ON AN OLD GENTLEMAN'S MARRYING A

FINE SINGING GIRL.

BY THE SAME.

FAM'D for the mufic of her strains,

A warbling Linnet, o'er the plains,

And through the neighbouring groves, was known; The Squire, as late he trudg'd along,

Was ravish'd with this Linnet's fong,

And wifh'd to make the bird his own.

With curious art the fnare was fet,

He caught her in his silken net-
(Ye fwains, the public lofs deplore!)
She flutters round her gilded cage;
Looks pretty; but, I dare engage,

Will charm him with her fongs no more.

THE SAD ALTERNATIVE.

BY THE SAME.

IN heat of youth, poor Jack engag'd a wife,

Whofe tongue, he found, might prove a scourge for life;

Perplex'd, he ftill put off the evil day;
Grew fick, at length-and juft expiring lay.
To which fad crifis having brought the matter,
"To wed, or die”—Jack wifely chose the latter,

ON A GUARDIAN'S MARRYING HIS RICH WARD.

BY THE SAME.

MARIUS, by Calvus left in trust,

Does but the thing that's ftrictly juft;

To teftify his great regard,

And better to fecure his ward

From Irish bites, and fave her pelf,

He wifely marries her himself.

TO AN OLD LADY WHO BUILT A HOUSE IN A

VERY BLEAK SITUATION.

BY THE SAME,

HER winds to feamen fells the Lapland witch;

Would vou but trade in winds, you'd foon grow rich.

ON A GLOBE OF THE WORLD.

BY THE SAME.

TINNIT! INANE EST.

TRY, ere you purchase; hear the bauble ring: 'Tis all a cheat; a hollow, empty thing!

VOLTAIRE'S VISIT TO CONGREVE*.

BY THE SAME.

ERE France, intent on her Utopian plan,

Had fpurn'd all laws t' affert " the rights of man," On liberty fo zealously employ'd,

Both liberty and property deftroy'd;

She long had view'd, with envy-and applause,
The matchless system of our British laws :

When young Voltaire, by freedom's charms infpir'd,
To freedom's feat from defpotism retir❜d.

Here heroes he beheld, who bravely fought; Patriots, who wifely plann'd, or greatly thought;

*See Johnfon's Life of Congreve.

Philofophers and bards of glorious name,

Pope, who poffefs'd, Young rifing into fame :
Congreve had long the temple's height attain'd,

Yet fcorn'd the art, by which that height he gain'd.
Voltaire, by laudable ambition led

To view the bard, whofe works he oft had read,
Now introduc'd, the youth with rapture fir'd,
Exprefs'd how much the poet he admir'd!

"Young man!" fays Congreve," you're of France, I find;

"But polifh'd manners, and a liberal mind

"Unite us all-yet you're deceiv'd, I fear, ""Tis as a gentleman, I fee you here."

Sir! quoth Voltaire, we've gentlemen in France, Who drefs, and bow, talk politics, and dance; But you are more—and therefore am I come : And, were you not, Sir, I had ftaid at home.

MARTIAL. LIB. II. EP. VII.

DECLAMAS BELLE, &C.

MODERNIZED.

BY THE SAME.

YES, you're a pretty preacher, Sir, we know it,
Write pretty novels*, are a pretty poet;
A pretty critic, and tell fortunes† too;
Then who writes farce or epigrams like you?
At every ball how prettily you nick it!
You fiddle, fing, play prettily at cricket.
Yet, after all, in nothing you excel,

Do all things prettily, but nothing well.
What shall I call you?-fay the best I can,
You are, my friend, a very busy ‡ man.

*Bellas, hiftorias.

✦ Bellus es aftrologus.

‡ Magnus es Ardelio.