Around my fire an evening groupe to draw, And tell of all I felt, and all I faw; And, as an hare whom hounds and horns purfue, [flew, Pants to the place from whence at firit the I ftill had hopes, my long vexations past, Here to return-and die at home at last. O bleft retirement, friend to life's decline, Retreats from care that never must be mine, How bleft is he who crowns in fhades like thefe, tions try, A youth of labour with an age of ease; Who quits a world where ftrong tempta[fly. And, fince 'tis hard to combat, learns to For him no wretches, born to work and weep, [deep; Explore the mine, or tempt the dangerous No furly porter ftands in guilty itate To fpurn imploring famine from his gate; But on he moves to meet his latter end, Angels around befriending virtue's friend; Sinks to the grave with unperceiv'd decay, While refignation gently flopes the way; And, all his profpects brightening to the laft, [paft! His Heaven commences ere the world be Sweet was the found, when oft at evening's close, Up yonder hill the village murmur rose ; There, as I paft with careless steps and flow, [below; The mingling notes came foften'd from The fwain refponfive as the milk-maid [fung, [young; The fober herd that low'd to meet their The noify geefe that gabbled o'er the pool, [Ichool; The playful children juft let loose from The watch-dog's voice that bay'd the whispering wind, And the loud laugh that spoke the vacant mind; Thefe all in foft confufion fought the fhade, And fill'd each paufe the nightingale had made. But now the founds of population fail, No chearful murmurs fluctuate in the gale, No busy steps the grafs-grown foot-way tread, But all the bloomy flush of life is filed. All but yon widow'd, folitary thing That feebly bends befide the fplafly (pring, She, wretched matron, forc'd, in age, for bread, [Ipread, To trip the brook with mantling creffes To pick her wintry faggot from the thorn, To leek her nightly thed, and weep till morn; She only left of all the harmless train, The fad hiftorian of the penfive plain. Near yonder copfe, where once the garden fmil'd, [grows wild; And till where many a garden flower There, where a few torn fhrubs the place difclofe, The village preacher's modeft manfion rofe. A man he was, to all the country dear, And paffing rich with forty pounds a year; Remote from towns he ran his godly race, Nor ere had chang'd, nor wish'd to change his place Unskilful he to fawn, or feek for power, By doctrines fashion'd to the varying hour; Far other aims his heart had learn'd to prize, [rife. More bent to raise the wretched than to His houfe was known to all the vagrant train, [pain; He chid their wanderings, but reliev'd their The long remember'd beggar was his guest, [breaft; Whole beard defcending swept his aged The ruin'd spendthrift, now no longer proud, [allow'd; Claim'd kindred there, and had his claims The broken foldier kindly bade to stay, Sate by his fire, and talk'd the night away; Wept o'er his wounds, or tales of forrow done, [fields were won. Shoulder'd his crutch, and fhew'd how Pleafed with his guests, the good man learn'd to glow, And quite forgot their vices in their woe; Carelets their merits, or their faults to fcan, His pity gave ere charity began. Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride, [fide; And even his failings lean'd to Virtue's But in his duty prompt at every call, He watched and wept, he prayed and felt, for all. The reverend champion ftood. At his control, [foul; Defpair and anguifh fled the ftruggling Comfort came down the trembling wretch to raise, [praife. And his laft faultering accents whifper'd At church, with meek and unaffected grace, His looks adorn'd the venerable place; Truth from his lips prevail'd with double fway, [to pray. And, fools, who came to fcoff, remain'd The fervice paft, around the pious man, With ready zeal each honeft ruftic ran; Even children follow'd with endearing wile, [man's fimile. And pluck'd his gown, to fhare the good His ready fmile a parent's warmth expreft, Their welfare pleas'd him, and their cares diftreft ; [were given, To them his heart, his love, his griefs But all his ferious thoughts had reft in Heaven. As fome tall cliff that lifts its awful form, Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the ftorm, [are fpread, Tho' round its breaft the rolling clouds Eternal funshine fettles on its head. Befide yon ftraggling fence that skirts frown'd ; Yet he was kind, or if fevere in aught, The love he bore to learning was in fault; The village ali declar'd how much he knew ; [pher too; 'Twas certain he could write, and cyLands he could meature, terms and tides prefage, [gauge And even the ftory ran that he could In arguing too, the parfon owned his fkill, For e'en tho' vanquished, he could argue Rill; [dering found Whi e words of learned length, and thunAmaz'd the gazing ruftics rang'd around, June, 1770. And till they gaz'd, and still the wonder grew, [knew. That one fmall head could carry all he But paft is all his fame. The very spot Where many a time he triumphed, is forgot. [high, Near yonder thorn, that lifts its head on Where once the fign-poft caught the paffing eye, [draughts infpir'd, Low lies that houfe where not brown Where grey beard mirth and fmiling toil retir'd, [profound, Where village ftatesmen talk'd with looks And news much older than their ale went round. Imagination fondly ftoops to trace The parlour fplendours of that festive place; [floor, The white-wafh'd wall, the nicely fanded The varnish'd clock that click'd behind the door; The cheft contriv'd a double debt to pay, A bed by night, a chest of drawers by day; The pictures plac'd for ornament and use, The twelve good rules, the royal game of goole : [the day, The hearth, except when winter chill'd With afpen boughs, and flowers, and fennel gay, [thew, While broken tea-cups, wifely kept for Rang'd o'er the chimney, gliften'd in a fall ! Obfcure it finks, nor fall it more impart An hour's importance to the poor man's heart; Thither no more the peasant fhall repair To fweet oblivion of his daily care; No more the farmer's news, the barber's tale, [prevail; No more the wood man's ballad thall No more the fmith his dufky brow shall clear, [hear; Relax his ponderous ftrength, and lean to The holt himself no longer thail be found Careful to fee the mantling blifs go round; Nor the coy maid, half willing to be preft, Shali kils the cup to pass it to the rear. Yes! let the rich deride, the proud disdain, Thefe fimple bleifings of the lowly train, To me more dear, congenial to my heart, One natiye charm, than all the glofs of art ; Аза Spon bounds, That leaves our useful products still the fame. [pride, Not fo the lofs. The man of wealth and Takes up a space that many poor fupplied; Space for his lake, his park's extended [hounds; Space for his horfes, equipage, and The robe that wraps his limbs in filken floth, [half their growth; Has robb'd the neighbouring fields of His feat, where folitary fports are feen, Indignant fpurns the cottage from the green; [flies, Around the world each needful product For all the luxuries the world fupplies. While thus the land adorn'd for pleature all In barren splendour feebly waits the fall. As fome fair female unadoro'd and plain, [her reign, Secure to pleafe while youth confirms Slights every borrow'd charm that drefs fupplies, [eyes. Nor fhares with art the triumph of her But when thofe charms are paft, for charms are frail, [fail, When time advances, and when lovers She then fhines forth, follicitous to blefs, In all the glaring impotence of dress. Thus fares the land, by luxury betray'd, In nature's fimpleft charms at firft array'd, But verging to decline, its fplendours rife, Its viftas ftrike, its palaces furprize; While, fcourged by famine from the fmiling land, [band; The mournful peafant leads his humble And while he finks without one arm to fave, The country blooms a garden, and a grave. [refide, Where then, ah, where fhall poverty To fcape the preffure of contiguous pride? [ftray'd, If to fome common's fenceless limits He drives his flock to pick the fcanty blade, [divide, Thofe fencelefs fields the fons of wealth And even the bare-worn common is deny'd. [there? If to the city fped-What waits him To fee profufion that he must not share; To fee ten thoufand baneful arts combin'd To pamper luxury, and thin mankind; To fee each joy the fons of pleasure know, Extorted from his fellow-creature's woe. Here, while the courtier glitters in brocade, There the pale artift plies the fickly trade; Here, while the proud their long drawn pomps difplay, way. There the black gibbet glooms befide the [night reign, The dome where pleasure holds her midHere richly deckt admits the gorgeous train, [iquare, Tumultuous grandeur crowds the blazing The rattling chariots clash, the torches giare; [annoy! Sure fcenes like thefe no troubles ere Sure thefe denote one univerfal joy! Are thcfe thy ferious thoughts -Ah, turn thine eyes [lies. Where the poor houfelefs fhivering female She once, perhaps, in village plenty bleft, Has wept, at tales of innocence diftreft ; Her modeft looks the cottage might adorn, Sweet as the primrofe peeps beneath the thorn; [Aled, Now loft to all; her friends, her virtue Near her betrayer's door the lays her head, And, pinch'd with cold, and shrinking from the fhower, With heavy heart deplores that luckless hour, When When idly firft, ambitious of the town, She left her wheel and robes of country brown. Do thine, fweet AUBURN, thine, the loveliest train, Do thy fair tribes participate her pain? Even now, perhaps, by cold and hunger led, [bread! At proud men's doors they afk a little Ah, no. To diftant climes, a dreary scene, [between, Where half the convex world intrudes To torrid tracts with fainting fteps they [woe. Where wild Altama murmurs to their Far different there from all that charm'd before, go, The various terrors of that horrid shore. Thofe blazing funs that dart a downward Contented toil, and hofpitable care, Still firit to fly where fenfual joys invade; Dear charming nymph, neglected and My fhame in crowds, my folitary pride. Thou fource of all my blife, and all my [keep' me fo; That found' me poor at fiift, and Aaa 2 Thou woe, excel, Thou guide by which the nobler arts [well. Thou nurse of every virtue, fare thee Farewel, and O where'er thy voice be try'd, On Torno's cliffs, or Pambamarca's fide, Whether where equinoctial fervours glow, Or winter wraps the polar world in fnow, Still let thy voice, prevailing over time, Redress the rigours of th' inclement clime, [train; Aid flighted truth, with thy perfuafive Teach erring man to fpurn the rage of gain; [poffeft, Teach him that ftates of native strength Tho' very poor, may still be very bleft; That trade's proud empire haftes to fwift decay, As ocean fweeps the labour'd mole away; While felf-dependent power can time defy, As rocks refift the billows and the sky, IMPORTANT INTELLIGENCE. May 14th. The common council of the city of London met this day in confequence of the following fummons, which was iffued on Friday afternoon; "N. B. The lord mayor will take the chair at eleven precisely." Mr. Bellas made a motion, "That an humble addrefs, remonftrance and petition, be prefented to his Majefty, touching the violated right of election, and the applications of the livery of London, and his Majefty's answer thereupon." He fpoke with great fpirit and force, particularly on the unbecoming treatment which the city of London had of late ex perienced from his Majefty's miniffers. He was fupported by Mr. Freeman, Mr, Beardmore, &c. Mr. Paterion oppofed the last part of the motion, the taking into confideration the applications of the livery of London, and his Majelty's an fwer thereupon; but declared his entire acquiefcence in the ftrongest remonttrance which could be drawn, on the violated right of election. The common-council however feemed to look upon a remonftrance to the king as a continuation of their former proceedings, having advised the lord mayor to call a common-hall for the exprefs purpose of an application to the throne for the redrefs of grievances, and by a great majority voted an address, remonftrance, and petition. The theriffs fpoke well in fupport of the motion. Mr. Alderman Harley and Mr. Alderman Roffiter fpoke against it. Mr. Alderman Wilkes faid, "That the oppofing that motion feemed to be arraign, ing the conduct of that very court, which fo fhort a time before had defired the lord mayor, for this purpofe, to call a com mon hall, and thereby made themselves a party in this whole bufinefs." He remarked the peculiar delicacy of his fitua tion, and faid, "That he would not mention a fyllable about the perfon excluded; but if the houfe of commons could feat any gentleman among them, who was not chofen by the people, the conftitution was torn up by the root, and the people had loft their fhare in the legislative power; that the difabling any perfon from fitting in parliament, who was not difqualified by law, was an injury to every county, city, and borough, and a diffolution of the form of govern ment established by law in this kingdom, &c. &c &c." A committee was then appointed to draw up an humble addrefs, remonstrance, and petition, confifting of the ufual num: ber of aldermen and commoners. The recorder and common ferjeant were order. ed to affift them. The recorder in the committee cavilled at feveral fpirited expreffions in the drawing up the remonfrance, particularly refpecting the king's anfwer, which he declared could not be confidered as the act of the ministers, but must be held to be the king's perfonally, The whole committee were fhocked at the recorder's bringing home to the king one of the most unconftitutional acts of bis miniftry, and without one diffenting voice determined to over-rule the unjust and indecent objection of the recorder, The remonftrance drawn up by the committee was unanimously approved. On the report of the remonttrance to the common council, Mr. Recorder ftood up, and declared that, "he protested against it as a molt abominable libel." Mr. Alderman Wilkes then rofe, and mentioned his unwillingness to speak again, but he was forced to it by the recorder's decla |