SELECT POETRY. WESTMINSTER SCHOOL. PROLOGUE and EPILOGUE delivered at the last representation of TERENCE'S EUNUCH, at WESTMINSTER SCHOOL. The former spoken by Mr. BOURNE, the Captain of the School-the latter by Messrs. BOURNE and SHORT, as GNATHO and THRASO: VESTRUM, Patroni, quos salvere pluri mum Lætus lubensq; jubeo, nemini fere Nec sancti illius meminit et chari senis, Moresq; faciles, innocentes, simplices, At tu, laboris quem patronum ludicri, Et tu, qui nostræ sæpius Comedia, Curator olim, nunc spectator interes, Quocunq; nobis carus idem tempore, Et nunc, et olim; tu, pater, salve quoq;: Fas tibi desuetos jam revisenti lares Veteris gratemur memores consuetudinis: Fas et precemur (quippe laudi maximæ Tibi placuisse duximusq; et ducimus) Fas sit precemur, ut quæ votis omnium Nostra hæc, curante te, respondebat prius, Tuis Thalia votis nunc respondeat; Et quem docebas ante, nunc plaudas gregi. EPILOGUS. Gnatho. Quid nunc, magne Thraso? quid agis? quænam ista repente Tristitia, et nubes ista supercilii ? Thraso. Oecidimus. Mavors timuit quem perdere, tandem Infelix ausa est perdere pauperies. Quæ bellum dederat, pax omnia dilapidavit, [malo. Nec, nisi mors, tanto est ulla medela Gnatho. Turpe viro damnis succumbere, tu mode forti [via est. Sis animo; ad famam prompta lucrumq; Quæ tibi nunc se forte offert occasio præ sens, Arripe. Thraso. Quam narras ? Gnatho. Pauca docendus eris. Nostra quidem tellus acis fontibus omais abundat, Qui medicinales ejaculantur aquas. Huc coeunt ægri,sani, mas, fœmina, cœlebs, Pupillus, mater, nympha, puelła, senex, Rusticus, urbanus, fur, judex, scurra, sacerdas, Mercator, miles, causidicus, medicus. Ipsa valetudo paucos, plerosq; voluptas Invitat, lusus, alea, scena, chori. Pro se quisq; simul perdunt et tempus opesq; Saltando interea summus habetur honos. Ergo deligitur, qui catibus hisce magister Præsidet, ille choros ordinat, ille regit. Hunc regem observant, hunc admirantur, amantq; Huic facile pendunt larga tributa manu: Nunc audi-Forte urbs, cui nomen Calda dederunt Sanando apta homini balnea, et apta sui, Extinctum nuper Regem desiderat; Illuc Tu, mage dignus enim nemo, petitor eas. Thrase. Quid? peregrinus ego ignotusq; Gnatho. Hoc dignior ipso. Nunc sunt grata magis, quæ peregrina magis, [Ille est Et miles palmam nunquam non proripit,' Quem vir formidat; quemq; puella cupit. Immo etiam, quo tantum nomine Achilles Laudatur, quantum quod wédes âxvs erat. Vos modo plaudatis : Cætera salvus ero. GENT. MAG. December, 1916. roar, LINES Written in INDIA by an old Resident. ROUS'D by the early gun's* unwelcome [broke, Which many a sweet delicious nap hath A thrifty Wight, on Coromandel's shore, From blissful dreams of cent. per cent. awoke. He press'd his pillow, fain again would sleep, In hopes the pleasing vision to resume; But Phoebus interven'd, with envious peep, Aud brighten'd all the litter of his room. For short's the twilight in this torrid clime, Just serving light from darkness to divide ; So short, indeed, the Fair have scarcely time, Unscorch'd, to take a little morning's ride: "What pity 'tis ! for much, my dears, you know, Do health and bloom on exercise depend; Long may your cheeks with native roses glow; And bright Hygeia all your steps attend!" + Full on the table, and its cloth so green; The Sun, now shining, views with wond'ring eyes, Things het'rogeneous, which together seen, Might even Jupiter himself surprize. "What have we here?' said he, "Fanams and Cash! Debtor, and Creditor, and items long! With many a signature, and dot, and dash! And here? by all the Pow'rs of Verse! a Song! An interest-table, with a bond, upon it, Price-current at Calcutta and Bombay ; Three quarters of an Ode, and half a Sonnet; This Mortal's in a miserable way!" "True, great Apollo !" cried the whining Bard; "Though not insane, I own myself a fool, For having thought (yet, sure, my lot is hard!) Plutus with thee could hold divided rule. In early youth, to thee alone I bow'd, And spoilt, 'twas whisper'd, many a snowwhite page; The wealth-conferring God abus'd aloud: But, true it is, that Av'rice comes with Age. I now am anxious, treasure to amass, Yet still retain a certain rhyming itch: Though all our money'd men declare, alas! "He who writes Verses, never can be rich. Examples too they cite, with visage long, To prove how small hath been the Poet's store; *The Morning-gun, fired in all garrisons at day-break. The Writer lived, at this time, in a small Bungalo; with a detached room, for sleeping in, writing, &c. And [bread. Sev'n wealthy Towns contend for Homer For cold dull Prose, the harmony of Verse? Ne'er peu, or strive to pen, the flowing line? Are riches then a blessing, or a curse? When gaily mounted on my darling tit; [The following Lines were written by a beloved Daughter (whilst attending on her sick Child) and sent to her Father, on his having bought a silver-handled Cup for his use in old age.] STOP, stop, Sir-'ere you fill me up, List to a friend-your silver cup. It's polish'd sides would soon run o'er With leather smooth, and place me where He never gives me ugly knocks So may I stand, for many a year, Mr. URBAN, Westfelton, Dec. 1. The following Song was written and arranged to the harmonized melody of "The soft-flowing Avon," with the hope, and indeed full expectation, that the Jubilee at Stratford would have been celebrated last April in a very different, and more worthy manner: but, alas! on this, like as on many other occasions, an overfond fancy made the promise to my hope, and broke it to my heart." It is now my intention, with the permission of the proprietor, to insert it in the first volume of the "British Melodies," soon forth-coming; where, instead of the plain harmonies of my poor musical talents, it will be attended with those of my ingenious colleague, Mr. Clifton, for four voices, together with his "tricksy" accompani ments and symphonies. JOHN F. M. DOVASTON, CHORAL SONG OF THE FAIRIES, At the Grave of SHAKSPEARE. AIR-Thou soft-flowing Avon-harmonized for many Voices. COME, Spirits of Fancy, green Naiads, [us raise; By the soft-flowing Avon sweet strains let Round the shrine of our Shakspeare bright and Fays, ivy we'll braid, [are laid: And tear-strew the turf where his ashes And when the spire blushing greets morning again They'll be glittering and pure-like the drops of his pen. See the Gossamer-Fairy her shuttle untwines [lines; To shoot like his fancy, and gleam like his And, like ber unassuming, he left at the dawn [gone, His tissue to shine, when to rest he was For wherever he wander'd (so playful bis pow'rs! [all the flow'rs. In a dew-bedropp'd web-lace he link'd O Minstrel immortal! of Nature possess'd [tress'd, To lift the elated, and soothe the dis 'Gainst chair, or side-board, stool, or box. Thy harp on the heart-strings can sym And O! sweet Master, never fail * See Miss Aikin's (now Mrs. Barbauld) beautiful verses "The Groans of a Tankard." phonies shed, the dead, That may seraph the living, and soar with Where imparadised Poets with Angels [in thine. combine In full choir of such notes as here tinkled Presented in the Cup whilst dinner was putting on the table. ON : ON SUSPENSE. SOME demon, sure, with vengeful breast, Envious of joy and peaceful rest, Conceiv'd thy all-terrific farm, And purs'd thee 'mid the wildest storm; Where mild Content with halcyon eye, Nor Pity's sympathetic sigh, Their virtues could to thee impart, Or soften thy obdurate heart. Furies presided at thy birth, And sent thee to infest the earth, Full-fraught with ev'ry various ill Which could their dire resolves fulfill. Thy province is t' embitter life, To wake the passions still to strife By fears that blight Hope's opening flow'r, And sweetest blessings know to sour. The evils which are in thy train Are greater far than certain pain; E'en Sorrow's self, compar'd to thee, Seems peace and soft tranquillity. SONG Written for the Anniversary Dinner of the Battle of WATERLOO, held at the London Hotel at BRUSSELS, June 18, 1816. To the tune of To Anacreon in Heaven!' FOR years, O Napoleon, so great was [thy name; thy fame, All nations convulsed have turn'd pale at Save England alone, who that power defied; [or died. For her sons on the ocean or conquer'd When their great Nelson led, Soon the Gallic ships fled, But the champion, alas! his valued blood shed! [plore While a people in tears their triumph deFar too dearly bought-as that Hero's no more ! While Austria was trembling at Ulm's fatal blow, [low; Where traitors reduc'd all her rising hopes By Trafalgar's great fame each bosom was fir'd, [spir'd; This rallied the brave-this the coward in It soon taught the whole world, Britain's flag when unfurl'd, Could ne'er from the height of proud honour be hurl'd! [like slaves, Tho' nations depress'd might be treated Still England triumphant was Queen of the waves! When Portugal caught sacred Liberty's While the Douro's deep stream Of thousands in arms, all intent on the [foe; Not ev'n could the Pyrenees shelter the When the Hydra, escaping from Elba's [more; Was panting to sacrifice millions once And her ravenous Eagles let loose to de[CharleroyLike light'ning struck down on the fair Then by Wellington led stroy, O'er the dying and dead, Bold Englishmen rush'd, and repuls'd them with dread! [vaders to know While the bayonet's point taught th' That Britons ne'er yield to an insolent foe! 'Twas morn-and the cuirassiers hail'd the new day, [Anglois !" Crying Vive l'Empereur, e à bas les "Tis night and the battle of Waterloo o'er, [their gore! Those bold cnirassiers are left drench'd in Where that old guard of France Made in vain their advance, Tho' their Emperor led, they were struck in a trance. [fame, Then lost were his Eagles, and blasted bis While the sun set in glory on Wellington's name! Then fill high the goblet, be vain of this day, [cay ! 'Tis sacred to honour, and ne'er shall déWhile bright memory sanctions each thought so divine, [wine; And transport still adds a new zest to the Let's unite heart and voice,"Here's to Britain's best choice, Who on Waterloo's field made Europe rejoice, [dread, Who calm midst the heat of a contest so Cried at seven I'll conquer,' at seven M. H. they fled!" To the Memory of the late Rev. EDWARD shore, HISTORICAL CHRONICLE. FRANCE. Paris, Nov. 23.-What now forms the conversation of every salon at Paris, is the vehement dispute that took place after dinner at the British Ambassador's, between M. Pasquier, President of the Chamber of Deputies, and the Prince de Talleyrand. Among the English, Lord Mansfield, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Canning, and Mr. Somerville (Privy Council), were present. Contrary to his usual discretion, he omitted no opportunity of satirizing the Ministry, and the whole system of the Government. The conversation at last became more direct; when M. de Talleyrand declared, that the influence employed in the electious was an affront offered to the nation, and that the Minister of the Interior should be the only Minister through whom the King should communicate his. sentiments, M. Pasquier replied, that every Minister was nominated by his Majesty. The Prince then attacked the functions of some of the most important, and concluded with observations reflecting on the Sovereign himself I too enjoyed six months in his confidence; but who can count on its duration ?' M. Pasquier then called his carriage. Next morning, Talleyrand received the following note through the Duke de Chatre: SIR,-In consequence of the public conversation which you held with the President of the Chamber of Deputies in the house of the Ambassador of a Foreign Power, I inform you, that his Majesty has ordered me to notify to you, that you need not again present yourself at Court." Rostopchin, Governor of Moscow at the time of Buonaparte's invasion of Russia, had an audience of Louis XVIII. on the 4th instant. The King of France has issued an Ordonnance, by which a bounty is granted upon all grain imported into France between the 15th inst. and the 1st of September, 1817. [This measure is said to have been adopted in consequence of the opening of our ports for grain.] By private letters from France, we learn that the Budget is considered in the private circles of Paris as wholly incompa tible with the means at the disposal of Ministers; and the Government trembles at the imposition of new taxes. The capital is represented to be in a very perturbed state, owing chiefly to the distresses of the lower orders of the people. Besides this, there is another circumstance of which the parties disaffected to the Government avail themselves, for the pur pose of fomenting public discontent. It The private letters from Paris exhibit the painful picture of app oaching civil conflicts. Proclamations and counter-proclamations have been issued in La Vendée; and that part of the county which was the first to take up arms for Louis XVI. and the last to lay them down for Louis XVIII. is now threatened with punishment for alleged disloyalty! One of the letters thus speaks of these occurrences: "The effervescence which still continues to reign among the inhabitants of La Vendée has, for a long time, engaged the anxious solicitude of Government. A proclamation of the most incendiary nature was circulated to the arrondissement of Sables; three days after its appearance armed bands desolated the communes of the Marias. These outrages were attributed by the whole country to the intrigues of M. de Maynard. The peasants of Morbihan are armed to a man; they have never surrendered the firelocks of British manufacture which they made so noble a use of during the Kevolution." The Chamber of Peers has resolved to continue the fatiguing and dull practice of delivering written speeches; the proposition for abolishing it having been rejected by a majority of 87 to 50. The Chamber of Deputies had a public sitting on the 5th inst. when a project of law on the right of voting at Elections was presented. It is the old law somewhat modified; but the principle of paying about 131. sterling, in direct taxes, to qualify a person to vote, is retained. On the 7th inst, in the sitting of the Chamber of Deputies, the long-promised projets of laws were brought forward by the Minister of Police, for securing the Liberty of the Subject, the Liberty of the Press, and the Seizure of printed Works. Such are the titles of the e laws, to which they have little pretensions, with the exception of that relating to the seizure of printed works. The two first laws are proposed to be temporary, and to expire on the |