F. R. caught his Death upon the Water, April the 31ft. W. W. killed by an unknown Hand, that was playing with the Glove off upon the Side of the Front-Box in Drury-Lane.

Sir Chriftopher Crazy, Bar. hurt by the Brufh of a Whalebone Petticoat.

Sylvius, fhot through the Sticks of a Fan at St. James's Church.

Damon, ftruck through the Heart by a Diamond Necklace.

Thomas Trafly, Francis Goofequill, William Meanwell, Edward Callow, Efqrs; ftanding in a Row, fell all four at the fame time, by an Ogle of the Widow Trapland.

Tom. Rattle, chancing to tread upon a Lady's Tail as he came out of the Play-house, fhe turned full upon him, and laid him dead upon the Spot.

Dick Taftewell, flain by a Blush from the Queen's Box in the third Act of the Trip to the Jubilee.

Samuel Felt, Haberdasher, wounded in his Walk to Ilington by Mrs. Sufannah Crofsftitch, as fhe was clambering over a Stile.

R, F. T, W. S, I. M, P. &c. put to death in the last Birth-Day Maffacre.

Roger Blinko, cut off in the twenty firft Year of his Age by a White-wash.

Mufidorus, flain by an Arrow that flew out of a Dimple in Belinda's left Cheek.

Ned Courtly prefenting Flavia with her Glove (which fhe had dropped on purpose) the receiv'd it, and took a way his Life with a Curtfy.

John Goffelin having received a flight Hurt from a Pair of blue Eyes, as he was making his Escape was dispatch'd by a Smile.

Strephon, killed by Clarinda as he looked down into the Pit.

Charles Careless, hot flying by a Girl of fifteen, who unexpectedly popped her Head upon him out of a Coach. Fofiah Wither, aged threefcore and three, fent to his long home by Elizabeth Jet-well, Spinfter.

Jack Freelove, murder'd by Meliffa in her Hair.

3

William

William Wifeaker, Gent. drown'd in a Flood of Tears by Moll Common.

John Pleadwell, Efq; of the Middle Temple, Barrifter at Law, affaffinated in his Chamber the fixth Inftant by Kitty Sly, who pretended to come to him for his Advice.

I

N° 378. Wednesday, May 14.

Aggredere, O magnos, aderit jam tempus, honores. Virg.

I

Will make no Apology for entertaining the Reader with the following Poem, which is written by a great Genius, a Friend of mine, in the Country, who is not afham'd to employ his Wit in the Praife of his Maker.

MESSIAH.

A facred Eclogue, compos'd of feveral Paffages of Isaiah the Prophet.

Written in Imitation of Virgil's POLLIO.

Y

E Nymphs of Solyma! begin the Song:
To heav'nly Themes fublimer Strains be-
long,

The Molly Fountains, and the fylvan Shades,
The Dreams of Pindus and th Aonian Maids,
Delight no more O thou my Voice infpire,
Who touch'd Ifaiah's hallow'd Lips with Fire!

RAPT into future times, the Bard begun,
A Virgin hall conceive, a Virgin bear a Son!
Ifaia, Cap. From Jeffe's Root behold a Branch arife,
Whofe facred Flow'r with Fragrance fills the

II. V. 1.

Skies.

ThE

Th' Æthereal Spirit o'er its Leaves fall move,
And on its Top defcends the Myftick Dove.
Ye Heav'ns! from high the dewy Neccar pour,
And in foft Silence shed the kindly Show'r!

Cap. 45

V. 8.

The Sick and Weak, the healing Plant shall aid, Cap. 25.
From Storms a Shelter, and from Heat a Shade.v. 4.
All Crimes fhall cease, and antient Fraud shall

faily

Returning Fuftice life aloft her Scale;

Peace o'er the World her Olive l'and extend,
And white-rob'd Innocence from Heav'n de-
fcend

Soft fly the Years, and rife th' expected Morn!
Oh fpring to Light, aufpicions Babe be born!
See Nature haftes her earliest Wreaths to brings
With all the incenfe of the breathing Spring:
See lofty Lebanon his Head advance,
See nodding Forefts on the Mountains dance,
See fpicy Clouds from lowly Sharon rife, e
And Carmel's flowry Top perfumes the Skies!
Hark! a glad Voice the lonely Defart chears;
Prepare the way! a God, a God appears
A God! a God! the vocal Hills reply,
The Rocks proclaim th' approaching Deity.
Lo Earth receives him from the bending Skies!
Sink down ye Mountains, and ye Vallies rife
With Heads deslim'd, ye Cedars, Homage pay;
Be fmooth ye Rocks, ye rapid Floods give way!
The SAVIOUR comes! by ancient Bards
foretold;

Cap. 9. V. 7.

Cap. 35

V..2.

Cap. 40.
V. 3, 4.

C. 42. V18

Cap. 35

Hear him, ye Deaf and all ye Blind behold!
He from thick Films fhall parge the vifnal Bay v. 52.6.
And on the fightless Eye-ball pour the Day!
'Tis he th' obftructed Paths of Sound fhall clear,
And bid nem Mufick charm th unfolding Ear
The Damb fhall fing, the Lame his Crutch
forgo,

And leap exulting like the bounding Roe;

No Sigh, no Munmur the wide World fhall hear
From ev'ry Face he wipes off ev'ry Tear.

VOL. V.

M

In

Cap. 25.

V. 8.

Cap. 40.

V. II.

C. 9 v. 6.

In Adamantine Chains shall Death be bound, And Hell's grim Tyrant feel th' eternal Wound. As the good Shepherd tends his fleecy Care, Seeks fresheft Paftures and the pureft Air, Explores the loft, the wandring Sheep directs, By day o'erfees them, and by night protects; The tender Lambs he raises in his Arms, Feeds from his Hand, and in his Bofem warms: Mankind fhall thus his Guardian Care engage, The promis'd Father of the future Age. C. 2. V. 4. No more fhall Nation against Nation rife, Nor ardent Warriors meet with hateful Eyes. Nor Fields with gleaming Steel be cover'd o'er, The Brazen Trumpets kindle Rage no more ; But ufelefs Lances into Scythes shall bend, And the broad Falchion in a Plow-fhare end. Then Palaces shall rife; the joyful Son Shall finish what his short-liv'd Sire begun; Their Vines a Shadow to their Race shall yield, And the fame Hand that fow'd fhall reap the

Cap. 65. *. 21, 22.

Cap. 35. . I, 7.

Cap, 41.

Field.

The Swain in barren Defarts with Surprize
Sees Lillies fpring, and fudden Verdure rife,
And starts amidst the thirsty Wilds to hear
New Falls of Water murmuring in his Ear:
On rifted Rocks, the Dragon's late Abodes,
The green Reed trembles, and the Bulrush
nods.

Wafte fandy Vallies, once perplex'd with Thorn,.
v. 19. and The fpiry Fir and fhapely Box adorn:
Cap. 55. To leaflefs Shrubs the flow'ring Palms fucceed,
And od rous Myrtle to the noisome Weed.

V. 13.
Cap. 11.

7, 6, 7, 8.

The Lambs with Wolves shall graze the verdant
Mead,

And Boys in flow'ry Bands the Tyger lead;›
The Steer and Lion at one Crib fhall meet.
And harmless Serpents lick the Pilgrim's Feet.
The fmiling Infant in his Hand shall take
The crefted Bafilisk and fpeckled Snake;

7

Pleas'd, the green Luftre of the Scales furvey,

And with their forky Tongue and pointless Sting
"Shall play.

C. 60. V. 4

Rife, crown'd with Light, imperial Salem rife! C. 60. v. 1.
Exalt thy tow'ry Head, and lift thy Eyes!
See, a long Race thy fpacious Courts adorn;
See future Sons and Daughters yet unborn
In crowding Ranks on ev'ry fide arife,
Demanding Life, impatient for the Skies!
See barb'rous Nations at thy Gates attend,
Walk in thy Light, and in thy Temple bend;
See thy bright Altars throng'd with proftrate
Kings,

C. 60. V. 3.

And heap'd with Products of Sabean Springs! C. 60. v. 6.
For thee Idume's Spicy Forests blow,

And feeds of Gold in Ophir's Mountains glow.
See Heav'n its Sparkling Portals wide difplay,
And break upon thee in a Flood of Day!
No more the rifing Sun fhall gild the Morn,
Nor Evening Cynthia fill her filver Horn,
But loft, diffolv'd in thy fuperior Rays,
One Tide of Glory, one unclouded Blaze
O'erflow thy Courts: The LIGHT HIMSELF
Shall Shine

Reveal'd, and God's eternal Day be thine!
The Seas fhall wafte, the Skies in Smoke decay,
Rocks fall to Duft, and Mountains melt away;
But fix'd His Word, His faving Pow'r remains,
Thy Realm for ever lafts, thy own Messiah
reigns.

T

Cap. 60.

V. 19, 20,

C. 51. V. 6. and C. 54.