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Who seek not riches to excess,

But place them after happiness :

Who from the sighing, am'rous crew
Select alone the lovely few;

And when a beauteous swain you meet,
His flame with mutual ardour greet;
But scorn the mean, the sottish hind,
Whose wealth would bribe you to be kind.
You can, like Spartan hounds, discover,
With quickest scent, a worthy lover,
Skilful to beat, to wind, to double,
For game that may reward your trouble.
Then hoary dotards you despise-
'Tis that which proves you truly wise.
Were any wretch, deform'd and old,
To bring inestimable gold,

His treasures vainly were employ'd,
Though great as Tantalus enjoy'd :
Not all his presents could atone
For youth, and health, and vigour flown;
Haggard with age, and with disease,
You'd loathe his person-scorn his fees.
The mere description shocks one much-
How then th' original to touch ?—
Hence many a cogent cause appears
T'advise equality of years;

For similarity of ages

To similar pursuits engages.

And you draw arguments from truth
In praise of every diff'rent youth.
Say, has your love a little nose?
How neat, how delicate it shows !→
If aquiline, it arches high,
Oh! the grand type of majesty !—
If neither large it be, nor small,
'Tis due proportion-best of all !—
A swarthy skin, is manly grace ;
The fairer youths, a heavenly race ;-
In short, you catch at each pretence,
And torture words to every sense,
For every youthful swain to find
Excuses, why you should be kind
As drunkards every reason think
May sanction a demand for drink.

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"Come-we are young-let's t' other pot'

"The tankard here, to cheer the old
Some drink because "'tis parching hot,"
And some, because "'tis bitter cold."
T'exemplify the love of wine,

I cease to write-the case is mine.

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EPISTLE XIX.* MERIT RESCUED FROM SHAME

EUPHRONIUM TO THELXINOE.

SURE Fortune has smiled on Melissa benign,
From the theatre freed, in abundance to shine:
While I, less in favour, am still doom'd to linger
My life on the stage, an unfortunate singer.
Melissa's beginning was poor past expression-
For when she first studied her scenic profession,
Her mother and she in a pitiful cot

Were starving together, and scarce worth a groat;
But soon she eclipsed all the girls of her age,
And her musical talents engaged the whole stage.
At first people sneer'd, to distinguish their taste;
But they soon turn'd to praise, and they envied at last.
Her charms, and her dress, and her musical skill,
Soon gain'd her rich generous lovers at will.
She was splendidly kept,-but was highly afraid
Lest breeding should spoil so important a trade.
(And frequently breeding, to tell you the truth,
Is the worst of destroyers to beauty and youth.)
Among the old gossips she learn'd to divine
Whene'er she conceived, by infallible sign:
So when the case happen'd, she told her old dame,
And to me for advice, as more knowing, they came.
I gave my opinion, and added a drug,

Which demolish'd her fears, expeditious and snug.
But with Charicles when she commenced an affair,
Whose wealth was immense, as his beauty was rare,
She changed her request to the rulers above,
And with fervency pray'd for a pledge of their love.
The gods of Olympus consentingly smiled,

And Lucina's assistance deliver'd the child—*

Epistle XIX.] From a girl on the stage to her friend, describing the good fortune of a young actress of their acquaintance.

* And Lucina's assistance, &c.] Both Juno and Diana were worshipped under this name, as goddesses presiding over child-birth.

A child with all kinds of perfection endued,
And the father himself in a miniature view'd.
The mother with rapture beheld the young boy,
The little Eutychides, offspring of joy.

For children, the more they are beautiful, move
With greater incitement their parents to love.
While Charicles, blest in an infant so dear,
Determined the faine of its mother to clear:
From her scenic employment he rescued the fair,
His hand, and his heart, and his riches to share :
And the lady forgot, while she gazed on her son,
Both the life she had led, and the risk she had run.
A visit I lately to Pythias paid,

(For she took a new name when she left her old trade,)
She show'd me her jewels, each ring, and each toy;
-And be sure I'd a sight of her sweet little boy :
His cheek I kiss'd sweetly-but tenderly too;
For 'twas soft as the rose, it resembled in hue.—
The lady's so changed,—'tis amazing to see't;
So modest her air, and her look so discreet:
Her hair braided neat, without art or design;

Her ornaments grave; neither flaunty nor fine.

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When she walks, 'tis with caution and prudence, they say,
And you'd think by her steps she had ne'er gone astray.

So one of these days, when the time you can spare,

I advise you, Thelxinoë, visit the fair:

But be very exact not Melissa to name her,

'Twould look like an insult intended to shame her: The word, when I saw her, was at my tongue's end, But they gave me a jog, and the hint saved your friend.

EPISTLE XX.* THE JAILOR TRICKED.

PHYLACIDES TO PHRURION.

LATE an adult'rous youth I seized;

And " guard him closely," was the charge.
But with his age and figure pleased,

I kept him prisoner at large.

Unfetter'd through my house he stray'd:
Thought I, he may reform his life.-
He my compassion well repaid,

And-gratefully seduced my wife.

Epistle XX. From a jailor, whose wife was seduced by a young man onfined in his house for adultery.

The thief, Eurybates,* ne'er strain'd
His wit to so complete a job;
Who first his jailor's pity gain'd,

Then show'd him how he used to rob.
The brazen pens they wrote withal
Sharper than needles did he grind :
Then stuck them in the prison wall,
And fled-but left their wives behind.
Soon as the villany was heard,
Which robb'd my bosom of its rest,
It first incredible appear'd,

And then became the public jest.

-The public jest-ah! that wounds deep-
That I-who live by bolts and chains,

In my own prison could not keep

The honour of my wife from stains.

EPISTLE XXI.+ CRUEL COMPASSION.

ARISTOMENES TO MYRONIDES.

THE god of the love-darting-bow,
Whose bliss is man's heart to destroy,
Oft contrives to embitter our woe
By a specious resemblance of joy.—

Long-long had Architeles sigh'd
The fair Telesippe to gain :
She coolly his passion denied,

Yet seem'd somewhat moved at his pain.

At length she consented to hear;

But 'twas done with a view to beguile :
For her terms were most harsh and severe,
And a frown was as good as her smile.

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"You may freely," says she, "touch my breast,

And kiss, while a kiss has its charms;

And (provided I am not undrest)

Encircle me round in your arms.

*Eurybates.] A famous robber of Attica, who escaped once from prison by means of some brazen pens, by which he descended the walls.

† Epistle XXI.] A whimsical account of a lover and his mistress, who admitted him to every favour but the last.

"In short, any favour you please,

But expect not, nor think of the last : Lest enraged I revoke my decrees,

And your sentence of exile be cast.""Be it so,” cried the youth, with delight, "Thy pleasure, my fair one, is mine: Since I'm blest as a prince at your sight, Sure to touch thee, will make me divine.

"But why keep one favour alone,

And grant such a number beside ?""Because the men value the boon But only so long as denied.

"They seek it with labour and pain; When gain'd, throw it quickly away: For youth is unsettled and vain,

And its choice scarce persists for a day."

-Thus pines the poor victim away,

Forced to nibble and starve on a kiss ; Served worse than e'en eunuchs-for they Can never feel torture like this.

EPISTLE XXII.* PRIDE DEJECTED.

LUCIAN TO ALCIPHRON.

LONG Glycera had loved, and still
Charisius loves; but brooking ill
Those supercilious airs of his,
(For pride, you know, his foible is,)
Determined, if she could, at once
Her hopeless passion to renounce.
A wish to love him, caused her hate:
Hatred too strong did love create.
Howe'er to Doris she applied,
Her maid, her oracle, her guide:
To her all circumstances stated;
And long together they debated:
At length their consultation done,
The confidant went out alone.

• Epistle XXII. The address of a eanning maid-servant.

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