,
Walk in thy Light, and in thy Temple bend;

See

C. 60. V.