Haftens in prone career, with friends select
Swiftly we hie to Devil*, young or old,
Jocund and boon, where at the entrance ftands'
A ftripling, who with scrapes and humil cringe
Greets us in winning fpeech, and accent bland;
With lighteft bound, and fafe, unerring step,
He skips before, and nimbly climbs the stairs:
Melampus thus, panting with lolling tongue,
And wagging tail, gambols, and frisks before
His fequent lord, from penfive walk return'd,
Whether in fhady wood, or pafture green,
And waits his coming at the well-known gate.
Nigh to the stairs' afcent, in regal port,
Sits a majestic dame, whofe looks denounce
Command and fovereignty; with haughty air,
And ftudied mien, in femi-circular throne
Enclos'd, the deals around her dread commands; 160
Behind her (dazzling fight!) in order rang'd,
Pile above pile, cryftalline veffels fhine;
Attendant flaves with eager ftrides advance,
And, after homage paid, bawl out aloud
Words unintelligible, noife confus'd:
She knows the jargon founds, and strait describes,
In characters myfterious, words obfcure;
More legible are algebraic figns,
Or myftic figures by magicians drawn,
When they invoke th' infernal spirits aid.
*The Devil-tavern, Temple-bar, frequented by his
Drive hence the rude and barbarous diffonance
Of favage Thracians, and Croatian boors;
The loud Centaurian broils with Lapithæ
Sound harsh and grating to Lenæan god;
Chace brutal feuds of Belgian skippers hence
(Amid their cups, whose innate temper 's fhewn),
In clumfy fift wielding Scymmetrian knife,
Who flash each other's eyes and blubber'd face,
Profaning Bacchanalian, folemn rites:
Mufic's harmonious numbers better fuit
His feftivals, from inftruments or voice,
Or Gafperini's hand the trembling string
Should touch; or from the dulcet Tuscan dames,
Or warbling Toft's far more melodious tongue,
Sweet fymphonies fhould flow, the Delian god
For airy Bacchus is affociate meet.
The stairs afcent now gain'd, our guide unbars The door of spacious room, and creaking chairs (To ear offenfive) round the table fets.
We fit, when thus his florid fpeech begins:
"Name, Sirs, the wine that moft invites your taste,
Champaigne, or Burgundy, or Florence pure,
"Or Hock antique, or Lifbon new or old,
"Bourdeaux, or neat French wine, or Alicant."
For Bourdeaux we with voice unanimous
Declare (fuch fympathy 's in boon compeers).
He quits the room alert, but foon returns;
One hand capacious glittering veffels bears
Refplendent; t'other, with a grasp secure,
A bottle (mighty charge!) upftaid, full fraught
With goodly wine. He, with extended hand
Rais'd high, pours forth the fanguine frothy juice,
O'erspread with bubbles, diffipated foon :
We strait to arms repair, experienc'd chiefs;
Now glaffes clafh with glaffes (charming found!) 205 And glorious Anna's health, the first, the best,
Crowns the full glass ; at her infpiring name,
The fprightly wine results, and seems to smile;
With hearty zeal, and with unanimous,
Her health we drink, and in her health our own.
A paufe enfues; and now with grateful chat
We' improve the interval; and joyous mirth
Engages our rais'd fouls, pat repartee,
Or witty joke, our airy senses moves
To pleafant laughter; ftraight the echoing room
With univerfal peals and fhouts refounds.
The royal Dane, blest consort of the queen,
Next crowns the ruby'd nectar, all whose biifs
In Anna 's plac'd : with fympathetic flame,
And mutual endearments, all her joys,
Like the kind turtle's pure untainted love,
Centre in him, who fhares the grateful hearts
Of loyal fubjects with his fovereign queen;
For, by his prudent care, united fhores
Were fav'd from hoftile fleets invafion dire.
The hero Marlborough next, whose vast exploits
Fame's clarion founds; fresh laurels, triumphs new,
We with, like thofe he won at Hochfted's field.
Next Devonshire illuftrious, who from race
Of nobleft patriots fprang, whofe worthy foul
Is with each fair and virtuous gift adorn'd,
That fhone in his most worthy ancestors;
For then diftinct in separate breasts were seen
Virtues diftinct, but all in him unite.
Prudent Godolphin, of the nation's weal
Frugal, but free and generous of his own,
Next crowns the bowl; with faithful Sunderland,
And Halifax, the Mufes' darling fon,
In whom confpicuous, with full luftre, shine
The fureft judgement, and the brightest wit,
Himself Mæcenas and a Flaccus too.
And all the worthies of the British realm,
In order rang'd, fucceed; fuch Healths as tinge
The dulcet wine with a more charming guft.
Now each his mistress toasts, by whose bright eye 250 He's fir'd; Cofmelia fair, or Dulcibell',
Or Sylvia, comely black, with jetty eyes
Piercing; or airy Calia, fprightly maid! -
Infenfibly thus flow unnumber'd hours ;
Glafs fucceeds glass, till the Dircean god
Shines in our eyes, and with his fulgent rays
Enlightens our glad looks with lovely dye;
All blithe and jolly, that, like Arthur's knights,
Of rotund table, fam'd in old records,
Now moft we feem'd-fuch is the power of WINE. 255
Thus we the winged hours in harmless mirth
And joys unfully'd pafs, till humid night
Has half her race perform'd, now all abroad
Is hufh'd and filent, nor the rumbling noife
Of coach or cart, or fmoaky link-boy's call,
5
Is heard but univerfal filence reigns:
When we in merry plight, airy and gay,
Surpriz'd to find the hours fo fwiftly fly,
With hafty knock, or twang of pendent cord,
Alarm the drowży youth from flumbering nod;
Startled he flies, and ftumbles o'er the ftairs
Erroneous, and with bufy knuckles plies
His yet clung eye-lids, and with staggering reel
Enters confus'd, and muttering afks our wills;
When we with liberal hand the fcore discharge,
And homeward each his course with steady step
Unerring fteers, of cares and coin bereft.
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