Now to soft themes thou scornest to confine

The lofty numbers of a harp like thine; 350
'Awake a louder and a lofter strain,'
Such as none heard before, or will again!
Where all Discoveries jumbled from the
flood,

Since first the leaky ark reposed in mud,
By more or less, are sung in every book,
From Captain Noah down to Captain Cook.
Nor this alone; but, pausing on the road,
The bard sighs forth a gentle episode;
And gravely tells — attend, each beauteous
miss! -

gone?

Have we no living bard of merit ? — none ! Awake, George Colman! Cumberland, awake!

Ring the alarum bell! let folly quake!
Oh, Sheridan! if aught can move thy pen,
Let Comedy assume her throne again; 581
Abjure the mummery of the German
schools;

Leave new Pizarros to translating fools;
Give, as thy last memorial to the age,
One classic drama, and reform the stage.
Gods! o'er those boards shall Folly rear
her head,

Where Garrick trod, and Siddons lives to tread?

On those shall Farce display Buffoon'ry's mask,

And Hook conceal his heroes in a cask? Shall sapient managers new scenes produce

590

From Cherry, Skeffington, and Mother Goose?

While Shakspeare, Otway, Massinger, forgot,

On stalls must moulder, or in closets rot? Lo! with what pomp the daily prints proclaim

The rival candidates for Attic fame!
In grim array though Lewis' spectres rise,
Still Skeffington and Goose divide the prize.
And sure great Skeffington must claim our
praise,

For skirtless coats and skeletons of plays

Spreads wide her portals for the motley train,

Behold the new Petronius of the day,
Our arbiter of pleasure and of play!
There the hired eunuch, the Hesperian
choir,

The melting lute, the soft lascivious lyre,
The song from Italy, the step from France,
The midnight orgy, and the mazy dance,
The smile of beauty, and the flush of wine,
For fops, fools, gamesters, knaves, and
lords combine:

Each to his humour Comus all allows; Champaign, dice, music, or your neighbour's spouse.

651

Talk not to us, ye starving sons of trade! Of piteous ruin which ourselves have