The dinner comes, and down they sit : One wipes his nose upon his sleeve, Yet, not to give offence or grieve, The punch goes round, and they are dull Like barrels with their bellies full, At length the busy time begins. 66 Come, neighbours, we must wag—" The money chinks, down drop their chins, Each lugging out his bag. One talks of mildew and of frost, And one of storms of hail, And one of pigs, that he has lost By maggots at the tail. Quoth one, A rarer man than you "In pulpit none shall hear : "But yet, methinks, to tell you true, "You sell it plaguy dear.” O why are farmers made so coarse, A kick, that scarce would move a horse, Then let the boobies stay at home; Less trouble taking twice the sum, SONNET ADDRESSED TO HENRY COWPER, ESQ. On his emphatical and interesting delivery of the defence of Warren Hastings, Esq. in the House of Lords. COWPER, whose silver voice, task'd sometimes hard, Legends prolix delivers in the ears (Attentive when thou read'st) of England's peers, Let verse at length yield thee thy just reward. Thou wast not heard with drowsy disregard, Thou art not voice alone, but hast beside Both heart and head; and couldst with music sweet Like thy renown'd forefathers, far and wide LINES ADDRESSED TO DR. DARWIN, Author of "The Botanic Garden." Two wo Poets*, (poets, by report, Not oft so well agree) Sweet Harmonist of Flora's court! Conspire to honour Thee. They best can judge a poet's worth, The pangs of a poetic birth By labours of their own, We therefore pleas'd extol thy song, And learned as 'tis sweet. • Allading to the poem by Mr. Hayley, which accompanied these lines. 222 LINES ADDRESSED TO DR. DARWIN. No envy mingles with our praise, They would-they must at thine. But we, in mutual bondage knit And deem the Bard, whoe'er he be, And howsoever known, Who would not twine a wreath for Thee, Unworthy of his own. |