6.

OVID has finely touched this Method of making.

• Love, which I shall here give my Reader in Mr. Dryden's Translation.

Page the Eleventh.

Thus Love in Theatres did firft improve,
And Theatres are fill the Scenes of Love:
Nor fun the Chariots, and the Courfers Race;
The Circus is no inconvenient Place.

Nor Need is there of talking on the Hand,
Nor Nods nor Signs, which Lovers understand;
But boldly next the Fair your Seat provide.
Clofe

as you can to hers, and Side by Side;
Pleas'd or unpleas'd, no Matter'; crowding fit;
For fo the Laws of publick Shows permit.
Then find Occafion to begin Difcourse,

Enquire whofe Chariot this, and whose that Horse.
To whatsoever Side fhe is inclin'd,

Suit all your Inclinations to her Mind;

Like what he likes, from thence your Court begin,
And whom he favours, wish that he may win.

Again, Page the Sixteenth..

when will come the Day, by Heav'n defign'd,
When thou, the best and faireft of Mankind,
Drawn by white Horfes, falt in Triumph ride,
With conquer'd Slaves attending on thy Side;
Slaves, that no longer can be fafe in Flight,
O glorious Object! O furprising Sight!

O Day of publick Foy, too good to end in Night!
On fuch a Day, if thou, and next to thee
Some Beauty fits, the Spectacle to fee;
If fhe enquire the Names of conquer'd Kings;
Of Mountains, Rivers, and their hidden Springs;
Anfauer to all thou know'ft; and, if Need be,
Of Things unknown feem to speak knowingly..
This is Euphrates, crown'd with Reeds; and there
Flows the fwift Tigris, with his Sea green Hair.

M

Invent new Names of Things unknown before;
Call this Armenia, that the Caspian Shore:
Call this a Mede, and that a Parthian Youth;
Talk probably; no matter for the Truth.

No. 603.

Wednesday, October 6.

Ducite ab Urbe Domam; mea Carmina, ducite Daphnim.

Virg.

HE following Copy of Verses comes from one of my Correfpondents, and has fomething in it fo original, that I do not much doubt but it will divert my Readers.

YTime, Oye Mufes, was happily spent,

MT

When Phebe went with me wherever I went; Ten thousand fweet Pleafures I felt in my Breaft, Sure never fond Shepherd like Colin was bleft! But now he is gone, and has left me behind, What a marvellous Change on a fudden I find: When Things were as fine as could possibly be, I thought 'twas the Spring; but alas! it was fhe II.

With fuch a Companion, to tend a few Sheep, To rife up and play, or to lye down and sleep : I was to good humour'd, fo chearful and gay, My Heart was as light as a Feather all Day. But now I fo cross and so peevish am grown; So ftrangely uneafy as never was known. My fair one is gone, and my Joys are all drown'd, And my Heart-I am fure it weighs more than a Pound.

III.

The Fountain that wont to run fwiftly along, And dance to foft Murmurs the Pebbles among.

Then

Thou know'ft, little Cupid, if Phebe was there,
"Twas Pleafure to look at, 'twas Mufick to hear:
But now foe is abfent, I walk by its Side,
And fill as it murmurs do nothing but chide,
Muft you be fo chearful, while I go in Pain?
Peace there with your Bubbling, and hear me complain.

IV.

When my Lambkins around me would oftentimes plays And when Phebe and I were as joyful as they, How pleafant their Sporting, how happy the Time, When Spring, Love and Beauty were all in their Prime? But now in their Frolicks when by me they pass, I fling at their Fleeces an Handful of Grass: Be fill then, I cry, for it makes me quite mad, To fee you fo merry, while I am fo fad.

V.

My Dog I was ever well pleafed to fee
Come wagging his Tail to my fair one and me;
And Phebe was pleas'd too, and to my Dog faid,
Come hither, poor Fellow; and patted his Head.
But now, when he's fawning, I with a four Look
Cry, Sirrah; and give him a Blow with my Crook
And I'll give him another; for why should not Tray
Be as dull as his Mafter, when Phebe's away?

VI.

When walking with Phebe, what Sights have I feen? How fair was the Flower, how fresh was the Green? What a lovely Appearance the Trees and the Shade, The Corn-field, and Hedges, and ev'ry Thing made? But now he has left me, tho' all are ftill there, They none of 'em now fo delightful appear: 'Twas nought but the Magick, I find, of her Eyes, Made fo many beautiful Profpects arife.

VII.

Sweet Mufick went with us both all the Wood thro'; The Lark, Linnet, Thruftle, and Nightingale too;

No. 603. Winds o'er us whisper'd, Flocks by us did bleat, And chirp went the Grasshopper under our Feet." But now he is abfent, tho ftill they fing on, The Woods are but lonely, the Melody's gone : Her Voice in the Confort, as now I have found, Gave ev'ry Thing elfe its agreeable Sound.

VIII.

Rofe, what is become of thy delicate Hue?
And where is the Violet's beautiful Blue?

Does ought of its Sweetness the Bloom beguile,
That Meadow, thofe Deafies, why do they not fmile?
Ah! Rivals, I fee what it was that you dreft,
And made your felves fine for; a Place in her Breaft:
You put on your Colours to pleafare her Eye,

To be pluckt by her Hand, on her Bofom to die.

IX.

How flowly Time creeps, till my Phebe return? Whil: amidst the foft Zephyr's cool breezes I burn; Methinks if I knew whereabouts he would tread, I could breathe on his Wings, and twould melt down the Lead. Fly fawiftly ye Minutes, bring hither my Dear, And reft fo much longer for't when he is here. Ab Colin! old Time is full of Delay,

Nor will budge one Foot fafter for all thou canft fay.

X.

Will no pitying Power that hears me complain,
Or cure my Difquiet, or foften my Pain?
To be cur'd, thou must, Colin, thy Passion remove
But what Swain is fo filly to live without Love? ·
No, Deity, bid the dear Nymph to return,
For ne'er was poor Shepherd fo fadly forlorn.
Ab! What shall I do? I shall die with Defpair
Take heed, all ye Swains, how ye love one fo fair.

Friday's

No. 604.

Friday, October 8.

Tune quæfieris fcire nefas) quem mihi, quem tibi,
Finem Dii dederint, Leuconoe; nec Babylonios
Tentaris numeros-

T

Hor.

HE Defire of knowing future Events, is one of the ftrongest Inclinations in the Mind of Man. Indeed an Ability of foreseeing probable Accidents is what, in the Language of Men, is called Wifdom and Prudence: But, not fatisfied with the Light that Reafon holds out, Mankind hath endeavoured to penetrate more compendioufly into Futurity. Magick, Oracles, Omens, lucky Hours, and the various Arts of Superftition, owe their Rife to this powerful Cause. As this Principle is founded in Self-Love, every Man is fure to be folicitous in the firft Place about his own Fortune, the Course of his Life, and the Time and Manner of his Death.

IF we confider that we are free Agents, we fhalf discover the Abfurdity of fuch Enquiries. One of our Actions, which we might have performed or neglected, is the Cause of another that fucceeds it, and so the whole Chain of Life is link'd together. Pain, Poverty, or Infamy, are the natural Product of vicious and imprudent Acts; as the contrary Bleffings are of good ones; fo that we cannot fuppofe our Lot to be determined without Impiety. A great Enhancement of Pleafure arifes from its being unexpected; and Pain is doubled by being foreseen. Upon all thefe, and feveral other Accounts, we ought to rest satisfied in this Portion beftowed on us; to adore the Hand that hath fitted every Thing to our Nature, and hath not more difplay'd his Goodnefs in our Knowledge than in our Ignorance.