Drive hence the rude and barbarous diffonance
Of favage Thracians, and Croatian boors;
The loud Centaurian broils with Lapithe
Sound harsh and grating to Lenæan god;
Chace brutal feuds of Belgian skippers hence
(Amid their cups, whose innate temper 's fhewn),
In clumsy fift wielding Scymmetrian knife,
Who flash each other's eyes and blubber'd face,
Profaning Bacchanalian, folemn rites:
Mufic's harmonious numbers better fuit
His feftivals, from inftruments or voice,
Or Gafperini's hand the trembling string
Should touch; or from the dulcet Tufcan dames,
Or warbling Toft's far more melodious tongue,
Sweet fymphonies fhould flow, the Delian god
For airy Bacchus is associate meet.
The stairs afcent now gain'd, our guide unbars The door of spacious room, and creaking chairs (To ear offenfive) round the table sets.
We fit, when thus his florid fpeech begins:
"Name, Sirs, the wine that most invites your taste,
Champaigne, or Burgundy, or Florence pure,
"Or Hock antique, or Lisbon new or old,
"Bourdeaux, or neat French wine, or Alicant."
For Bourdeaux we with voice unanimous
Declare (fuch fympathy 's in boon compeers).
He quits the room alert, but foon returns;
One hand capacious gliftering veffels bears
Refplendent; t'other, with a grafp fecure,
A bottle (mighty charge!) upftaid, full fraught
With goodly wine. He, with extended hand
Rais'd high, pours forth the fanguine frothy juice,
O'erfpread with bubbles, diffipated foon:
We strait to arms repair, experienc'd chiefs;
Now glaffes clash with glaffes (charming found!) 205
And glorious Anna's health, the first, the best,
Crowns the full glass; at her infpiring name,
The fprightly wine results, and seems to smile;
With hearty zeal, and wish unanimous,
Her health we drink, and in her health our own.
A pause ensues ; and now with grateful chat
We' improve the interval; and joyous mirth
Engages our rais'd fouls, pat repartee,
Or witty joke, our airy fenfes moves
To pleasant laughter; ftraight the echoing room
With univerfal peals and fhouts refounds.
The royal Dane, bleft confort of the queen,
Next crowns the ruby'd nectar, all whose bliss
In Anna 's plac'd: with fympathetic flame,
And mutual endearments, all her joys,
Like the kind turtle's pure untainted love,
Centre in him, who fhares the grateful hearts
Of loyal fubjects with his fovereign queen;
For, by his prudent care, united shores
Were fav'd from hoftile fleets invafion dire.
The hero Marlborough next, whofe vast exploits
Fame's clarion founds; fresh laurels, triumphs new,
We with, like thofe he won at Hochfted's field.
Next Devonshire illuftrious, who from race
Of nobleft patriots fprang, whofe worthy foul
Is with each fair and virtuous gift adorn'd,
That fhone in his moft worthy ancestors;
For then distinct in feparate breasts were seen
Virtues diftinct, but all in him unite.
Prudent Godolphin, of the nation's weal
Frugal, but free and generous of his own,
Next crowns the bowl; with faithful Sunderland,
And Halifax, the Mufes' darling fon,
In whom confpicuous, with full luftre, shine
The surest judgement, and the brightest wit,
Himself Mæcenas and a Flaccus too.
And all the worthies of the British realm,
In order rang'd, fucceed; fuch Healths as tinge
The dulcet wine with a more charming guft.
Now each his mistress toasts, by whose bright eye 250 He's fir'd; Cofmelia fair, or Dulcibell',
Or Sylvia, comely black, with jetty eyes
Piercing; or airy Cælia, fprightly maid! -
Infenfibly thus flow unnumber'd hours ;
Glafs fucceeds glass, till the Dircean god
Shines in our eyes, and with his fulgent rays
Enlightens our glad looks with lovely dye;
All blithe and jolly, that, like Arthur's knights,
Of rotund table, fam'd in old records,
Now most we feem'd-fuch is the power of WINE. 255
Thus we the winged hours in harmless mirth
And joys unfully'd pass, till humid night
Has half her race perform'd, now all abroad
Is hush'd and filent, nor the rumbling noise
Of coach or cart, or fmoaky link-boy's call,
but univerfal filence reigns:
When we in merry plight, airy and gay,
Surpriz'd to find the hours fo fwiftly fly,
With hafty knock, or twang of pendent cord,
Alarm the drowzy youth from flumbering nod;
Startled he flies, and ftumbles o'er the stairs
Erroneous, and with bufy knuckles plies
His yet clung eye-lids, and with staggering reel
Enters confus'd, and muttering afks our wills;
When we with liberal hand the fcore difcharge,
And homeward each his courfe with steady step
Unerring fteers, of cares and coin bereft.
LAMENTATION OF GLUMDALCLITCH
A PASTORAL.
SOON as Glumdalclitch mifs'd her pleafing care,
She wept, the blubber'd, and the tore her hair. No British mifs fincerer grief has known,
Her fquirrel miffing, or her fparrow flown.
She furl'd her fampler, and haul'd-in her thread,
And ftuck her needle into Grildrig's bed;
Then fpread her hands, and with a bounce let fall
Her baby, like the giant in Guildhall.
In peals of thunder now fhe roars, and now
She gently whimpers like a lowing cow:
Yet lovely in her forrow ftill appears,
Her locks difhevel d, and her flood of tears,
Seem like the lofty barn of fome rich fwain,
When from the thatch drips fast a shower of rain.
In vain fhe fearch'd each cranny of the house,
Each gaping chink impervious to a mouse.
"Was it for this (the cry'd) with daily care
"Within thy reach 1 fet the vinegar;
"And fill'd the cruet with the acid tide,
"While pepper-water worms thy bait fupply'd,
|