See him o'er hill, morafs, or mound,
Where'er the fpeckled game is found,
Though bent with age, with zeal pursue;
And totter towards the prey in view.
Nor rock, nor ftream, his fteps retard,
Intent upon the bleft reward!
One vaffal fly repays the chace!
A wing, a film, rewards the race!
Rewards him, though difeafe attend,
And in a fatal furfeit end.
So fierce Camilla fkimm'd the plain,
Smit with the purple's pleafing ftain,
She ey'd intent the glittering ftranger,
And knew, alas! nor fear, nor danger
Till deep within her panting heart,
Malicious fate impell'd the dart!
How ftudious he what favourite food
Regales dame nature's tiny brood?
What junkets fat the filmy people!
And what liqueurs they chufe to tipple!
Behold him, at fome crife, prefcribe,
And raife with drugs the fickening tribe!
Or haply, when their fpirits fau'ter,
Sprinkling my Lord of Cloyne's tar-water.
When nature's brood of infects dies,
See how he pimps for amorous flies!
See him the timely fuccour lend her,
And help the wantons to engender!
Or fee him guard their pregnant hour;
Exert his foft obftetric power:
Q4
And, lending each his lenient hand,
With new-born grubs enrich the land!
*O Wilks! what poet's loftieft lays
Can match thy labours, and thy praise?
Immortal fage! by fate decreed
To guard the moth's illuftrious breed;
'Till fluttering fwarms on swarms arise,
And all our wardrobes teem with flies!
And muft we praise this tafte for toys >
Admire it then in girls and boys.
Ye youths of fifteen years, or more,
Refign your moths-the feafon 's o'er.
'Tis time more focial joys to prove ;
"Twere now your nobler task-to love.
Let's eyes more deeply warm;
Nor, flighting nature's fairest form,
The bias of your fouls determine
Towards the mean love of nature's vermin.
But, ah! how wondrous few have known,
To give each stage of life its own!
'Tis the pretexta's utmost bound,
With radiant purple edg'd around,
To please the child; whofe glowing dyes
Too long delight maturer eyes :
And few, but with regret, affume
The plain-wrought labours of the loom.
*Alluding to moths and butterflies delineated by Benjamin Wilks. See his very expenfive propofals,
Ah! let not me by fancy steer,
When life's autumnal clouds appear;
Nor ev'n in learning's long delays
Confume my faireft, fruitless days:
Like him, who fhould in armour spend
The fums that armour fhould defend.
A while, in pleafure's myrtle bower,
We share her fmiles, and blefs her power:
But find at last, we vainly strive
To fix the worst coquette alive.
O you! that with affiduous flame
Have long purfued the faithlefs dame;
Forfake her foft abodes a while,
And dare her frown, and flight her smile.
Nor fcorn, whatever wits may fay,
The foot-path road, the king's high-way.
No more the fcrupulous charmer teize,
But feek the roofs of honeft ease;
The rival fair, no more purfued,
Shall there with forward pace intrude;
Shall there her every art essay,
To win you to her flighted sway;
And grant your fcorn a glance more fair
Than e'er fhe gave your fondest prayer.
But would you happiness pursue ?
Partake both eafe, and pleasure too?
Would you, through all your days, difpenfe
The joys of reafon, and of fenfe?
Or give to life the most you can,
Let focial virtue fhape the plan.
For does not to the virtuous deeed
A train of pleafing sweets fucceed?
Or, like the fweets of wild defire,
Did focial pleafures ever tire?
Yet midft the groupe be fome preferr'd,
Be fome abhorr'd-for Damon err'd:
And fuch there are-of fair address-
As 't were unfocial to carefs.
O learn by reafon's equal rule
To fhun the praise of knave, or fool!
Then, though you deem it better still
To gain fome ruftic 'fquire's good will;
And fouls, however mean or vile,
Like features, brighten by a smile;
Yet reafon holds it for a crime,
The trivial breaft fhould share thy time:
And virtue, with reluctant eyes.
Beholds this human facrifice!
Through deep referve, and air erect,
Mistaken Damon won refpect;
But could the fpecious homage pass,
With any creature, but an afs?
If conscious, they who fear'd the skin,
Would fcorn the fluggish brute within.
What awe-ftruck flaves the towers enclose,
Where Perfian monarchs eat and doze!
What proftrate reverence all agree,
To pay a prince they never fee!
Mere vaffals of a royal throne!
The fophi's virtues must be shewn,
To make the reverence his own.
As for Thalia-wouldst thou make her
Thy bride without a portion?-take her,
She will with duteous care attend,
And all thy duteous hours befriend;
Will fwell thy joys, will fhare thy pain;
With thee rejoice, with thee complain;
Will fmooth thy pillow, pleat thy bowers;
And bind thy aching head with flowers.
But be this previous maxim known,
If thou canft feed on love alone:
If, blett with her, thou canst sustain
Contempt, and poverty, and pain:
If fo-then rifle all her graces—
And fruitful be your fond embraces.
Too foon, by caitiff-fpleen infpir'd,
Sage Damon to his groves retir'd:
The path disclaim'd by fober reason;
Retirement claims a later feason;
Ere active youth and warm defires
Have quite withdrawn their lingering fires.
With the warm bofom, ill agree,
Or limpid ftream, or fhady tree.
Love lurks within the rofy bower,
And claims the fpeculative hour;
Ambition finds his calm retreat,
And bids his pulfe too fiercely beat!
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