No painted plumage to display : On hasty wings thy youth is flown, Thy sun is set, thy spring is gone

We frolic while 'tis May.

ODE. On the Death of a favorite Cat, drowned in a Tub of

Gold Fishes. 'TWAS on a lofty vase's side,

Where China's gayest art had dy'd
The azure flow'ss that blow,
Demurest of the tabby kind,
The pensive Selima reclin'd,

Gaz'd on the lake below.
Her conscious tail her joy declar'd;
The fair round face, the snowy beard,

The velvet of her paws,
Her coat that with the tortoise vies,
Her ears of jet, and em'rald eyes,

She saw, and purr'd applause.
Still had she gaz'd, but, 'midst the tide,
Two angel forms were seen to glide,

The Genii of the stream;
Their scaly armour's Tyrian hue
Thro' richest purple, to the view

Betray'd a golden gleam.
The hapless nymph with wonder saw:
A whisker first, and then a claw,

With many an ardent wish,
She stretch'd in vain to reach the prize!
What female heart can gold despise :

What Cat's averse to fish?

Presumptuous maid! with looks intent, Again she stretch'd, again she bent,

Nor knew the gulf between:
(Malignant Fate sat by and smil'd,)
The slipp'ry verge her feet beguild;

She tumbled headlong in,
Eight times emerging from the food,
She mew'd to ev'ry wat'ry god

Some speedy aid to send.
No Dolphin came, no Nereid stirr'd,
Nor cruel Tom or Susan heard :

A fav'rite has no friend!

From hence, ye Beauties ! undeceiv'd,
Know one false step is ne'er retriev'd,

And be with caution bold:
Not all that tempts your wand'ring eyes,
And heedless hearts, is lawful prize,

Nor all that glisters gold.

OF THE

BRITISH POETS.

VOL. II. PART II.

CONTAINING

SELECTIONS FROM THE POETS

WHO

FLOURISHED IN THE REIGNS

OF

GEORGE II. and GEORGE III.

LONDON: Published by W. SUTTABY, CROSBY and Co. and SCATCHERD and LETTERMAN,

Stationers Court.

1809.

Corrall,

Printer, Charipg Cross

CONTENTS TO VOL.DI. PART II."

r27XWE.IT 21 (GEORGE II. and GEORGE 111., 1 L.

SAMUEL JOHNSON. 1709-1781. Page London

241 The Vanity of Human Wishes. de C. • 248 On the Death of Dr. Robert Levet

257 Prologue. Spoken by Garrick

258 OLIVER GOLDSMITH. 1729-1774. The Traveller

261 The Deserted Village

272 The Hermit

283 The Haunch of Venison

288 CUTHBERT SHAW. 1738-1771. Monody to the Memory of a young Lady 292 An Evening Address to a Nightingale

299 JOHN LANGHORNE. Died in 1779. Owen of Carron

- 303 THOMAS PENROSE. 1743-1779. To Miss Slocock

320 Elegy on Leaving the Rirer of Plate • 321

SIR WILLIAM BLACKSTONE. 1723-1780. Farewell to the Muse

- 323 The Law

324 MICHAEL BRUCE. 1746—1767. Elegy. Written in Spring

326 THOMAS WARTON. 1728–1790. The Suicide

329 The Pleasures of Melancholy

• 332 Inscription in a Hermitage

340 Ode to Sleep

JOSEPH WARTON. Ode to Fancy

342 Ode to Evening

346 JOHN LOGAN. 1748-1788. Ode to Sleep

347 - JOHN SCOTT. 1730-1783. Ode on Winter

348