How? leap into the pit our life to fave? To fave our life leap all into the grave? For can we find it lefs? Contemplate first 1 The depth how awful! falling there, we burst; Or fhould the brambles, interpos'd, our fall In part abate, that happiness were small; For with a race like theirs no chance I see
peace or ease to creatures clad as we. Meantime, noife kills not. Be it Dapple's bray, Or be it not, or be it whose it may,
And rush thofe other founds, that feem by tongues Of dæmons utter'd, from whatever lungs, Sounds are but founds, and till the cause appear, We have at least commodious standing here; Come, fiend, come fury, giant, monfter, blaft From earth or hell, we can but plunge at last. While thus she spake, I fainter heard the peals, For reynard, clofe attended at his heels
By panting dog, tir'd man, and spatter'd horse, Through mere good fortune, teok a diff'rent course. grew calm again, and I, the road Following that led me to my own abode, Much wonder'd that the filly fheep had found Such caufe of terror in an empty found, So fweet to huntsman, gentleman, and hound,
Beware of defp'rate fteps. The darkest day (Live till to-morrow) will have pass'd away.
THE MODERN RAKE'S PROGRESS.
young Tobias was his father's joy;
He train'd him, as he thought, to deeds of praife, He taught him virtue, and he taught him truth, And fent him early to a public school.
Here as it feem'd (but he had none to blame) Virtue forfook him, and habitual vice Grew in her ftead. He laugh'd at honesty, Became a sceptic, and could raise a doubt E'en of his father's truth. 'Twas idly done To tell him of another world, for wits Knew better; and the only good on earth Was pleasure; not to follow that was fin. • Sure he that made us, made us to enjoy ; And why, faid he, should my fond father prate • Of virtue and religion. They afford
No joys, and would abridge the fcanty few Of nature. Nature be my deity,
• Her let me worship, as herself enjoins,
• At the full board of plenty." Thoughtless boy! So to a libertine he grew, a wit,
A man of honour, boastful empty names That dignify the villain. Seldom feen, And when at home under a cautious mask Concealing the lewd foul, his father thought He in wisdom as he grew in years. grew He fondly deem'd he could perceive the growth Of goodness and of learning, fhooting up, Like the young offspring of the fhelter'd hop,
Unusual progress in a fummer's night.
He call'd him home, with great applause dismiss'd By his glad tutors-gave him good advice-
Blefs'd him, and bade him profper. With warm heart He drew his purse-strings, and the utmost doit
Pour'd in the youngfter's palm. Away, he cries,
Go to the feat of learning, boy. Be good, Be wife, be frugal, for 'tis all I can.'
I will,' faid Toby, as he bang'd the door,
And wink'd, and fnap'd his finger, Sir, I will.' So joyful he to Alma Mater went
A sturdy fresh-man. See him just arriv'd, Receiv'd, matriculated, and refolv'd
To drown his freshness in a pipe of port.
Quick, Mr. Vintner, twenty dozen more; Some claret too.
Here's to our friends at home.
There let 'em doze. Be it our nobler aim
To live-where ftands the bottle?"
Hies the gay fpark for fatile purposes, And deeds my bashful muse disdains to name. From town to college, till a fresh supply Sends him again from college up to town. The tedious interval the mace and cue, The tennis-court and racket, the flow lounge From ftreet to ftreet, the badger-hunt, the race, The raffle, the excurfion and the dance, Ices and foups, dice, and the bet at whist, Serve well enough to fill. Grievous accounts The weekly poft to the vex'd parent brings Of college impofitions, heavy dues, Demands enormous, which the wicked fon Declares he does his utmost to prevent.
So, blaming with good cause the vast expence, Bill after bill he fends, and pens the draught Till the full ink-horn fails. With grateful heart Toby receives, short leave of absence begs, Obtains it by a lie, gallops away,
And no one knows what charming things are done, Till the gull'd boy returns without his pence, And prates of deeds unworthy of a brute. Vile deeds, but fuch as in thefe polifh'd days None blames or hides.
So Toby fares, nor heeds,
Till terms are waited, and the proud degree, Soon purchas'd, comes his learned toils to crown. He fwears, and fwears he knows not what, nor cares, Becomes a perjur'd graduate, and thinks foon To be a candidate for orders. Ah!
Vain was the hope. Tho' many a wolf as fell Deceive the fhepherd and devour the flock, Thou none shalt injure. On a luckless day, Withdrawn to tafte the pleasures of the town, Heated with wine, a vehement difpute With a detefted rival fhook the roof:
He pen'd a challenge, fent it, fought, and fell.
I KNOW no two words that have been more abused by the different and wrong interpretations which are putupon them, than these two, Modefty and Affurance. To fay, fuch a one is a modest man, fometimes indeed paffes for a good character; but at prefent is very often used to fignify a fheepish awkward fellow, who has neither good breeding, politenefs, nor any knowledge of the world.
AGAIN, A man of affurance, though at firft it only denoted a person of a free and open carriage, is now very usually applied to a profligate wretch, who can break through all the rules of decency and morality without a blufh.
I SHALL endeavour therefore in this effay to restore these words to their true meaning, to prevent the idea of Modefty from being confounded with that of Sheepifhnefs, and to hinder Impudence from paffing for Affurance.
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