Then find occafion to begin difcourfe,

Enquire whofe chariot this, and whofe that horse;
To whatsoever fide she is inclin'd,

Suit all your inclinations to her mind:

Like what he likes, from thence your court begin,
And whom he favours, wifh that he may win.

Again, page the fixteenth.

O, when will come the day by heav'n defign'd,
When thou, the best and fairest of mankind,
Drawn by white horfes, fbalt in triumph ride,
With conquer'd flaves attending on thy fide;
Slaves that no longer can be fafe in flight.
O glorious object! O furprising fight!
O day of public joy, too good to end in night!
On fuch a day, if thou, and next to thee
Some beauty fits, the spectacle to fee ;

If fhe enquire the names of conquer'd kings,
Of mountains, rivers, and their hidden springs;
Anfwer to all thou know'ft; and, if need be,
Of things unknown feem to speak knowingly :-
This is Euphrates crown'd with reeds; and there.
Flows the fwift Tigris, with his fea-green hair.
Invent new names of things unknown before;
Call this Armenia, that the Cafpian fhore,
Call this a Mede, and that a Parthian youth;
Talk probably no matter for the truth.

}

No. 603. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6.

Ducite ab urbe domum, mea carmina, ducite Daphnim..

VIRG. Ecl. viii. ver. 68.

Reftore, my charms,

My ling'ring Daphnis to my longing arms.

DRYDEN,

HE following copy of verfes comes from one of my correfpondents, and has fomething in it fo original, that I do not much doubt but it will divert my readers.

I.

My time, O ye muses, was happily spent,
When Phebe went with me wherever I went ;
Ten thousand fweet pleasures 1 felt in my breast:
Sure never fond thepherd like Colin was bleft!
But now he is gone, and has left me behind,
What a marvellous change on a fudden I find?
When things were as fine as could poffibly be,
I thought 'twas the fpring: but, alas! it was fhe..

II.

With fuch a companion, to tend a few sheep, To rife up and play, or to lie down and fleep: I was fo good-humour'd, so cheerful and gay, My heart was as light as a feather all day. But now I fo cross and fo peevish am grown ; So strangely uneafy as ever was known. My fair one is gone, and my joys are all drown'd, And my heart-1 am fure it weighs more than a pound.

III.

The fountain that wont to run fweetly along, And dance to foft murmurs the pebbles among ; Thou know'ft, little Cupid, if Phebe was there, 'Twas pleasure to look at, 'twas mufic to hear :

But

But now he is abfent, I walk by its fide,
And ftill as it murmurs do nothing but chide;
Muft you be fo cheerful, while I go in pain?

Peace there with your bubbling, and hear me complain. IV.

When my lambkins around me would oftentimes play, And when Phebe and I were as joyful as they, How pleafant their sporting, how happy their time, When fpring, love, and beauty, were all in their prime? But now in their frolics, when by me they pass, I fling at their fleeces an handful of grass; Be fill then, I cry, for it makes me quite mad, To fee you fo merry, while I am fo fad.

V.

My dog I was ever well pleafed to fee Come wagging his tail to my fair one and me; And Phebe was pleas'd too, and to my dog faid, Come hither, poor fellow; and patted his head. But now, when he's fawning, I with a four look Cry, Sirrah; and give him a blow with my crook; And I'll give him another; for why should not Tray Be as dull as his master, when Phebe's away?

VI.

When walking with Phebe what fights have I feen? How fair was the flower, how fresh was the green? What a lovely appearance the trees and the fhade, The corn-fields and hedges, and ev'ry thing made? But now he has left me, tho' all are still there, They none of them now fo delightful appear: 'Twas nought but the magic, I find, of her eyes, Made fo many beautiful prospects arise.

VII.

Sweet music went with us both all the wood thro', The lark, linnet, throfile, and nightingale too: Winds over us whisper'd, flocks by us did bleat, And chirp went the grasshopper under our feet.

But

But now he is abfent, tho' ftill they fing on,
The woods are but lonely, the melody's gone:
Her voice in the concert, as now I have found,
Gave ev'ry thing else its agreeable found.

VIII.

Rofe, what is become of thy delicate hue? And where is the violet's beautiful blue?. Does ought of its fweetness the blossom beguile? That meadow, thofe daifies, why do they not fmile? Ah! rivals, I fee what it was that you dreft, And made yourfelves fine for; a place in her breaft? You put on your colours to pleafure her eye, To be pluck't by her hand, on her bofom to die.

IX.

How flowly time creeps till my Phebe return?
While amidst the foft zephyr's cool breezes I burn :
Methinks, if I knew whereabouts he would tread,
I could breathe on his wings, and 'twould melt down
the lead.

Fl; fwifter, ye minutes, bring hither my dear,
And reft fo much longer for't when he is here.
Ah, Colin! old Time is full of delay,

Nor will budge one foot fafter for all thou canst fazi

X.

Will no pitying power that hears me complain, Or cure my difquiet, or foften my pain? To be cur'd, thou must, Colin, thy paffion remove; But what fwain is fo filly to live without love? No, Deity, bid the dear nymph to return, For ne'er was poor fhepherd fo fadly forlorn. Ah! what all I do? I fhall die with defpair: Take heed, all ye fwains, how ye love one fo fair..

FRIDAY,

Tu ne quafieris (fcire nefas) quem mihi, quem tibi,
Finem dii dederint, Leucone; nec Babylonios
HOR. Od. xi. lib. 1. ver. 1.

Tentaris numeros.

Ah, do not ftrive too much to know,

My dear Leucone,

What the kind gods design to do

With me and thee.

CREECH.

HE defire of knowing future events, is one of

Indeed an ability of foreseeing probable accidents is what, in the language of men, is called wisdom and prudence: but not fatisfied with the light that reafon holds out, mankind hath endeavoured to penetrate more compendioufly into futurity. Magic, oracles, omens, lucky hours, and the various arts of fuperftition, owe their rife to this powerful caufe. As this principle is founded in felf-love, every man is fure to be folicitous, in the first place, about his own fortune, the course of his life, and the time and manner of his death.

If we confider that we are free agents, we fhall discover the abfurdity of fuch inquiries. One of our actions which we might have performed or neglected, is the cause of another that fucceeds it, and fo the whole chain of life is linked together. Pain, poverty, or infamy, are the natural product of vicious and imprudent acts; as the contrary bleffings are of good ones; fo that we cannot fuppofe our lot to be determined without impiety. A great enhancement of pleasure arifes from its being unexpected; and