Gloomy Pluto, King of Terrors, .

Arm'd in adamantine Chains, Lead me to the Crystal Mirrors, Wat’ring soft Elysian Plains.

VI, Mournful Cypress, verdant Willow,

Gilding my Aurelia's Brows, Morpheus hov'ring o'er my Pillow, Hear me pay my dying Vows.

VII.
Melancholy smooth Meander,

Swiftly purling in a Round,
On thy Margin Lovers wander,
With thy flow'ry Chaplets crown'd.

VIII.
Thus when Philomela drooping,

Softly seeks her silent Mate, See the Bird of Juno stooping;

Melody resigns to Fate.

On

On a certain LADY at COURT.

I

Know the thing that's most uncommon;
(Envy be filent, and attend!)

I know a reasonable Woman,

Handfome and witty, yet a Friend.

Not warp'd by Paffion, aw'd by Rumour,
Not grave thro' Pride, or gay thro' Folly,
An equal mixture of good Humour,
And fenfible foft Melancholy.

"Has fhe no faults then (Envy fays) Sir?"
Yes, fhe has one, I must aver;

When all the World conspires to praise her,
The Woman's deaf, and does not hear.

On

1

(63)

On his GROTTO at Twickenham,

COMPOSED OF

Marbles, Spars, Gemms, Ores, and

Minerals.

HOU who fhalt ftop, where Thames' tranflu

THO

cent wave

Shines a broad Mirrour thro' the shadowy Cave;
Where ling'ring drops from min'ral Roofs diftill,
And pointed Crystals break the sparkling Rill,
Unpolish'd Gemms no ray on Pride bestow,
And latent Metals innocently glow:

VARIATIONS.

After v. 6. in the MS.

You fee that Ifland's wealth, where, only free,
Earth to her entrails feels not Tyranny.

5

i. e. Britain is the only place on the globe which feels not Tyranny even to its very entrails. Alluding to the condemnation of Criminals to the Mines, one of the inflictions of civil juftice in moft Countries. The thought was exceeding natural and proper in this place, where the Poet was defcribing a Grotto incrufted and adorned with all forts of Minerals collected from the four quarters of the Globe.

NOTES.

On his Grotto.] The improving and finishing this Grott was the favourite amufement of his declining Years; and the beauty of his poetic genius, in the difpofition and ornaments of this romantic recefs, appears to as much advantage as in his best contrived Poems.

6

Approach.

Approach. Great NATURE ftudiously behold!
And eye the Mine without a wifh for Gold.

Approach: But awful! Lo! th' Ægerian Grott, 9
Where, nobly-penfive, ST. JOHN fate and thought;
Where British fighs from dying WYNDHAM stole,
And the bright flame was fhot thro' MARCHMONT'S
Soul.

Let fuch, fuch only, tread this facred Floor,
Who dare to love their Country, and be poor.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 11. Where British fighs from dying Wyndham fole.] in his MS. it was thus,

To Wyndham's breast the patriot-paffions stole, which made the whole allude to a certain Anecdote of not much confequence to any but the parties concerned.

NOTES.

VER. 9. Egerian Grott,] Alluding to Numa's projecting his fyftem of Politics in this Grott, affifted, as he gave out, by the Goddess Ægeria.

TO

Mrs. M. B. on her BIRTH-DAY.

H be thou bleft with all that Heav'n can fend,

Long Health, long Youth, long Pleasure, and
• a Friend:

Not with those Toys the female world admire,
Riches that vex, and Vanities that tire.
With added years if Life bring nothing new,
But like a Sieve let ev'ry bleffing thro',
Some joy ftill loft, as each vain year runs o'er,
And all we gain, fome fad Reflection more;
Is that a Birth-day? 'tis alas! too clear,
"Fis but the Fun'ral of the former year.

Let Joy or Eafe, let Affluence or Content,
And the gay Confcience of a life well spent,
Calm ev'ry thought, infpirit ev'ry grace,
Glow in thy heart, and fmile upon thy face.
Let day improve on day, and year on year,
Without a Pain, a Trouble, or a Fear;
Till Death unfelt that tender frame destroy,
In fome foft Dream, or Extafy of Joy,
Peaceful fleep out the Sabbath of the Tomb,
And wake to Raptures in a Life to come.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 15. Originally thus in the MS.

And oh fince Death muft that fair frame destroy,
Dye, by fome fudden Extafy of Joy;

In fome foft dream may thy mild foul remove,
And be thy latest gafp a Sigh of Love.

+ F

5

10

To