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Or banish'd hence to Paraclete remove,

Where maids may melt, and heretics approve."
While keener fome the venom'd shaft inflame,
And point reproach with Eloifa's name.
'Wild at the found to folitude 1 fly,
And meet the form familiar to my eye :-
She comes refulgent in her former charms!
The spouse of heaven is render'd to my arms!
Her voice I hear, on Abelard fhe calls,
And waves to Paraclete's neglected walls.
Yet, O forbear! those fatal fmiles conceal,
And not the woman, but the faint reveal;
The clafping hands, the fcatter'd locks, difplay,
And ftreaming tears by angels wip'd away;
The head that bows to mercy's awful shrine,
The glance that melts with charity divine.
The grateful burft of penitence forgiven,
And afpect radiant with the beams of heaven!
Nor this alone-fuperior duties claim
Heaven's awful spouse, a mother's facred name.
Shall earthly parents with preventive fear
Bend o'er the babe that carnal ties endear,
And the alone felected from the rest

To foothe with pious hopes the finner's breast,
Neglect the task by Providence affign'd,
And leave the children of her foul behind?
Ev'n now, methinks, thy veftal-charge I fee,
Diffolv'd in kindred transports caught from thee,
With clearer anthems hail the Saviour's throne,
And pant for grace with ardours not their own.
That where fecluded nature loves to pour
The limpid wave befide the myrtle bower
The rifing walls of Paraclete may show
That heavenly comfort deigns to dwell below;
And oft while Hefper leads the starry throng
Ethereal harps the clofing ftrain prolong.

From scenes like thofe when Eloifa's foul
Afpires in holy trance beyond the pole,
When every mortal care is lull'd to rest,
And heaven-plum'd hope expatiates with the bleft,
Say, wilt thou fhut for ever from thy fight
Whofe prefence might alloy the pure delight;
Nor lift on hallow'd figh, one friendly prayer,
One tender wifh to meet thy lover there?

And fure when hope with infant hold prepar'd
To stay the morn of blifs we fondly fhar'd,
Even reafon's felf could fcarcely find to blame,
So guiltless feem'd the involuntary flame.
Ingenuous arts the tempting hour beguil'd,
Confenting tafte, indulgent fancy smil'd;
VOL. LX. July, 1785.

F

Severer

Severer fcience join'd the blooming train,
And virtue paus'd at love's enchanting frain.
Alas! that letter'd eafe, by heaven defign'd
The pureft inmate of the feeling mind,
The fairest gift that nature can beftow,
Should prompt the breaft with guilty fires to glow!

Untouch'd, unfway'd by fortune's bafe controul,
I prais'd not empty form without a foul;

Fair as thou wert, with more than beauty bright
Thy mental charms diffus'd a stronger light.
And well thou know't when absent and alone
In gentle verfe I made my wishes known,
Content to please, not emulous to shine
The careless numbers flow'd from rapture's fhrine,
Nor once defcended to the flatterer's part,
Anxious to gain but not corrupt the heart.
Yet haply thofe, condemn'd to lafting fame,
In future times fhall fan the dangerous flame;
To fure deftruction's filken fnares engage
The deftin'd victims of a diftant age;
With cruel mirth the fcorner's tale prolong,
And lend new licence to the drunkard's fong.

"O treacherous moment, fhort, and infecure!
O reign of bliss, too powerful to endure !
When first we felt from infant years untry'd
Thro' every nerve the ftings of tranfport glide-
No more with melting founds divinely clear
Those rofeate lips must charm thy lover's ear-
That open front of animated fnow,

Those auburn ringlets taught by love to flow,
The graceful act, in native virtue free,
Defpoil'd in youth's unguarded hour by me-
The upbraiding blush-the kind relenting eye
That fummon'd nature to returning joy-
The faith which proffer'd crowns had vainly try'd,
And scarce can heaven with Abelard divide,
For ever loft-nor can the world reftore

Thofe flattering scenes that hope shall gild no more.'

MONTHLY CATALOGUE.

THE

POETRY.

An Invocation to Melancholy. A Fragment. 4to.

HE fubject of this performance is capable of high poetical imbellishments, and the author has fometimes fucceeded in their delineation. Like Hotfpur, he apprehends a world of figures,' but they are not in general properly methodifed, nor

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accurately expreffed. It is probably the production of a young writer; who appears not defective in genius, but we cannot compliment him on his judgment.

The War of Wigs, a Poem, occafioned by a late Event in Wetminfter-Hall. 4to. 1. 6d. Kearley.

*

This poem relates the events of a battle, raised without an object, and determined without either victory or defeat. A late commotion in Westminster-hall, from a cafual terror, feems to have fuggefted this wordy war, where ferjeants and barristers contend, with little dignity and lefs addrefs. Yet the battle gives occafion to the poet to defcribe the different perfonages, in fmooth and poetic, often in pointed and well-appropriated language:-this perhaps is all that we should expect ; for, as Mr. Bayes observes, a plot is of little ufe but to bring in good things.' We fhall felect the concluding lines as a fpecimen,

'As o'er the troubled deep when tempefts rife,
And tofs the deafening billows to the fkies,
Old Ocean's monarch, while the tumult raves,
Lifts his calm head,, and chides his angry waves
Sudden the clamor of the deep fubfides,

As Neptune ftills the hoarfe refounding tides:
Thus rag'd the war, and thus the battle bled,
When M-sf-d rais'd his venerable head,

And hufh'd the ftorm. M-sf---d, in whom appears
New force of genius in decline of years:
Whom Law and Learning's various arts attend,
Aftræa's favorite, and Apollo's friend.

O bleft with all that greatness can renown,

The claffic laurel, and the civic crown!

Whofe facred honors ev'n in death fhall bloom,

And future ages blefs the fweet perfume.'

An Epifle from the Rev. William M- n to the Right Hon. William Pitt, Chancellor of the Exchequer; petitioning for the va cant Laureateship. 4to. 6d. Dilly.

The report, whether true or falfe, that Mr. M -n was lately a candidate for the laureatefhip, has given rife to this piece of ridicule; the author of which likewife has proved fo far unfuccefsful as greatly to fail in the imitation of that ingenious gentleman's ftyle and manner.

An Epifle from John Lord Ashburton, in the Shades, to the Right Hon. William Pitt in the Sunshine. 4to. 25. Murray.

A political, doggrel, unpoetic production; in which the author, to fupply the want of wit, has been profufe of fcurrility. The Stone Coffin; or, a New Way of making Love. 4to. IS. Cattermoul.

The fubject of this author's poetry feems to have a fympathetic connection with his genius; for we never read any thing that deferves more to be buried in oblivion.

F 2

Poctical

Poetical Trifles. By Edward Trap Pilgrim, Efq. Small 8vo. Is. 6d. Debrett.

Thefe Trifles are rather calculated to amufe in a newspaper, than for a foundation on which the author's fame may fecurely reft. Some of them are light, easy, and pleafing; others trifling and infipid.-Thofe who write on temporary fubjects muft neceffarily confine their praife to the uncertain period of the follies which they celebrate or fatirise.

Memoirs of Sir Simeon Supple, Member for Rotborough. 8vo. 15.6d. Kearsley.

The author has acted injudiciously, by reminding us of the inimitable and unimitated New Bath Guide. Thefe Memoirs resemble it; but must be arranged at a great distance from the work of Mr. Anfey: they poffefs few traits of humour, little knowlege of human nature, and faint fparks only of poetic fire. The two following flanzas, part of the remonftrance of a condemned oak, are the most highly finished lines. Hold ruthlefs peafant! hold thy lifted arm, Nor let thy ftroke my bleeding rind divide; Ah! let my houry age thy pity warm! Nor dare to pierce my venerable fide.

Thy axe has echoed through the fertile meads,
The diftant vallies fpread wild havock o'er;
And fhorn the mountains of their fringed heads
From yon tall manfion to the winding fhore.'

Of the other parts, the minifter's fpeech at the levee is by far the beft; and we shall extract a few lines of it as a fpecimen.

"Sir Simeon Supple, I'll always contend,
For the honour to call you my intimate friend.
Dear fir, you're a pillar of rock to our party;
I hope you left all at the Grove well and hearty.
For your welfare, believe me, my wifhes are fervent,
And never can change-colonel Cutter, your fervant!
This vifit is kind! my dear colonel your hand;
I'm heartily forry-that vacant command-
'Tis ftrange, very ftrange, that the **** fhould refuse!
But we foon fhall cut out a new gap in the blues,
Which none but yourself, my dear colonel, fhall fill,
If my voice can prevail-How d'ye do mifter Quill
Dear fir, your laft pamphlet was poignantly quaiat;
I hope you've got rid of your ftomach complaint.
I believe we fhall want a fhort effay next week
On the fall of the ftocks- dear fir Peregrine Sleek!

I proteft that I did not difcern you before,

And when, my dear friend, do you make the grand tour♪
I'm glad to meet here my lord vifcount Mac Vane-
Your very obedient, fir Carpenter Plane!

Dear

Dear fir, you're a rule for my friends, I declare:

How long may it be fince you came from the Square?" The author difclaims any perfonal allufion; yet we fometimes fufpect that he verges towards it. But perhaps the scenes defcribed have been fo often acted, that it is not eafy to repeat what may not, in fome degree, be applied.

Elegies and Sonnets. 4to. 35. Cadell.

means liable to critical cenfure,

Though we find not any thing peculiarly ftriking, or indicative of frong original genius in thefe poems, they are by no The language is pure, easy, and grammatical. We think the Sonnets in general extremely elegant, and fhall adduce the following on Love, in vindica tion of our opinion.

1

Ah! who can fay, to him that fondly loves
How ftrangely various every hour appears?
For roving with the wind his fancy roves,

And now in joys is loft, and now in tears;
If chance one ray of hope his bofom chears,
Defpair too foon the flattering fcene removes ;
Then the fevereft fnares of fate he proves,
Surmifes groundless doubts, and jealous fears.
Oh fad refemblance of an April day!

Gay fmiles the morn, deceitfully ferene,
Yet while it flatters, yields a dubious ray,
And clouds, and fudden darkness intervene,
Defraud the promife of approaching May,

And blaft with ruthless forms the beauteous fcene.' Verfes on the Death of Dr. Samuel Johnson. 4to. 15. 6d. Dilly.

Dr. Johnfon has not been very happy in his paneygyrifts: nor is the prefent author much more fuccefsful than his predeceffors. He tells us, that a friend, whofe reputation is great in the literary world, and had a better knowlege of the fubject than he can pretend to, induced him, with a few additions, to lay them before the public.' His friend muft furely be either infincere, or have acquired reputation very undefervedly. We found our opinion chiefly on his permitting the concluding lines of the poem to appear in their prefent state.

• Soon as the mind exerts a wish to stray
To learning's heights from custom's beaten way,
Hafte to the fun of fcience, wing thy flight,
Catch every glympfe of her directing light.
Then when Perfection's tedious goal is won,
And the eye opens to the mental fun,
Then if that fun her every ray fupplies,
Unmixt nor broken by Opinion's dies,

Then must thou own that her informing beam,
Which nature lent in childhood dubious gleam;

F 3

And

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