But should the flame this rougher aid refufe, And only gentler med'cines be of use;

With full-blown cheeks fhe ends the doubtful ftrife,
Foments the infant flame, and puffs it into life.

Such arts as thefe, exalt the drooping fire,
But in my breaft a fiercer flame infpire:
I burn! I burn! O! give thy puffing o'er;
And fwell thy cheeks, and pout thy lips, no more!

With all her haughty looks, the time I've seen,
When this proud damfel has more humble been,
When with nice airs fhe hoist the pan-cake round,
And dropt it, hapless fair! upon the ground.

Look, with what charming grace! what winning tricks! The artful charmer rubs the candlesticks!

So bright she makes the candlesticks she handles,
Oft have I faid, there were no need of candles.

But thou my fair! who never wouldst approves
Or hear the tender ftory of my love;

Or mind, how burns my raging breaft,- -a button-
Perhaps art dreaming of—a breast of mutton.

Thus faid, and wept the fad defponding fwain,
Revealing to the fable walls his pain:

But nymphs are free with thofe they fhould deny;
To thofe, they love, more exquifitely coy!

Now chirping crickets raise their tinkling voice,
The lambent flames in languid ftreams arife,
And fmoke in azure folds evaporates and dies.

די

The RAPE of the TRAP.

A BALLA D, 1737.

WAS in a land of learning,

The mufes favourite city,

Such pranks of late

Were play'd by a rat,

As-tempt one to be witty.

All in a college study,

Where books were in great plenty;

This rat would devour

More fenfe in an hour,

Than I cou'd write-in twenty.

Corporeal food, 'tis granted,

Serves vermin lefs refin'd, Sir;

But this, a rat of tafte,

All other rats furpafs'd;

And he prey'd on the food of the mind, Sir;

His breakfaft, half the morning,

He conftantly attended;

And when the bell rung

For evening fong,

His dinner fcarce was ended!

He fpar'd not ev'n heroics,

On which we poets pride us;

And

And wou'd make no more

Of king Arthur's*, by the score,
Than all the world befide does.

In books of geo-graphy,

He made the maps to flutter:

A river or a fea

Was to him a dish of tea;

And a kingdom, bread and butter.

But if fome mawkish potion

Might chance to over-dofe him,. To check its rage,

He took a page

Of logic-to compofe him

A trap, in hafte and anger,

Was bought, you need not doubt on't; And, fuch was the gin,

Where a lion once got in,

He could not, I think, get out on't.

With cheese, not books, 'twas baited,

The fact I'll not belye it-

Mind books, when he has other diet.

But more of trap and bait, Sir,.

Why fhould I fing, or either?

Since the rat, who knew the flight,
Came in the dead of night,

And dragg'd them away together:
Both trap and bait were vanish'd,
Through a fracture in the flooring;
Which, though so trim

It now may feem,

Had then a dozen or more in.

Then anfwer this, ye fages!

Nor deem a man to wrong ye,
Had the rat which thus did feize on
The trap, lefs claim to reafon,
Than many a fcull among ye?
Dan Prior's mice, I own it,
Were vermin of condition;
But this rat who merely learn'd
What rats alone concern'd,
Was the greater politician.

That England 's topfy-turvy,

Is clear from thefe mishaps, Sir;
Since traps we may determine,
Will no longer take our vermin,
But vermin* take our traps, Sir.

Let fophs, by rats infested,

Then trust in cats to catch 'em;

Left

Written at the time of the Spanish depredations.

Left they grow as learn'd as we,
In our ftudies; where, d' ye fee,

No mortal fits to watch 'em.

Good luck betide our captains;
Good luck betide our cats, Sir:
And grant that the one

May quell the Spanish Don,

And the other deftroy our rats, Sir.

On certain PASTORALS.

So rude and tunelefs are thy lays,

The weary audience vow,

'Tis not th' Arcadian swain that fings, But 'tis his herds that low.

On Mr. C of KIDDERMINSTER's Poetry.

THY verfes, friend, are Kidderminster * stuff, -
And I must own you've meafur'd out enough.

To the VIRTUOSO S.

HAIL, curious wights! to whom so fair

The form of mortal flies is!

Who deem thofe grubs beyond compare,
Which common fenfe defpifes.

Whether

*Famous for a coarfe woollen manufacture.