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LONDON, Printed by NICHOLS and SON,
at Cicero's Head, Red Lion Paffage, Fleet-Street;

where LETTERS are particularly requested to be fent, PoST PAID.
And fold by J. HARRIS (Succeffor to Mrs. NEWBERY),
the Corner of St. Paul's Church Ya, Ludgate-Street. 1803.

ON COMPLEATING HIS LXXIII VOLUME.

M

Y Friend, thy Poet once fo gay,

Blythe as the Laureate on New
year's day,

Or School-boy on the wing;
Now folitary fits at home,
For rheumatifm forbids to roam,

Tho' not at times to fing.

A blank all Nature hence would feem,
Were it not oer fome books to dream,
Where retrospective fcene

And filent friends chear up the mind,
Who were by Heaven, I think, defign'd,

Affliction's confolating means.

Then mufing o'er my ways and means,
I turu o'er URBAN'S Magazines,

His Chronicles of lore;
Stol'n from the budget of old Time,
Like Gold, are always in their prime, ›
And pleate us o'er and o'er.
Farewell alarming Icenes of fear,
No more let's dread Invafion neat,
Too long the Tyrant's boast;
Impotent in their vaft designs,
With envy view our loyal Lines
Embroider all our Coast.

While we affert our native claim,
In UNION BOND one and the fame,

Triumphant as before;

CRESSY and AGINGOURT may tell,
What we'll repeat-how faft they fell,

Should they provoke us more.
But, hoping Peace with fmiling grace
May with this New Year take a place,
And heal the wounds of War;
Chearfully truft for future good,
That Providence which has withstood,
For us a Nation's bar.

Then farewell EIGHTEEN HUNDRED

THREE,

No more beheld by you or me,
In future life's career,
Remov'd to join the ages paft,
Gothic, or Gold, or Iron, laft
Oblivion's countless tier :

But unimprov'd let nothing fade,
Though Winter yields to Spring's mild fhade
And May's reviving dews;

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We not like thofe, when youth declines,
No fun nor feafon e'er that fhines
Our Spring of life renews.
Rememb'ring here that life's but lent,
Where fcarcely fhines the RAY Content,
In high or lowest scene;

And life fteals on with fubtle pace,
Deceiving us in ev'ry race,

Like April fkies ferene.
Avoid that eager, vain purfuit,
That rafhnefs for Hefperian fruit,

So dangerous to behold;

Since e'en from Ovid's page you know,
From fuch what ills and plagues may flow,
Whilft dragons guard the gold.
Hence let us learn this leffon right,
To walk by Virtue's awful light,
With wifdom to the end;

So fhall our hopes to worlds on high
Enroll us there before we die;

And Hopx's our dearest friend.
Thither when call'd to share that feaft,
By troubles and by pain increas'd,
Extracting good from all;

When Time fhall give our end to meet,
And push from our uncertain feet,

This falfe enamour'd ball.

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AFTER having endeavoured for SEVENTY-THREE YEARS to deferve the public favour; and, with pride and gratitude it may be added, after having uninterruptedly obtained that highly-defireable object; without entering into a retrofpect of what has already been our conduct, or into idle profeffions of any future plan of operation; we unfeignedly acknowledge our obligations for the unprecedented patronage fo long experienced, and for thofe fpontaneous contributions of many of the firft literary characters of the age, which have uniformly been among the moft prominent of our features- Unufquifque ftudiis propriis favet plaudit, non quòd optima funt, fed quòd fua*.

In the highly-eventful fituation in which our Country is at prefent placed, and in which with dignified preeminence the awaits the threatened ftorm; whilst the hearts of the whole Empire are knit together as one man, and not an individual from the Sovereign to the lowest mechanic or peafant but "burns to meet his vaunting foe in arms;" all ideas of party difference have totally fubfided; and not a conteft exifts, but of "who fhall ferve his King and Country beft." If in this glorious caufe SYLVANUS URBAN has volunteered his fervices, he trufts that it will not be interpreted as a momentary effufion; but rather as a continuity of that loyal attachment to the HOUSE OF BRUNSWICK which induced him in 1745 to exert his utmost faculties against an attempt, more feeble indeed, but not lefs rafh, than that with which thefe envied Realms are at prefent threatened. We fhall not recapitulate inftances of our uniform attachment to that matchlefs Conftitution which is the envy and admiration of the World; but refer to the pages of SEVENTY-THREE large Volumes to speak for us what we are unable to exprefs."

The times call loudly for action, not for words; and we fhall demonftrate that, whilft with one hand we join the proud legions which are prepared to hurl vengeance on an infulting foe, we are equally prepared to wield the pen in defence of all that is dear to us as Men and as Britons; defirous of being ranked among thofe not given to change; as faithful adherents to the mild Laws under which we are protected, as loyal fubjects to a Sovereign who reigns in the affections of admiring millions, and as humble but firm believers in the truths of that holy Religion under which, by Divine Favour, thefe Kingdoms have hitherto been most wonderfully preferved and protected.—Efto perpetua!

Dec. 31, 1803.

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* Markland, Epiftola Critica ad Hare.

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